Burlingame

Burlingame is a city of 31,000 people (2020) in California's Bay Area on the Peninsula. This suburb of San Francisco is known for its numerous eucalyptus groves, and walkable downtown area.

Understand
Burlingame is found north of San Mateo and south of Millbrae and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) along US Highway 101. It is home to 11 airport hotels, all within roughly a ten-minute drive from SFO. These hotels often host smaller conferences and conventions. The town's proximity to SFO and the concentration of airport hotels have made the city a frequent airline crew layover location. One doesn't encounter quite the airline crew layover scene like Narita's, but it's present.

Three areas within Burlingame will be of greatest interest to visitors.
 * The Bayshore Area: Hotels and a handful of restaurants along the shore of San Francisco Bay.
 * Broadway: The quaint older section of town. Interesting shops and family owned restaurants. Immediately off of US-101.
 * Burlingame Avenue: The more commercial side of town, with high end shopping and a variety of dining options

Local information

 * Burlingame City Council website

By car
From US Highway 101 north or south bound exit Broadway Burlingame (Exit 419B). From US101 north bound, exit Anza Boulevard (Exit 419A) for direct access to hotels and amenities on Airport Blvd. From Interstate 280 exit Trousdale Drive (Exit 40).

By bus
SamTrans serves travelers visiting Burlingame with their 292 bus line. The 292 connects Burlingame to San Francisco Airport with a stop at the Millbrae BART & Caltrain Stations. Travel time from SFO to Burlingame can vary from 15-25 minutes depending on the time of day and traffic.

By train
Caltrain serves two stops: Burlingame and Broadway. Peak service times can offer trains as frequent as every 20 minutes. Off peak hours may be served as infrequently as every hour.

Metered parking spaces for private vehicles are usually available at both stations.

Caltrain connects to BART at "Millbrae" station, about three miles (5 km) north of Burlingame.

By air
San Francisco International Airport is ten minutes north of Burlingame along US-101.

Downtown Burlingame (intersection of Burlingame Ave and Lorton Ave) is a 10-minute ($25-35) taxi ride from San Francisco International Airport.

Get around
Having a car or bicycle is most convenient. Due to Burlingame being bisected by US101, visitors staying in one of the airport hotels may find themselves feeling slightly sequestered from much of the town's offerings. Even so, Burlingame is fairly easily accessed on foot if one takes advantage of the SamTrans 292 bus. Pedestrian–friendly features and good weather for most of the year make getting around safe and easy.

By car

 * Metered and street parking is available throughout most of Burlingame. Most meters allow for credit card payments.


 * Railroad level crossings for the Caltrain line: Drivers should take care as signage and traffic signals are not always clear, and even locals are frequently confused.  Motorists can easily find themselves inadvertently stopped on the railroad tracks.  The intersection and level crossing at Broadway, California, and Carolan Ave is especially prone to this problem and is considered the most dangerous along the entire Caltrain line.  Frequent traffic enforcement operations occur at this location, and motorists can be issued a ticket in excess of $400 for infractions.

By taxi or ride-share
Taxis have become less plentiful in Burlingame, although you may be able to find one in-front of bars and restaurants during the evening. Ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft are usually available within a few minutes of request. Understand that ride-share services charge more for trips to the airport.

By bus
SamTrans serves Burlingame with 2 bus lines. Both lines interface with the Millbrae BART and Caltrain Station a mile or two north of Burlingame. During peak weekday hours busses can run as frequently as every 20 minutes. Off-peak, the bus may only run once an hour.


 * The 292 bus allow for an easy connection of the Marriott, Hyatt, Bay Landing, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, and Vagabond Hotels along Old Bayshore to the Broadway and Burlingame Ave commercial centers as well as SFO airport.
 * The ECR bus follows El Camino Real north-south connecting Burlingame Avenue with Broadway and with the Burlingame Plaza Shopping Center.

On foot or bicycle

 * The Bay Trail is an easy and pleasant way to walk from the northern most end of the Bayshore Area near the Bayfront Park, to the Southern most end near Coyote Point Recreation Area. It is only briefly interrupted near the intersection of Broadway, Old Bayshore and Airport Blvd.
 * There is a pedestrian footbridge as well as an overpass with sidewalks and crosswalks over US101 which connects the Bayshore area to Broadway. Take care when crossing the street at either end as traffic moves quickly in a complicated set of intersections involving on and off ramps from the freeway.


 * Cyclists can avail themselves of an expanding map of dedicated bike lanes throughout the town. Note that traffic exiting the freeway moves directly into residential and commercial streets, and may not slow to the posted speed limit as soon as they should.  Take care when negotiating the US101 overpass.
 * It may take 35 minutes or more to walk from a Bayshore or Airport Blvd located hotel to the Broadway commercial area.


 * It is important to note that it may take 30 minutes or more to walk between the Broadway and Burlingame Ave commercial areas.

Buy
Shoppers seeking high-end boutiques and galleries will find plenty along Burlingame Avenue. Of particular use to travelers see below.





Burlingame Avenue






Drink
Nightlife is not impossible to find in Burlingame.



Cope
Nearly every service that a long term traveler might need is available in Burlingame. The exception is consular services, most of which can be easily accessed by travelers staying in Burlingame with a journey on BART to San Francisco.


 * Printing, photocopying, notary, and passport photos can be found on Broadway.
 * Places of worship can be found on the Burlingame Chamber of website.
 * Foreign language periodicals and resources can be found at the Burlingame Public Library.

Stay safe
Burlingame is a very safe place, but commonsense should always be used.





Do not leave luggage or valuables in your parked car.

Burlingame, like much of the San Francisco Bay Area, has suffered a disproportionate level of auto break-ins. These burglaries are concentrated along Old Bayshore Hwy, & Airport Blvd due to their proximity to the freeway. Even if your hotel parking area is access controlled do not assume it is not a target for thieves.

Go next

 * San Jose &mdash; Caltrain 101 South. About 40 to 70 minutes away by car.
 * San Francisco &mdash; Caltrain or 101 North. About 15 to 30 minutes away by car.