Southern California is comprised of ten different counties including LA County, home to places like Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica which top many people’s bucket lists. It is also home to San Diego County and the County of Santa Barbara which I recently had an opportunity to visit. Southern California is known for it’s Mediterranean-like weather. Santa Barbara is also known as the American Riviera for this very reason.
I had been to San Diego briefly many years ago and was excited about the chance to go back. Going to Carlsbad and Santa Barbara was the cherry on top of the proverbial travel ice cream sundae as Santa Barbara was a bucket list destination for me and I love finding hidden gems and Carlsbad certainly qualifies for that. With only 48 hours in San Diego, 24 hours in Carlsbad, and 36 hours in Santa Barbara, I had to cover as much ground (literally) as possible in very short periods of time.
You will hear more about the things to do, where to eat and places to stay in our Southern California travel series, but knowing how to get around, especially if you don’t have a car, or can’t drive can make or break your trip. Here are tips for getting yourself from point A (San Diego) to point B (Carlsbad) and point C (Santa Barbara).
Flying to Southern California
Flying to Southern California is easy. There are direct flights on many major airlines from from larger Canadian cities to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). You can also fly direct into San Diego International Airport direct from Vancouver or Toronto on Air Canada. I flew from Toronto to San Diego. It was a short (compared to some of my other flights) 5.5 hour flight. San Diego International is a nice, laid back airport. It’s big enough to have restaurants and shops, and small enough to have just a short wait for your luggage.
Getting Around San Diego
If you ask me about New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles, I can tell you several different ways to get around. I don’t know San Diego as well, so I stuck with Uber. San Diego has the MTS (Metropolitan Transit System) with buses and trolleys. If I had more time, I would have tried my luck. For speed and convenience, Uber is the way to go. The main attractions are walkable though – and as always, I recommend walking a city if and when you can to stumble on those hidden gems and to get the best experience.
Here, There and Everywhere in Southern California – Pacific Surfliner
Once you are ready to leave San Diego to explore more of SoCal, take Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner. It’s easy and the train stations are well-located. First, I took the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Oceanside on my way to Carlsbad. This took just under an hour and it took about fifteen minutes to get to Carlsbad. Then, I took the Surfliner from Oceanside up to Santa Barbara – this was by far the longest trip clocking in at almost five hours. Finally, I took the train from Santa Barbara to LAX (really Union Station and then a 40 minute ride to the airport). This took just under three hours.
Here is the good – I looked up the prices and even for business, it’s affordable. The seats are comfortable and you do get free snacks if you are in business. The best perk, whether you are taking business or economy are the views of the ocean and canyons along the way – it’s just breathtaking.
The bad, and it’s really not bad is that the trains are double-deckers. The bottom level is for people who have mobility issues – the top is for people who don’t. If you are on the top level, you have to bring your luggage up two narrow staircases. My suggestion is to travel light.
Business class is not like Canadian business class. There are no single seats….but that view….you just can’t beat it. Final suggestion – BYOS (bring your own snacks). The snacks in business are first come, first serve and they will run out. There is a cafeteria on the train, but if it’s a longer distance, just pack a meal and a drink and sit back and enjoy the view. Honestly, it’s more economical than flying and still much more affordable than what we are used to here. I was surprised when I checked the prices and a business class ticket from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles starts at $47. Even with the exchange, it’s still a bargain.
DIVINE Tip: The train gets busy – be early so that you can try and get a window seat. If you do have mobility issues, contact their customer service. They do offer assistance at the stations but it needs to be pre-arranged.
Getting Around Carlsbad
The main area (Carlsbad Village) is very walkable. Unless you can’t do it, make sure you walk everywhere. Carlsbad was conducting a pilot test of Good Ride. This free ride share program is no longer available, unfortunately, but hopefully, it will make a re-appearance in the future. Until then, Uber is your best friend.
Getting Around Santa Barbara
Last, but certainly not least, there is lovely Santa Barbara. The main area is definitely walkable. In fact, it is so easy to get around by foot, you can easily walk 20,000 steps in the small city like I did. Similar to San Diego, if it wasn’t walkable, Uber was my best friend.
*Hosted for review purposes – opinions are my own.
