Austin

The capital of Texas isn’t much like the rest of the state at all. It’s a vibrant city that lacks almost any hint of the conservative South. It is an ecofriendly city where cowboys are hard to come by but cowboy boots are still the norm. The legendary music scene combined with a young, healthy, and hip culture makes Austin a hot destination for travelers of nearly every taste. Raising comparisons to Silicon Valley, Austin’s dynamic entrepreneurial and tech scene has been a huge part of the city’s growth for the past two decades. SXSW (South by Southwest) and ACL (Austin City Limits), among others, have made the town a festival hot spot, and now the big-little city is a foodie’s paradise as well, with TexMex and barbeque inflected with every type of ethnic flair. If that weren’t enough, it’s almost always sunny here!

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GS Photography

Overview

When’s the best time to go to Austin?

Early spring is one of the best times to visit Austin. Hotel prices are more reasonable, since the SXSW out-of-towners have mostly left, and the bars and restaurants aren’t nearly as crowded. And it’s not blazing hot yet—a plus. Reasonably priced hotels for impromptu trips to Austin are darn near impossible to get in February (Austin Marathon), March (the SXSW film, music, and tech fest ), throughout the UT football season, and during the Austin City Limits Music Festival (October), so plan far in advance (at least six months) for visits in these periods. It’s also a good idea to make reservations for rental cars and popular restaurants as soon as you know you’re coming to town. The weather between June and August is undeniably hot, which can make for a pretty limp vacation, unless you just sit in Barton Springs all day.

How to get around Austin

Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is six miles southeast of the city center and is served by most major carriers. You have a selection of buses (including the MetroAirport, $1.25 to downtown), taxis, car shares, hotel shuttles, and car rentals to get you into town and back. Taxi fare to downtown Austin is approximately $30. If arriving by train, you’ll alight at the Austin Amtrak station just west of downtown, which is served by the Texas Eagle Line. Austin sits on one major freeway (I-35) and several regional highways, and its outskirts are reached by several tollways.

Generally, seeing Austin by foot is very difficult. However, if you’re content to see only downtown Austin (Sixth Street, the Second Street District, the Capitol) and you’re in good shape, it’s possible to explore these downtown areas on foot. There are many attractions within a one- to two-mile walk from most downtown hotels. Just be prepared for potentially oppressive heat during the summer months.

Driving is not too difficult if you’re used to living in a large city. The car-share program Car2go provides a fleet of free-floating, low-emission, self-service smart cars distributed all over the city.

Biking is a great way to get around year-round and the weather is usually agreeable from mid-October to mid-April. In addition to the non-profit Austin B-Cycle bikeshare program, there are multiple bike rental outfits in town.

The public bus network, Capital Metro, has inexpensive neighborhood, express, and downtown routes. Visitors can also get around on the Capital MetroRail commuter train, which operates on weekdays between Downtown and Northwest Austin. The Capital Metro website has a trip planner that can find public transport options between two points in Austin.

After a bit of legislative drama, Uber and Lyft both currently operate in Austin. During the lull in service, a nonprofit local rideshare called Ride Austin emerged and is still popular with locals, though nearly unknown by most visitors. Taxis can’t be hailed on the street. Find a cab stand, ask the front desk at your hotel to get you one, or call one of the companies ahead of time.

Food and drink to try in Austin

While Austin has many high-end destination restaurants, you can also find high-quality, unique, and inexpensive restaurants where the locals eat, drink, and socialize every day. You’ll have no shortage of options, from Texas barbeque to Tex-Mex to local brewpubs and cafés. In the past decade, an influx of Asian restaurants has introduced new flavors to Texan palates and unassuming neighborhood joints have begun getting national press for their innovations, often riffs on traditional regional dishes. The city has always been at the forefront of the food truck trend and don’t be surprised if some of the best meals you’ll eat here are served out of a truck window.

Culture in Austin

Austin is the capital of Texas, and the Texas State Capitol is a must-see. A great source of pride for both the city and the state, the beautiful State Capitol building, wrapped in Texas pink granite, is free to visitors.

