In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Brisbane, California
Brisbane
Skip Brisbane as a base: it is a small residential town with almost no sights. Use it only as a cheap airport-area bed or a half-day stop.
Brisbane is a small residential city on the west shore of San Francisco Bay, just south of San Francisco and next to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). It has little for tourists: a compact downtown, a warehouse district and a local winter tradition of lit stars on houses. Most travellers pass through on US-101 or sleep here for an early flight.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Brisbane
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (rain), summer fog on the bay side
- 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 $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ 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
- 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 | $4–6 |
| Casual lunch | $12–20 |
| Dinner, mid-range | $25–45 |
| Rideshare to SFO | $20–35 |
| Caltrain ride to San Francisco | $4–6 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SFO · San Francisco International
- About 10–15 min by car or rideshare; no direct rail link to Brisbane.
Typical fares
- Rideshare Brisbane → SFO
- $20–35, about 10–15 min (check)
- Caltrain Bayshore → San Francisco
- $4–6, about 15–20 min (check)
- Rideshare Brisbane → downtown San Francisco
- $30–50, about 20–30 min (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
This is a car-dependent town. Downtown is small enough to walk, but the warehouse area and the hills are tiring on foot. Bayshore Caltrain is at least a 30-minute walk from downtown; buses on Bayshore Blvd cut that to about 15 minutes. Rideshare or a car is the practical option.
See and do
Known for
- City of Stars nickname and winter house stars
- Small walkable downtown on Visitacion Avenue
- Bayfront hotels near SFO
- Gateway on US-101 between San Francisco and the Peninsula
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | US-101 north by car or rideshare | About 20–30 min |
| Half Moon Bay | CA-92 west over the hills by car | About 30–40 min |
| Burlingame | US-101 south by car or Caltrain from Bayshore | About 15–25 min |
| Menlo Park | US-101 south by car | About 25–35 min |
| San Mateo | US-101 south by car or Caltrain | About 20–30 min |
Sleep
- Sierra Point / bayfront hotels
- Airport hotels with bay views and parking; best for one night before a flight.
- Downtown Brisbane (Visitacion Ave)
- Small, walkable core with a few places to eat; limited beds.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the restroom? |
| To this address, please | To this address, please |
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
- No train station in town: Bayshore Caltrain is a long walk or a short rideshare away.
- Bay-side summer fog and wind can make walking cold even in July.
- Most businesses are closed or quiet in the evening; plan dinner elsewhere.
- Parking is limited in the small downtown.
A quiet, low-crime residential town. The real issues are car break-ins near the highway and bayfront lots, and cold fog on the shoreline: lock the car and carry a layer.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Brisbane, California yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- City of Stars nickname and winter house stars
- Small walkable downtown on Visitacion Avenue
- Bayfront hotels near SFO
- Gateway on US-101 between San Francisco and the Peninsula
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Caltrain: www.caltrain.com
- San Francisco International Airport: www.flysfo.com
- Wikivoyage: Brisbane (California), revision 5210039 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5210039
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Brisbane, CaliforniaBrisbane
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Brisbane. Consulates-general are in San Francisco; national embassies are in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/brisbane-california). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.