Rome2Rio

How to get fromTahoe City to Santa Barbaraby car, plane, train, bus (Flixbus), taxi, or bus

Find Transport to Santa Barbara

See all options

There are 10 ways to get from Tahoe City to Santa Barbara by car, plane, train, bus (Flixbus), taxi, 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.

  1. Drive to Reno/Tahoe International Airport, fly to Los Angeles International Airport, train

    best
    1. Drive from Tahoe City to Reno-Airport-RNOcar car
    2. Fly from Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)plane plane RNO - LAX
    3. Take the train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbaratrain train
    7h 14m
    $356–746

  2. Drive 484.1 mi

    cheapest
    1. Drive from Tahoe City to Santa Barbaracar car 484.1 mi
    8h 50m
    $89–128

  3. Bus

    1. Take the bus from Tahoe Mountain Resort - Northstar to San Francisco - 16th Stbus bus Northstar
    2. Take the bus from San Francisco to Santa Barbara Bus Stopbus bus FlixBus 2005
    13h 47m
    $147–187

  4. Drive, train (Amtrak)

    1. Drive from Tahoe City to Colfax Amtrak Stationcar car
    2. Take the train from Colfax Amtrak Station to Sacramentotrain train
    3. Take the train from Sacramento to Santa Barbaratrain train
    15h 50m
    $169–352

  5. Drive to Reno/Tahoe International Airport, fly to Burbank Bob Hope Airport, train

    1. Drive from Tahoe City to Reno-Airport-RNOcar car
    2. Fly from Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO) to Burbank Bob Hope Airport (BUR)plane plane RNO - BUR
    3. Take the train from Van Nuys to Santa Barbaratrain train
    6h 49m
    $542–832

  6. Drive to Reno/Tahoe International Airport, fly to Long Beach Airport, train

    1. Drive from Tahoe City to Reno-Airport-RNOcar car
    2. Fly from Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO) to Long Beach Airport (LGB)plane plane RNO - LGB
    3. Take the train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbaratrain train
    8h 35m
    $100–419

  7. Taxi, bus to Sacramento International Airport, fly to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport

    1. Take the taxi from Tahoe City to South Lake Tahoe Wyetaxi taxi
    2. Take the bus from South Lake Tahoe Wye to Sacramento - Amtrakbus bus
    3. Fly from Sacramento International Airport (SMF) to Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)plane plane SMF - SBA
    8h 16m
    $351–725

  8. Taxi, bus, train

    1. Take the taxi from Tahoe City to South Lake Tahoe Wyetaxi taxi
    2. Take the bus from South Lake Tahoe Wye to Sacramento - Amtrakbus bus
    3. Take the train from Sacramento to Santa Barbaratrain train
    16h 5m
    $277–465

  9. Bus, train via San Jose

    1. Take the bus from Tahoe Mountain Resort - Northstar to San Jose Park and Ridebus bus Northstar
    2. Take the train from San Jose to Santa Barbaratrain train Coast Starlight
    16h 26m
    $198–320

  10. Bus, train

    1. Take the bus from E Robinson Street and N Plaza Street to RTC 4th STREET STATION Bay W 4SSbus bus
    2. Take the bus from Reno to Sacramentobus bus
    3. Take the train from Sacramento to Santa Barbaratrain train
    20h 6m
    $272–480

Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) flights

Calendar62Weekly Planes
Duration1h 52mAverage Duration
Ticket$40Cheapest Price
See schedules

Questions & Answers

Map of how to get from Tahoe City to Santa Barbara.ExpandLaunch map view
  • Distance: 560.4 mi
  • Duration: 7h 14m

What companies run services between Tahoe City, CA, USA and Santa Barbara, CA, USA?

You can take a bus from Hwy 28 at Mackinaw to Santa Barbara Bus Stop via Hwy 28 at Crystal Bay Club, Hwy 28 at Stateline Rd, Tahoe Mountain Resort - Northstar, San Francisco - 16th St, 16th St& Rhode Island St, Mission Bay North & 4th St, and San Francisco in around 13h 47m.

Airlines
Train operators
Bus operators
Other operators

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