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Santa Barbara car rentals

Driver's age: 26-65

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Cheap car rentals in Santa Barbara

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Mini car
Mini
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Economy car
Economy
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Compact car
Compact
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Intermediate car
Intermediate
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Standard car
Standard
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Full-size car
Full-size
M
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Luxury car
Luxury
M
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Minivan car
Minivan
M
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Passenger van car
Passenger van
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SUV car
SUV
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Commercial car
Commercial
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Pickup Truck car
Pickup Truck
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KAYAK’s top tips for renting a car in Santa Barbara

  • A hire car is the most comfortable and practical way to explore not only the city of Santa Barbara, but also nearby Los Angeles and other major destinations along the Californian coast. A car allows you to explore the city’s attractions at your own pace, including the Santa Barbara Harbor and the Maritime Museum. Los Angeles is a two-hour drive away, while San Francisco is five hours away.
  • All of the big car hire companies, including Alamo, Avis, and Hertz, can be found at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), which is about 7 miles west of the city center. The hire car counters are located in the hire Car Building, which is right next to the airport terminal. Simply exit the terminal, go right, and follow the RCB signs.
  • Santa Barbara is at the base of the Santa Ynez Mountains, with some roads being quite hilly. Because it’s a colonial town, it still maintains some of its older characteristics, including narrow cobblestone streets with winding turns. If you’re not used to that type of driving, it’s best to park the car in one of the many lots and explore the Old Town by foot.
  • Traffic jams in California are a given, but Santa Barbara is easier to navigate. Traffic gets worse in the morning on the 101 heading north to Santa Barbara from other towns such as Carpinteria and Ventura, and on the opposite direction in the evening. Avoid driving within the rush hour periods, between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and then again between 4 and 7 p.m.
  • Book your rental car in Santa Barbara at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price

Santa Barbara car rental experiences: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who rented a car in Santa Barbara 
Learn how KAYAK collects reviews and tips from users.
Verified travelerAug 2024
I just answered all those questions in my very long statement. The important thing also to note here is I'm not someone who flew in and was visiting Santa Barbara, I'm a local who lived here but had to rent from the airport because on Sunday nothing else is open
sabrinaOct 2023
The signage of Avis in SB is a little tricky to find. The parked cars are located around the corner on the back side of some hedges… friendly and efficient service.

FAQs about renting a car in Santa Barbara

  • What type of car is recommended for driving in Santa Barbara?

    A hybrid car is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint while driving through Santa Barbara, but a convertible is a great option when cruising along the coast, especially in the summer, as you can drop the top and enjoy some scenic views. If you're going on a road trip with family or friends, a minivan offers more comfort and space for all the passengers.

  • What’s the speed limit in Santa Barbara?

    The speed limit in Californian cities is usually 25 mph, unless the posted signs say otherwise, particularly in school zones and other residential areas. Two-lane highways have a speed limit of 55 mph, while most highways have a 65 mph limit. However, some highways allow drivers to go a maximum speed of 70 mph.

  • Where are the best places to park in Santa Barbara?

    There are several parking lots in the downtown and waterfront areas. Downtown parking also provides access to State Street and its surroundings, the Old Town, and the Waterfront areas. Parking is paid between 7:30 a.m. and 11 p.m., Sunday to Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The first 75 minutes are free and the following hours have a $1.50 hourly rate.

  • What is the best rental car company in Santa Barbara?

    Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental company in Santa Barbara is Budget (6.9, 83 reviews).

  • How much is gas price in Santa Barbara?

    The average gas price in Santa Barbara is ₱199.45 per gallon over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between ₱2,393 and ₱3,191, depending on the car size.

  • What is the most popular rental car in Santa Barbara?

    Intermediate (Toyota RAV4 or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Santa Barbara.

  • Which car rental companies are at Los Angeles airport (LAX)?

    Car rental companies onsite at Los Angeles airport include Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Budget, Fox, Europcar, Sixt and Ace.

  • Which car rental companies will pick you up at Los Angeles airport (LAX)?

    Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Los Angeles airport to off-airport locations include Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, Budget, Alamo, Europcar, and Sixt.

  • How can I find car rentals near me in Santa Barbara?

    Take a look at our extensive car rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.

  • How much does an Intermediate car rental cost in Santa Barbara?

    An Intermediate car rental in Santa Barbara costs ₱5,009 per day, on average.

