World City Guide

Getting Around

Public Transport
Public transport in Houston is fairly well developed and reasonably priced. Nevertheless, most visitors to Houston generally prefer to hire a car, for ease of movement. The Metropolitan Transit Authority – METRO (tel: (713) 635 4000; website: www.ridemetro.org) operates an extensive bus service throughout the city. This starts at 0500 and stops at 2400, although certain services stop earlier in the evening.

In addition, METRO operates a free trolley bus service, which covers five different routes that link the major hotels with tourist destinations. This operates every ten minutes 0630-1930. October 2002 saw the introduction of a new service called the Uptown Shuttle (website: www.uptownshuttle.com). This serves the popular Post Oak Boulevard corridor and its dining, shopping and business areas. The free shuttle service operates Monday to Friday 1100-1400.

METRO is also developing a light rail system, which will open in 2004 and run 12km (7.5 miles) from Downtown to south of Reliant Park.

A one-way bus fare in the city centre zone costs US$1 – higher rates apply to other zones. There are fare boxes on the bus (correct change is required). Alternatively, visitors can buy tokens in advance – two rides are free with tokens purchased to the value of US$8. Day passes cost US$2 and allow unlimited travel (on the local service only) in a 24-hour period, while weekly passes cost US$9. Concessions are available on all fares and passes. Information and tickets can be obtained from RideStores, located at 720 Main Street, and 813 Dallas Street (open Monday-Friday 0730-1730). Local shops displaying the METROstop sign also sell tickets.

Taxis
Taxis are plentiful but can be rather expensive for short distances. There is generally a charge of US$2.50 for the first mile and US$1.65 for each additional mile. A tip of around 10% of the fare is usual. There are plenty of cabs in Downtown but elsewhere they are more difficult to find and it is better to phone for one. Companies include Fiesta Cab Company (tel: (713) 236 9400), Square Deal Cab Company (tel: (713) 659 7236) and Yellow Cab Company (tel: (713) 236 1111).

Limousines
Sapphire Limousines (tel: (713) 532 6367; website: www.sapphirelimousines.com) offers a stretch limousine service. Prices cost US$75 per hour, with a minimum of three hours’ hire.

Driving in the City
Most visitors to Houston prefer to hire a car, as it is the best and most cost-effective way of travelling around the city. Driving in the morning and evening rush hours (0700-0900 and 1630-1830) should be avoided, as the roads are very congested. Other than that, Houston is one of the few major US cities where congestion has declined in the past ten years, mainly due to a massive construction programme. The highways have Protected High Occupancy Vehicle lanes for buses, carpools and vanpools, which reduce the commuter traffic.

Parking is generally not a problem with plenty of car parks, such as Park on the corner of Milam and Texas Streets, and Alright Parking on the corner of Travis and Prairie Streets. These cost around US$12 for the day and US$5 for the evening. Many attractions or venues have free parking for visitors. Some on-street parking is available, although difficult to find in Downtown. The maximum period is only one hour, which costs US$0.50, but it is generally free after 1800.

Car Hire
Insurance is compulsory when hiring a car in Houston. It should also be confirmed that there is adequate Loss Damage Waiver and personal liability insurance. Visitors looking to hire a car must be in possession of a full national driving licence. The minimum age is generally 25 years, although some companies will hire cars (at a higher rate) to drivers aged between 21 and 24 years. Avis, 4825 Richmond Avenue at Galleria (tel: (713) 629 7230; website: www.avis.com), Dollar, 8686 Kirby Drive (tel: (713) 797 9624; website: www.dollar.com), and Hertz, 2120 Louisiana Street (tel: (713) 652 0436; website: www.hertz.com), all have offices in Houston. Prices start from around US$30 per day.

Bicycle Hire
Cycling is an ideal way to take advantage of the many cycle trails in Houston’s parks. Bicycles can be rented for US$20 per day from West End Bicycles (tel: (713) 861 2271) at 5427 Blossom Street, east of Memorial Park.