TravelBuzz! - Houston: getting between airports

A conference director has asked me to fly into Hobby. UA only goes to IAH from ORD. I understand there is bus service between the two airports. Is anyone familiar with it? How much time should I allow? Is there a better way to get between the airports, considering I'll have 2-3 suitcases? Or is there a recommended route I can take to change airlines into Hobby--without increasing the cost a lot?

The airports are a LONG way from each other. Why do you need to get to Hobby if you are flying into IAH. Can't you just meet at the conference facility. IAH is on the very north end of town and HOU is on the very southern edge of town. Allow 2 hrs minimum, allow more if during traffic times.

Do you have to end up at Hobby? Can you meet up with the conference people in Downtown or whatever your destination is?

There's a public bus service between the two airports, but it goes through downtown and takes about 90 minutes for the trip, and a bus every 30 minutes. Best thing about it is that it's only $1.50 per adult. Bus #101 Airport Express.

Taxi goes by zone rate, and is about $52.

I don't think there's a regularly scheduled shuttle service between the two airports.

Other than by public bus, one of the cheaper ways is actually renting a car. Be careful though of high taxes and fees. Still you may be able to find something <$40, tax included.

Travel time depends on traffic, but it can be as little as about 35 minutes between the two airports.

Don't know what day of the week you will be doing this but I would agree that renting a car here would be best. If the weekend, you can pick something up for $25 all in for the day. Weekday, a little more.

I'm guessing that the meeting is either at Hobby itself, or at a hotel adjacent to HOU.

The shuttle company, Express Shuttle, charges $20 for the trip from IAH to HOU:

http://www.airportexpresshouston.com/

The rental car would be most convenient. But check those extra charges - knowing that Houston has recently opened new football, baseball and basketball facilities (Reliant Field, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center) I suspect that rental car customers are going to pay a substantial part of the bills :)

The MetroBus uses dedicated busways on I-45 for a significant part of the journey from IAH to downtown - I'm not sure whether the downtown-to-Hobby section does.

Express Shuttle doesn't have a fixed schedule for IAH-HOU runs, so make sure you call and book them for that service.

The bus takes the HOV when it's open. So, if you're arriving in the morning, it should use one section on US59 towards Downtown. If it's afternoon, then it can't. And from Downtown to Hobby, it only runs I-45 for a very very short section to U of Houston. After that it either runs on the frontage road or some other streets, so no HOV.

Another thing is that buses run according to schedule in Houston, more or less. And many routes (including the 101) pass through many transit centers. Nowadays, if a bus is very early getting into one, they will wait until the appropriate time to continue, while the driver takes a break, go to bathroom, etc. So, there's really little chance of getting from IAH to HOU under 90 minutes, HOV or not, as that's the scheduled time.

Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it.

Why do you need to get to Hobby if you are flying into IAH. Can't you just meet at the conference facility.

The conference is at a hotel near Hobby, and the director picks up faculty at the airport--but only Hobby. There are no direct flights from ORD to HOU; and I was hoping to keep all my miles on UA, rather than changing airlines in Dallas.

If I were you I would fly UA to DFW and then AA to HOU. UA flies into terminal B which is connected inside security to all AA gates.

Even if you have to pay for the AA flight yourself, it shouldn't cost much more than paying for a taxi or rental car to drive across Houston. Driving IAH-HOU is expensive and time consuming.