Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Santa Barbara to Monterey. If you're planning a road trip to Monterey, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
10:00 am start in Santa Barbara
drive for about 1.5 hours
11:40 am Avila Beach
eat at Firestone Grill
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:40 pm
drive for about 2 hours
2:49 pm Salinas
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:49 pm
drive for about 27 minutes
4:16 pm arrive in Monterey
stay at Mission Ranch Hotel
driving ≈ 4.5 hours
Avila Beach (23 answers)
Bishop Peak (4 mentions)
San Luis Obispo Mission (3 mentions)
Luna Red (2 mentions)
Bubblegum Alley (2 mentions)
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (2 mentions)
restaurants around Avila Beach:
Firestone Grill
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
Bello Mundo
Splash Cafe
Avila Valley Barn
hotels around Avila Beach:
The Madonna Inn
Madonna Inn Resort & Spa
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort
Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa
Seacrest Beach Resort
Salinas (4 answers)
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Monterey.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Mission Ranch Hotel, which was mentioned 4 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Monterey? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Passionfish, which was mentioned 7 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Monterey? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Monterey. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Anne from Durham, North Carolina asked:
Restaurant recommendations for a large group dinner? (3 answers)
Joe from Sacramento asked:
What to do for a family outing in Monterey? (3 answers)
Avery from Berkeley asked:
Things to do with the kiddos besides the aquarium (2 answers)
Cheryl from asked:
hotels in Monterey, CA (2 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Monterey.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Monterey to Santa Barbara drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Santa Barbara to Monterey. Or get a full Santa Barbara to Monterey flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Santa Barbara well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Santa Barbara!