We had a great driver, Jack, on the first day. He was pretty funny. The other guides were using the canned speeches from the company. There are a number of stops and you can hop on and off, but they only run in one direction. It takes about two hours to complete the loop, so plan your stops in the right order. We took the whole tour the first day, then walked back to the areas we could reach by foot. I could have stayed much longer in Coronado and in Balboa Park, but the last pickup time for the trolley was early. For the most part, the stops are designed for tourists, some more interesting than others. Do your research, and you can have freedom without having to rent a car.