it is a very simple train station. There is no waiting room, no staff, no inside place to sit, if you are waiting for the train. Only building structure are two restrooms, and i hope they were functional (I did not go in). The train station has only one track (other simple stations have two) and therefore, there is only one covered platform. No TV monitors. No proper guidance whatsoever. One could get lost, even panic, if you are not a frequent train traveler. However, if you have the train app, you should be in good shape. Because even if there are TV monitors, they are not accurate for train arrival or departure. What I recently discovered is that the south bound Amtrak Surfliner, which reaches Santa Barbara at 1:45 pm actually starts here in Goleta at 1:30 pm. In other words, the train does not come from San Luis Obispo. Actually, it is beneficial to board here because you can get a good seat. in Santa Barbara, the crowds begin to get it. Having said all this, I am still very surprised that since UC Santa Barbara is so close by, this train station did not live up to its clientele and traffic in the area. read more

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Lita was a very sexy wrestler a long time ago. Whenever she'd win a fight, I'd say "Go Lita!" This is named after that. Goleta is basically the end of Santa Barbara that is next to the University. The Greyhound buses I used to take when I got into UCSB (good times) and came to check it out used to stop literally almost on campus. It was a good stop and it was helpful. These days you get off down in Santa Barbara. The Goleta stop - which is just a little gray shack and nothing to write home about - is long gone in terms of usage, or at least isn't on the routes I take anymore, or the ones that most people take into Santa Barbara. read more

DO NOT RIDE FROM GOLETA, go to the Santa Barbara stop. This side of the tracks is run by imbeciles who really do not give a rats. Yesterday was APPALLING! The fires are out of control in LA and there were many people trying to take the train back to LA. The morning and afternoon trains did not come. People had been waiting OUTSIDE, some for over 8 hours, everyone hoping the next one would be good - no prevail. The situation became hopeless and my beau and I decided to rent a car to return to LA and drive north of the fires to circumvent. Thank God we did! The attendant on the platform was unapologetic walking around telling people it should be good soon trying to rally morale. So glad we got out of there after waiting an hour or our Saturday night would have been RUINED by waiting. This was a situation where patience was NOT a virtue! Good luck. read more

Goleta Amtrak Station - In the case of fire, ride the train! - Public Transportation Near Me - Goleta, California

No frills, super small, but it works. There is a raised platform here, a single overhead covering and three benches. Lots of parking, and an easy drop-off (they call it a kiss-and-ride) spot near the platform. We arrived, and waited on a bench, it was not uncomfortable, but nothing cozy. The station is along the flight path to the SB municipal airport so you can watch planes come in all day while you wait, every minute or so. They fly pretty low and close and it's fun to have a nice distraction to take your mind away from the boring waiting. They do have a ticket kiosk on the platform so you can buy a ticket without needing to see a person which is nice. We took this after staying at the Ritz, and it was a short and easy 8 minutes drive between the two. Super easy. read more

Nothing fancy as far as Amtrak stations go, but it's got a lot of room to sit and to park, and is always driving distance from a bunch of spots (namely UCSB) in Goleta. There's a little roundabout to drop off and pick up, and the bench area next to it is well lit at night. Again, nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. read more

What can be said about a train station? It is what it sounds like. They have adequate ramps and rails for handicapped accessibility. This one has a kiosk for tickets, so that matters if you expect a human at a ticket counter. It has monitors with the next trains, their estimated time of arrival and also maps that show the routes. There are a good amount of benches and it is pretty small, so you shouldn't get lost or struggle to figure out which part of the platform you need to wait at. The bathrooms were decently clean but be realistic in that it is pretty busy and not exactly out of this world hygienic. Ok. Cool. Hope this helped you. read more

