Travel

Flight

Santa Barbara Airport

All airline travel booked through Delta has been cancelled Santa Barbara (SBA) Airport due to COVID-19, please be sure to coordinate with another airline when booking your travel. The nearest airport to Santa-Barbara is Santa Barbara (SBA) Airport which is 8 miles away. This airport is our most recommended. Other nearby airports include Burbank (BUR) (78.9 miles), Los Angeles (LAX) (81.2 miles), Santa Ana (SNA) (117.7 miles) and Ontario/San Bernardino (ONT) (123.2 miles) if you're in the mood for some drive time. Recommended to search for flights on Google, Cheap-o air or download the Hopper app on your phone for updates on prices for cheap flights.

Flight

LAX

Flying into LAX is sometimes cheaper than other airports in California. Its about 95 miles, estimated about a 2 hour drive to Santa Barbara, but it makes for a nice drive along the coast. You can get discounted tickets through Expedia, Priceline, Cheaptickets, or Cheap-o-air....this is just to name a few.

Travel Note

Alternative Travel Options

The nearest airport to Santa Barbara is Santa Barbara Muncipal (SBA). However, there are better options for getting to Santa Barbara. Amtrak operates a train from Los Angeles (LAX) to Santa Barbara every 4 hours. Tickets cost $28 - $40 and the journey takes 2h 30m. Alternatively, Santa Barbara MTD operates a bus from Santa Barbara (SBA) to Santa Barbara every 30 minutes. Tickets cost $1 - $2 and the journey takes 38 min.

Hotel

Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn

This is a very nice, clean and affordable hotel. Many of our guests and some of the wedding party will be staying here. Located about 10-15 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara.

Hotel

Inn By the Harbor

This is one of the recommended cheaper hotels in the area. Located in Santa Barbara, Inn By The Harbor is in the entertainment district and near the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Moreton Bay Fig Tree and Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center, while Carriage and Western Art Museum and Santa Barbara Maritime Museum are cultural highlights. Santa Barbara Zoo and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and sailing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails.

Hotel

Hotel Milo Santa Barbara

Great location with the ocean across the street and the pier just a block away. Centrally located in Santa Barbara, within a 5-minute drive of Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Presidio Santa Barbara. Beautiful gardens, helpful staff, and a nice continental breakfast.

Hotel

Mar Monte Hotel - In the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

Located in Santa Barbara's East Beach neighborhood, Mar Monte Hotel Hyatt is in the city center and on the beach. Those looking for an activity can check out Stearns Wharf. Santa Barbara Zoo and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking, parasailing, and windsurfing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails.

House Or Rental

Airbnb

This is a great way to go, travelers can often book an Airbnb for less than the cost of a hotel room. Airbnb hosts list many different kinds of properties from single rooms, a suite of rooms, apartments and entire houses if your group is big enough.

Travel Note

Downtown parking and waterfront shuttles

Santa Barbara has an excellent public transportation infrastructure. Local buses are owned and operated by Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD). Their website is mobile friendly and easy to use on your smartphone. All buses take dollar bills and coins, with no change provided. You can also use a pre-purchased bus pass to board any MTD bus. In addition, MTD offers the Downtown and Waterfront Shuttles, which offers convenient quick-stop transportation between Victoria Street (Arlington Theater) and Stearns Wharf for a $0.50 fare. MTD's Downtown & Waterfront Shuttles are sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara to provide frequent shuttle service along busy State Street and the Waterfront area.