MILITARY HOUSING | ABOUT CAMP PENDLETON BASE | AREA SCHOOLS
YOUTH CARE, ACTIVITIES & SPORTS | GETTING TO AND FROM | RESOURCES
Which airport should I fly into to get to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base? How far should I drive to get to Camp Pendleton?
Major airports
Note that the times are rough estimates and can change depending on traffic. Depending on where you are flying, flights can be cheaper at different airports. Check out the costs from each airport all the time…
Closest airport from southern gate is:
San Diego Airport (SAN) – Approximately 50 minutes
Carlsbad Airport (CLD) – Approximately 15 minutes. Not a major hub at all… small plane airport, some commercial airlines land there.
Closest airport from north gate is:
John Wayne (SNA) – Approximately 35 minutes. Flights tend to be more expensive at this airport, but you can get some good deals depending on where you are flying.
Long Beach (LGB) – Approximately 50 minutes. Limited carriers fly into this airport.
San Diego (SAN) – Approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Flights tend to be cheaper at this airport because it is a major hub.
Los Angeles (LAX) – Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Flights tend to be cheaper at this airport because it is as major hub. Note that traffic into LA can very bad at times and double the time to get to the airport. Take that into consideration when booking tickets.
Train Information
You can take the Coaster most anywhere in southern California and it’s cheaper than the Amtrack Surfliner. The Pacific Surfliner Train up and down the coast of California. This is a great resource for spouses to get to and from the airport when your Marine is deployed or working. It’s also great for families taking long leave stints without leaving a car at the airport and inconveniencing friends for a trip to the airport.
The Sprinter goes east to Escondido.
The Oceanside Train Station is open year round and tickets can be bought outside the train by the parking lot. Give yourself some extra time because the line to the unmanned kiosk can be 3-5 deep at busy times.
Oceanside to SAN is approximately 1 hour. It comes with a free bus transfer to the San Diego airport on the corner of Broadway and Kettner. You can also take a short taxi ride ($10-15) to the airport as well.
Oceanside to LAX is approximately 2 hours. Tickets cost approximately $18-25 per person. They do give military a discount, make sure you select it off the drop down menu. You’ll have to cab it to the airport approximately 18 miles.
San Clemente Pier train stop is active seasonally. The train stop in San Clemente is an unmanned station and tickets can be bought on the train.
Major train stations are as follows: Oceanside (OSD); San Diego (SAN); Los Angeles (LAX); and San Clemente (SNP).
