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Old 03-11-2012, 01:37 AM
 
Location: The Present
2,006 posts, read 4,291,433 times
Reputation: 1987

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I'm planning on a trip to visit some friends and associates in Austin (this week). I'm curious how far is the airport from the downtown area?

How long would it take me to get to and from the airport by public transportation vs a taxi?

Are there specific times during the day where i'll have to deal with lots of traffic when heading from/to the airport that could put a delay in my travel times?

Also on a side note, I don't plan on renting a car when I visit. How often does the public transit run in the city (specifically in the downtown area, and to the airport)

Thanks for your help + time in advance!
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Old 03-11-2012, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,261,164 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wordlife View Post
I'm planning on a trip to visit some friends and associates in Austin (this week). I'm curious how far is the airport from the downtown area?
According to Google Maps, it's 8.8 miles from the AUSTIN-BERGSTROM Airport to the State Capitol.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wordlife View Post
How long would it take me to get to and from the airport by public transportation vs a taxi?
Normally the bus run is 20 - 30 minutes, cab a few minutes less. Unfortunately this isn't a normal week. There are 250,000 extra people in town for SXSW Festival and a Rodeo, and several downtown streets are closed, so traffic is worse than usual... and it's usually terrible. Plus it's been raining hard.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wordlife View Post
Are there specific times during the day where i'll have to deal with lots of traffic when heading from/to the airport that could put a delay in my travel times?
Morning & afternoon Rush Hours and anytime it is raining, especially heading toward the airport, as the bus can get bogged down on the southbound Guadaloupe leg (Friday afternoon was gawdawful, probably 30 minutes delay)

Also whenever an event ends... like SXSW Interactive ends Tuesday the 13th, and it's huge this year, so a lot of people will be leaving town that afternoon/evening or the next morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wordlife View Post
Also on a side note, I don't plan on renting a car when I visit. How often does the public transit run in the city (specifically in the downtown area, and to the airport)
Bus schedules, route maps, trip planner Capital Metro Transit - Austin, Texas
The Airport Flyer is Route 100
For the trip planner, just enter ABIA as your starting point, and your actual destination, and time and date you want to leave, and it will pull up the Flyer and any other bus you need to transfer to.

Also, every bus stop is now equipped with a QR Code that you can scan with a smartphone that will bring up "next bus" schedule info. Take them with a grain of salt given how busy downtown traffic will be until after the end of SXSW on the 18th.

Buses are exact fare only, standard fare is $1... tell the operator you want a Day Pass and feed the meter $2 and you'll get an unlimited 24 hr pass.

Grab a route map if you see one. They help to visualize how the routes are laid out.

Welcome to Austin. Have fun!
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Old 03-11-2012, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,439,979 times
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It's no surprise that the ride 'around' the airport is not the prettiest; but the ride from ABIA to downtown is pretty ugly(an oxymoron if ever there was one). As we attempt to recover from the long drought, it will be a bit greener than I've seen over the past three years; but there's not much to look at on the way in to town.

Parts of the Austin area are nice to view...hope you get to see something other than the drive in.
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Old 03-11-2012, 12:14 PM
 
Location: The Present
2,006 posts, read 4,291,433 times
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Wow, thank you for the detailed response OpenD!

I'm actually headed there for SXSW, but only for a small portion of the event. I think that I'd like to spend sometime seeing parks and a few neighborhoods around the city. I like venturing off the beaten path. Thanks for the weather forecast as well, i'll be sure to bring my umbrella.
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Old 03-11-2012, 02:21 PM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,261,164 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wordlife View Post
Wow, thank you for the detailed response OpenD!

I'm actually headed there for SXSW, but only for a small portion of the event. I think that I'd like to spend sometime seeing parks and a few neighborhoods around the city. I like venturing off the beaten path. Thanks for the weather forecast as well, i'll be sure to bring my umbrella.
Glad to help, any way I can.

If you get a chance, stop by The Visitor's Center, 209 E 6th St, open 9-5, Mon - Sat. It's in an old drugstore building in the heart of the 6th Street Music district, and it has a wealth of information, free maps, info on hiking trails and parks, plus helpful and knowledgeable people who can help you craft a perfect visit just for you.
Austin Visitors Center | Info on City Tours, Events, Restaurants, Etc.

Thankfully the weather has just cleared and we've finally got sunshine again but, a) parks and paths and trails will be soggy and muddy for days, so plan for that, and b) rain is again predicted for Wednesday, so bring the umbrella.
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