Santa Barbara car rental reviews and directory 
All ratings and reviews are collected from KAYAK users with a verified car rental booking. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

8.3

Very good

Read 20 reviews

Cleanliness

8.2

Comfort

8.2

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.1

Value for money

7.8

3 locations in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

3210 State St

+1 805 966 3097

Monday00:00 - 00:00
Tuesday00:00 - 00:00
Wednesday00:00 - 00:00
Thursday00:00 - 00:00
Friday00:00 - 00:00
Saturday00:00 - 00:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

500 James Fowler Rd

+1 805 683 3012

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday08:00 - 22:00

601 Chapala St

+1 805 966 3097

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday09:00 - 13:00
Sunday00:00 - 00:00

Filters

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Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Robert, Oct 2024

Economy

KAYAK
Enterprise has always been good for me. Being able to drop off at SB airport would be a great service.

8.0 Very good

Tonise, Aug 2024

Economy

KAYAK
Easy to reserve online, location is close by.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Oct 2023

Standard SUV

KAYAK
The employees went out of their way to make this a super easy, efficient and pleasant experience.

10.0 Wonderful

Rebecca, Sep 2023

Standard

KAYAK
Car needed a vacuum, windows were dirty inside. Outside was kinda dirty.

10.0 Wonderful

Elizabeth, Nov 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Very helpful staff, pick up and drop-off

Cons:

Nothing. Really appreciated the savings offered by using Kayak on the catastrophic coverage!

8.0 Very good

Anonymous, Nov 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was really friendly and very accommodating. The pick up and drop off was fast and easy

1 out of 7

Budget

6.9

Okay

Read 54 reviews
Best rated

Cleanliness

7.4

Comfort

7.4

Pick-up/Drop-off

7.1

Value for money

7.0

2 locations in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

305 East Haley Street

+1 805 965 1070

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday10:00 - 16:00

500 Fowler Road

+1 805 964 6792

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday08:00 - 22:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Aug 2024

Supplier choice

KAYAK
I'm sorry I just completely answered my experience question with budget in the previous statement for Expedia and I really really hope someone reads it and acknowledges it because it was the car rental from hell...

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Aug 2024

Supplier choice

KAYAK
.. where do I begin. Well I begin at the beginning. I didn't realize I had booked an electric car. Never drove one before. Don't really know anything about them. So I thought okay this is an opportunity to find out. I was only going to be using the car to drive from point A and back, 170 mi each way. On the freeway. Seems simple enough. And it should have been and could have been, but wasn't due to the inadequate information provided to me by the rental agent regarding the electric car. My suggestion is that there should be a cheat sheet in every electric car, telling renters and basic information about how electric cars work and of course about charging them. But the biggest mistake that really messed me up with this rental was that the rental agent when I asked what the range was on the car, that was my main question because I know that's important. The car was a Kia Niro, he said the range was 220 miles. I was going to be driving 170 miles each way, and the hotel I was going to I know had electric car chargers so I figured I was good. I got the car and went on my way back home to put my stuff in the car before leaving. Fortunately for me my neighbor's son who works at Lexus and knows all about cars happened to be at my location when I got home visiting his mother. I told him that I had electric car but I didn't really know anything about it because all the rental agent said to me was to charge the car you needed to tap your credit card. That and the mileage range was all I said to me about it. I'm 74 years old so I've driven a lot of different cars and I know they all vary a little bit in one way or another, I also know that you should have a general idea of the dashboard and whatnot before you take off. So my neighbor's son looked at it, the dashboard to just show me where things were and he noticed that the car did not have the 220 miles available on it that I was told, after driving home from the airport where I picked it up, which was a couple of miles, the car had 176 miles on it. He told me that wasn't going to be enough although technically it was because I was driving 170 miles, he said electric cars are basically like gas cars the kind of mileage you get, depends on how you drive. Faster you drive the poor the mileage if you have the air conditioning on the poorer the mileage. I had no clue about this. He told me I needed to charge the car and get at least 20 more miles on it and ideally more to make sure the car didn't die on the freeway on route to my destination. He also explained to me that all charging machines are not created equal, when it comes to cars that are not Teslas and you can't use a Tesla charger on any other kind of vehicle. After some trial and error I found some charging stations at a shopping center after backtracking to get to it. Usually I've noticed that the electric cars are like gas cars in that the chargers on the side of the car. Well not with this car, I found it on the front of the car, covered by this flap. I couldn't get the flap open to access the charger. Fortunately a couple walk by just then and the man offered to help me. Again after some trial and error discovered the way to get the flap open which you had to push unlock on the key fob. Well apparently this was one of those slow charging machines, I had picked the car up at 5:00 p.m. . It was now 8:00 p.m. and and I finally had 20 extra miles charged on the car. It took over an hour and a half for that. Because of this delay in time and that 3-hour estimated drive to my destination, it being Sunday evening I knew I was going to miss my dinner at my destination. Thank God my neighbor's son told me about putting additional miles on the charging of the vehicle because if I hadn't done that, the car would have died on the freeway because when I got to my destination I had six miles to spare. Now the vehicle does have a warning that comes on that tells you you only have 15% of charge left, but to someone like me who knows nothing about how these cars work that meant nothing, but it did have a screen that told you places you could get off the freeway and find a charger. So being a reasonably intelligent person I probably would have done that but didn't do it because I knew I was only a couple miles from my destination and didn't want to spend time and Miles driving around looking for the charger in a strange city that I didn't know. The point is if there had been a cheat sheet in the car, telling me all these things that I didn't know it would have made a world of difference in this experience plus if the car had been fully charged at rental. I found out of return that the Santa Barbara airport even though it rents all major car rentals, doesn't have one single charging machine for either non Tesla's or Teslas, and that they have to drive several miles to the Costco to use their chargers to charge the rental cars. So a lot of times they don't bother to fully charge them. Which is fine if you're driving around town only, but I told the rental agent I was going to drive 170 MI. The hotel also had one of those slow charging things and it took over 10 hours to get the car just 80% charged, to 206 MI, which I figured was enough to get me home. But to be on the safe side, I did not use the air conditioning except for a minute here and there to keep me from getting heat stroke, because it was 95° outside. I did this because I was told that using the air conditioning would cut down on the available miles. And I just wanted to get home and be done with this an address my concerns and complaints to the return agent when I got there.. her name was Tammy and she was probably the most apathetic person I've ever encountered. Every problematic thing I tried to describe to her she canceled it out with some kind of comment and in the end made it all seem like everything was my fault and probably the most significant thing she said to me was yeah I've heard it all before I asked her what if I had died on the freeway due to running out of mileage. Her response was well you call roadside service. Roadside service doesn't have portable chargers so they would have towed the car to the nearest charger. How many more hours of my time would that have taken? She didn't care she just didn't care. And in the end she just said, well just don't rent an electric car anymore. She did take a whopping $10 off my rental.. she said that's all she's authorized to do.. there was no manager or anybody else there just her. I asked her how long she worked there. She said 2 years. In my opinion it's 2 years too long, obviously someone that doesn't enjoy customers and doesn't enjoy helping them and that's something I know a lot about as someone who worked as a rental agent for Hertz for 8 years and actually had customers come back and say you know we really enjoy renting from you you're so helpful and so nice on many occasions by the way, I tolerance for poor customer service is zero. If each of these agents had properly done their job I would not have had such a horrible experience. And as a additional note when I rented the car, there was no long line of customers behind me causing the rental agent to not give me adequate information. In summary, each electric car should have a cheat sheet in a giving basic information especially regarding the mileage range and how it's not what it seems to be and secondly that in any job that requires customer service, there's absolutely no room for apathy. If you don't like your job get another one...

