Hire Car Burbank Tips, Experiences & Comparison

Exploring Burbank by Hire Car

“It never rains in Southern California,” goes a famous American song, and that makes Burbank, located in the US, even more appealing.

Near the megacity of Los Angeles lies this tranquil little town. Burbank is part of Los Angeles County, but has remained fairly self-contained.

Burbank bears the name “Media Capital of the World”, and not without good reason. Notably, many well-known Hollywood companies are headquartered here, including the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Nickelodeon.

The city center of the Los Angeles metropolis is only 19 kilometers away. And there are also many worthwhile destinations in the surrounding area that you can easily reach by hire car.

Taking over the hire car

Many hire car customers pick up their hire car at the Los Angeles airport. However, the hire car companies are not located directly in the airport, but pick up their customers with a shuttle. Some of them can be found under the purple sign that says “Hire Car Shuttles” in the arrivals area. Other providers can be reached via toll-free phones, which you’ll find at the Visitor Information Center.

Before you book a hire car, however, be sure to check that your rental company also operates a shuttle service to the airport. Otherwise, you may be in for a long odyssey before you can pick up your hire car. There is a regional airport in Burbank itself. There, the hire car stations are located at the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center. Shuttle buses will take you there.

Renting the right car

Do as the movie stars do and rent the biggest car possible. This will allow you to enjoy the fantastic highways around Burbank in complete relaxation.

Hire car prices

It is a little more expensive to hire car in Los Angeles or Burbank than with most rental companies in Europe. But the price differences between small cars and luxury cars are often pleasantly small. Often you get the cheapest deals if you book well in advance of your trip and use our handy price comparison.

hire car price comparison Burbank

Insuring the car properly

When you are on the road with a hire car that is unfamiliar to you, the risk of an accident increases. In the event of damage, you are well insured if you book a car with comprehensive insurance without excess. In the case of liability insurance, you should pay attention to the amount of coverage. It should be at least one million euros, so that you enjoy at least some protection if people are injured in an accident or several vehicles are involved.

If the coverage amount of your lender is not sufficient, you have the possibility to provide additional coverage with a so-called traveller policy. Ask your insurance company for advice and make sure that the traveller policy also covers you in the USA.

age limit

You must be 21 years old to hire car at virtually all rental agencies in Burbank and Los Angeles. And drivers younger than 25 often pay an additional fee. Before you book a car, be sure to check your rental company’s terms and conditions.

Tank control

There are hire car companies in Burbank and Los Angeles that require their customers to purchase the first tank of gas for an expensive service fee. The car can then be returned with an empty tank.

But since most customers don’t manage to drive the car completely empty, the rental company pockets the remaining gas as profit. Rather, book with a rental company where you receive the car with a full tank of gas and return it with a full tank of gas to save the cost of the remaining gas and the service fee.

Accessories

As everywhere else in the world, you must always order accessories such as child seats separately from your rental company in Burbank and Los Angeles. Make your reservations well in advance. This is the only way to be sure that the equipment you want will be available on the day of your rental.

Free kilometers

There’s so much to see around Burbank that you should definitely book a car with free miles to explore the area extensively.

Bail

Book with a rental company that only blocks the deposit on your credit card. After all, if the money is actually charged, some hire car companies take a long time before you transfer the amount back after you return the car.

Customer Satisfaction Hire Car

Most customers are satisfied with the rental companies in Los Angeles and Burbank. Only some find fault with the exterior condition of some vehicles. If you notice any damage to your car, such as scratches or dents, you should get written confirmation of these defects from your hire car company. Keep the document safe so that when you return the car, you can prove that you are not responsible for the damage to the vehicle.

Safety Hire Car

In most cases, you can expect to get a roadworthy hire car in Burbank and Los Angeles. However, there can always be exceptions, so be sure to test all of your car’s lights, including turn signals and brakes, before your first trip. And before you leave your rental company’s parking lot, you should also do a quick brake test.

