My husband and I are thinking about taking the Pacific Surfliner up to Santa Barbara from LA's historic Union Station for a weekend out of town-- R & R, wine-tasting, a bit of luxury.

It looks like the Santa Barbara Amtrak station is a block or two from the Funk Zone. Which looks like a perfect place to be. Does anyone have suggestions for clean, comfy lodging in that area that won't break the bank? It's just a couple of days, but I'd like to keep the room rate at less than $225 a night (all in).

We're looking at May, which may make this difficult. But too bad. We deserve a break. And wine. And cheese. And Pacific beach strolls.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Avis Enterprise and Hertz are within walking distance.
https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte..._Page&code=SBA
Last time I stayed in the area it was at the Sandland in Carpenteria. Not fancy but a good place to sleep for less than $100/night.

Thanks, Tom. Very good information to know.

We probably won't rent a car this trip; the whole point will be to avoid driving completely! You know-- that whole "sick of LA Traffic" thing. If we venture anywhere, we'll probably use a tour shuttle service or public transportation.

I know-- weird.

Besides, we will be driving to and from Union Station from Long Beach, so we will have gotten our fill of driving. Believe me.

In any case, we'll look at the Sandland for future trips. You never know!

Our family moved to Santa Barbara in 1969. Until today I've never heard the term, "funk zone," but I did find this:

https://funkzone.files.wordpress.com...zmapq315_e.jpg

The listing has two lodging choices: Harbor View and Wayfarer. Both of these are highly rated on a different internet site; which, just like Fodors, has the capacity for phony reviews. When I went to URL for the Wayfarer
http://www.pacificahotels.com/thewayfarer
and checked prices for two nights in May (I chose random dates), I found a queen size bed for $217 a night BEFORE TAXES. This sounds awfully close to what you're looking for, so I'd give it a look-see. With a little flexibility, you might find what you want.

Note that lodging prices in SB soar during weekends so, if that's your choice for when you want to go, good luck finding anything that's in your budget.

EXTREME DISCLAIMER: I know nothing about The Wayfarer other than what I found online. For all I know, it could be a dump that has managed to post scores of phony reviews. But you still might want to check it out.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelsNea...alifornia.html

I recently read about the Hotel Indigo on State Street in the L.A. Times. (It might have been a reader recommendation in the Sunday travel section.) It sounded like a deal, and I believe it's the closest hotel to the train station.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-...503-story.html

Sounds like a great trip!

Also check into the Fess Parker's Doubletree which on Castillo and within walking distance to the pier. There is a trolley ( costs $.25 ) with a stop on the nearest corner that goes up State Street and will get you to the Funk Zone and beyond. They have a "pay in advance rate" that depending on your dates, I have gotten for $233.00. If your dates are firm, the location can't be beat.

I have not stayed at either of the hotels you're contemplating but am happy to drive by this weekend to check the area and take a peek for you , if you'd like.

My favorites in the funk zone are The Lark and the Riverbench Winery, although their original winery and tasting room is between Santa Ynez and Santa Maria and the location is so very beautiful its a shame to have people only "see" them in the Funk Zone!

Staying right on State Street is not a bad idea but it can be very noisy. There is also construction going on on lower State currently.

That's very sweet, lynni-- if you have the time and inclination, that would be nice. But no worries if you can't fit it in.

I've looked at the Fess Parker's Doubletree. Very nice! It'll go in our back pocket if we decide to stay a bit farther from the train station.

The SB wine trail is the main attraction (20 wine tasting rooms? It should be called the "wine stagger/stumble/pass out"!) this trip, since we've done wineries up in Napa and Sonoma. We have talked about doing the Santa Ynez Sideways winery crawl for years now. That will be another trip, hopefully.

Thanks also to Paul and Jean-- good information too. The Indigo is high on our list right now. We'll see what the future holds!

Again-- thanks, friends!!

I've stayed at the Wayfarer, although in one of the shared bunk rooms, not the private rooms. Great location, modern and fun decor. Shower was probably the best I've seen in any hotel. I liked the pool as well, although I have no idea if it would be open when you are going.

Only thing I really didn't care for was that the breakfast is very basic. But that wasn't a big issue as I found plenty of great options in walking distance!

I'm not familiar with the Funk Zone, but if you want to stay close to the water, I can recommend the Castillo Inn. Nothing fancy, but it's very nice for the price.
http://www.sbcastilloinn.com

Have also stayed at Fess Parker Doubletree, which is also very nice, but maybe too expensive.

I have stayed at the Franciscan Inn, http://www.franciscaninn.com/,
and found it very nice. I would stay there again.

I should add I started staying here when it was the Franciscan Motel and just continued to stay here after their refurbishing. It is still a pleasant stay.