How to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA

Wed, Jun 17
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Travel Information

Compare train and bus for Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, 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 2h 20m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.0 - 0.1kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $16, and a train costs an average of $26.

Distance: 86 miles (140 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Driving

$34

Average price

$34

Average price

Cheapest

$20

Average price

(fuel + tolls)

3h 31m

Average total duration

3h 1m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

2h 50m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 20m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

1h 54m

Average total duration

(door-to-door)

0.0 - 0.1kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

-

CO2 emissions

Amtrak

Most popular train company

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Your own car or car rental

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

The cheapest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is a bus with an average price of $34 (€27).

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

A bus is $0.67 (€0.54) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA costing on average $34 (€28).

The fastest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is by bus with an average journey time of 2h 20m.

Other travel options to Los Angeles, CA take longer:

Train takes on average 3h 1m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 2 ways to travel between Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles, CA including taking a train and bus.
We recommend using the train as it is the most popular way to get from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA among Omio's users.

Travel options
from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    1:55 PM2h20
    Santa Barbara, Bus station
    4:15 PMLos Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA
    $271One-way
    0 transfers

Cheapest

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    1:55 PM2h20
    Santa Barbara, Bus station
    4:15 PMLos Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA
    $271One-way
    0 transfers

Fastest

  • FlixBusFlixBus
    1:55 PM2h20
    Santa Barbara, Bus station
    4:15 PMLos Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA
    $271One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Amtrak794 Pacific Surfliner
    7:00 PM2h46
    Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
    9:46 PMUnion Station, Los Angeles, CA
    $351One-way
    0 transfers
  • Amtrak770 Pacific Surfliner
    6:53 AM2h53
    Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
    9:46 AMUnion Station, Los Angeles, CA
    $351One-way
    0 transfers
  • Amtrak786 Pacific Surfliner
    2:57 PM2h53
    Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
    5:50 PMUnion Station, Los Angeles, CA
    $351One-way
    0 transfers

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

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights

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FAQs: Travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA

Travel to Los Angeles, 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 Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles, CA including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is a bus with an average price of $34 (€27).

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

A bus is $0.67 (€0.54) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA costing on average $34 (€28).

The fastest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is by bus with an average journey time of 2h 20m.

Other travel options to Los Angeles, CA take longer:

Train takes on average 3h 1m.

The distance from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is approximately 86 miles (140 km).
The average frequency per day from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is:
  • Around 12 trains per day.
  • Around 2 buses per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Santa Barbara, CA and Los Angeles, 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 Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA:
  • Trains mostly depart from Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA and arrive in Union Station, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Buses mostly depart from Santa Barbara, Bus station and arrive in Los Angeles, Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station), CA.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Los Angeles, CA by train.
  • Travel with FlixBus to go to Los Angeles, CA by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA with the following travel companies:
  • 10 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
  • 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA often also extend their vacation to go to San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Tijuana, New York, NY. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Los Angeles, CA and these popular destinations at a great price.
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