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. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Austin has to offer.
Where to Eat in Austin
Downtown is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Austin. These include popular favourites such as Eddie V's - 5th Street (301 E 5th St), J Carver's (509 Rio Grande St) and Dean's Italian Steakhouse (110 E 2nd St). If you’re looking for affordable options, Maggiano's - Austin (10910 Domain Drive Suite 100) and Eberly (615 S. Lamar Blvd) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Sushi Zushi of 5th Street (1611 West 5th Street) and The Well (440 W 2nd St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Austin.
When to visit Austin
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Austin in July, when the average temperature is 29 °C, and the highest can go up to 35 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 4 °C, with an average temperature of 10 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 107 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Austin, with an average rainfall of 53 mm.
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 centre Airlines that fly from Canada to Austin include Air Canada, United Airlines and Delta. The shortest flight to Austin from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 3h 27m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Austin. The train journey from Austin to San Antonio takes 2h 36m and costs around C$ 12 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Dallas, expect to pay about C$ 23 for a 6h 35m trip. The train station in Austin is called Austin Train Station, and is located 1.0 mile from the city centre.
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 Hertz and Dollar, among others, in Houston.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Austin, including RedCoach, Megabus and Bus. From San Antonio, the bus ride to Austin takes 80 miles and will cost you around C$ 34. From Balcones Heights, the ticket costs about C$ 72 for a journey of 95 miles. The most popular bus station is Austin Embassy Suites by Hilton - 300 S Congress Ave, located 1.5 miles from downtown Austin. Austin 1500 San Jacinto Blvd is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Austin
Where to stay in Austin
From 5-star hotels such as the Austin Proper Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels to great affordable options like the Residence Inn by Marriott Austin Lake Austin/River Place, Austin offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 208 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 898 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Motel 6 Austin, Tx- Airport and Sleep Inn & Suites Austin North - I-35. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Austin, with prices from C$ 75 to C$ 1,057 per night. East Austin is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Austin are about 9% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Austin’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Indigo Austin Downtown - University, Canopy by Hilton Austin Downtown and Four Seasons Hotel Austin.
South Congress (SoCo) - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Sonesta Simply Suites Austin South, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Austin South and Super 8 by Wyndham Austin South / I-35. The average nightly price for a double room in South Congress (SoCo) is C$ 111.
East Austin - Heywood Hotel, The Frances Modern Inn and DoubleTree by Hilton Austin - University Area have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in East Austin will cost you about C$ 183 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Austin
Most booked hotels in Austin
Renting a car in Austin
Renting a car in Austin costs C$ 87 per day, on average, or C$ 260 if you want to rent it for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Advantage 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 downtown.
You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 8% more expensive than at Austin Bergstrom.
Expect to pay C$ 1.41 per litre in Austin (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 16.89 and C$ 22.52. The most frequently booked car type in Austin is Mini (Chrysler Pacifica or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy rental cars (Class Economy Car or similar) are, on average, 69% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Austin
Supplier choice
5 adults, 5 Bags
C$ 36/day
Economy
2 adults, 2 Bags
C$ 37/day