Smile for miles with the SB Buggie in Santa Barbara, California

(Photo by SB Buggie Staff)

What is the best way to tour Santa Barbara, California? SB Buggie is the way to go. Renting these buggies will let you smile every mile of the way! These buggies create an exciting adventure while exploring the coastline, getting into the mountains of Montecito, and going through the Riviera. The best part is feeling and smelling the mediterranean breeze as you zip through town. They have 3 rental options. The first option is $65 for one hour which includes one buggie for up to two people. The second option is $85 for two hours which includes one buggie for up to two people. The third option is $99 for three hours which includes one buggie for up to two people.

SB Buggie is located close to the Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio. They are on a corner with a semi-gated and dirt parking lot. They also tease you with parked buggies outside of their gate. Encouraging anyone who is walking by to go for a spin. Inside their lot are more buggies, a tent where you check-in, and a trailer. The SB Buggies staff are very kind and friendly. They welcome everyone with a warm smile. The designated driver and passengers in your group are required to fill out important paperwork and waivers. There is also a $200 deposit just in case you damage the buggie. The deposit will be removed once the buggie is returned in one piece. Maps and routes are provided by the staff so you can have the best experience during your exploration. Before you ride off, the staff preps the buggie by wiping it down, filling it with gas, and pulling it out in front of the curb for you. Feel free to ask for a photo op before you take off.

(Photo by Natasha Nguyen)

My boyfriend and I discovered SB Buggies by watching others ride through town. The marketing concept is incredible. The name, phone number, and website are printed across both doors in large letters. It looked like so much fun and we wanted to join the adventure. Thanks to the information we saw on the buggie, we ended up looking up the place and found the directions to get to there. We rented the buggie for two hours. We thought this was the best amount of time to explore Santa Barbara. Once we arrived, we filled out all of the paperwork and made our $200 deposit. We also got to choose the color of our rental. They provided us helmets, showed us how to turn on and off the buggie if we decided to make stops, took our photos, and gave us some directions where to go. The gas and break is all on the handles. There are no pedals used at all. We connected our bluetooth to play some jams before we left. Once we pulled out of the dirt parking lot, we did a loop, and vroom off to many scenic locations.

The buggie was very quick for its size. It is very similar to a go-cart, but without the pedals. The buggie had so much power and caught up to normal sized cars on the road. The one thing the buggie cannot do is to go backwards. This is where one person would have to push the buggie backwards as the other person steers it back to driving forward again. I remember seeing so many people staring and pointing at the rental. What is funny is that we sure did the same thing too when we first saw others zipping around. I swear the marketing is fantastic! So many people were coming up to us and asking us about the rental cost and our whole experience. The buggie completely marketed itself with us just driving everywhere. It’s like we paid for their marketing.

(Photo by Natasha Nguyen)

My favorite was going through the windy roads of the coastline and the mountains. The ocean breeze felt so nice against our skin. Our nose was also filled up with sea salt air and algae. The mountain path was so gorgeous. Filled with tons of greenery. It was like driving on the streets of Hawaii with trees on both sides. Making me miss that beautiful island. I recommend bringing a jacket because it gets very cold at night. You can store it at your feet or place it on your lap as a blanket. If you forget your jacket, then buggie on over to your car to get it. This delicious breeze is meant to be enjoyed and not for you to be cold. It was cool meeting other buggie drivers on the road. I loved seeing their bright and big smiles on their faces. We all waved at each other every time. I felt like we also had a deep connection as buggie renters because we understood the greatness of this adventure.

(Photo by Natasha Nguyen)

During the first hour, we explored around the coastline, mountains, and driving trails. It was really cool that we got to stop by all of the iconic spots with this buggie. For the second hour, we cruised our way through town and stopped by stores. I am glad we chose the two hour options. It was the perfect amount of time for us to enjoy. We did not feel rushed to return the buggie and was able to pace ourselves to enjoy a bit of nightlife too. We also gave ourselves 30 minutes to get back to the rental location. Upon arrival, we parked the buggie outside on the curb and checked out with one of the staff members. We also got our deposit removed from our credit card. I got to say riding the buggie was such a fun experience!

SB Buggie is open only from Fridays through Sundays. They are closed from Mondays to Thursdays. But be sure to check out their website for updated hours and dates. Also, don’t forget to practice social distancing and safety measures as much as possible. I recommend doing this if you are visiting or even as a local here. Renting the buggie was my most memorable activity while visiting Santa Barbara and I would love to do this again.

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SB Buggie

120 E Yanonali,

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

(805) 755-6778

Facebook: @sbbuggie

Instagram: @sbbuggie

Website: www.sbbuggies.com