There are 5 ways to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara by train, plane, bus (Amtrak), train (Amtrak), car, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Caltrain, fly
best- Take the train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northboundtrain
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)plane SFO - SBA
4h 17m$195–450Drive 290 mi
cheapest- Drive from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbaracar 290 mi
5h 19m$53–77Bus (Amtrak)
- Take the bus from San Jose to Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stopbus Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service
9h 3m$101–148Train (Amtrak)
- Take the train from San Jose to Santa Barbaratrain Coast Starlight
10h 52m$106–228Caltrain, bus
- Take the train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northboundtrain Local Weekday / ...
- Take the bus from San Francisco to Santa Barbara Bus Stopbus FlixBus 2005
10h 11m$59–101
Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara by train, bus, and foot (Amtrak)
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara is to drive which costs $50 - $80 and takes 5h 19m.
The fastest way to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara is to Caltrain and fly which takes 4h 17m and costs $190 - $450.
No, there is no direct bus from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara. However, there are services departing from San Jose and arriving at State & Pueblo via UCSB North Hall Inbound. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 3m.
No, there is no direct train from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara. However, there are services departing from California Avenue Caltrain Southbound and arriving at Santa Barbara via San Jose. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 10h 52m.
The distance between Palo Alto and Mission Santa Barbara is 292 miles. The road distance is 291.7 miles.
The best way to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara without a car is to bus which takes 9h 3m and costs $100 - $150.
It takes approximately 4h 17m to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara, including transfers.
Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara bus services, operated by Amtrak, depart from San Jose station.
Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from San Jose station.
The best way to get from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara is to bus which takes 9h 3m and costs $100 - $150. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $100 - $230 and takes 10h 52m.
What companies run services between Palo Alto, CA, USA and Mission Santa Barbara, CA, USA?
Amtrak operates a bus from San Jose to Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stop 3 times a day. Tickets cost $95–140 and the journey takes 6h 25m. Alternatively, Amtrak operates a train from San Jose to Santa Barbara once daily. Tickets cost $100–220 and the journey takes 7h 46m.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 23m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–210
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- caltrain.com
Train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to Millbrae Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 32 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $5–7
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $5–7
Train from California Avenue Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 54 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $7–10
- Website
- https://www.caltrain.com
- Schedules at
- https://www.caltrain.com/?active_tab=route_explorer_tab
- One-way Adult
- $7–10
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Train from San Jose to Santa Barbara
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 46m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $100–220
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- amtrak.com
Bus from San Jose to Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 25m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $95–140
- Website
- https://www.amtrak.com/home.html
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.com
Bus from San Francisco to Santa Barbara Bus Stop
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 35m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $50–90
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com
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More Questions & Answers
Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara bus services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stop station.
Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Santa Barbara station.
Yes, the driving distance between Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara is 292 miles. It takes approximately 5h 19m to drive from Palo Alto to Mission Santa Barbara.
There are 326+ hotels available in Mission Santa Barbara.










