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

Tue, Feb 17
+ Add return
Travel by train, bus with
Amtrak
FlixBus
Deutsche Bahn
Regionale
Costa Verde
1,000+ more
Amtrak
FlixBus
Deutsche Bahn
Regionale
Costa Verde
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

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

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €40. For those with little time consider booking a bus which can get you there in 7h 31m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.4kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of €40, and a train costs an average of €49.

Distance: 274 miles (441 km)

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus

€73

Average price

€54

Average price

Cheapest

9h 26m

Average total duration

8h 56m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

8h 1m

Average total duration

Fastest

7h 31m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.4 - 1.1kg

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 Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

Amtrak
05:58PM8h37
Santa Barbara, CA
02:35AMOakland, CA
$531One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Amtrak
05:58PM8h37
Santa Barbara, CA
02:35AMOakland, CA
$531One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

FlixBus
07:45PM6h50
Santa Barbara, CA
02:35AMOakland, CA
$1661One-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

Compare train and bus prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

Tue
Feb 17
Wed
Feb 18
Thu
Feb 19
Fri
Feb 20
Sat
Feb 21
Sun
Feb 22
Mon
Feb 23

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

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

Travel to Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA.

FAQs
There are 2 options to travel between Santa Barbara, CA and Oakland, CA including taking a train and bus.
The cheapest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA is a bus with an average price of $51 (€40).

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

A bus is $12 (€9) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA costing on average $62 (€49).

The fastest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA is by bus with an average journey time of 6h 50m.

Other travel options to Oakland, CA take longer:

Train takes on average 8h 45m.

The distance from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA is approximately 274 miles (441 km).
The average frequency per day from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA is:
  • Around 6 trains per day.
  • Around 5 buses per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Santa Barbara, CA and Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA:
  • Buses mostly depart from Santa Barbara, Bus station and arrive in Oakland, West Oakland BART Station, CA.
  • Trains mostly depart from Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA and arrive in Oakland – Jack London Square station, Oakland, CA.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with FlixBus to go to Oakland, CA by bus.
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to Oakland, CA by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
  • 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
Omio customers who travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA often also extend their vacation to go to Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Francisco, CA, Stockton, CA, Bakersfield, CA. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Oakland, CA and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravelTravel to USATravel to Oakland, CAHow to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to Oakland, CA

The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy

We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone