Trip to Austin over thanksgiving weekend (Houston, Dallas: rental car, where to stay, appointed)

[chicagoresident]

Hello,

A friend and I are planning a trip to Austin over thanksgiving w/e and are wondering if we could get some tips on where to stay/ what to do, etc.. is it possible to tour the city without renting a car? Any hotel recommendation if we want to be close to the attractions? And lastly, what are the places/ things we should check out while we're on vacation? Thanks a lot!

[CptnRn]

Suggestions for Austinish stuff to do

I'd recommend getting a hotel room in the Central Business District, that will put you in walking distance of numerous clubs and restaurants. You could stay in a nice hotel with the money you will save on car rental.

The Driskill Hotel‎ is an old but very nice historic hotel 604 Brazos St, Austin, TX‎ - (800) 252-9367‎

Omni Hotel, 700 San Jacinto Blvd Austin, TX 78701 (512) 476-3700

Hilton Austin‎, 500 East 4th Street Austin, TX 78701 (512) 482-8000

A unique hotel on South Congress is Hotel San Jose‎, 1316 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 852-2350 http://www.sanjosehotel.com


You can use google maps to find many more choices.

Mass transit is almost non-existent in Austin if compared to Chicago. However, you could see and do quite a lot if you are willing to limit yourself to the bus routes and focus on central Austin, maybe going as far north as the UT area and South Congress (SoCo). Capital Metro Transit - Austin, Texas

You can also rent a Segway to tour downtown. SegCity Segway Tours & Sales in San Antonio, Austin & Galveston

However for that price for two you could also rent a car for a day or two and have a lot more fexibility. There are lots of car rental places downtown.

[courageinc]

Those are all great hotels. But for the more budget conscious, there are a number of less expensive ones around Ben White and 35 that would put you just south of town. You'd want a car at that point, but you'd be pretty close to town.

[hoffdano]

If you are visiting as a tourist then perhaps not getting a car is OK.

But if you considering living here - I recommend renting a car so you can get a better sense of the area. For example - you should probably at least get a look at Lake Travis or drive some of the roads you might drive often - like Mopac (Hwy 1), 183, or 360.

[chicagoresident]

Thanks so much for the replies! I think we will just stay in a central place without renting a car this time around.. am excited about checking out the city!

[atxcio]

I'd suggest priceline for finding a central Austin hotel. Choose "downtown" as the area and "4 stars". Last time I checked, that will be one of only of 5 hotels.. either the Omni, Driskill, Stephen F. Austin, Hilton, or the Hyatt. All of them are great places to stay, close to everything.

Go to Texas - Austin - USA Hotels - BiddingForTravel.com - Message Board - Yuku to see how much you'll have to bid... looks to be about $70-90 per night. But you may have to try a few times. When using this strategy (works even better for a rental car), it's sometimes good to go ahead and get a "backup" reservation in advance (one that can be canceled, where no money changes hands).

I wouldn't try priceline for any other area in Austin -- the areas are too big, and you could end up far away from anything. If you want to stay in the SoCo area (another nice area not far from downtown), use something else to book it.

Although you have decided not to get a rental car, I'd probably recommend it for a future visit. Primarily so you can see West Austin, the Hill Country, and visit places like Mt Bonnell, the Salt Lick, the Oasis, Lake Travis, etc. That's a big part of what people like about Austin, and you won't be able to get there by bus... and taxi would be ridiculously expensive.

Anyway, have a great visit!

[atxcio]

Oh, I should also add that Thanksgiving weekend will be (IMO) a great time to see the city. Weather should be nice, if it's not raining. The students will be off and mostly out of town, and the annual Texas v. A&M game (on Thanksgiving day) will be in Aggieland this year... add to that the many Austinites leaving town to visiting relatives in Dallas and Houston, and you'll have far less traffic and crowds than normal. There will still be all the live music and activities, just not jam-packed like it can sometimes get. More like it used to be! Hotel rooms should be plentiful, and there shouldn't be long waits at restaurants (except maybe on Thanksgiving day itself).

[AustinExPat]

You might consider the Austin Motel on South Congress (almost next door to Hotel San Jose and across the street from the Continental Club), but it books up quickly. Call immediately if you're interested. Another option to consider is a vacation rental. Some of the units in the shiny new downtown highrise condo buildings are available that way. If you like beds-and-breakfasts, try 1110 Carriage House Inn; best breakfast I ever had at a B&B, but that one books up quickly, too. You could get by without a car at any of these three.

[TexasHorseLady]

What are your interests? Do you just want to see downtown/Lady Bird Lake/6th Street, or do you want to see Austin? What do you like to do? That might help in pointing you in the direction of something besides tourist amenities.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by chicagoresident

Thanks so much for the replies! I think we will just stay in a central place without renting a car this time around.. am excited about checking out the city!

Id say you should get a car. Austin isnt really a good visiting city. The main attractions are the outdoorsy things and you will need a car to get to them.

Coming from chicago I think you will be disappointed in how small austin is unless you come in realizing that austin is a midsized town.