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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Burbank
Base here 2 nights only if you are doing a studio tour or a TV taping; otherwise sleep in Los Angeles and come for one afternoon.
Burbank is a small city in the San Fernando Valley, 16.5 mi north of downtown Los Angeles, and the working home of Warner Bros. and Walt Disney studios. Almost everything a visitor does here is tied to film and television: a studio tour, a sitcom taping, or a walk through Downtown Burbank. It is a practical, quiet base with its own airport (BUR) and two Metrolink stations, not a sightseeing city in its own right.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (valley heat, 35 °C (95 °F)+), late Nov–early Jan holiday travel peaksJul–Aug (valley heat, 95 °F (35 °C)+), late Nov–early Jan holiday travel peaks
- Stay
- 2 nights
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 | $4–7 |
| Diner burger and fries | $15–22 |
| Draught beer in a bar | $8–12 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) rideshare3.1 mi (5 km) rideshare | $12–20 |
| Metro single ride | $1.75 (check) |
| Studio tour ticket | $54–250 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BUR · Hollywood Burbank Airport (Bob Hope Airport)
- 2627 N Hollywood Way; Burbank Airport–South Metrolink/Amtrak station is across Empire Ave from the terminal
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- About 28 mi south; allow 45–90 min by car depending on traffic
Typical fares
- BUR terminal → Downtown Burbank
- about $15–25 by rideshare, 10–15 min (check)
- Metrolink Burbank–Downtown → LA Union Station
- about $7–10 one way, 25–35 min (check)
- Metro bus single ride
- $1.75, exact change or TAP card (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
Public transit is thin and Burbank Bus runs mainly weekday rush hours. LA Metro routes 94/794 (San Fernando Blvd and Empire Ave), 164 (Victory Blvd), 165 (Empire Ave) and 155 (Olive Ave, to Universal City) cover the main corridors; 222 runs Hollywood Way to Hollywood. Most visitors drive or use rideshare. Metrolink and Amtrak serve Burbank–Downtown and Burbank Airport–South.
See and do
Known for
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
- Walt Disney Studios (no public tours)
- TV show tapings
- Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
- Downtown Burbank
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Universal City | Metro 155 along Olive Ave, or 10–15 min by car via the 134 | About 30–45 min |
| Glendale | Metrolink Antelope Valley Line from Burbank–Downtown, or 15 min by car | About 20–30 min |
| Studio City | Car or rideshare over the hill via Cahuenga Blvd | About 20 min |
| North Hollywood | Metro 222 along Hollywood Way, or 15 min by car | About 25–35 min |
| Van Nuys | Metrolink Ventura County Line from Burbank–Downtown, or 20 min by car via the 101 | About 30–40 min |
| Los Angeles | Metrolink from Burbank–Downtown to Union Station, or 25–60 min by car on the 5 | About 40–70 min |
Sleep
- Downtown Burbank
- San Fernando Blvd shops, cinemas and restaurants; Burbank–Downtown Metrolink station on Front St. Best for a car-free evening.
- Airport / Empire Ave
- Walkable to BUR terminal and the Airport–South rail station; chain hotels, few restaurants.
- Riverside Dr / Toluca Lake edge
- Closest to the Warner Bros. gate and the studios; quieter, needs a car or rideshare for food.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the studio tour entrance? | Where is the studio tour entrance? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How long is the wait? | How long is the wait? |
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
- Studio tours and tapings need advance booking; walk-up space is not guaranteed.
- Walt Disney Studios does not offer public tours — do not buy a third-party 'Disney studio tour'.
- Burbank Bus is weekday rush-hour only; do not plan a weekend sightseeing loop on it.
- Summer valley heat: plan studio walking tours for the morning.
- Free taping tickets still mean a queue and a dress code; check the show's own site.
Burbank is a low-crime city by Los Angeles standards; the real friction is traffic, thin late-night transit and studio-area parking rules. Read signs before leaving a car near the lots.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Burbank yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
- Walt Disney Studios (no public tours)
- TV show tapings
- Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
- Downtown Burbank
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 Burbank: www.burbankca.gov/
- Hollywood Burbank Airport: hollywoodburbankairport.com/
- Metrolink — Burbank stations: metrolinktrains.com/
- LA Metro: www.metro.net/
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood: vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com/
- Wikivoyage: Burbank, revision 5303721 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5303721
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Burbank
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 Burbank; consulates-general are in Los Angeles (about 12 mi south).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis and rideshare.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/burbank). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.