MiamiBeachMomma

This is just a quick question. Is this a nail biting drive, like those on Northern California Coast? Is it a drive that should be done in daylight hours or it is pretty tame like driving along a highway with street lights.

We are visiting in December and I'm sure with DST being over it gets dark pretty early.

MiamiBeachMomma

Just looked up sunset - 4:45 pm - eeks!!!

montereybob

No not nail biting like northern coast. Mostly a multi-lane highway. Pretty easy drive but expect heavy traffic in some spots during commute times.

Tomsd

When you get to Santa Barbara, you might consider continuing on for another 45 minutes or so to the Danish themed village of Solvang, and enjoy some great pastries, or other repaste.

happytrailstoyou

It takes two hours to drive Highway 1 from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara--much of it along the ocean. If you use take this scenic route, be alert for road signs when driving through Oxnard.

HTTY

tomfuller

Why not stay in the LAX area and rent the car in the early morning and drive to Santa Barbara in daylight? As has been discussed in other topics, hotels in Santa Barbara are quite expensive.

dbdurand

Oh for Pete's sake! It's freeway all the way. From Santa Monica, head north on the 405 to the 101, then west toward Ventura. (The signs do direct you to Ventura). Keep going until you get to Santa Barbara. Wave as you pass through Thousand Oaks.

In the late afternoon/early evening, traffic will be heavy and slow on the northbound 405. If you can't avoid this rush hour traffic, then just live with it. You'll have plenty of company.

Check here for traffic information.

http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?lat=...-118.35661&z=2

Tune your radio to AM 1070. They will give you a traffic report every 10 minutes, on the fives. Often they will tell you why the traffic is so slow where you are. Do not shout at the radio. They cannot hear you.

easytraveler

The suggestion to drive the next morning is a good one, if you feel this much concern.

Traffic goes quite rapidly down there because most people know where they are going, so will whiz by.

It's a huge multi-lane freeway most of the way, although you may encounter very heavy (very slow going) if you hit peak traffic either in LA or in SB. Most of the way, from LA to oxnard, Ventura will be through densely populated areas.

It's nothing at all like Highway 1.

Why not use google maps and get the street view of certain stretches of the highway to see what it looks like (use the little yellow man to position your view)?

Tomsd

The best piece of advice I could give is to second what was posted - and that is listen to AM 1070 - where they give the traffic reports every 6 minutes. And try to get a Freeway map of LA (Auto Club of So Cal, Triple AAA, etc) and you can check out alternatives if you hear traffic is jammed on one freeway due to a wreck, etc.

In the morning - heading out to Santa Barbara, along the 101, you will probably hit some local traffic starting about half way there at Westlake (unless you are on the road by say 5:30 am - or after say 9 am), but it should move along.

Tomsd

BTW - a much prettier drive is to take PCH (Pacific Coast Hiway - 1) through Malibu and on into Ventura and on to Santa Barbara. It really doesn't take that much longer and is very beautiful.

SOCALOC

***If you can't avoid this rush hour traffic, then just live with it. You'll have plenty of company.***

LOL Yep, you're never alone on the freeways.

tracys2cents

If you're planning this for 6pm on a weekday, wait untl 8pm. The traffic on the 101 heading out of L.a. can be hellish between 4:30 amd 7:30. Best bet , leave L.A before 3pm, the drive is pretty along the coast.

LSky

It's an easy drive.

Barcelonafan

As others have said, it is an easy drive but it is the traffic that can be a bummer.
There is frequent Amtrak train service from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and the train follows the coast for a good while.
You don't need a car downtown Santa Barbara by the train station. Eveything is pretty close by, except perhaps the Mission which is further afield.

Jean

Or you could take the Santa Barbara Airbus from LAX:

http://www.sbairbus.com/pages/display/laxshuttle

mlgb

Tame. Very tame. But usually there is a clog as you approach Santa Barbara during most normal hours.

janisj

"This is just a quick question. Is this a nail biting drive, like those on Northern California Coast? "

It is absolutely nothing like the coastal drives up north. Easy peasy. As long as you leave LA before 3:00/3:30 PM (what I'd choose), after about 6:30 PM, or wait until mid morning the next day. I'd just get on the road and go --

MiamiBeachMomma

Thanks all!!!! Great info!!1

mlgb

I think your best bet is in the morning, actually. It would be a shame to do it at night and miss the views from the coast. Depending on what day of the week you pick you may find virtually no traffic in the morning (Friday in particular) but Thursday and Friday afternoons are usually tough with getaway traffic. On those days you'll find the rush hour starting around 1 pm heading out of town in any direction.

MiamiBeachMomma

I agree mlgb, I switched around the itinerary to make that happen. Don't want to miss the pretty sites.
Now Im looking at lodging once we get there, any recs for a place that takes kids, but doesnt have to be kid friendly - my kids are easy!