There are 6 ways to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco by plane, bus, train, train (Amtrak), car, subway, or bus (Flixbus)
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly to San Francisco International Airport
best- Fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO)plane SBA - SFO
1h 43m$183–376Bus (Flixbus)
cheapest- Take the bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to San Franciscobus FlixBus 2005
9h 43m$46–84Bus, Caltrain
- Take the bus from Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stop to San Josebus Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service
- Take the train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northboundtrain Local Weekday / ...
8h 52m$104–154Train (Amtrak)
- Take the train from Santa Barbara to Oaklandtrain Coast Starlight
9h 33m$155–294Drive 320.5 mi
- Drive from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Franciscocar 320.5 mi
5h 52m$59–85Fly to Oakland International Airport, BART
- Fly from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to Oakland International Airport (OAK)plane SBA - OAK
- Take the subway from Coliseum to Powell Streetsubway
1h 53m$291–419
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco by bus and train
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco is to bus which costs $45 - $85 and takes 9h 43m.
The fastest way to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco is to fly which takes 1h 43m and costs $180 - $380.
No, there is no direct bus from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco. However, there are services departing from Santa Barbara Airport and arriving at San Francisco via Transit Center and Santa Barbara Bus Stop. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 43m.
No, there is no direct train from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco. However, there are services departing from Santa Barbara and arriving at Civic Center / UN Plaza via Lake Merritt. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 33m.
The distance between Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) and San Francisco is 278 miles. The road distance is 322.3 miles.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco without a car is to bus and Caltrain which takes 8h 52m and costs $100 - $160.
It takes approximately 1h 43m to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco, including transfers.
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, depart from Santa Barbara Bus Stop station.
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Santa Barbara station.
The best way to get from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco is to fly which takes 1h 43m and costs $180 - $380. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $150 - $300 and takes 9h 33m, you could also bus, which costs $45 - $85 and takes 9h 43m.
What companies run services between Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), USA and San Francisco, CA, USA?
United Airlines flies from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 5 times a day. Alternatively, Amtrak operates a train from Santa Barbara to Oakland once daily. Tickets cost $110–240 and the journey takes 8h 45m.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to San Francisco International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $23–160
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Oakland International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 10m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $30–230
- Phone
- +1 800-660-4287
- Website
- Cal Train
Train from San Jose Diridon Caltrain Northbound to San Francisco Caltrain Northbound
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 18m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $9–12
- Website
- Cal Train
- Schedules at
- Cal Train
- One-way Adult
- $9–12
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Santa Barbara to Oakland
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 45m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $110–240
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1-510-464-6000
- Website
- BART
Subway from Coliseum to Powell Street
- Ave. Duration
- 23 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- $3–5
- Website
- BART
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Bus from Uc Santa Barbara Amtrak Bus Stop to San Jose
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- $95–140
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- +1 (855) 626-8585
- Website
- Flixbus USA
Bus from Santa Barbara Bus Stop to San Francisco
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 40m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- $45–80
- Schedules at
- Flixbus USA
Want to know more about travelling around United States
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco bus services, operated by Flixbus USA, arrive at San Francisco station.
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco train services, operated by Amtrak, arrive at Oakland station.
Yes, the driving distance between Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco is 322 miles. It takes approximately 5h 52m to drive from Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) to San Francisco.
There are 736+ hotels available in San Francisco.