Review as a Private Pilot landing in Santa Barbara Airport…read more This is my second time flying into Santa Barbara and is always a delight flying into this airport. VFR pilots plan accordingly though, as KSBA is just right off the coast and can be socked in. Fortunately, the marine layer was just off the airport and I was able to land at 15R. Santa Barbara airport have commercial service. Taxiing around the airport along with airliners is always a treat. KSBA ATC has always been helpful to private pilots, especially those like me who aren't very familiar with the taxiways. Great city to fly in and visit and equally great airport to facilitate the getaway.

The last leg of our trip brought us to Santa Barbara Airport. I had not been in the area for years…read moreand had never flown through this airport, even though I grew up in the area. When I tell you this airport is small, I mean SMALL! It is also extremely easy to navigate. You definitely do not need the same amount of time to get through this airport as you would at a larger one. TSA is only one floor up, and we got through security very quickly. Based on our experience, you could probably arrive about an hour before your flight and still get through without a problem. Of course, I would still follow your airline's recommended arrival time just to be safe. Getting out of the airport is just as easy. You only have to go down one floor, and once you walk outside, everything is conveniently located right there. The Uber pickup area is directly across the street, along with taxis and bus transportation. You do not have to walk a long distance or search around trying to figure out where to go. The beauty of flying through a smaller airport is how quick and convenient everything is. The disadvantage is that there are fewer flights, and they seem to stop fairly early. There are also not many restaurants or shops once you get through security. My main complaint is the seating. The seats looked very old and sat extremely low. They definitely need to upgrade them. I do not remember seeing charging ports near the seats, although I cannot say for certain that there were none. The gate areas are also very small. When several flights are boarding around the same time, the crowds and lines can spill over into the neighboring gates. That can become confusing because you cannot always tell which passengers are standing in which boarding line or even which gate they are waiting for. Everyone we encountered was helpful, and the overall process was still a breeze. For some flights, you do have to walk outside across the tarmac to board the plane. The weather was beautiful while we were there, but I can only imagine that walk being a little inconvenient during bad weather. If you need to travel to the Santa Barbara area, I think it is worth paying a little more to fly directly into this airport. To me, it does not make sense to fly into LAX just to save a little money and then have to drive all the way up while sitting in that LA traffic. Who wants to do that after getting off a flight? Overall, Santa Barbara Airport was small, convenient, and easy to navigate. The seats and gate areas could use some improvements, but it was still one of the quickest airport

This was a decent ride around a small part of the city. My driver was Joe. He seemed knowledgeable…read moreabout the history and landmarks. We stopped at a church to take pics and had sufficient time to snap other photos along the tour. This was especially perfect for a warm, sunny day.

Santa Barbara Trolley Tour (Booked via Viator.com)…read more We booked this tour through Viator for $28 per person (non-refundable), and I have to say -- it's an affordable, worthwhile way to see Santa Barbara and Montecito if you're short on time. The tour runs about an hour and a half, narrated the whole way through. Our guide, Rusty, was excellent -- knowledgeable, engaging, and easy to listen to. He mixed history with fun local details, pointing out landmarks, residents, and even a few celebrity homes. His energy kept the ride interesting from start to finish. Pro tip: Seating is a bit of a luck-of-the-draw situation. There are about four or five seats where the window is completely down -- perfect for pictures. Otherwise, most windows stay up and only open a crack for air. If photos are important to you, get in line early so you can grab those open-window spots. It's two people per bench. The rest stop was at the historic Santa Barbara Mission. We had about 15 minutes to use the restrooms, pop into the gift shop, and take pictures of the Mission's beautiful exterior. (The church wasn't open during our visit, but it often is, so worth checking next time.) Along the way, Rusty also pointed out some things I never would've noticed -- like enormous fig trees scattered around town, a fossil of a blue whale, and even a giraffe peeking its head out near the zoo! The Spanish-style architecture throughout Santa Barbara was another highlight, and being able to see so much in a short span of time made this tour feel really efficient. Meeting & Drop-off Spot: The Garden Street Visitor Center (close to the Carousel House). For brand-new visitors or anyone with limited time, this is a perfect introduction to Santa Barbara. Big kudos to Rusty for making it such an engaging ride.

At the time of this review, the Goleta Amtrak Station is just a couple of covered benches on an…read moreoutdoor platform. Seriously, nothing more. However, currently under construction and almost completed is a large indoor station. I completely forgot to take a picture of the new station under construction. I'm guessing it's about 95% complete and it looks great. I love all of the new trees planted on the property. This will be a great addition for the City of Goleta as this station is usually the last stop for trains that don't continue up North. Even though the vast majority of riders disembark in Santa Barbara, Goleta is the final destination on several routes. This new station will be a great upgrade for passengers.

