Wanderu Logo
United Kingdom flag
  • Canada
£
Log in
background-img-buses-trains
chiku-desktop

Los Angeles to Santa Barbara train

Find and compare the best ground travel options in one place.

chiku-mobile
Available on iOS & Android

Millions of travelers trust Wanderu every year to get:

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.

See what travelers are saying about Wanderu:

Download our free app!

Find, compare & book buses and trains on the go with the Wanderu app.

4.8 Rating

5k Reviews

4.5 Rating

4.8k Reviews

Chiku

Los Angeles to Santa Barbara Train Timetable

Find cheap rental carsFind great deals on cheap cars in the area.
RentalCars logotypeRentalCars logotype
from£22.94

Trip Summary

9 trains operate daily from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. The train trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara is usually about 2 hours and 24 minutes long. However, traveling on the fastest Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train can get you there in as little as one hour and 45 minutes.

Distance87 mi (140 km)
Fastest train1h 45m
Lowest price£16.82
Trains per day20
Most frequent serviceAmtrak Pacific Surfliner
Train lines3

Train Trip Reviews from Wanderu Customers

Average score for trains from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara

(Based on 24 ratings and reviews)

4.8

5.0

Regina

31 May 2024- Solo travel

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

Pros: Scenic views and comfortable seating. Cons: Just maintain the excellent service. Tips: Just bring snacks and be on time.

5.0

Raymond

7 June 2023- Visiting family

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

Pros: Safe. Cons: It was good. Tips: No.

5.0

Kendra

23 April 2023- Visiting friends

Amtrak Coast Starlight

Pros: It was a beautiful train ride and much more pleasant that driving would have been. It was easy to get to and the station location of the in Santa Barbara allows easy walking to both the beach and State street. Cons: As with everywhere these days, there were minimal Covid measures. Being assigned a seat directly next to someone else while there were still plenty of open seats was mildly annoying. Tips: Say hello to your train conductor! They are very friendly.

5.0

Gloria

7 April 2023- Couples trip

Amtrak Coast Starlight

Pros: The sightseer car. Cons: Cleaning of light table on the sit. Tips: Don’t wait to long to go to the sightseer car.

5.0

Stephen

24 September 2022- Solo travel

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

Pros: Convenient. Cons: It's fine.

See more details

What is the price of a train ticket from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara?

Over the past month, a train ticket between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara cost £22.25, on average. This is about as cheap as train fares get on this route. Booking your trip at least 29 days in advance can help you secure tickets at the best price. For same-day bookings, you’ll likely have to pay around £2.12 more.

Average train ticket prices from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara by travel date

£23£15£8OctOct

If you're planning a train trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara in the upcoming month, you'll be happy to know that ticket prices are expected to remain stable. You can book your trip for any day within the next four weeks and expect to pay around £21.

Monthly average prices

£38£31£23£15£8NDJFMAMJJASO
The price of a train ticket from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara remains pretty stable, regardless of when you plan to travel. Tickets on this route usually cost £23 throughout the year.

Prices as travel date approaches

£38£31£23£15£83020100

Since ticket prices on this route stay pretty consistent, you don’t need to book way in advance. However, we recommend buying your train ticket to Santa Barbara at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure to prevent any unpleasant surprises, like last-minute surges in price or sold-out tickets.

Which train should you take from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara?

There are 3 train lines with service from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is the most popular choice with travelers, offering scheduled service on 4 trains each day.

TrainDaily TripsAvg. TimeAvg. Price
Amtrak43h 0m£26.46
Amtrak Coast Starlight12h 10m£22.54
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner42h 11m£20.99

  • Amtrak is the largest passenger railroad service in America, offering daily intercity trains to hundreds of destinations across the contiguous United States, as well as several cities in Canada. Every Amtrak train comes equipped with comfortable seats with extra legroom, as well as several four-seat areas with tables in the middle. In addition, each car has a freshly cleaned restroom, free WiFi and power outlets at every seat. There are also snack bars where you can purchase drinks or food during your journey. On average, there are 4 Amtrak trains from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara every day, as well as 7 trips on the weekends, with prices starting from £19.

  • The Coast Starlight is an Amtrak train that travels the entire length of the West Coast, connecting Los Angeles to Seattle. The route starts hugging the California coastline, treating passengers to swoon-worthy views of the Pacific, before continuing into the verdant forests of the Cascade Mountains. The Coast Starlight indisputably earns its spot among the most scenic Amtrak train routes. Seating options include Coach or Business Class and roomettes or bedrooms for extra space. A trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara takes 2 hours and 10 minutes on average, and Coach tickets start at £17.

  • The Pacific Surfliner is Amtrak’s passenger train service that runs along the Pacific coast of Southern California, connecting San Luis Obispo to the north with San Diego to the south. The line is among the most famous Amtrak routes due to the unique scenic views it presents, as the train parallels the coastline for large portions of the 268-mile railroad stretch. The Pacific Surfliner offers first-class amenities like onboard restrooms, free WiFi, seats with extra legroom and power outlets, as well as storage racks for surfboards. On average, the service offers 4 train trips from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara every day, and prices for a one-way train ticket start from £19.

Frequently asked questions about traveling by train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara

Yes, there are trains that can take you the entire way from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. However, there are also some trips on this route that require you to board another vehicle, such as a bus or a shuttle, during your journey. This is worth paying attention to as you book your trip, since a direct train may be preferable for its speed and convenience.
The distance between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is approximately 87 miles, or 140 kilometers. The average train journey between these two cities takes 2 hours and 24 minutes, although the absolute fastest you could get there is 1 hour 45 minutes. As a relatively short ride, taking the train is an easy way to travel between these two cities.

Trains from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara are the most crowded on Monday. Tickets also tend to be more expensive then. If you are looking for a great deal on your train tickets or just want extra room to stretch out, consider traveling on Friday instead, as it tends to be the least crowded day of the week.

The earliest train departs Los Angeles at 05:00 while the last train of the day leaves at 19:00. To see all scheduled departure times, use the search function on this page to get the full schedule for your specific travel dates.

There are 9 scheduled trains on most days. 20 of these are direct connections to Santa Barbara. While direct trains may still make stops along the way, you will not need to switch trains at any point. If you're looking to get to your destination faster, a direct train is the convenient and time-efficient choice.

You can also take a train for your return trip from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles.

City Information

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the undisputed world capital of the entertainment business. Because of that, the City of Angels is where you will find some of the most iconic landmarks of the film and music industries, including the world-famous Walk of Fame and Dolby Theatre (home of the Academy Awards) on Hollywood Boulevard, the easily recognizable Capitol Records building at Hollywood & Vine, and the LA Live complex in Downtown Los Angeles.

The best part of LA is that it has something to offer for people of all interests: outdoor enthusiasts can hike up to the Hollywood sign, fashion aficionados can go shopping in Beverly Hills, art lovers can check out the prominent Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the Miracle Mile district, and those looking for a fun night out can go bar-hopping in West Hollywood. Are you a Pokémon GO addict? Well then this is the place for you because LA is the best city to catch the rarest Pokémon in the U.S.. And if you want to want to experience the famed golden coast of Southern California for yourself, head west to Santa Monica and Venice for a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.

With one of the biggest airports on the West Coast and several bus and train stops across the county, Los Angeles makes it easy to travel elsewhere in California, visit the neighboring Nevada, Arizona and Mexico, or take a flight to pretty much any other part of the world.

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.

Station Information

Where is the train station in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles, CA - Union Station - LAXUST-0

Image credit: David Wilson

Link to image attribution

Main departure station: Union Station

Union Station is the main train station in Los Angeles and the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. The station was opened in 1939 and has become one of California’s busiest transportation hubs, serving more than 100 thousand passengers per day. Every Amtrak route that goes through Los Angeles stops at Union Station. In addition, the area around the station serves as the main bus stop for several bus carriers that conduct trips in and out of the city. Located in Downtown LA, Union Station offers easy transit connections to other parts of the city via three Metro Rail lines and one Metro Busway line, as well as a shuttle service to LAX airport. Union Station also serves as the main LA hub for six lines of Metrolink, Southern California’s primary commuter rail service.

All train stations in Los Angeles:

  • Union Station

  • Amtrak Metrolink Station - 7724 Van Nuys Blvd

  • 10040 Old Depot Plaza Rd, Chatsworth

  • 592 Gayley Ave

  • Metrolink Station

Where is the train station in Santa Barbara?

Main arrival station: 209 State Street

Santa Barbara has one train station.

Train stations in Santa Barbara:

  • 209 State Street

Get around town with Moovit

Download Moovit to see all of your local transit options in Santa Barbara. Download here

Related reading

Need a return trip from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles?

Search Train Tickets

Plan your next adventure

More trains from Los Angeles

Continue by train from Santa Barbara

Check out these popular routes

Wanderu is the simplest way to book coach and train travel.

With just a quick search on Wanderu, you can compare bus 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 bus and train tickets hassle-free. Most importantly, as Wanderu is an official partner of all leading bus and train companies, we always have the best bus and train deals out there.