# Christmas train rides near San Diego, 2026

> We found three Christmas trains within a drive of San Diego with 2026 dates posted: one Polar Express ride, one Santa train and one zoo or park holiday train. The closest, North Pole Limited in Campo, is about 40 miles out.

- Last checked: 2026-10-29
- 3 Christmas trains with 2026 dates
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/san-diego/christmas-trains/
- Santa visits (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/san-diego/santa/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/san-diego/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/san-diego/llms.txt

## Train rides

- **THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride** at Southern California Railway Museum, Perris, CA (2201 S. A St) · about 80 miles away. When: Select dates Nov 11–Dec 31 (no rides Thanksgiving or Christmas Day); see the official schedule. Time: Departures from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; arrive about 60 minutes before showtime. Price: Value $49.25 child / $56.25 adult; Standard $67.25 / $74.25; Premium $81.25 / $88.25 (fees included). Ages: Child tickets ages 2–11. Booking: Parking passes are $6 per vehicle; a sensory-friendly ride runs Tuesday, Nov 24. Type: Polar Express. An hour-long ride with a reading of the book, hot chocolate, carols and Santa handing out the first gift of Christmas. Official page: https://socalthepolarexpressride.com/scheduling-tickets/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **Christmas Train and Santa's Village** at Irvine Park Railroad, Irvine Regional Park, Orange, CA · about 80 miles away. When: Nov 27 – Dec 23. Time: Daily; extended hours 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Dec 14. Price: Park entry $3–$7 per car. Ages: Under 24 months free. Booking: Reservations required; tickets go on sale online Nov 2 at 10 a.m. Type: Zoo & park train. Official page: https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/events/christmas-train/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- **North Pole Limited** at Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, Campo, CA · about 40 miles away. When: Next: Fri Nov 27, Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Fri Dec 4 and 8 more. Time: Fridays to Sundays. Booking: Tickets through the museum's site. Type: Santa train. Official page: https://psrm.org/ (checked 2026-10-29)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is there a Polar Express train ride near San Diego in 2026?
THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride in Perris, CA (2201 S. A St) · about 80 miles away: Select dates Nov 11–Dec 31 (no rides Thanksgiving or Christmas Day); see the official schedule. Price: Value $49.25 child / $56.25 adult; Standard $67.25 / $74.25; Premium $81.25 / $88.25 (fees included).

### Where can kids ride a Santa train near San Diego?
North Pole Limited (Campo, CA · about 40 miles away): Next: Fri Nov 27, Sat Nov 28, Sun Nov 29, Fri Dec 4 and 8 more.

### Are there holiday light trains or zoo trains near San Diego?
Christmas Train and Santa's Village (Orange, CA · about 80 miles away): Nov 27 – Dec 23, Park entry $3–$7 per car.

### Do Christmas train rides sell out?
Many do. One of the three here asks you to book ahead or warns that seats sell out. Each card says what the operator posts about tickets.

### How do you check these train rides?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 29, 2026, and we recheck them every week through December. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).