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Aug 2024

Full-size

KAYAK
Wasted my time. Budget did not honor the booking. Stop reserving the cars.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jun 2024

Economy

KAYAK
Very easy process

10.0 Wonderful

Eliana, Feb 2024

Intermediate SUV

KAYAK
Super friendly and professional service. Clean nice car.

2.0 Poor

優斗, Nov 2023

Intermediate

KAYAK
At first, it said it would take $75, but actually it takes $240 without our faults.

1 out of 18

Avis

8.4

Very good

Read 17 reviews

Cleanliness

9.1

Comfort

9.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.4

Value for money

8.1

2 locations in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

305 East Haley Street

+1 805 965 1079

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday10:00 - 16:00

500 Fowler Road

+1 805 964 4848

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday08:00 - 22:00

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Reviews

4.0 Mediocre

Ahmed, Oct 2024

Economy

KAYAK
I was given a Ford F250 truck instead of economy car. The agent was rude and insisted that it's my only option or a minivan. The lot was full of cars and despite asking several times I was told this is the only option, or wait for 40 minutes or more to see if anything comes available. Very disappointed with the customer service, However drop off was smooth.

8.0 Very good

Mike, Sep 2024

Intermediate

KAYAK
Car could have been cleaner inside. Otherwise all was good.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Feb 2024

Intermediate

KAYAK
Great!

4.0 Mediocre

Kyle, May 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

The staff at pickup in Santa Barbara used deceitful tactics to pressure us into paying for an upgrade.

4.0 Mediocre

Anonymous, Jun 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff Sue gave me a car that needed an oil change and didn’t apply insurance to vehicle. Then when I swopped the cars I needed to make a new contract That didn’t honor the daily rate and cut my trip by 2 days

Cons:

Honesty and accountability of the staff

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Mar 2023

Intermediate

KAYAK
Able to pick up downtown Santa Barbara on a Saturday. Friendly staff, easy pick up and drop off, brand new car (1700 mi). No hassle rental.

