How to travel from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

Sat, Feb 28
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Regionale
Deutsche Bahn
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Amtrak
Greyhound
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Regionale
Deutsche Bahn
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, flight, and bus for San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the train with prices starting from $49. For those with little time consider booking a train which can get you there in 5h 48m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.3kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a train costs an average of $49, and a bus costs an average of $34.

Distance: 187 miles (302 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

$50

Average price

Cheapest

$59

Average price

6h 18m

Average total duration

Fastest

5h 48m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 19m

Average total duration

5h 49m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.3 - 0.8kg

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 San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

Greyhound
02:00PM7h35
San Diego, CA
09:35PMSanta Barbara, CA
$561One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Greyhound
02:00PM7h35
San Diego, CA
09:35PMSanta Barbara, CA
$561One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Greyhound
02:45PM6h50
San Diego, CA
09:35PMSanta Barbara, CA
$571One-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 San Diego, 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 San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between San Diego, CA and Santa Barbara, CA including taking a train, flight, and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is a bus with an average price of $34 (€27).

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

A bus is $14 (€12) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA costing on average $49 (€39).

A bus is $90 (€72) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA costing on average $124 (€99).

The fastest way to travel from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is by flight with an average journey time of 2h 42m.

Other travel options to Santa Barbara, CA take longer:

Train takes on average 5h 46m.

Bus takes on average 6h 20m.

The distance from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is approximately 187 miles (302 km).
The average frequency per day from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA is:
  • Around 29 flights per day.
  • Around 17 trains per day.
  • Around 4 buses per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA:
  • Flights mostly depart from San Diego International Airport and arrive in Santa Barbara Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, CA and arrive in Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA.
  • Buses mostly depart from San Diego, Congress Street (Old Town Park), CA and arrive in Santa Barbara, Bus station.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Santa Barbara, CA by train.
  • Travel with Greyhound, FlixBus to go to Santa Barbara, CA by bus.
Yes, there is a direct route available from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA:
  • 13 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
Omio customers who travel from San Diego, CA to Santa Barbara, CA often also extend their vacation to go to Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Ventura, CA, San Luis Obispo, 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.
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