Laguna or Santa Barbara

[iZon]

Hi. After a few days at DL we're planning on either taking an Anaheim Tour day to Laguna Beach and others. Also maybe the Grayline tour to Catalina. The other possibility is to take the train to Santa Barbara. It would probably be Thurs-Sat or Sun (Sept). Hotels are pretty pricey. Can we get the same feel and nice scenery on a day trip to Laguna? Thanks.

 

[StageTek]

Laguna and Santa Barbara are very different. Not the same feel at all. Very nice scenery in both places.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Laguna is so different from Santa Barbara. There is more shopping and restaurants that face the ocean. It is beautiful there in Laguna.

 

[DCDisney]

My family enjoyed Santa Barbara more than Laguna Beach. To my tweens Laguna was just a beach with expensive stores. They liked the boardwalk/pier at Santa Babara and there was just a lot more activity with lots of little artist booths, people doing sport activities, and wildlife.

 

[MermaidOfNeverland]

I enjoy Santa Barbara more. They don't offer the same vibe, but both are very beautiful. Laguna is more high-end, and a little more "one-note". Santa Barbara is more multifaceted in my opinion (beach vibes, college vibes, downtown vibes, upscale vibes... it has it all depending on where you go. Of course, it is pretty expensive in the Santa Barbara area, but completely worth it in my opinion. I can't imagine there are many places like it in the world.

Catalina is another absolutely beautiful, historic, one of a kind destination. However, it is much smaller, but if you're looking for outdoor activities (hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, or taking a tour) it's a good choice

If it were my choice, I'd splurge for Santa Barbara. The good news is, you can't go wrong with any of them!

 

[GoBears 1980]

I am confused by "a day tour" to Laguna Beach vs an extended time in Santa Barbara. No, you can not compare a day trip to Laguna Beach to an overnight in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is a much larger city and therefore much more spread out. You can probably accomplish more in Laguna in one day, but you can not do it justice in one day.