1 out of 6

Dollar

8.0

Very good

Read 17 reviews

Cleanliness

6.0

Comfort

8.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

10.0

Value for money

8.0

One location in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

500 Fowler Road

+1 866 434 2226

Monday07:00 - 21:00
Tuesday07:00 - 21:00
Wednesday07:00 - 21:00
Thursday07:00 - 21:00
Friday07:00 - 21:00
Saturday07:00 - 21:00
Sunday07:00 - 21:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Apr 2024

Economy

KAYAK
We had to rent somewhere else. There was a line that the person in front of me said they had been waiting over an hour in. There was only one person at the counter and over 10 parties in line. The other car companies had no wait. I paid slightly more but it was worth not waiting over and hour

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

My flight got in at6pm, the desk had closed at 5pm. No car for me!

Cons:

Knowing that I cannot get a car from Dollar after 5pm, I would have rented from Budget.

10.0 Wonderful

Talitha, May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

The check in and check out was very quick and easy, and they were very helpful when I had questions on the vehicle.

10.0 Wonderful

Jessie, Mar 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

Yes, staff was terrific. Very helpful.

Cons:

Nothing it was perfect

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Dec 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

i made a reservation only to arrive and be told there are no vehicles. once i made the reservation, the desk could have at least called to let me know. people make plans and rely on companies to have the product they reserve

3.6 Poor

Jared, Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Drop off was easy.

Cons:

I paid for a full size vehicle at least a week in advance. When I arrived to pick it up they didn't have one. We got stuck in a smaller car and couldn't get ahold of any customer service at priceline or kayak.

1 out of 6

Alamo

7.9

Good

Read 14 reviews

Cleanliness

7.8

Comfort

8.1

Pick-up/Drop-off

8.0

Value for money

7.9

One location in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

500 James Fowler Rd

+1 805 692 0939

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday08:00 - 22:00

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Reviews

8.0 Very good

Anonymous, May 2021

KAYAK

Pros:

The woman who helped me with drop off was incredibly helpful

2.0 Poor

Rebecca, May 2021

KAYAK

Cons:

They did not have my car available and said they tried to call me, but I never got a call. I needed a 12 person van, so it was not easy to find another one. Thankfully AVIS helped me out at the last minute!

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Dec 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

Vehicle that I reserved was not available when I went go pick up.

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Nov 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

I liked the small airport with car pick up right outside the terminal. Very convenient, quick, and simple. Would probably choose a slightly larger car than a Toyota Corolla for four adults.

9.6 Wonderful

Julia, Aug 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Staff was friendly and efficient

Cons:

Car was a little dirty inside.

9.6 Wonderful

Deb, Jun 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Easy, fast, and safe.

1 out of 5

Hertz

6.0

Okay

Read 3 reviews

Cleanliness

6.7

Comfort

6.6

Pick-up/Drop-off

6.0

Value for money

6.1

One location in Santa Barbara

Show locations

Locations in Santa Barbara

633 E Cabrillo Blvd

+1 805 962 5305

Monday09:00 - 13:00
Tuesday09:00 - 13:00
Wednesday09:00 - 13:00
Thursday09:00 - 13:00
Friday09:00 - 13:00

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Reviews

8.0 Very good

Daniel, Aug 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Car had been smoked in. It reeked.

9.6 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jul 2020

KAYAK

Pros:

Friendly staff, accommodating.

Cons:

I chose the wrong pick up location by accident.

2.0 Poor

Anonymous, Jun 2020

KAYAK

Cons:

The facility was closed when I got there.

1 out of 1

National

6.0

Okay

Read 2 reviews

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

10.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

5.0

Value for money

6.0

One location in Santa Barbara

Locations in Santa Barbara

500 James Fowler Rd

+1 805 692 0939

Monday08:00 - 22:00
Tuesday08:00 - 22:00
Wednesday08:00 - 22:00
Thursday08:00 - 22:00
Friday08:00 - 22:00
Saturday08:00 - 22:00
Sunday08:00 - 22:00

Filters

Reviews

10.0 Wonderful

Anonymous, Jun 2024

Intermediate

KAYAK
Amazing!

2.0 Poor

Victor, Nov 2021

KAYAK
I booked for 160 dls and my receipt was for more than 200 dls

Sunnycars

No score available yet

One location in Santa Barbara

Locations in Santa Barbara

500 James Fowler Rd

Opening times not available

Filters

No reviews available

202 travelers who rented a car in Santa Barbara gave the car agency they used an average rating of 7.2

Car rental locations in or near Santa Barbara

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Good to know

Most popular car type

Intermediate

When to book a rental car in Santa Barbara

Average daily price per month
Rental car prices as pick-up date approaches

Everything you need to know for your car rental in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara car rental information

Pick-up locationSanta Barbara
Car types
Rental locations12
Airport locations7