Visit Santa Barbara County Car-Free
Plan a Memorable Car-Free Experience and Enjoy a 20% Train Discount
Plan a memorable, car-free experience in Santa Barbara County. Absorb your surroundings from a train or bus window, breath in fresh air on a BCycle e-bike, and stroll our connected sidewalk system. The Santa Barbara Car Free program provides resources to help visitors enjoy our region without a car. Visit Santa Barbara is the resource to build your itinerary.
Train Discount
Travel on the Pacific Surfliner® to Santa Barbara County (San Diego to San Luis Obispo) and save 20% to and from all five Santa Barbara County stations (plus associated thruway buses). Onboard amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, power outlets, spacious reclining seats and overhead luggage/surfboard racks. Visit the Sea View Café for salads, sandwiches, snacks, craft beer, cocktails, and wine.
Santa Barbara county train stations include Lompoc-Surf, Guadalupe, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria. Connecting Thruway bus service is offered from the train station to the UCSB Campus, Solvang-Santa Ynez Valley, Buellton and Santa Maria. Ask your hotel if they offer pick-up and drop-off service.
Follow these instructions to receive a 20% discount:
Route and Dates
Find the route and dates you wish to travel. Write down the schedule, but do not book yet.
Register
Have your schedule and payment information ready and register below at least three days before you plan to travel. Upon confirmation, you will be forwarded to Amtrak’s website.
Purchase
Follow the instructions on Amtrak’s website and purchase your ticket. The discount will be applied automatically. This special is only available using the website special purchase. You must select a qualifying train route and date to be eligible for the discount and you may not use the discount for purchase on board the train, at any station, with Amtrak’s phone line, or to purchase a gift certificate.
Discount Registration
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Discount Fine Print
- Valid for travel to/from the following Santa Barbara County stations only: Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, UCSB-University of California Santa Barbara, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc-Surf, Solvang, Santa Maria, and Buellton.
- Valid for travel on Pacific Surfliner trains and associated thruways (except 7000-8999 thruway series).
- Valid for 20% discount off regular full adult rail fare.Advance reservation required a minimum of three (3) days prior to departure.
- Blackout Dates:
- Nov24, 30Nov24-2Dec24, 23-24Dec24, 26-27Dec24, 30-31Dec242-3Jan25, 14Feb25, 17Feb25, 17-18Apr25, 21Apr25, 23May25, 3Jul25, 6Jul25, 29Aug25, 1Sep25, 25-26Nov25, 29Nov25-1Dec25, 20-24Dec25, 26-31Dec25.
- Valid for coach seating.
- Upgrades to Business Class are available upon full payment of accommodation charges.
- Not combinable with any other discount.
- Seating is limited & may not always be available on trains.
- Fares are subject to availability.
- Subject to any restrictions, blackouts, and refund rules that apply to the type of fare purchased.
- Routes and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Once travel has begun, no changes to the itinerary are permitted.
- Other restrictions may apply.
- AMTRAK and Pacific Surfliner are registered service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.
Surfliner – Complimentary Bikes Onboard and Local Bus Connections
You can bring your bike onboard the Pacific Surfliner for free by simply making a reservation for your bike when booking a trip. Watch: “How to Take a Bike on Local Transit Services”. Pacific Surfliner offers complimentary transfers to your destination via SBMTD buses. This connection to local transit program allows passengers the convenience of connecting to public transit for free by showing their train ticket.
Coast Starlight®
The Coast Starlight® travels from Los Angeles to Seattle twice, daily. It stops at the Santa Barbara Amtrak Station. The 20% discount does not apply to this service.
Santa Barbara County Public Airports Car Free
The Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), a gateway to the enchantment of Santa Barbara, is located 8 miles west of downtown Santa Barbara, and 1.9 miles from the Goleta Amtrak Station. Santa Barbara MTD buses connect the airport to downtown frequently and Amtrak Station with a short walk required. See stops and schedule here. Click below for a comprehensive list of airport transportation options.
Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) connects Santa Maria Airport (SMX) to Santa Maria, Orcutt, Vandenberg Village, and Lompoc.
Connecting to Other Airports
- Santa Barbara Air Bus to LAX – provides airport shuttle service between Goleta, Santa Barbara, or Carpinteria, and LAX, as well as San Pedro and Long Beach ports
- FlixBus – provides airport shuttle service between UCSB or Santa Barbara to LAX.
- Central Coast Shuttle to LAX – provides airport shuttle service between Santa Maria, Buellton, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and LAX
- FlyAway Bus – connects LAX and Union Station, where you can catch Amtrak to Santa Barbara
- Burbank Airport (BUR) Amtrak Pacific Surfliner – walkable train connection to flights from BUR
Recreational Biking
The following list of resources will help you plan a bike adventure. Some bicycle services offer delivery and pickup at your hotel. See more local bike resources here.
- BCycle – Santa Barbara’s bikeshare
- Cycle Cal Coast – your complete guide to Central Coast cycling routes
- American Riviera Bike Tours & Rentals – e-cargo bike, e-cruiser, and city e-bikes and a variety of Santa Barbara tour packages
- Cal Coast Adventures – guided tours or e-bike, cruiser, road, mountain, and hybrid bike rental
- I Bike Santa Barbara Wine Tours – shuttle and Rad Power Bike provided to transport you to wine country
- Isla Vista Bicycle Boutique – rent any type of acoustic bike, from folding and fixie to mountain and carbon
- Open Air Bicycles – e-bike rental and local bike shop
- Wheel Fun Rentals (Solvang and Santa Barbara) – e-bike and novelty bike rental company
- Santa Barbara Bikes to Go – cruisers, electric, hybrid, mountain, and road bike rental
- SB Wine Country Cycling Tours – tour Santa Ynez Valley by bike or rent a carbon road, hybrid, electric, or tandem bike
- Pedego Los Olivos – electric and hybrid bike rental
Walk and Roll
Let your feet or mobility device get you from A to B with some sightseeing in between. Here are some walking tour opportunities:
