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There are usually 19 daily train trips available from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.
Bus | Train | |
|---|---|---|
Avg. Price | Avg. Price$25.17 | Avg. Price$29.08 |
Daily Trips | Daily Trips3 | Daily Trips19 |
Duration | Duration2h 21m | Duration2h 24m |
There are 3 intercity buses per day from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. Traveling by bus from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara usually takes around 2 hours and 23 minutes, but the fastest FlixBus US bus can make the trip in just one hour and 45 minutes.
| Distance | 87 mi (140 km) |
| Shortest duration | 1h 45m |
| Cheapest price | $16.98 |
| Trips per day | 3 |
| Most frequent service | FlixBus US |
| Bus lines | 2 |
Average score for buses from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara
(Based on 1 ratings and reviews)
5.0
Pros: No charge for baggage and the bus wasn't very full so I got my own row :). Cons: Experience was exactly what I expected from a bus ride. Tips: Have a small travel bag with you for snacks, water, and electronics/books. No room under your feet.
Bus tickets for a trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara cost $23.56 on average. Opting to take a bus is a wallet-friendly way to make this trip. If you book your trip ahead of time using Wanderu, you can easily find bus tickets at or below this price.
Bus tickets from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara are expected to cost between $17 and $33 over the next four weeks. If you're planning a trip to Santa Barbara within the next week, you can find the cheapest bus tickets starting from $20. Don't wait too long to book your ticket, as prices tend to rise as the travel date approaches.
To save money on bus tickets, buy them as early as possible. Bus carriers usually charge higher ticket prices the closer you book to the date of travel. Book your ticket at least 13 days in advance to save up to $2.60.
There are two bus lines that have daily service from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara that you can compare and book on Wanderu. Of these two carriers, FlixBus US usually offers more choice, with 2 scheduled trips per day.
| Bus | Daily Trips | Avg. Time | Avg. Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amtrak Thruway | 1 | 2h 23m | $33.00 |
| FlixBus US | 2 | 2h 23m | $22.88 |
Amtrak Thruway, also known as Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach, is a system of intercity passenger buses operated by Amtrak to connect train stations to areas that are not served by the carrier’s railroads. On the bus, passengers can enjoy comfortable reclining seats with leg rests and access to onboard restroom facilities. Amtrak Thruway bus tickets from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara start at $33. On average, there are 1 Amtrak Thruway bus trips on this route every day.
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 2 trips per day from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, and the average ticket for this route costs only .
The bus takes an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes to cover the 87 miles from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. However, the fastest bus only takes an hour and 45 minutes. It's the perfect amount of time to take a nap, get some work done, or watch a movie. Keep in mind that your actual bus may arrive earlier or later than scheduled, depending on whether there is more or less traffic than usual.
Saturday is usually the day when buses are busiest, as many travelers take the bus to enjoy the weekend in Santa Barbara. 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, Thursday is typically the least busy day for bus travel on this route. If you’re looking for a little extra space, a Thursday ticket is the way to go.
The first bus leaves at 5:00am and the last bus leaves at 5:00am. To see the times for all buses from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, enter your specific travel dates in the search bar.
There are 3 scheduled buses that travel from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara every day, so you have a decent number of options to choose from. Furthermore, all of these are direct buses which you can take the entire route from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara without transferring.
Need more travel options? Consider taking the train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara; ticket prices start at $22.00.
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 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 buses, including FlixBus, offer routes from Santa Barbara to destinations like L.A., San Diego, and Las Vegas.
Buses to Santa Barbara leave from 5 stations in Los Angeles.
592 Gayley Ave
Union Station
800 N Alameda St
Downtown - Vignes Lot
North Hollywood Bus Station
All buses from Los Angeles arrive at one main station in Santa Barbara.
209 State Street
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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.
