Cheap train tickets from Santa Barbara to San Juan Capistrano

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.

Located in Orange County, California, San Juan Capistrano is a small city founded by the Spanish in 1776. Although largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, this city is a growing destination south of Los Angeles and is often used as a backdrop in major Hollywood movies.

San Juan Capistrano has many historical religious sites to explore, and Mission San Juan Capistrano is one of its most renowned. The "Jewel of California Missions" includes a chapel with regular Mass, stunning gardens, and a museum to learn about the many Native American, Mexican, and Spanish influences in the region. Visit in mid-March to experience the annual Return of the Swallows celebration. Local cliff swallows return from winters in Argentina, and the Mission plans parades, fairs, and other events to welcome them home.

The area around the Mission is a historic downtown with local restaurants, green spaces, and retail services. In the center of this historic core, San Juan Capistrano's Amtrak station welcomes Pacific Surfliner trains that run from Los Angeles to San Diego.