Texas Tips

Texas is big, really big. You could easily spend a week or more road-tripping around the state, exploring smaller towns. If you only have a few days, stick to one or two major cities and the surrounding areas.

We really liked Austin and wish we'd have spent more time there. One day gave us a little taste of the city, two would have been much better. Though unless you plan to do a lot of outdoor activities (there are tons of places to go tubing on rivers, horseback riding) or want to explore more of hill country, I think more than 4 days would be too much.

In Austin, definitely check out the little Airstream trailers that sell food like cupcakes, crepes, pizza, tacos and empanadas. If you love grocery shopping or have a thing for markets, be sure to check out the Whole Foods flagship store, and if you have time and love wine, a trip (about 60 miles away) to Fredricksburg would be worthwhile. If you are in Austin on the first Thursday of the month, be sure to check out the aptly names First Thursday Art Walk. And of course, don't miss the emergence of the bats from underneath the Congress Bridge.

We weren't such big fans of San Antonio, so I wouldn't recommend more than two days there. Other than eating, drinking, and shopping for kitschy souvenirs, there isn't much to do on the Riverwalk and it can easily be covered in about an hour, as can the small but interesting Alamo. If you like old houses or history, a walk through the King William area is must. Other than that, we didn't find much to do in San Antonio.

We saw lots of trolleys transporting people around San Antonio, but didn't really notice much public transportation in Austin. In fact our couch surfing hosts said they drive everywhere. We also saw very few cabs, so unless you are staying right downtown (and even then if you plan to explore more) you will need a car.

Don't speed in Texas, by the way. I was pulled over the night we landed as we were driving from San Antonio to Austin. I explained that I was tired and just trying to get to Austin, had just gotten into town for a wedding, etc, and the officer was nice enough to let me go with a warning. A hefty fine and a ticket would not have been the best way to start off our trip!

Approximate trip cost:
2 round trip flights on Southwest from Chicago to San Antonio (minus a $150 gift certificate - thanks mom!) - $350
2 nights couch surfing in Austin - $8 in beers we bought for our hosts
2 nights hotel in Boerne - $220
1 night hotel in San Antonio - $90
5 days car rental (Avis, through Priceline) plus taxes, insurance and gas - $300
Food and drinks in Austin - $70
Food and drinks in San Antonio - $40
Food and drinks in Boerne (included at wedding, or graciously paid for by Dan's dad, probably would have been about $100) - $0
Total for 5 nights in Texas - approx. $1080 (value of about $1330)