Whether you're headed to LA, San Diego, the Bay Area, or somewhere further, you don't need your own car to get there. Santa Barbara has several affordable, reliable options for getting between Isla Vista and home, and most of them start with a quick, low-cost trip across town using The Wave.

Amtrak: The Most Popular Option for SoCal & Coastal Trips

Santa Barbara is served by two Amtrak train routes:

• The Pacific Surfliner runs along the Southern California coast between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, making it a great option for students headed to LA or San Diego.
• The Coast Starlight runs all the way from Seattle to Los Angeles, and can be a good option for students traveling further north, including toward the Bay Area.

One-way fares from Goleta Station start at:

• $31 to Los Angeles Union Station
• $55 to San Diego
• $54 to San Francisco

Prices can vary depending on the day, time, and how far in advance you book, so it's worth checking exact fares for your travel dates before you go.

Getting to the train: The Goleta Amtrak Station is the closest stop to Isla Vista, and The Wave, SB MTD's on-demand microtransit service, offers pickup and drop-off directly between Isla Vista or UCSB and the Goleta station, so you don't need a car just to get to the train.

Flying Out of Santa Barbara Airport

If you'd rather fly, Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is the most convenient option, and it's easy to reach car-free. The Wave offers on-demand pickup and drop-off between Isla Vista or UCSB campus and the airport for just $3, so you can get direct transportation without needing a ride from a friend or a rideshare.

Flying Out of LAX

Flights out of LAX are often cheaper than flying out of Santa Barbara, which makes it worth the extra travel time for some students. The Santa Barbara AirBus provides direct transportation from a Goleta pickup station straight to LAX, so you can fly out of a bigger airport with more flight options, without needing a car to get there. To get to the Goleta pickup station, you can order an Uber/Lyft, get a ride from a friend, or take The Wave to the Goleta Community Center, which is a 15 minute walk from the pickup station.

Carpooling With Friends

If you only need a car to get home a few times a year, it often doesn't make sense to bring one to Isla Vista at all. Chances are you have friends from home who also go to UCSB, or you'll meet new friends from your area once you're here. Splitting gas and driving duties with a friend making the same trip can be a cheaper and easier option than owning a car, especially for students who only head home occasionally, like around breaks. 

Choosing the Right Option for You

• Heading to LA or San Diego? Amtrak is often the easiest and most affordable choice, especially paired with The Wave for that first leg into Goleta.
• Flying home? SBA is the most convenient if you can find a reasonably priced flight; LAX (via the SB AirBus) is worth it if you're chasing cheaper fares or more flight options.
• Going home occasionally, not every week? Carpooling with a friend might beat all of the above, since it skips the cost of owning a car altogether.

However you're getting home, none of these options require you to own or park a car in Isla Vista, which means one less thing to worry about finding a spot for when you get back.

For more ways to get around Isla Vista without a car, visit our Do You Need a Car in Isla Vista? page.