Santa Barbara has a small municipal airport that looks a bit like one of the mission buildings and receives direct flights from cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle. If you are flying in, it is definitely a good idea to rent a car for your vacation since part of the fun of Santa Barbara is exploring the surrounding countryside, beaches and wineries.

It is very easy to pick up a car right at the airport, which houses four on-airport car-rental agencies: Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National. Avis and Thrifty have off-airport locations with courtesy shuttle buses running back and forth from the terminal building. There are plenty of car rental places in downtown Santa Barbara as well, including the Car Rental Connection, which is located at 24E Gutierrez St. and Best Price car rentals in Goleta.

There are also limousine rental options for special events or airport pick-up. A and J Limousine company is located on Valdivia Dr in Santa Barbara, and they have a variety of sedans, limousines, SUVs and coaches for hire. Their staff and drivers have a reputation for courtesy, promptness and professionalism.

Montecito Motors is another great place to go for your Santa Barbara car rental. Not only do they have regular sedans and hatchbacks for vacationers to get around in, they also have antique and classic cars for special events. If you are really picky and only want to drive a BMW, Steve Thomas BMW inc. of Santa Barbara is the place to go, since that is the only make they carry. Avis, Enterprise and Alamo also have locations in nearby Goleta, CA.

When you get your Santa Barbara car rental, be sure to ask for maps and tips for the local beaches, wineries and parking. The friendly, local staff will be able to fill you in on the best spots for swimming, surfing and other activities, or provide maps to explore the region. Santa Barbara, like most of southern California is a city built for drivers…smooth roads and plenty of parking (except perhaps during the famous film festival in February).

City planning has made it easy for vacationers to get around from downtown to the beaches, although some of the beaches are really popular and parking fills up quickly. Santa Barbara has one of the lowest crime rates in California but even so, to be sure that your Santa Barbara vacation goes smoothly it is best to take the regular precautions when leaving your car: lock the doors and be sure to take your valuables with you, keeping other bags either out of sight or in the trunk.