Early Morning Commute to ABIA from SA (Austin, San Marcos: how much, buy)

[cobolt]

I’ve got an 8am flight out of ABIA Christmas Eve and was wondering how early I’d need to leave SA to make it at the airport NLT 530-6 am? More specifically, how much traffic will I run into on 35 in the early hours? Or should I take SH 130? My concern with 130 is I’d have to pick it up in Seguin so I’m not sure if it’s worth the bother during that time of day, and 130 doesn’t seem well lit at night, (my night vision isn’t the greatest). Honestly, I’d normally fly out of SA, but airfare out of AUS is $300 cheaper. Thanks!

[10scoachrick]

I'm going to suggest posting in the SA forum as it will depend greatly on where in SA you start and those folks would know best.

[austin-steve]

Traffic should be light at that time. I'd come up IH35 to Buda and then take 45 east to Hwy 183 north, to 71 east to the airport. Or just take IH35 north to 71 east if you want to keep it simple.

I'd arrive 1.5 hours before your boarding time. The Austin airport will probably be busy that morning.

Happy travels.

[ashbeeigh]

Where in SA are you coming from? I agree that the option of 35 to 45 to 71 would be a good option. If you’re in East SA taking 130 wouldn’t be bad, but if you’d have to cross 35 at any point I’d say just do the first option. My family lived off 10/de Zavala and when they need to fly out of abia they do the first option. Sometimes they’re in San Marcos for work and then take 130, but even 130 might be a waste on early Christmas Eve.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Where in SA are you coming from? I agree that the option of 35 to 45 to 71 would be a good option. If you’re in East SA taking 130 wouldn’t be bad, but if you’d have to cross 35 at any point I’d say just do the first option. My family lived off 10/de Zavala and when they need to fly out of abia they do the first option. Sometimes they’re in San Marcos for work and then take 130, but even 130 might be a waste on early Christmas Eve.

I'll be coming from Loop 410 and Harry Wurzbach Rd. Not far from Windcrest area. Basically north/central. Should I allow more than 1.5 hours for the drive?

Also, what would you recommend for airport parking? Just use ABIA parking or is the offsite stuff better?

Thanks.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by cobolt

I'll be coming from Loop 410 and Harry Wurzbach Rd. Not far from Windcrest area. Basically north/central. Should I allow more than 1.5 hours for the drive?

Also, what would you recommend for airport parking? Just use ABIA parking or is the offsite stuff better?

Thanks.

If you're coming from there I'd say just take 35 to either 45 or 71. Use waze or whatever your usual map app is to see which is easiest. No need to go all the way to 130. If you were more Converse or La Vernia then 130 may be better. There are a few different parking options. My go to is right across the street from ABIA at The Parking Spot. I reserve a spot before showing up so I can have a covered spot. I went that way with family once during the summer without a reerved spopt and we parked out in the sun and the car was horrible upon returning from nice Colorado weather to Austin summer heat. Not sure if that's a deal breaker for you since it'll be December. But, you also never know if they'll run out of spots since it's the holiday season.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

If you're coming from there I'd say just take 35 to either 45 or 71. Use waze or whatever your usual map app is to see which is easiest. No need to go all the way to 130. If you were more Converse or La Vernia then 130 may be better. There are a few different parking options. My go to is right across the street from ABIA at The Parking Spot. I reserve a spot before showing up so I can have a covered spot. I went that way with family once during the summer without a reerved spopt and we parked out in the sun and the car was horrible upon returning from nice Colorado weather to Austin summer heat. Not sure if that's a deal breaker for you since it'll be December. But, you also never know if they'll run out of spots since it's the holiday season.

What's the toll charge on 45 from Buda to 183?

Yeah, covered parking doesn't matter to me, especially this time of year. I just want something convenient and inexpensive. I know ABIA has economy lots but the airport's website doesn't seem to have a real time vacancy status. On the SA airport site you can see in real time how full the various parking lots are (how many vacant spaces to total and the percentage full) which helps. I see no such animal on ABIA parking section of their website.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by cobolt

...Should I allow more than 1.5 hours for the drive?

Also, what would you recommend for airport parking? Just use ABIA parking or is the offsite stuff better?

Thanks.

I would allow 90-120 minutes drive time. But my kids and wife have always teased me about being someone who always gets to the airport WAY early, sometimes hours early. They make jokes about it.

But here is my logic - it is simple, easy and stress free to kill and hour (minimum) or three at my departure gate, reading the Wall Street Journal, drinking coffee, just chilling. It's a very small "price to pay", if I'd even call it that, compared to the risk of missing a flight and the massive, extreme hassle which that causes. Or even compared to the stress felt when cutting it close or arriving "just in time".

So, I fall into the "get there three hours early" camp. And I never miss a flight or even come close. I value that "stress avoidance" strategy more than I do any extra sleep I give up. I never travel with checked luggage either, for the same "risk avoidance" philosophy.

For parking, just use the surface lot at ABIA. Your car won't be hot when you return. Just make sure to pay very close attention to the signs and the proper exit to get into that lot. The signs and striped guidance are all screwed up. But if you miss it, don't panic, you'll have PLENTY of extra time to loop back around if you buy into my "get there way early" philosophy.

Personally, I always splurge on the covered parking garage very close to the terminal. It's faster, easier, not shuttle ride required, but the signage for that is now extremely confusing so for someone unfamiliar, I'd just go to the surface lot.

Hope this helps.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I would allow 90-120 minutes drive time. But my kids and wife have always teased me about being someone who always gets to the airport WAY early, sometimes hours early. They make jokes about it.

But here is my logic - it is simple, easy and stress free to kill and hour (minimum) or three at my departure gate, reading the Wall Street Journal, drinking coffee, just chilling. It's a very small "price to pay", if I'd even call it that, compared to the risk of missing a flight and the massive, extreme hassle which that causes. Or even compared to the stress felt when cutting it close or arriving "just in time".

So, I fall into the "get there three hours early" camp. And I never miss a flight or even come close. I value that "stress avoidance" strategy more than I do any extra sleep I give up. I never travel with checked luggage either, for the same "risk avoidance" philosophy.

For parking, just use the surface lot at ABIA. Your car won't be hot when you return. Just make sure to pay very close attention to the signs and the proper exit to get into that lot. The signs and striped guidance are all screwed up. But if you miss it, don't panic, you'll have PLENTY of extra time to loop back around if you buy into my "get there way early" philosophy.

Personally, I always splurge on the covered parking garage very close to the terminal. It's faster, easier, not shuttle ride required, but the signage for that is now extremely confusing so for someone unfamiliar, I'd just go to the surface lot.

Hope this helps.

Thanks austin-steve. I'm definately with you in the "get there earlier than you need to be there" camp, which is why I'm trying to plan it out now. I'd rather have an extra hour to kill than sweat it down to the wire. I've already got the extra stress of driving some unfamilar roads when it's dark, so I'm all about any way to reduce my stress.

It looks like I just follow the long term/surface parking signs and they seem to point to keeping in the left lane and exiting left at some point. Just looking at Google drive/street view.

Thanks for everything!

[blakely]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I would allow 90-120 minutes drive time. But my kids and wife have always teased me about being someone who always gets to the airport WAY early, sometimes hours early. They make jokes about it.

But here is my logic - it is simple, easy and stress free to kill and hour (minimum) or three at my departure gate, reading the Wall Street Journal, drinking coffee, just chilling. It's a very small "price to pay", if I'd even call it that, compared to the risk of missing a flight and the massive, extreme hassle which that causes. Or even compared to the stress felt when cutting it close or arriving "just in time".

So, I fall into the "get there three hours early" camp. And I never miss a flight or even come close. I value that "stress avoidance" strategy more than I do any extra sleep I give up. I never travel with checked luggage either, for the same "risk avoidance" philosophy.

For parking, just use the surface lot at ABIA. Your car won't be hot when you return. Just make sure to pay very close attention to the signs and the proper exit to get into that lot. The signs and striped guidance are all screwed up. But if you miss it, don't panic, you'll have PLENTY of extra time to loop back around if you buy into my "get there way early" philosophy.

Personally, I always splurge on the covered parking garage very close to the terminal. It's faster, easier, not shuttle ride required, but the signage for that is now extremely confusing so for someone unfamiliar, I'd just go to the surface lot.

Hope this helps.

ALL THIS!

I'm sort of mocked (in a friendly way) by my family for getting to the airport early, but for all the same reasons.

And don't get me started on the VERY confusing signage and lane arrows at the airport now, which make it hard to navigate to the close-in covered parking if you don't know the way there (not that it's hard to find, just that it's poorly signed). And one of the lanes that says "Arrivals" really leads to upper level "Departures," so if you're in that lane, you'll have to make a quick jog-left to move to the correct lane at the last minute. I stay to the left of that lane when I want to go to Arrivals, even though the street paint tells me I'm driving to "Parking" .

I'm hoping that when the dust settles from the current changes taking place, the signage will be improved.