Burbank [1] is a small city located in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. It is known as the "Media Capital of the World" and is home to the headquarters of Warner Brothers, NBC, and Disney.

Understand

Get in

Air taxi and air charter companies such as Great Circle Aviation [2] fly into Burbank Airport for small groups and individuals.

Get around

See

• Television Show Tapings. TV audiences are needed for tapings of all manner of televion productions. tvtickets.com is the official site for obtaining tickets to tapings, and offers tickets 30 days prior to the date of the taping. Tickets are free of charge.

Do

• Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour, 3400 Riverside Dr., (818) 972-8687, [3]. Tours of the Warner Brothers studio lot are offered Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM, with extended hours in the summer. Tours are conducted in twelve-person carts that visit the backlot sets, soundstages, production facilities, and the Warner Brothers museum. Reservations are offered for the first three tours each day and for the following day's tours, otherwise tours are on a first-come, first-served basis. $39 per person for the two hour and fifteen minute long standard tour, with a five hour deluxe tour offered for $125 per person.
• NBC Studios, 3000 West Alameda Ave, 818-840-3537. They shoot "The Tonight Show" here, as well as a number of other TV shows. NBC has a tour-- $7.50 per person, so kind of a bargain.
• Burbank Media Center, (aka "beautiful downtown Burbank" as heard on the 60s show "Laugh In") - shops, movie theaters, eateries, etc. all on San Fernando by the mall. Take the 5 and get off on the "Olive" exit. That should put you in the thick of things.

Buy

Eat

• Bob's Big Boy - 4211 W Riverside Dr, (818) 843-9334 - The original Bob's, built in the 1950s. A national landmark, this diner is across from Warner Bros, and celebrity sightings are common. Drew Carey in particular is seen frequently eating burgers here.

Drink

• The Blue Room, 916 S San Fernando Blvd (323) 849-2779 - a kitchy bar where the locals hang out. Everything is colored blue, and the drinks are cheap. Featured in a bunch of movies.

Sleep

• Best Western Media Center Inn & Suites, 3910 W Riverside Drive, (818) 842-1900, Fax: (818) 842-1990, [4]. Rates from $120 to $275+ per night.
• Courtyard Los Angeles Burbank Airport, 2100 Empire Avenue, (818) 843-5500, Fax: (818) 843-2700, [5].
• The Graciela Burbank, 322 North Pass Avenue, Ph: (818) 842-8887, Reservations: (888) 956-1900, Fax: (818) 260-8999, [6]. An upscale hotel located near NBC and Warner Brothers studios and catering to business travelers. Rates from $160 to $275+ per night.
• Holiday Inn, 150 E. Angeleno, (818) 841-4770, [7]. Located in downtown Burbank close to shopping and restaurants.
• Quality Inn Burbank, 2255 N. Buena Vista St., Ph: (818) 848-1680, Fax: (818) 848-4024, [8]. Located only a half mile from the airport, this hotel is a bit run-down but is conveniently located near the freeway and within driving distance of all major sites. Rates from $82 to $120 per night.
• 'Safari Inn, 11911 W. Olive Ave Ph. 818-845-8586. Small 50s or 60s-style hotel with palm trees and kind of a hip kitch. If you saw Quentin Tarantino's movie "True Romance", you'll recognize it.

Get out

• Hollywood. Tinsel town is a must-see for any visitor to the Los Angeles area.