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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Camarillo
One night is enough: shop the outlets, walk Old Town, then use it as a cheap 101 base between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
Camarillo is a suburban Ventura County city 86 km north of Los Angeles on the US 101, best known for one of Southern California's largest outlet malls. Old Town is a short, walkable strip of shops and restaurants near the Amtrak/Metrolink station. Most travellers pass through by car; a single night covers the outlets and Old Town, and the city works well as a lower-cost base for Oxnard, Ventura and the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Dec holiday shopping weekends (outlet crowds)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Camarillo Police (non-emergency) 805-388-5100 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Deli sandwich or casual lunch | $12–20 |
| Sit-down dinner main | $18–35 |
| Draught beer | $7–10 |
| Gasoline, per gallon | $4.50–5.50 |
| Rideshare, Old Town to the outlets | $10–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CMA · Camarillo Airport
- General aviation only; no scheduled airline service.
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- About 1 h 15 min by car via US 101 and CA 405/170; allow more in weekday traffic.
- BUR · Hollywood Burbank
- Often the quicker Los Angeles-area airport for Camarillo; about 1 h by car.
- SBA · Santa Barbara
- About 1 h north on US 101.
Typical fares
- CAT dial-a-ride within the city
- about $2 a trip (check)
- Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Camarillo → Los Angeles
- about $20–35, 1 h 30 min–2 h (check)
- Rideshare Old Town → outlets
- $10–18 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the practical way: the city is spread out and the 101 runs through the middle. Camarillo Area Transit (CAT) runs limited fixed routes plus a dial-a-ride service within the city (about $2 a trip — check current fare and hours). Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink stop at the Camarillo station at Lewis Road and Ventura Road, at the edge of Old Town. Walking works inside Old Town and around the outlets, not between them.
See and do
Known for
- Camarillo Premium Outlets
- Old Town Camarillo
- Mild year-round climate
- Camarillo Airport (general aviation)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oxnard and Channel Islands Harbor | US 101 south, about 15 min by car; Metrolink also stops in Oxnard | About 25 min |
| Ventura | US 101 north, about 20 min by car; Pacific Surfliner to Ventura station | About 30–40 min |
| Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu | CA 1 or US 101 south, then canyon roads | About 1 h |
| Ojai | CA 33 north via Ventura, about 45 min by car | About 1 h |
| Los Angeles | US 101 south, or Pacific Surfliner from Camarillo station | 1.5–2.5 h |
| Santa Barbara | US 101 north, about 1 h by car; Pacific Surfliner direct | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Old Town / station area
- Walk to restaurants, the Saturday farmers market and the Amtrak/Metrolink stop; about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) to the outlets.Walk to restaurants, the Saturday farmers market and the Amtrak/Metrolink stop; about 1.4 mi (2.2 km) to the outlets.
- Ventura Blvd corridor near the outlets
- Chain hotels and motels close to the outlet mall and US 101; best if shopping is the point of the stop.
- Verdugo Way / east Camarillo
- Quieter business-park hotels with free parking; a car is needed for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the outlet mall? | Where is the outlet mall? |
| Is there parking? | Is there parking? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How far is it on foot? | How far is it on foot? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- US 101 traffic is heavy on weekday mornings and late afternoons; add time for any Los Angeles or Santa Barbara leg.
- Outlet parking fills on weekends and holiday shopping days, including the last Friday in November.
- Summer afternoons can be hot inland; coastal fog is common in the mornings.
- Suburban streets are wide and drivers fast; use crossings in Old Town and near the outlets.
Camarillo is a low-crime suburban city and generally safe for visitors. The real risks are US 101 traffic, fast suburban roads and heat on summer afternoons; keep valuables out of sight in outlet parking lots.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Camarillo yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Camarillo Premium Outlets
- Old Town Camarillo
- Mild year-round climate
- Camarillo Airport (general aviation)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Camarillo: www.ci.camarillo.ca.us/
- Visit Camarillo: visitcamarillo.com
- Camarillo Premium Outlets: www.premiumoutlets.com/camarillo
- Amtrak Pacific Surfliner: www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train
- Metrolink: www.metrolinktrains.com/
- Wikivoyage: Camarillo, revision 5204315 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5204315
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Camarillo
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Camarillo Police (non-emergency)805-388-5100
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Camarillo; consulates-general are in Los Angeles (about 1 h 15 min by car).
US 101 traffic and outlet parking are the two things that change your day plan.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/camarillo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.