Austin travel guide

Austin Tourism | Austin Guide

You're Going to Love Austin

With a population of 790,390, Austin is a must-see destination in Texas, United States. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Austin deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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Activities & attractions in Austin

Other activities

Where to Eat in Austin

Downtown is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Austin. These include popular favorites such as Eddie V's - 5th Street (301 E 5th St), J Carver's (509 Rio Grande St) and La Piscina Ceviches & Fajitas (600 W 2nd Street). If you’re looking for affordable options, Olive and June (3411 Glenview Ave) and Dai Due (2406 Manor Road Suite A) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Olamaie (1610 San Antonio Street) and Freda's Seafood Grille (10903 Pecan Park Blvd) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Austin.

When to visit Austin

Austin in September
Estimated package price
$332
2 travelers
Flight to Austin
3 nights at hotel
Austin in September
Estimated package price
$332
2 travelers
Flight to Austin
3 nights at hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Austin in July, when the average temperature is 84.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 95 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 39.2 °F, with an average temperature of 50 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 4.2″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Austin, with an average rainfall of 2.1″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Austin

Plane

When flying to Austin, you’ll arrive at Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS), which is located 7 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Austin include American Airlines, Air France and ITA Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Austin departs from Las Vegas and takes around 2h 36m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Austin. The train journey from Austin to San Antonio takes 2h 26m and costs around $11 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Dallas, expect to pay about $20 for a 6h 35m trip. The train station in Austin is called Austin Train Station, and is located 1.0 mile from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Austin is to pick up a car rental from Houston, which is about 147 miles from Austin. You’ll find branches of ACO Rent A Car and One Switch Rent a Car, among others, in Houston.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Austin, including Tornado Bus, Bus and Greyhound. From San Antonio, the bus ride to Austin takes 80 miles and will cost you around $32. From Houston, the ticket costs about $58 for a journey of 165 miles. The most popular bus station is Austin Embassy Suites by Hilton - 300 S Congress Ave, located 1.5 miles from downtown Austin. Austin Tornado & El Expreso is also a commonly used station, and is 4 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Austin, you’ll arrive at Austin Bergstrom Airport (AUS), which is located 7 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Austin include American Airlines, Air France and ITA Airways. The shortest domestic flight to Austin departs from Las Vegas and takes around 2h 36m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Austin. The train journey from Austin to San Antonio takes 2h 26m and costs around $11 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Dallas, expect to pay about $20 for a 6h 35m trip. The train station in Austin is called Austin Train Station, and is located 1.0 mile from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Austin is to pick up a car rental from Houston, which is about 147 miles from Austin. You’ll find branches of ACO Rent A Car and One Switch Rent a Car, among others, in Houston.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Austin, including Tornado Bus, Bus and Greyhound. From San Antonio, the bus ride to Austin takes 80 miles and will cost you around $32. From Houston, the ticket costs about $58 for a journey of 165 miles. The most popular bus station is Austin Embassy Suites by Hilton - 300 S Congress Ave, located 1.5 miles from downtown Austin. Austin Tornado & El Expreso is also a commonly used station, and is 4 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Austin

Lufthansa
Good (7,012 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,335 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,581 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,773 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (8,323 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,868 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,635 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,836 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,462 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,299 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,664 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (8,711 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (342 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,281 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,325 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (9,697 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,310 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (928 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (3,108 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (8,056 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Austin

Average rates range from around $145 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $891 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Sleep Inn & Suites Austin North - I-35 and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Austin North Central, An IHG Hotel. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Austin, with prices from $53 to $930 per night. East Austin is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Austin are about 1% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Downtown - In Austin’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University, Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown and Thompson Austin.

East Austin - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Heywood Hotel, Hotel Eleven and DoubleTree by Hilton Austin-University Area. The average nightly price for a double room in East Austin is $125.

Downtown - In Austin’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University, Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown and Thompson Austin.
East Austin - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Heywood Hotel, Hotel Eleven and DoubleTree by Hilton Austin-University Area. The average nightly price for a double room in East Austin is $125.
Most popular hotel in Austin by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Austin

Most booked hotels in Austin

Fairmont Austin
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 1579 reviews)
$277+
The Driskill
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 946 reviews)
$369+
Hyatt Place Austin/Round Rock
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 629 reviews)
$118+
Citizenm Austin Downtown
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, 330 reviews)
$187+
Omni Austin Hotel Downtown
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, 1354 reviews)
$284+
Hilton Garden Inn Austin/Round Rock
3 stars
Excellent (8.5, 372 reviews)
$95+

Renting a car in Austin

Renting a car in Austin costs $39 per day, on average, or $79 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Thrifty are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Austin is the Easirent branch at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is 7 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 18% cheaper than airport locations in Austin.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Austin (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in Austin is Intermediate (Mazda Mazda3 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 69% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Austin costs $39 per day, on average, or $79 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Thrifty are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Austin is the Easirent branch at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is 7 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 18% cheaper than airport locations in Austin.

Expect to pay $3.41 per gallon in Austin (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $40.88 and $54.51. The most frequently booked car type in Austin is Intermediate (Mazda Mazda3 or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 69% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Austin Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Austin city guide for the best Austin travel tips. To help you organize your Austin trip ideas, this Austin visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.