There are, of course, the well-known events such as Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, the Texas Book Festival, the Austin Film Festival, and the Austin Food and Wine Festival, but lesser-known gatherings are also catching on and well worth the trip. The Zilker Park Kite Festival, for example, is the oldest continuous kite festival in the United States. Hundreds of kites will dance in the sky the first Sunday in March.

Local travel tips for Austin

- Bring your pup: The city council recently passed an ordinance permitting restaurants to allow dogs on their outdoor patios. You’ll find 12 leash-free areas set aside in city parks, with Mutt Mitt boxes so owners can clean up after their pets.

- And here’s a secret about the famous Austin bats: While it’s way cool to watch them leave at dusk, it’s even more cool to watch them come back in the morning. Arrive about 30 minutes before sunrise. As it gradually gets lighter, you’ll start to see thousands of them diving down under the bridge.

Guide Editor

Vania Lanas is a writer, traveler, 300 RYT Yoga instructor, runner, and master cook. She left her successful career in advertising to follow her heart and be a Yoga teacher, an all-out nutrition and anatomy nerd, and a travel writer.

Rey Madolora
is a fine art photographer who lives in Austin when not traveling the world. He primarily shoots 35mm photographs during his global adventures, but real-time updates, travel guides, and point-and-shoot photos can be found on his travel travel blog Why You Go There? He is a serial entrepreneur, avid mountain biker and cyclist, yogi, musician, and foodie.
Read Before You Go
Resources to help plan your trip
Austin has been on my travel bucket list for years now. I’ve heard nothing but incredible things about the city - the abundance of culture, outdoor activities, and giant mustaches!
Live music is the heart of Austin. The city has launched the careers of legendary musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Willie Nelson. Austin has always been a destination for struggling artists looking to hone their skills performing at local venues to receptive audiences. In the 70s, the television show “Austin City Limits” debuted, putting the city’s prolific music scene on the map. Music lovers will be in heaven at small to large venues that feature everything from Cojunto to punk rock.
Home to a vibrant music scene, innovative restaurants, incredible green spaces, and events like SXSW, Austin also boasts a number of great hotels, from boutique gems with swimming pools to upscale chains overlooking Lady Bird Lake. Choose something on trendy South Congress Avenue, in the hipster haven of East Austin, or within walking distance of infamous Sixth Street and get ready to experience Texas’s capital of cool.
From the most design-forward cocktail lounges to a state-of-the-art brewery, from casual patio drinks to hotel bars with style, Austin’s drinking scene is on point. Grab a icy long-neck or a frosty margarita or an of-the-moment cocktail concoction, and taste the Texas spirit.
A trip through Austin’s shops and boutiques will send you home laden down with great vinyl, used and new books, and top-notch vintage western wear, but you may be surprised by local designers, too, showing off their stuff, from fashion to housewares.
“Keep Austin weird” has long been the city’s unofficial slogan, which means visitors can expect to find an abundance of fun and unique things to do in the Lone Star capital, even with just three days to spend. Experience Austin like a local: discover where to cool off, find best place to watch the sunset (and the bats), sample delicious craft brews, and listen to the best of the city’s live music scene.
A creative culture, laid-back charm, and array of activities make this Texan city a hot destination. Spend your time in Austin shopping at indie boutiques and record stores, tasting Texas cuisine at hot spots and food trucks, hearing some live music, checking out the scene at Lady Bird Lake or Barton Springs, hitting a happy hour, and eating dinner at one of the remarkable local restaurants. Are you sure you only have one day?
Spring-fed pools, art museums, trendsetting movie houses, thriving bookshops and record stores: Austin offers diversions, natural and man-made, that go far beyond its reputation for barbecue, craft beer, and country music.
With college kids and tech bigwigs jostling for seats at hard-to-get tables, Austin continues to lead in all manner of restaurants, diners, and food truck offerings. Tex brisket in a Mex taco? Pasta made from grain milled on-site? A five-star meal served in a repurposed gas station? It all tastes good in Austin.
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