Getting Around Texas

The single most useful fact about getting around Texas is its size. A day that looks short on a map can be five or six hours behind the wheel, and the far west of the state is a full day's drive from the cities in the east. Build the itinerary around a few bases rather than a new hotel every night, and the trip will feel far less rushed.

Driving

For most visitors a car is the practical choice. Interstates and state highways connect the major cities and are generally in good condition, and rental cars are easy to find at every major airport. The Texas Department of Transportation runs DriveTexas for current road conditions and closures, and a network of travel information centers on the main routes into the state.

A few things to know before you drive:

• Toll roads are common around Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, and many are cashless. Ask your rental company how tolls are billed.
• Distances in the west are long, with few services between towns. Fill the tank when you can and carry water.
• Time zones: most of Texas is on Central Time, but the El Paso area is on Mountain Time.
• Water on the road: never drive into a flooded road or around a barrier. The National Weather Service puts it simply: Turn Around Don't Drown.

Flying between cities

Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso all have commercial airports, and short flights between them can save a long day on the road, especially to or from El Paso and West Texas. For the Dallas to Houston or Austin to Dallas runs, compare the total door to door time: the drive is often close.

The Galveston ferry

One of the pleasures of the coast is the ferry between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula, run by the Texas Department of Transportation, which publishes the ferry schedules. The crossing carries cars and foot passengers, and on a clear day the ride itself, with pelicans and ships in the channel, is worth the trip. Expect waits on summer weekends.

Getting around inside the cities

Dallas has a light rail network, Houston has light rail through downtown, the Museum District and the Medical Center, and Austin and San Antonio have bus networks and areas that are easy on foot. Rideshare apps cover all the major cities. In San Antonio, the River Walk and downtown missions area are walkable, and the river barges are a pleasant way to see the river itself.

Outside the city centers, Texas is built around the car, and most visitors who try to see the Hill Country, the missions trail beyond downtown or the coast without one find it hard going.

Tours and guided travel

For a first trip, a guided itinerary takes the driving off your hands entirely. LABUSA Travel's Discover Texas cultural journey links San Antonio, the Hill Country, Austin, Fort Worth and Houston with ground transportation included, and is a good example of how the long distances can be broken into easy days.

Sources

• Texas Department of Transportation: Discover Texas: DriveTexas road conditions, the state travel information centers, and ferry boat schedules. Accessed 11 October 2026.
• National Weather Service: Turn Around Don't Drown: the flood safety campaign, recording that more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard, that 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, and that it is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters. Accessed 11 October 2026.