Santa Barbara airport. It is 11 minutes door to door by taxi or private car. Follow signs from airport to reach Santa Barbara and the 101 South (to Carrillo St.). Frequent flights arrive from LAX, your best option. Flights also arrive from San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, and Sacramento. If you use a taxi, Yellow (805 965 5111) is most familiar with Alta Vista and will cost $25 to $30.

LAX. It is 90 minutes by bus or car if there is no traffic. Follow directions above for driving from Los Angeles. Exit airport to the I-405 Freeway North, then get on the 101 North and go 80 miles to Santa Barbara. Go 8 blocks north to Figueroa St. Turn right onto Figueroa St. Halfway down the block, turn left onto asphalt Alta Vista driveway next to a stone wall. Go to the top of the hill and park in the guest lot on the right. The office is behind the American Flag (daytime).

If you take an Airport Bus "Airbus," it will drop you at the Mar Monte Hotel 2 miles from Alta Vista. Take a taxi to Alta Vista, approx $10.

Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Amtrak station next to the airport from which you can take the train to Santa Barbara.

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Notes:

Traffic within Santa Barbara is rarely held up.

Connector flights between LAX and Santa Barbara are the most reliable. Often you can catch a previous flight if time allows.

Don't rely on Amtrak to catch a plane--trains are often late or sometimes canceled. Be prepared to rent an Enterprise car several blocks away, if your train fails to arrive.

Don't travel by car south on the 101 from Santa Barbara between 4 and 6 PM: it's slow going.

The cheapest gas stattions are West Carrillo St (on the way from or to the 101 Freeway).