It's a small and manageable station. The best part is that it's at the northern terminus of the Pacific Surfliner line; usually you won't experience a delay if you're going southbound. However the station is very difficult to get to without a car. The Nearest line 6 Santa Barbara transit stop is a quarter mile away on Hollister (and the bus comes about every 30 minutes during the daytime). At night, transit and Lyft are practically non existent from this station, so plan accordingly or get off at Santa Barbara instead and get a taxi from there. read more

Goleta Amtrak Station - Public Transportation Near Me - Goleta, California

I took the train here back to San Diego for the first time. If you're looking for a big station to rest at, communicate with workers, this is not the right station to come to. It's more of a bus stop really. You can buy tickets online or at the kiosk. There are about 3 benches for seating, no restrooms, but there is free parking! Overall, it's more of quick stop. The schedule isn't digitalized but rather, printed on a piece of paper because the arrival times are the same daily unless there's a delay. I personally didn't have a problem with this station, but if you're looking for a comfortable station with amenities, this is not your go-to. However, I will say that the Amtrak was right on time. The paper said it came at 9:13am and it arrived at 9:13am on the dot! read more

This station offers free parking. There's no agent or attendant so you have to use the kiosk to buy/print tickets. However, if you have a smartphone, you don't need either. Just buy your ticket online and have the QR code ready for scanning once you're aboard the train. I think they also accept the ticket number if you buy over the phone. Keep in mind, if you don't buy your ticket before boarding and want to buy on the train, they will charge you a higher rate. The Pacific Surfliner train often begins at this station. However, some southbound trains start in SLO. Last time, I thought the train waiting at the station was the one that I needed to board. Then, a single level train pulled up, and I didn't know if I should get on it. It turns out it was my train! The WiFi hasn't been reliable. I'm not sure if it's better in the Business Class car, but I've had to create my own WiFi hotspot using my cell phone. Just a few tips for any Pacific Surfliner newbie: - The two level trains are typically one Business class car, the Cafe car and then a series of Coach cars. In Goleta, the Business class car is usually first when northbound and last when southbound. Unless you are handicapped or elderly, you will need to sit upstairs. - Four/three-seaters are reserved for groups of at least three. - North of Ventura offers a great view of the ocean and coast. Try to grab a window seat if you can. - In LA, the train switches directions so if you get sick going backwards, you'll want to switch seats. - Search online for any discount codes. AAA members get 20% off, I believe. read more

been here a few times already once I walked from work from Fairview to station other bus since I went to Kmart first then I figured out a short cut from work which I took and it saved me a little more time but the few times I've been there except for one the train was on time never had a incident there was clean no trash over flowing I don't use or go into bathrooms but seeing other reviews they seem clean and once on train before I know it I'm back home in Carpinteria read more

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Cute little station bathrooms were clean and there was plenty of parking . The whole round trip from San Diego was a great one . Train was on time both ends and the Amtrak staff were super nice . read more

This was my first time on Amtrak in Cali, last rode it in 1989 from Rhode Island to N.Y.C. It was great: the station is only about 15 minutes by bus from my house in Goleta, there was plenty of space, a nice cafe car, it ran on time and nobody sat there screeching loudly into their cell phones. After riding Greyhound for over 30 years, I' am now officially a train person. It's worth the extra money. My only complaint is that nobody said "All aboard"! Well, I said it, but that doesn't really count. read more

This review is for Amtrak in general. Would give them 0 stars and we will never use a train to travel ever ever again. Train was delayed 2 hours and then the train ride took an extra 3 plus hours to arrive as I'm still sitting in the parking lot waiting for my 2 year old 9 year old and husband to arrive. Train was supposed to arrive at 5:55 and it is now almost 10:30 at night still no train in sight. Mind you I made hotel reservations for tonight $200 for us to not even enjoy. It was supposed to be a fun short 3 hour train ride from Paso Robles to Santa Barbara and I would pick them up and we would enjoy the evening. Thank you Amtrak for the waste of time and money and for my children having a horrible experience for their first train ride. read more

3 out of my past 5 train rides have been delayed at least one hour. Fuck this train and fuck this company