Lowest Prices
We partner with the top coach & train carriers to bring you the best deals.
Best Travel Options
We help you find & compare the best buses & trains in one place.
Quick & Easy Booking
Book trips quickly with a simple, hassle-free checkout – online & on our app.
Fast Customer Support
We don’t monkey around. We respond within minutes to help you out.
Journey Information
There is one daily coach from Santa Barbara to Irvine. Traveling by coach from Santa Barbara to Irvine usually takes around 4 hours and 7 minutes, but the fastest FlixBus US coach can make the trip in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
| Distance | 120 mi (194 km) |
| Shortest duration | 3h 20m |
| Cheapest price | £17.56 |
| Trips per day | 1 |
| Most frequent service | FlixBus US |
| Coach lines | 1 |
How much is a coach ticket from Santa Barbara to Irvine?
£17.56 is the average price of a bus ticket from Santa Barbara to Irvine. Taking a bus is an affordable way to make this trip. It’s easy to find a bus ticket at this price or lower when you use Wanderu to book your trip online in advance of your travel date.
Monthly average prices
The lowest bus ticket prices on this route can usually be found in December. That’s when the average price of a bus ticket is expected to be just £18 – the lowest of the year.
Alternatively, if you plan to travel from Santa Barbara to Irvine in March, expect to spend more on your bus trip, as the average ticket price may surge to £34 at that time of year. However, if you book your trip ahead of time, you can still score a ticket at a lower price.
Prices as travel date approaches
Most coach companies charge higher ticket prices the closer you book to the date of travel, so it’s a good idea to buy your coach tickets as early as possible. The best way to find cheap coach tickets is to book at least 14 days in advance. By doing so, you can expect to save £11.58 on your coach ticket compared to booking at the last minute.
What coach companies travel from Santa Barbara to Irvine?
There is one intercity bus company available to search and book on Wanderu that operates from Santa Barbara to Irvine. FlixBus US is the only company that has bus schedules available to search and book at the moment. It only makes the trip once a day on most days.
| Coach | Daily Trips | Avg. Time | Avg. Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlixBus US | 1 | 4h 7m | £26.07 |
FlixBus US is the American branch of German bus company FlixBus, known for providing sustainable, affordable, and modern bus travel. The company offers cheap bus tickets to popular urban destinations throughout the United States. FlixBus US buses include many amenities, including comfortable seats, free WiFi, power outlets at every seat, and an online portal for free entertainment. On average, FlixBus US operates 1 trips per day from Santa Barbara to Irvine, and the average ticket for this route costs only .
Frequently Asked Questions
The coach takes an average of 4 hours and 7 minutes to cover the 120 miles from Santa Barbara to Irvine. However, the fastest coach only takes 3 hours and 20 minutes. In other words, you'll have plenty of time to rest and relax on the road. Keep in mind that your actual coach may arrive earlier or later than scheduled, depending on whether there is more or less traffic than usual.
Saturday is usually the day when coaches are busiest, as many travelers take the coach to enjoy the weekend in Irvine. If you are planning to travel on a Saturday, you should make sure to book tickets well in advance as they may sell out.
On the other hand, Monday is typically the least busy day for coach travel on this route. For a less crowded trip, try to book your coach travel for the beginning of the week.
There is usually only one coach per day from Santa Barbara to Irvine. It leaves the station in Santa Barbara at 13:00 each day. The time might vary for specific dates, so be sure to search on Wanderu for the most up-to-date information.
There is usually only one coach per day from Santa Barbara to Irvine. Fortunately, this happens to be a direct coach, meaning that you do not have to get on a different coach at any point during your trip.
Need more travel options? Consider taking the train from Santa Barbara to Irvine; ticket prices start at £21.56.
City Information
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a major travel destination along the southern coast of California. Dramatically situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara offers incomparable scenery with a comfortably warm climate year-round. White stucco buildings with Mediterranean-style architecture, gorgeous beaches, and upscale local cuisine give Santa Barbara the nickname "The American Riviera."
There are many kinds of vacations to enjoy in Santa Barbara. You can spend days on the soft sand of Leadbetter Beach, surfing in the swells at Rincon Point, or shopping for trinkets along Stearns Wharf. Or embrace the area's history by visiting the Mission Santa Barbara, a Spanish mission founded in 1786. Highlights from the mission include Spanish architecture, a rose garden, a museum, and even crypts.
Santa Barbara Airport, only a few miles from downtown, serves passengers to the region. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner stops in Santa Barbara on its way from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, with plenty of connections to other SoCal hotspots. Intercity coaches, including FlixBus, offer routes from Santa Barbara to destinations like L.A., San Diego, and Las Vegas.
Irvine
Image credit: Unsplash
Image credit: Unsplash
Image credit: Unsplash
Though Irvine is probably most famous for its corporations and university campuses, the city is well worth the trip for its variety of attractions and activities. Start with a date night at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, which boasts an intimate atmosphere and superb acoustics. You could also check out the UCI Arboretum, where you can learn more about the unique flora of the coastal California region. The Beall Center for Art + Technology features interesting exhibitions that fuse modern art with futuristic technologies.
When you've worked up an appetite, you can find a wide variety of dining options available in the city. For some of the best Japanese dishes in town, check out Fukuda, which serves udon and soba dishes. If you are craving a good chicken parm, North Italia has just what you need!
It's easy to get to Irvine from anywhere in Southern California via intercity buses or Amtrak trains. Flights operate through the nearby John Wayne Airport-Orange County Airport, just 4.3 miles away from downtown.
Station Information
Where does the coach leave from in Santa Barbara?
Main departure station: 209 State Street
Most coaches depart from the main station in Santa Barbara.
All coach stations in Santa Barbara:
209 State Street
Where does the coach arrive in Irvine?
Main arrival station: University of CA - Crawford Hall
All coaches from Santa Barbara arrive at one main station in Irvine.
Coach stations in Irvine:
University of CA - Crawford Hall
Get around town with Moovit
Need a return trip from Irvine to Santa Barbara?
Search Coach Tickets
Wanderu is the simplest way to book coach and train travel.
With just a quick search on Wanderu, you can compare coach and train schedules and prices from hundreds of travel companies in one convenient place to find the trip that works best for you. Wanderu’s simple checkout process makes it easy to book cheap coach and train tickets hassle-free and with no additional fees. Most importantly, as Wanderu is an official partner of all leading coach and train companies, we always have the best coach and train deals out there.
Book coaches and trains on the go with the Wanderu app.
Download our app and snag the best travel deals across North America & Europe.Learn more