Sights in Burbank

Warner Bros Studios: Experience film history
A city tour could start at Warner Bros Studios. On the guided tour you can look behind the scenes of a major film production company. Here you will learn how American sitcoms but also big blockbusters are created. Although ticket prices for the two-hour so-called VIP tour are $52, the tour is so popular that reservations are advisable. True cinephiles book the deluxe tour, which takes place once a day and costs $250, including lunch.

Martial Arts History Museum: museum for fighters
You can learn a lot about the martial arts of the Far East, an integral part of many a Hollywood movie, by visiting the Martial Arts History Museum. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free, donations are appreciated.

Colony Theater: Worthwhile Performances
Always offering interesting performances is the Colony Theater. Ticket prices range from $20 to $50. Maybe you will be lucky and experience a yet unknown actor who starts his world career in Hollywood shortly after.

Arborederm – Organic Spa: Everything for the beauty
Before the theater visit, you still have the opportunity to get pretty for the evening at the Arborederm – Organic Spa. An evening makeover is available for $30.

Finding the good restaurant

Some good restaurants in Burbank are worth the visit. We recommend Bob’s Big Boy. There you dine in a real American diner and enjoy excellently prepared burgers. And you can do that at any hour, the restaurant is open 24 hours a day.

Find a good hotel

Since most tourists stay in Los Angeles, the choice of good hotels in Burbank is limited. We recommend the Hotel Amarano Burbank. There you can expect stylish rooms, a pretty pool and the best service.

A worthwhile destination in the area

Santa Barbara: Moonlike harbour city
Direct the hire car to Santa Barbara. It will take you two hours to drive the 139 kilometres. In Santa Barbara, you can stroll through a city that exudes a Mediterranean atmosphere with its white houses. Numerous museums make for an entertaining stay. At the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, exhibits range from ancient statues to modern art.

At the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, you can admire old manuscripts from notable figures like Abrahm Lincoln and Albert Einstein. And at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, you’ll learn a lot about California’s flora. Finally, you can stroll down to the pretty harbor, take a dip, order a cool drink at a bar, and consider which destination you’d like to head to next in your hire car.

Suggestion for a trip by hire car

Pasadena: Suburb with flair
A drive with the hire car could lead you first to Pasadena. After just fifteen minutes, you will be in the elegant suburb of Los Angeles. You might start your visit at the Gamble House. It was built in 1908 and served as the home of “Doc Brown” in the movie “Back to the Future”.

An extensive art collection awaits when you then direct your steps to the Norton Simon Museum. There are works by Rubens, Brueghel the Elder and Rembrandt, among others, to admire. A visit to the Rose Gardens of the Huntington Library could be the end of your stroll through the city. There are over 1,200 species of roses to admire there.

San Diego: Picturesque Old Town
Continue your journey to San Diego. In two hours, you’ll be there. In vibrant San Diego, you can experience a beautiful old town with numerous restaurants and bars vying for customers. You can delve deep into the city’s history when you visit the William Heath Davis House. And to round off your visit, you can enjoy some extensive sunbathing on one of the enchanting beaches around the city.

La Jolla: Precious Shopping in the Suburbs
Before you return to Burbank with your hire car, you can still stop in La Jolla. You’ll be there in twenty minutes. A distinguished little town awaits you, where you can hunt for souvenirs in numerous not-so-cheap shops in the town center.

Afterwards you can explore the underwater world at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps. A drive of about two and a half hours now separates you from Burbank. There you can review the events of the day and plan the next excursions with the hire car.

conclusion

Burbank is a wisely chosen location for a trip by hire car. The place is not as crowded as Los Angeles, but still offers some attractions.

And there are numerous delightful destinations in the surrounding area, all of which are perfectly accessible by hire car. With our handy price comparison, you’ll be able to book a hire car that’s right for you at a great price in no time.