Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING AROUND
The best way to see the state is to rent a car and drive, but distances add up if you're not staying in one or two regions. To
cover more ground in a shorter time, you can fly. Southwest Airlines serves many towns in Texas and, if you book ahead,
usually has good fares. In the four major cities - Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin - you may be able to get away
without a car if you stay in the core areas. Otherwise you need to rent a car at each airport. Public transportation in Texas
is limited.
Air
It is possible to go far by air around Texas. Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Laredo Midland-Odessa,
Lubbock and Amarillo all have primarily regional airports served by flights from within Texas. Book in advance for the
best deals; signing up for airlines' online weekly sales newsletters can be a help.
Southwest Airlines
(SWA; 800-435-9792;
www.southwest.com
)
Has the state's most comprehensive - and usually
the cheapest - internal flights. Serves all regional airports listed above through Dallas Love Field and Houston's William
P Hobby Airport. Additional service connects San Antonio, El Paso, Lubbock and Midland-Odessa directly with other re-
gional airports.
American Airlines
(AA;
800-433-7300;
www.aa.com
)
Connects to regional airports through Dallas-Fort Worth In-
ternational Airport.
United Airlines
(
www.united.com
) Regional flights go through Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Bus
Greyhound Bus Lines
( 800-231-2222;
www.greyhound.com
) is the main company serving Texas. Bus travel gener-
ally has a cost edge over flying, but not necessarily over car rental if booked ahead. Greyhound has eliminated services to
smaller communities it once served, so your only real option is busing it between big cities. Service is slow and you will
still need a car to get around in most towns in Texas - making it quite inconvenient to arrive in town by bus.
