Train

Special 2013 Santa Barbara Car Free Discount - 20 percent off travel to/from Santa Barbara County stations on Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® and San Joaquins® (and associated thruway buses)! Register on this page and for details, see this page!

View rack card promoting Amtrak discount and Car Free promotions (PDF).

Also see our 2013
COOL Car Free Discounts!

Amtrak's Coast Starlight - New features! Rediscover the newly revamped train that travels from Los Angeles to Seattle in style! This legendary train features refurbished Parlour Cars (with a daily wine tasting featuring local selections and specialty coffee bar); plus renewed Coaches and Sleeping Cars; new Arcade rooms and enhanced amenities such as at-seat dining service. Also see Awards and Milestones below.

Check schedules with Amtrak (call 1-800-USA-RAIL, or look for "News" at www.amtrak.com)

What could be better than a train ride along the scenic California coast to begin your vacation? Read a book instead of struggling with street maps. Have a meal, or take a nap. You will arrive rested and ready to begin. Many hotels offer free pick-up and drop-off service, ask when making your reservations.

Santa Barbara lies along the West Coast Amtrak route. The train station is conveniently located in downtown Santa Barbara, an easy walk, or 25-cents shuttle ride from many downtown attractions. Additional stations are located nearby in Carpinteria and in Goleta near the airport.

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner offers five trains a day coming into Santa Barbara from the south, with two continuing to San Luis Obispo. Many are new trains boasting larger windows, at-seat audio and video, laptop outlets, reclining seats with footrests, and surfboard racks. Some trains will allow you to roll on your bike and lock it up. Other trains may require your bike to be boxed.

The Amtrak Coast Starlight runs from Seattle, Washington, through Oregon and Northern California, to Santa Barbara and on to Los Angeles. On this route, you can enjoy wine tasting, gourmet meals, and on-board entertainment.

For more information on these train routes, schedules, and booking, and special amenities, see the links below.

Taking the Train to Santa Barbara
	Amtrak	Amtrak schedules and fares. Download latest schedules for Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight from this page. Or Call 1-800- USA-RAIL

Awards and Milestones

On June 10, officials, dignitaries, business leaders and Santa Barbara Car Free partners gathered at the Santa Barbara train station to re-launch Amtrak's Coast Starlight. Speaking at the ceremony were (left to right): Jonathan Hutchison, Amtrak Director of Government Affairs, West; Mary Byrd, Project Manager, Santa Barbara Car Free Project/Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District; Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum; Kathy Janega-Dykes, President/CEO Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau & Film Commission; Brian Rosenwald, Amtrak Chief, Product Management; and Laura Kath, Santa Barbara Car Free Promotions Coordinator.
Photo courtesy of Lynda Lang, Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Amtrak received a "Tourism Star Award" in July of 2004 from the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau & Film Commission for outstanding partnership in promoting tourism.

Brian Hart (left) and Carol Crego (right) of
Amtrak receive the award from Santa Barbara
Mayor Marty Blum.