To see the best (and worst) times to visit, please read our reviews of our recommended places to stay
By car: Santa Barbara is bisected by U.S. Route 101, which links the city to LA to the south and San Francisco to the north. The city promotes visiting and exploring the area without cars. Electric shuttles take tourists and shoppers up and down lower State Street and to the wharf. Most will hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.
By Public Transport: This consists of Amtrak's Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner trains which stop downtown, a local bus service across the city, and Greyhound bus stations downtown, as well as regional bus services which connect Santa Barbara to Ventura, Goleta, Santa Maria and LAX.