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

Fri, Feb 06
+ Add return
Travel by train, bus, flight with
FlixBus
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United
Greyhound
Deutsche Bahn
1,000+ more
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Amtrak
United
Greyhound
Deutsche Bahn
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

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

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from €34. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 1h 9m. 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 €34, and a flight costs an average of €100.

Distance: 277 miles (446 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train
Flight

€53

Average price

Cheapest

€67

Average price

€244

Average price

8h 36m

Average total duration

8h 6m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

10h 0m

Average total duration

9h 30m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

4h 9m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 9m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.4 - 1.1kg

CO2 emissions

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

1.3 - 2.7kg

CO2 emissions

FlixBus

Most popular bus company

Amtrak

Most popular train company

United

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

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

Travel options
from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA

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

Our recommendation

bus

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

Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner · 4765 AMTRAK
11:50AM8h10
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
08:00PMSan Francisco, CA
$541One-way
1 transfer

Cheapest

Amtrak765 Pacific Surfliner · 4765 AMTRAK
11:50AM8h10
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
08:00PMSan Francisco, CA
$541One-way
1 transfer

Fastest

UnitedUA2340
06:00AM1h16
Santa Barbara Airport
07:16AMSan Francisco International Airport
$3361One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Amtrak14 Coast Starlight · 6014 AMTRAK
12:21PM10h09
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
10:30PMSan Francisco, CA
$971One-way
1 transfer
Amtrak14 Coast Starlight · 6619 AMTRAK
12:21PM10h09
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
10:30PMSan Francisco, CA
$971One-way
1 transfer
Amtrak5619 AMTRAK · 719 Gold Runner · 6619 AMTRAK
12:00PM10h30
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
10:30PMSan Francisco, CA
$1041One-way
2 transfers
Amtrak6238 AMTRAK · 538 Capitol Corridor · 6645 AMTRAK
07:35AM10h35
Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA
06:10PMSan Francisco, CA
$1081One-way
2 transfers
UnitedUA5804
10:45AM1h26
Santa Barbara Airport
12:11PMSan Francisco International Airport
$3361One-way
0 transfers
UnitedUA2305
02:17PM1h18
Santa Barbara Airport
03:35PMSan Francisco International Airport
$3361One-way
0 transfers
UnitedUA2097
06:51PM1h18
Santa Barbara Airport
08:09PMSan Francisco International Airport
$3361One-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 Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA

Travel to San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Santa Barbara, CA and San Francisco, CA including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA is a bus with an average price of $43 (€34).

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

A bus is $20 (€16) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $63 (€50).

A bus is $83 (€66) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA costing on average $126 (€100).

The fastest way to travel from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 7m.

Other travel options to San Francisco, CA take longer:

Bus takes on average 6h 20m.

Train takes on average 9h 10m.

The distance from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA is approximately 277 miles (446 km).
The average frequency per day from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA is:
  • Around 12 flights per day.
  • Around 6 trains per day.
  • Around 6 buses per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA:
  • Trains mostly depart from Santa Barbara Station, Santa Barbara, CA and arrive in Emeryville station, Emeryville, CA.
  • Flights mostly depart from Santa Barbara Airport and arrive in San Francisco International Airport.
  • Buses mostly depart from Santa Barbara, Bus station and arrive in San Francisco, Townsend Street / 5th Street, CA.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Amtrak to go to San Francisco, CA by train.
  • Travel with FlixBus, Greyhound to go to San Francisco, CA by bus.
  • Travel with United to go to San Francisco, CA by flight.
Yes, there are direct services available from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA with the following travel companies:
  • 1 direct trains per day with Amtrak.
  • 1 direct buses per day with FlixBus.
Omio customers who travel from Santa Barbara, CA to San Francisco, CA often also extend their vacation to go to Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Las Vegas, NV, New York, NY, San Diego, CA. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between San Francisco, CA and these popular destinations at a great price.
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