Discounts on Amtrak Plus 66 Hotels, Tours and Attractions Through 12/31/13

The Santa Barbara Car Free Project recently announced create-your-own “Green Vacation” packages for 2013 featuring 10-50% discounts from 66 partners. Mary Byrd, manager of the award-winning project at the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District remarked, “Choose great deals to create your personal customized green vacation.”

First, check the link for the “Cool Car Free Discounts”: http://www.santabarbaracarfree.org/package.htm. Then select lodging from 33 options – from ocean-front or in-town to luxury to bed & breakfasts inns. Byrd recommended, “Design your own package and get inspiration from these sample theme ideas.”

• Santa Barbara Car Free Vacation “Active Green”—Save on a Segway of Santa Barbara tour; rent bikes or a surrey cycle from Wheel Fun; take a kayak tour from Adventure Company or rent mountain or road cycles from Bikes-to-Go or take a wine country guided ride with I Bike Santa Barbara.
• Santa Barbara Car Free Vacation “Tasty Green” — Take a Pedicab Tour of the Urban Wine Trail tasting rooms near the beach—or head into the Santa Ynez Valley Wine country via van, jeep, or limo for a guided tour with discounts from Captain Jack’s, Cloud Climbers Jeeps, DeeTours, Grapeline Wine Tours, Stagecoach Company, Sustainable Vine Wine Tours or Wine Edventures. Savor tasty discounts at Aldo’s, Blue Agave or Louie’s restaurants. On Saturday mornings, stop at the Farmers Market and pick some really fresh greens and more.
• Santa Barbara Car Free Vacation “Nature’s Green” — Take the MTD Line 22 bus to the Old Mission Santa Barbara, the Museum of Natural History, Botanic Garden and Casa Dolores. Take the 50-cent electric shuttle to the Santa Barbara Zoo, Ty Warner Sea Center, and the Maritime Museum. Hop between the Marina and Stearns Wharf aboard “Lil Toot” water taxi. Really go car free on the water with Celebration Cruises, Condor Express (whale watching), Santa Barbara Sailing Center or Sunset Kidd Sailing Cruises.

“Cool Car Free Discounts,” are offered for visitors who do one or more of the following: 1--Show Amtrak train ticket to Santa Barbara with current date; 2--Show Santa Barbara MTD (Metropolitan Transit District) Bus Pass with current date; 3--Arrive at participating hotel or attraction by bicycle; or 4--Download/print/present a Cool Car Free Discounts Certificate (available at www.SantaBarbaraCarFree.org). Certain restrictions apply, see website for details.

When registering at www.SantaBarbaraCarFree.org, visitors can receive 20 percent savings on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin (and linked buses) to/from all nine Amtrak stations in Santa Barbara County (Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang, Buellton, Lompoc, Surf, Guadalupe & Santa Maria) valid for travel through December 19, 2013. (Three-day advance purchase required; blackout dates and restrictions apply, see Car Free website for details and to make reservations).


Through December 31, 2013, visitors can receive discounts from 33 hotels including: Beach House Inn & Apartments; Best Western Plus Encina Lodge; Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn; Best Western Plus South Coast Inn (new partner in 2013); Brisas del Mar; Cabrillo Inn at the Beach; Canary Hotel; Casa Del Mar Inn; Cheshire Cat Inn; Days Inn Santa Barbara; Eagle Inn; El Encanto (new partner in 2013); The Fess Parker, a Doubletree by Hilton Resort; Franciscan Inn; Hampton Inn Santa Barbara-Goleta; Holiday Inn Express-Hotel Virginia; Holiday Inn Santa Barbara-Goleta (new partner in 2013); Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara; Hotel Oceana; Hotel Santa Barbara; Inn at East Beach; Inn by the Harbor; Lavender Inn by the Sea; Mason Beach Inn; Old Yacht Club Inn Bed & Breakfast; Quality Inn Santa Barbara; Ramada Limited Hotel; Santa Barbara Inn; Secret Garden Inn & Cottages; Simpson House Inn Bed & Breakfast; Spanish Garden Inn; Super 8 Santa Barbara/Goleta and the Upham Hotel & Country House (Some restrictions apply; rooms subject to availability.)

Activities, attractions and restaurants offering special discounts include: Adventure Company of Santa Barbara (kayak tours); Aldo’s Italian Restaurant; Blue Agave; Captain Jack’s Santa Barbara Tours; Casa Dolores; Celebration Cruises; Cloud Climbers Jeep & Wine Tours; Condor Express (whale watching); DeeTours; Eos Transportation; Grapeline Wine Tours; I Bike Santa Barbara (cycling tours); Las Brisas Transportation;, Lil Toot Water Taxi; Louie’s Restaurant; Lucky Cab (hybrid vehicles); Roadrunner Shuttle & Limousine Service; Santa Barbara Bikes-to-Go; Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; Santa Barbara Maritime Museum; Santa Barbara Natural History Museum; Santa Barbara Pedicab; Santa Barbara Sailing Center; Santa Barbara Trolley Tours; Santa Barbara Zoo; Segway of Santa Barbara; South Coast Railroad Museum; Stagecoach Company Wine Tours; Sunset Kidd Sailing Cruises; Sustainable Vine Wine Tours; Ty Warner Sea Center, Wheel Fun (bike rentals) and Wine Edventures.

For complete information on the 2013 Santa Barbara Green Vacation Package and “Cool Car Free Discounts” offer and hundreds of car free options including a free, colorful map; call (805) 696-1100 or visit www.SantaBarbaraCarFree.org.