Santa Barbara

Introduction

Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara is just about 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of Los Angeles, but couldn't be more different. It's a relatively small city, tucked between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and its red-tiled roofs, white buildings and Spanish mission give it a Mediterranean vibe, called the American Riviera.

Weather

Santa Barbara must have one of the best climates in all of the United States. Summers last from May to September with generally warm and sunny weather, but very rarely too hot to enjoy. Temperatures are mostly between 20 and 25 °C and nights are never cold, though rarely warm either so bring a sweater for the colder nights. Winters are not much worse actually, although it's a few degrees cooler of course from November to March.

Getting There

By Plane

Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) has regular flights to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Sacramento, Seattle, San Francisco and Phoenix.

By Train

Two Amtrak routes stop in Santa Barbara: the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Seattle and the Pacific Surfliner between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.

By Car

Santa Barbara can easily be reached by taking Interstate 101 from Los Angeles or coming from the north.

By Bus

Greyhound has several daily services to Los Angeles (2.5 hours), San Francisco (8-9 hours) and San Luis Obispo (2 hours).

The Santa Barbara Airbus travels to Los Angeles Airport (LAX).

Getting Around

By Public Transport

Buses are operated by the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District and run all over the city and its surroundings.

Sleep

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls