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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Burlingame
Burlingame, California
Stay 1 night only if you have an early SFO flight; otherwise base in San Francisco and treat Burlingame as a 2–3 h stop for Burlingame Avenue.
Burlingame is an SFO airport suburb on the Peninsula, 15–25 min from the terminals and about 30 min by Caltrain from San Francisco. It has three separate centres — the Bayshore hotel strip, Broadway and Burlingame Avenue — split by US-101, so a car or the SamTrans 292 bus matters more than walking. Its real job is a pre-flight bed and a walkable dinner street, not a sightseeing base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Burlingame, California
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (rain), though the town is a year-round airport base
- 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 $80–130 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · Mid $130–220 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · High $220+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) (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 |
| Taqueria main | $7–22 |
| Vietnamese phở main | $12–15 |
| Upscale dinner main | $30–50 |
| Taxi Burlingame Ave ↔ SFO | $25–35 |
| Caltrain ride | $3–8 (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 Airport
- About 10 min north on US-101; SamTrans 292 also connects to Millbrae BART/Caltrain.
Typical fares
- SFO → Burlingame Ave, taxi
- $25–35, about 10 min (check)
- SamTrans 292 SFO → Burlingame
- about 15–25 min depending on traffic (check)
- Caltrain Burlingame → San Francisco
- train time check; door-to-door about 45–60 min, peak every 20 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
A car or bicycle is easiest. SamTrans 292 links the Bayshore hotels, Broadway, Burlingame Avenue and SFO; the ECR bus runs along El Camino Real. Caltrain serves Burlingame and Broadway stations, with peak trains about every 20 min and off-peak as little as hourly. Walking between Broadway and Burlingame Avenue takes 30 min or more; from a Bayshore hotel to Broadway, 35 min or more.
See and do
Known for
- SFO airport hotels
- Burlingame Avenue shopping and dining
- Broadway's older commercial strip
- Bay Trail and bayfront parks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | Caltrain from Burlingame station to San Francisco | About 45–60 min (check) |
| Half Moon Bay | Car via CA-92 west over the hill | About 30–40 min |
| Menlo Park | Caltrain south from Burlingame | About 30–40 min (check) |
| San Mateo | Caltrain or SamTrans ECR south | About 10–15 min (check) |
| Millbrae | SamTrans 292 or Caltrain north | About 10–15 min (check) |
| Redwood City | Caltrain south | About 25–35 min (check) |
Sleep
- Bayshore / Airport Blvd strip
- 11 airport hotels within about 10 min of SFO; sequestered from town by US-101, so use the 292 bus or a car.
- Burlingame Avenue
- Walkable downtown with shops and restaurants; Caltrain's Burlingame station is adjacent.
- Broadway
- Older strip of shops and family restaurants off US-101; Caltrain Broadway station is weekend/holiday only.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the Caltrain station? | Where is the Caltrain station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| 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
- Auto break-ins are concentrated along Old Bayshore Hwy and Airport Blvd; never leave luggage or valuables in a parked car.
- The Broadway/California/Carolan Caltrain level crossing is confusing; drivers can be ticketed over $400 for stopping on the tracks.
- Ride-share trips to SFO cost more than ordinary fares.
- Taxis are scarce; use ride-share or Waymo instead.
Very safe for a US suburb, but Bay Area car break-ins are common along Old Bayshore Hwy and Airport Blvd: leave nothing visible in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Burlingame yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- SFO airport hotels
- Burlingame Avenue shopping and dining
- Broadway's older commercial strip
- Bay Trail and bayfront parks
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/
- SamTrans: www.samtrans.com/
- San Francisco Bay Trail: mtc.ca.gov/operations/regional-trails-parks/san-francisco-bay-trail/bay-trail-interactive-map
- Wikivoyage: Burlingame, revision 5188113 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5188113
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BurlingameBurlingame, California
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in Burlingame; most are in San Francisco, reachable by BART or Caltrain.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/burlingame). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.