Major city · United States
BurlingameBurlingame, 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.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- USD
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- avoid Nov–Mar (rain), though the town is a year-round airport base
- Airport
- SFO
- Nights
- 1
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
- North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
- North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
- North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
- United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
- United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
- United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
- United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Burlingame911 ▾
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Burlingame, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Currency is the US dollar (USD, $).United States-wide
- SIM or eSIMAT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.United States-wide
- Tap waterTap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.United States-wide
- TippingSit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.United States-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/B. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 120 V: UK and AU 230 V-only devices need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.United States-wide
- SafetyVery 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.
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsFree public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations.United States-wide
- Emergency numbers911 police, fire, ambulance
- Sundays & holidaysFederal holidays close offices, banks and post offices; national parks stay open.United States-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportSFO San Francisco International Airport (About 10 min north on US-101; SamTrans 292 also connects to Millbrae BART/Caltrain.).
- Getting aroundA car or bicycle is easiest.
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- Coffee$4–7
- Sit-down mealUpscale dinner main$30–50
- Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, about 3 mi (5 km)Taxi Burlingame Ave ↔ SFOcheck$25–35
- Metro or bus rideCaltrain ride$3–8 (check)
- SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
- Budget bedHostel or budget motel bed, a night, per personUS$55
- Mid-range bedAirport-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$220
- High-end bedAirport-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$400
A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$160 · High US$300
Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- SFO San Francisco International Airport (About 10 min north on US-101; SamTrans 292 also connects to Millbrae BART/Caltrain.)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Avoid
14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
Feb
Avoid
15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
Mar
Avoid
17°C (63°F)63°F (17°C)
Apr
Best
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
May
Best
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
Jun
Best
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
Jul
not flagged
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
Aug
not flagged
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
Sep
Best
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
Oct
Best
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
Nov
Avoid
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
Dec
Avoid
14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Nov–Mar. Month by month →
Warmest Aug (23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)), coolest Jan (6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C) low), wettest Jan (11 rain days), driest Jul (1). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Burlingame: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
11 rd
Feb
15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C)
7°C (45°F)45°F (7°C)
10 rd
Mar
17°C (63°F)63°F (17°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
10 rd
Apr
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C)
6 rd
May
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
4 rd
Jun
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
12°C (54°F)54°F (12°C)
2 rd
Jul
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
1 rd
Aug
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
1 rd
Sep
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
2 rd
Oct
22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
4 rd
Nov
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
8 rd
Dec
14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
11 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting 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 & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
San Francisco
goDoor to door: About 45–60 min (check)
Caltrain from Burlingame station to San Francisco
Peak trains about every 20 min; off-peak as little as hourly.
Half Moon Bay
goDoor to door: About 30–40 min
Car via CA-92 west over the hill
Coast road and beaches; a car is required.
San Mateo
goDoor to door: About 10–15 min (check)
Caltrain or SamTrans ECR south
Millbrae
goDoor to door: About 10–15 min (check)
SamTrans 292 or Caltrain north
BART and Caltrain interchange; about 5 km (3 mi) north.BART and Caltrain interchange; about 3 mi (5 km) north.
Redwood City
goDoor to door: About 25–35 min (check)
Caltrain south
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
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.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- $80–130 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)
- Mid
- $130–220 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)
- High
- $220+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check)
Trip budget
| Airport-hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$220 | US$220 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$160 | US$320 |
| Ride-share SFO ↔ Burlingame, both ways2 × US$60 · 2026 estimate, check | US$120 |
| Caltrain day pass, one day2 × US$12 · 2026 estimate, check | US$24 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15 · 2026 estimate, check | US$30 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | US$71 |
| Trip total≈ US$393 per person per day, bed included | US$785 |
2026 estimate, check
2026 estimate in US dollars, check; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Taqueria main | $7–22 |
| Vietnamese phở main | $12–15 |
| Upscale dinner main | $30–50 |
| Taxi Burlingame Ave ↔ SFOcheck | $25–35 |
| Caltrain ride | $3–8 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- 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.
Emergency numbers
- Police, fire, ambulance
- 911
Pocket card
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BurlingameBurlingame, California
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
To this address, pleaseTo this address, please
Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Embassy
No consulates in Burlingame; most are in San Francisco, reachable by BART or Caltrain.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- 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)
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
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Burlingame. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Nov–Mar (rain), though the town is a year-round airport base · month by month →
- 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 6 day-trips, door to door
- 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- Airport-to-bed contract for SFO: last Caltrain and 292 departures field-checked, ride-share fallback, overnight rung.
- Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Burlingame Avenue, Broadway, Bayshore/Bay Trail.
- Place pages with verified hours (It's-It factory shop, Robert E. Woolley State Park, Mills Canyon) and eat pages with last orders.
- Break-in and level-crossing fixtures so arrival gates can go green.
Sources
- officialCity of Burlingame
- officialCaltrain
- officialSamTrans
- officialSan Francisco Bay Trail
- secondaryWikivoyage: Burlingame, revision 5188113 (CC BY-SA 4.0)