How To Have a Budget Vacation in High End Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is my favorite vacation town along California’s Central Coast. It’s right along a gorgeous stretch of the Pacific coastline, with the Santa Ynez Mountains framing the town’s landscape vista.

How to Have a Budget Vacation in High End Santa Barbara - California Beach

Obviously, hiking the Santa Ynez trails and splashing around in the water don’t cost a cent, but in other ways Santa Barbara typifies luxury travel.

From the 5-star Four Seasons and Bacara resorts to the Simpson House Inn (the only bed and breakfast in North America that’s part of the 5-star Alliance), it’s easy to drop a wad of cash on a vacation here.

But you don’t have to break your bank to enjoy what Santa Barbara, California has to offer; I’ve vacationed here on a budget, and so can you. Here’s how to have a budget vacation in Santa Barbara:

One: Get a little culture. For a town of its size, Santa Barbara has some really impressive museums, and touring them is an inexpensive way to enrich yourself.

My favorite museums there are the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Karpeles Manuscript Museum and the Santa Barbara Historical Society Museum.

The Museum of Natural History also runs the Ty Warner Sea Center on Santa Barbara’s Stear’s Wharf pier. Before you go, check out the Santa Barbara Visual Artists website.

It’s a monthly calendar of scheduled art events, mostly hosted by he high end art galleries in town – but admission is free, and you might even get to meet the featured artist.

Here's how to vacation in high-end Santa Barbara, California, on a budget.

Two: Sure, Santa Barbara’s got some extremely luxurious resorts and hotels, but my favorite budget inns here are clean, conveniently located, and much more affordable than the Four Seasons.

Mason Beach Inn is a lovely little budget hotel, just a few yards from the harbor.

It’s the most expensive of my favorite Santa Barbara budget hotels, but the price includes free Wi-Fi and a continental breakfast. It’s also the quietest of the bunch.

Next, the Orange Tree Inn is the loudest of these hotels – this inn is right on State Street, the main thoroughfare of Santa Barbara, and it can be very lively (especially during Spring Break and the summer).

My last pick for budget hotels here is the Days Inn Santa Barbara. It’s more generic-looking that the other three, but it’s also the only one with an on-site restaurant. I didn’t eat at the Day’s Inn: There are plenty of nearby dining options.

Budget vacation in Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara California Sea Lions

Three: Because Santa Barbara has so much to offer luxury travel fans, some truly upscale restaurants have been established there as well.

But this is also a hikers’ town, a beach lovers’ town and, of course, a college town.

Trade fine dining for cheap eats, and you won’t have to only go to greasy spoons and suspicious-looking dives.

State Street runs up, perpendicular to the ocean, and is filled with an array of dining options.

I love Uncle Rocco’s NY Pizza (as a former New Yorker, I must say that while this is great pizza, it is different form the typical slice of NYC ‘za) for lunch or dinner.

Also for around 10 bucks, budget travelers can get giant sandwiches at Ye Olde Butcher Shop. It’s the best in its class on State Street.

Another inexpensive restaurant on State Street is Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, open only for breakfast and lunch.

For pretty cheap Mexican food on State, try El Rincon Bohemio. It’s open for lunch and dinner, and has basically the Hit Parade of Mexican food (burritos, nachos, you know; the crowd pleasers). Last, I like Kai Sushi Shabu-Shabu.

It’s cheaper if you stick with the shabu-shabu; sushi is a luxury food item, and it can quickly shift the tab up higher than you might like. Now, there are so many good restaurants that won’t bust your travel budget, but I couldn’t eat at them all. What about you? Any other recommendations?

A vacation in a luxury town doesn’t have to be out of reach for inveterate budget travelers. If you have any other tips for a cheap Santa Barbara getaway, please leave a message below.

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Santa Barbara is my favorite vacation town along California's Central Coast. It's right along a gorgeous stretch of the Pacific coastline, with the Santa Ynez Mountains framing the town's landscape vista.

9 Comments on "How To Have a Budget Vacation in High End Santa Barbara"

  1. there are a lot of inexpensive restaurants on State Street in Santa Barbara. The ones you mentioned are good and there are others. It’s because Santa Barbara is also a college town, and college students are always looking for cheap eats.

  2. Nancy Coleman | May 14, 2011 at 9:48 pm |

    The Orange Tree Inn is nice, but I have found from my personal experience the Sandman Inn to be the best value for doing Santa Barbara on a budget! It’s located right on State Street within walking distance of all the prime shopping and restaurants, and is a quaint and comfortable hotel. They have two pools, both with great views of the mountains. Also, check out some of the great hikes in Santa Barbara for free fun!

  3. Taylor Logan-Smith | May 18, 2011 at 10:52 pm |

    You should add going to Rusty’s Pizza along the beach and hiking Inspiration Point (if you’re up for it!). Also a great place to stay would be The Sandman Inn. The location is great and the price is even greater. The rooms are quaint and their two beautiful pools make any vacation that much better!

  4. These are some great tips! There are plenty of other great budget hotels and restaurants all along Santa Barbara so it makes your trip a whole lot easier to handle and afford. Rose Cafe is a great mexican restaurant that isn’t too expensive and it is right on the mesa. As well as the South Coast Inn. Really elegant and it gives you the ability to escape the noise of downtown but being close enough to be right there whenever you want!

  5. I totally agree with Lesly! Rose Cafe is an excellent restaurant to dine at! As well as the South Coast Inn. Best value in Santa Barbara; very elegant and the service is excellent as well!

  6. Having a budget vacation in the ultra expensive Santa Barbara isn’t all that hard. There are a ton of great restaurants to choose from as well as family fun activities or if there are no kids involved- adult activities. When I went to UCSB, I had a lot of fun exploring the city and getting acclimated with my surroundings. I’ve stayed at the Days Inn in downtown and I wasn’t too impressed with accommodations as well that the service was shotty. Uncle Rocco’s is a great pizza place right in the heart of SB and has some EXCELLENT pizza! I also recommend Rustys down by the pier. Love that it is in a lighthouse! If you are looking for more elegance at a lower cost I would recommend checking out The South Coast Inn (www.goleta-hotel.com). Right outside of town with much more class then a lousy and expensive hotel right in town.

  7. Wow, all the above comments are all saying the same thing about Santa Barbara-it is not hard to have a budget friendly vacation in an above board expensive town like Santa Barbara.

  8. There is a lot more that meets the eye in Santa Barbara. Not everything has to cost so much that towards the end of your trip or when you go home you feel like you over spent and are now limited for a while with funds.

  9. All of these posts on this blog are so right, glad we have some seasoned vets on the page! I love going to Santa Barbara but the first few times I had to learn the hard way about how expensive it is to go there. There are several easy corners to cut when trying to save money when traveling there, you just gotta know where to look. You list some excellent suggestions and it should make for a great trip and all the while saving a great deal of money, how can you beat that?

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