How to travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

Fri, Feb 06
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €16. For those with little time consider booking a bus which can get you there in 4h 0m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.2kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €16, and a train costs an average of €32.

Distance: 119 miles (192 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

€35

Average price

€28

Average price

Cheapest

4h 34m

Average total duration

4h 4m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 30m

Average total duration

Fastest

4h 0m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.2kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.2 - 0.5kg

CO2 emissions

Amtrak

Most popular train company

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

How to get from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

train

The best way to travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner
09:52AM3h54
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
01:46PMSanta Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner
09:52AM3h54
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
01:46PMSanta Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Amtrak777 Pacific Surfliner
01:52PM3h53
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
05:45PMSanta Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Amtrak769 Pacific Surfliner
09:52AM4h10
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
02:02PMGoleta Station, Goleta, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers
Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner
07:52AM3h55
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
11:47AMSanta Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers
Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner
07:52AM4h09
Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA
12:01PMGoleta Station, Goleta, CA
$441One-way
0 transfers

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

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FAQs: Travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

Travel to Santa Barbara, CA easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Irvine, CA and Santa Barbara, CA including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is a bus with an average price of $21 (€16).

This is compared to other travel options from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA:

A bus is $19 (€15) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA costing on average $40 (€32).

The fastest way to travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is by bus with an average journey time of 4h 20m.

Other travel options to Santa Barbara, CA take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 1m.

The distance from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is approximately 119 miles (192 km).
The average frequency per day from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is:
  • Around 14 trains per day.
  • Around 4 buses per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Irvine, CA and Santa Barbara, CA as scheduled services by train and bus can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA:
  • Trains mostly depart from Irvine Transportation Center, Irvine, CA and arrive in Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA.
  • Buses mostly depart from Santa Ana, E Santa Ana Blvd (Train Station) and arrive in Santa Barbara, Bus station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with FlixBus to go to Santa Barbara, CA by bus.
  • Travel with Amtrak, Metrolink Trains to go to Santa Barbara, CA by train.
Omio customers who travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA often also extend their vacation to go to Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, San Jose, CA, Ventura, CA. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Santa Barbara, CA and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravelTravel to USATravel to Santa Barbara, CAHow to travel from Irvine, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

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