Put your pocket tourman back in his protective cellophane wrapping—he won't be needed to discover the bounties of San Diego with today's deal: for $50, you get a 2.5-hour GPS-guided GoCar tour, a $103 value. USA Today said the GoCar "just might be the nation's next big tourist sensation," and Time magazine named GoCar one of the coolest inventions of 2004.
If you're tired of biking up 60-degree hills or making awkward conversation with Jerry Sanders at don't walk signs during a 2.5-hour tour of the city, go by GoCar instead. GoCar cars are little yellow GoCars that go by car on a GPS-guided GoCar tour through the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, Balboa Park, and much more. The onboard GPS system shows you the way, while the talking car describes the significance of historic sights (Fort Stockton, Rosecrans National Cemetery, Cabrillo National Monument) and cultural landmarks (El Prado museum complex, Point Loma Ecological Reserve, San Diego Zoo) as you zip past them.
Choose from two different narrated-tour routes: the historic downtown tour, including stops at Petco Park and the San Diego Zoo, or the Point Loma and beaches tour. Drivers can also choose to blaze their own trail—GoCars can go wherever you want, and they can park, so you can stop for photos, take detours on foot, grab coffee, or stop at a printer to pick up copies of your annual TPS report.
You must be over 21 to rent and drive a GoCar, and rental requires a credit card for a security deposit that is fully refunded at the end of the tour. Driving a GoCar into the ocean for a better look at those sweaty, bleating sea lions is neither safe nor permitted. The cars hold a maximum of two people (prices are per GoCar, not per person), and the passenger must be at least 5 years of age.
Reviews
Yelpers give GoCar 4.5 stars, and San Diego magazine called it the Best Self-Guided Tour in 2007. Time magazine named GoCar one of the coolest inventions of 2004. USA Today reviewed it:
- GoCars...are GPS-guided tour vehicles that tell drivers about the coolest San Diego destinations. – San Diego
- "That was wild," she declares, whipping off the motorcycle helmet that is mandatory for renters. "I want a franchise." – Gene Sloan, USA Today
Groupon Says
Smiles Per Gallon
As with most marketing ventures, GoCar went through a number of rejected names before settling on its sublimely straightforward moniker. Here’s a list of just a few from the discard pile:
- FastGo
- GoFast
- DoubleFast
- CarGo
- PlaceGet
- GoCarGo!
- Professor Benita Garabaldi’s Urban Tourist Transport Solution Series Mark 9: “The Gamechanger”
- DoubleBikes
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