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Car Hire Santa Barbara

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Popular rental locations in Santa Barbara

The following rental locations are the most popular for renting a car in Santa Barbara

Car rental companies in Santa Barbara

Below are the car rental companies in Santa Barbara with the best ratings. Compare all ratings and prices of these rental companies in one search.

  • National Car Rental

    8.8 (446)
    From £ 38 / day
  • Enterprise

    8.6 (2163)
    From £ 37 / day
  • Hertz

    8.1 (7810)
    From £ 32 / day
  • Avis

    8 (6687)
    From £ 35 / day
  • Dollar Rent a Car

    7.7 (4767)
    From £ 46 / day
  • Budget

    7.3 (10506)
    From £ 32 / day
  • Alamo

    8.9 (9546)
    From £ 46 / day
  • Thrifty

    7.4 (6085)
    No rates available

Recent reviews

Our customers rate us a 8.9/10 out of 2259

When is the best time to book a rental car in Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a mini class car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), October is the most affordable time to rent a mini class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting mini class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a economy class car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a economy class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting economy class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a compact class car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a compact class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting compact class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent an intermediate class car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a intermediate class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting intermediate class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a standard class car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a standard class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting standard class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a full-size car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a full-size class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting full-size class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a luxury car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), October is the most affordable time to rent a luxury class car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting luxury class cars, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a SUV?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent an SUV with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting an SUV, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a MPV?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent an mpv with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting an mpv with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a minivan?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a minibus with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting a minibus, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a sports car?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), October is the most affordable time to rent a sports car with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. October is the peak month for renting a sports car, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Santa Barbara - When is the most affordable time to rent a convertible?

At this destination (Santa Barbara), May is the most affordable time to rent a convertible with an average daily rate of . The rest of the year, the average rate is per day. May is the peak month for renting a convertible, with an average rate of per day. To secure a good selection and favorable rates, it is recommended to make your rental car reservation well ahead of time. Last-minute bookings may result in limited options and higher prices.

Car rental companies in and around Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara

Available locations in Santa Barbara

Fess Parkers Double Tree

Santa Barbara Guide

Santa Barbara is a charming city with strong Mediterranean Spanish influences. Located on California’s Pacific central coast, it is graced with wonderful white sand beaches, and its history is preserved in beautiful old buildings.

The city’s most outstanding feature is its beaches. East Beach and West Beach are both extremely popular, with designated picnic areas and volleyball courts adding to their natural attractions.

Santa Barbara’s historical highlight is the Santa Barbara Mission, built by the Chumash Indians over 200 years ago. It is perched on a hilltop, with wonderful views over the city and the Pacific Ocean. The building itself is a superb blend of Spanish and Indian architectural styles, and is aesthetically pleasing.

Another point of historical interest is El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, where the oldest building in Santa Barbara &endash; and the second oldest in California &endash; is located. More contemporary attractions are the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, featuring the Gladwin Planetarium, and the gorgeous Santa Barbara Orchid Estate.

The Santa Barbara waterfront area is home to Stearns Wharf, the state’s oldest functioning wharf, and to the Waterfront Arts and Crafts Show, held every Sunday. This is an excellent place for shopping, with arts and crafts of all descriptions on display. Alternatively, the wharf is a great place to observe the comings and goings of the fishing boats, or to take a gentle stroll.

Just outside of the city are Leadbetter and Arroyo Burro beaches, both offering great bodysurfing and surfing. Arroyo Burro Beach is an exquisite white crescent beach nestled below rugged cliffs.

Los Angeles is easily accessible from Santa Barbara, and is only an hour away by car. This fabulous city has unlimited offerings to excite and delight visitors, with delectable restaurants, endless entertainment venues, and the enticing suburbs of Hollywood, Malibu, Venice Beach and Beverly Hills all within its limits.

Santa Barbara is located on US 101, the fastest direct route to the city from the north or south. I-5 and I-10 are alternative routes into the city. Santa Barbara is serviced daily by Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses, both of which have extensive networks across the country. Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is located in Goleta, about 10 minutes north of central Santa Barbara. Additionally, Los Angeles’ airport is also located nearby.

Practical information

  • Currency
    United States Dollar
  • Driving direction
    Right
  • City speed limit
    25 - 70 km/h
  • Freeway speed limit
    90 - 130 km/h
  • Language
    English
  • Popular car category
    Standard

What most people want to know

The following questions and answers are a selection of the most popular questions. If you do not find the answer to your question, have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions page or contact us.