background-img-buses-trains
chiku-desktop

Cheap bus tickets from San Diego to Santa Ana

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

chiku-mobile

Millions of travelers trust Wanderu every year to get:

Lowest Prices

We find the cheapest bus & train tickets, so you can wander for less.

Best Travel Options

We partner with 500+ carriers to bring you the most bus & train options.

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

San Diego to Santa Ana Bus Schedule

Find cheap rental carsFind great deals on cheap cars in the area.
RentalCars logotypeRentalCars logotype
from$30.00

Is it better to travel by bus or train from San Diego to Santa Ana?

There are usually 15 daily train trips available from San Diego to Santa Ana.

Bus
Train
Avg. Price
Avg. Price
$31.42
Avg. Price
$29.00
Daily Trips
Daily Trips
26
Daily Trips
15
Duration
Duration
4h 27m
Duration
1h 55m

Bus from San Diego to Santa Ana: Journey Information

There are 29 intercity buses per day from San Diego to Santa Ana. Traveling by bus from San Diego to Santa Ana usually takes around 4 hours and 4 minutes, but the fastest Greyhound bus can make the trip in just one hour and 45 minutes.

Distance82 mi (132 km)
Shortest duration1h 45m
Cheapest price$21.48
Trips per day21
Most frequent serviceLos Limousines
Bus lines3

Wander into savings:
Get deals in your inbox!

Sign up to get the latest deals on bus & train tickets sent directly to you.

How much is a bus ticket from San Diego to Santa Ana?

Bus tickets for a trip from San Diego to Santa Ana cost $26.03 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.

Average bus ticket prices from San Diego to Santa Ana by travel date

$45$30$15JanJan

Over the next four weeks, the average price of bus tickets from San Diego to Santa Ana is expected to be between $25 and $31. The cheapest day to travel in the next month is January 29, 2025, when tickets are available for January 29, 2025. The cheapest bus tickets available in the next week start at just $27.

Prices as travel date approaches

$50$40$30$20$103020100

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 27 days in advance to save up to $6.65.

What bus companies travel from San Diego to Santa Ana?

There are 3 bus lines from San Diego to Santa Ana available for you to search and compare on Wanderu. With 23 daily trips, Los Limousines usually has the most buses running on any given day. Here are some time and price comparisons for all the available options:

BusDaily TripsAvg. TimeAvg. Price
FlixBus US12h 41m$30.74
Greyhound82h 14m$27.40
Los Limousines235h 33m$34.33
  • 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 San Diego to Santa Ana, and the average ticket for this route costs only .

  • Greyhound is the largest nationwide bus carrier in the United States, offering cheap, safe and reliable service across the country. Greyhound has become a household name, serving over 16 million passengers per year with daily trips to over 2,400 destinations. Greyhound performs about 8 bus trips from San Diego to Santa Ana every day, with the average journey taking around 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete. Bus tickets for Greyhound trips to Santa Ana usually start from $21.

  • Book Los Limousines from San Diego to Santa Ana from $31. There are 23 trips per day offered by Los Limousines from San Diego to Santa Ana and you can expect on average to pay for a Los Limousines ticket to Santa Ana. In San Diego, Los Limousines departs to Santa Ana from Cross Border Xpress CBX and one other station. In Santa Ana, Los Limousines arrives at Santa Ana E Santa Ana Blvd .

    An average trip on Los Limousines from San Diego to Santa Ana takes 5 hours and 33 minutes , while the fastest available Los Limousines trip will get you to Santa Ana in 1 hours and 45 minutes .

    On weekends, Los Limousines offers 22 trips per day. A one way ticket costs for a weekend trip to Santa Ana.

Frequently asked questions about traveling by bus from San Diego to Santa Ana

The bus takes an average of 4 hours and 4 minutes to cover the 82 miles from San Diego to Santa Ana. However, the fastest bus only takes an hour and 45 minutes. In other words, you'll have plenty of time to rest and relax on the road. 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.

With many people traveling in the middle of the week, Wednesday is the busiest day of the week for bus travel. If you are planning to travel on a Wednesday, you should make sure to book tickets well in advance as they may sell out.

On the other hand, Saturday is typically the least busy day for bus travel on this route. If you’re looking for a little extra space, a Saturday ticket is the way to go.

The first bus leaves at 12:00am and the last bus leaves at 9:00pm. To see the times for all buses from San Diego to Santa Ana, enter your specific travel dates in the search bar.

There are 29 scheduled buses that travel from San Diego to Santa Ana every day, so you have a decent number of options to choose from. This includes 21 direct buses, where you can stay on the same bus without having to transfer to a connecting bus at any point during your trip.

Need more travel options? Consider taking the train from San Diego to Santa Ana; ticket prices start at $29.00.

City Information

San Diego

San Diego is known as "America's Finest City" for its sunny weather, white-sand beaches, and dazzling attractions from Belmont Park to SeaWorld. San Diego's 70 miles of pristine beaches include such gems as Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Cove, and Coronado Beach. The city's strong surfing culture may even inspire you to rent a surfboard and catch the epic waves, bro.

Visitors can spend days getting lost in Balboa Park, a 1,200-acre cultural hub which features 16 museums, immaculate gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The historic heart of the city, Old Town, showcases San Diego's heritage and ties to Mexican culture, while other sights like the USS Midway pay tribute to the city's military and maritime history. Leave time for some evening exploring, too! San Diego is rated the #1 best city for craft beer in America, so don't miss out on the bars in the Gaslamp Quarter: 16 walkable blocks packed with nightlife and young crowds.

Two airports, as well as many bus and train options, mean it is easy to get to San Diego from afar or from nearby cities like Tijuana, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Santa Ana

Santa Ana, CA, US - SNA-0

Image credit: Unsplash

Santa Ana is a sunny city in Orange County located between Anaheim and Irvine in the greater Los Angeles area. Downtown Santa Ana bustles with independent breweries, diverse restaurants, unique retail shops, weekly pop-up markets, and art centers. This lively downtown area, in addition to Santa Ana's live-work housing and creative working spaces, make it attractive to young professionals.

One of the most popular spots for visitors is the Santa Ana Zoo, where little ones can enjoy a carousel and mini-train ride along with the animal exhibits. Architecture enthusiasts will love seeing the Bowers Museum, built in a Mission Revival style, and the Heritage Museum, which has restored homes from the 1890s.

The Orange County Transportation Authority and several shuttle services provide transit within Santa Ana. Santa Ana is easily accessible from over 20 other cities by Amtrak Thruway bus or on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train. The primary airport for Orange County, John Wayne Airport, is located in Santa Ana and also makes it easy to travel to this vibrant SoCal spot.

Station Information

Where does the bus leave from in San Diego?

Main departure station: Cross Border Xpress CBX

Buses to Santa Ana leave from 4 stations in San Diego.

All bus stations in San Diego:

  • Cross Border Xpress CBX

  • San Ysidro Bus Terminal

  • San Ysidro Transit Center

  • San Diego Greyhound Bus Stop

Where does the bus arrive in Santa Ana?

Main arrival station: Santa Ana E Santa Ana Blvd

These are the two stations where buses may stop when they arrive in Santa Ana.

All bus stations in Santa Ana:

  • Santa Ana E Santa Ana Blvd

  • Reg Transp Ctr - 1000 E Santa Ana Blvd

Get around town with Moovit

Find the best way to get to and from any station in Santa Ana by public transit, courtesy of Moovit. Search now

Need a return trip from Santa Ana to San Diego?

Search Bus Tickets

Wanderu is the simplest way to book bus 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.