Candice & Andy
Travel
Hotel
Ramada by Wyndham Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Affordable and cute hotel right in SB!
Hotel
Riviera Beach House
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 966-6586
Boutique hotel just blocks from the beach and in the heart of all the action. Walk to many of SB's best best restaurants, bars, and wine tasting rooms.
Hotel
Harbor View Inn
Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 963-0780
A quintessential Santa Barbara hotel! Spanish style digs just steps from the beach and other local fun!
Hotel
Best Western Plus Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 682-7277
Another nice and reasonable option in a great part of SB. Does offer some shuttle services.
Hotel
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 564-4333
For those really wanting that fancy vacation you're always talking about.
House Or Rental
Goleta Cottage
Just an idea for any couples looking for a more private option. We stayed at this Airbnb a while back and loved it! Super cute, clean, spacious and updated. Relatively decent price for the area. Quiet neighborhood in Goleta, a town just north of SB proper (still only 15 minute drive from everything). Walk a few blocks to grocery stores, coffee, and a breakfast spot.
House Or Rental
VRBO
VRBO had quite a few homes/condos available. Consider sharing your own space with family and friends. This can sometimes help cut costs and make for a more special and memorable experience.
Flight
LAX
About 1.5 hour drive north to Santa Barbara. LAX may be a good option due its size and range of options. Admittedly, we've never flown into LA but would assume it can be pretty busy. We don't have any specific flight recommendations given the various schedules of folks attending. There are a number of ways to get to SB from LAX including rental cars, Amtrak and even a shuttle bus. DON'T FORGET about rush hour which probably starts at 3pm
Flight
SBA
While LAX may be the popular choice, keep in mind SB has its own major airport (SBA). SBA works with 4 major airlines, Alaska, American, Southwest, and United. It may be more expensive and require a layover but may beat the hassle of flying into LA and figuring out those transportation and logistics costs. From SBA you'll be a short Uber/Lyft ride to all things Santa Barbara.
Train
Amtrak
The Pacific Surfliner offers a number of times from LA to Santa Barbara and goes even further up or down the coast depending on your plans. Could be a fun way to see the coast and avoid traffic! Stops right in SB. Prices appear very reasonable.
Travel Note
Getting Around
Navigating Santa Barbara is not bad at all. You can get away with a few short Ubers to navigate the city or bumming rides from friends with rental cars. nothing ever seems to be more than a 15 minute drive and depending on where you stay some parts are very walkable. It may be a bit busy on weekends but we'll "technically" be there before the "busy season" (I love quotation marks).