I have been there quite a few times. It is an easy, simple station. I always have a good time…read morethere. I like that they are building a depot to add to the station. It isn't the easiest station to get to.

I happen to think the Clean Air Express is worth 5 YELP STARS? Why?…read moreBecause this bus line now goes to WINE COUNTRY! No trip to Santa Barbara is complete without a tour to sample the grapes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Clean Air Express bus service connecting Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara for the first time cut the ribbon on July 11, 2015 and then departed at 9:30 a.m. from Buelton. Right now the Vino Express just goes out on Saturdays. The regular fare is $7.00 per person each way (buy at boarding) or a booklet of 10 passes is $50 in advance. Children age two years & under ride free. This is a 5 YELP STAR EVENT because before, you had to drive out to the Santa Ynez Valley and have a designated driver when you visited the wineries and sampled the fare. Now that the bus is here, you can hop on board and enjoy yourself without worry. For the first time, this new Clean Air Express Saturday public bus service allows anyone in Santa Barbara to travel to Buellton, Solvang and Los Olivos for the day--and anyone in Buellton and Solvang to travel to Santa Barbara for the day. The bus is plush too. The new Clean Air Express Saturday service features charter-style buses with free Wi-Fi, reclining seats and internal bays for transporting bicycles. That is cool because you can board your own bike for a ride to take a tour of wine country. What a great opportunity this affords day-trippers in the area to explore this beautiful and scenic region. Napa Valley has the Wine Train and now Santa Barbara has the Saturday Clean Air Express!

I am so grateful that this service is available. I work in Santa Barbara and live in Arroyo Grande,…read moremy hours are 8-5, Monday through Friday. If I were to be commuting (like a fool) it would be costing me around $50 A DAY!! to get to work and back. That includes gas and regular wear and tear on my vehicle. The CAE is always on time, comfortable and gives me extra time to catch some ZZZZZ's or check my emails, OR play a round or two of Battle Royal. For $7 bucks cash one way..... yeah it's worth it

Very professional drivers. Great service and pricing. Cars are comfortable as well as the included…read moreamneities. The conversation was great much better than relying on some random uber or lyft driver. I will do buisness with both Mark and Rita again. They are very knowledgeable of the traffic and best routes to take. They also have some very interesting stories about driving limos in music videos and more.

definately a VIP limo service - transportation from LAX to Santa Barbararead more

My boyfriend and I discovered this quaint outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor's Center since it was down…read morenear the Saturday Fisherman Market area. It is located on the 4th floor and it claims to have one of the most stunning views of the city. Despite being a quick visit, I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the kind volunteer working here. We got a useful map of the city that came with coupons along its' edges. There were also a lot of brochures and information on the city activities for tourists. Super helpful. This is one of many visitor centers in the city. We were lucky to enjoy their balcony that was pier facing for a quick moment alone before other travelers came in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Definitely a memorable part of our trip.

Just go to the 4th floor! Such a beautiful view with a…read moreprivate feel like balcony. Friendly staff and good info/knowledge about the area Recommend all around .

Great experience. We were a couple minutes late and they were really nice about it. It was hard for…read moreus to get down to the boat as my dad has a walker, so we had to figure that out. Not their fault at all, just harbor logistics However, it all worked out perfectly. The boat only holds six, but it holds six plus the driver more than comfortably. There was room for our bags, some food, my dads walker and tons of leg room. This business owns three boats including Lil Toot and Whisper. We went on Whisper the elctric boat. We went around the harbor and had a nice and smooth drive, great weather, and the driver was very patient and friendly with my 88-year-old dad. It was an hour tour, and he let my daughter play her spotify playlist and we paid about $190 through a 3rd party company. I would definitely recommend them!

Cheap, fun, and easy - Lil' toot is a fun way to get across from the harbor to the Stearns wharf (…read moreor vice versa) and get a taste of being out on the water with minimal time or monetary commitment. The views are nice and it is a short and slow ride through the harbor. The captain and first mate are friendly and knowledgeable about the many delicious restaurants and businesses in the area. I had a blast! After we exited at the wharf, we walked back and it wasn't bad. We parked in the Harbor and used paid parking ($3.50/ car)bc all the 90 min free spots were taken. Maybe for an earlier departure you could grab a better spot.

Best charter bus we have ever been on, we took a trip up to solvang on a Saturday, the bus was on…read moretime, very clean, driver was very professional, on the way back he even put a movie in for us to watch. Wow! Will definitely be using again. Highly recommend.

I've rode with this company on several trips. The buses are very nice and clean. Our drivers name…read morewas Ivan and he was very friendly and helpful and even gave a safety speech before each trip. I will ride with them again and again.