Best major city in Texas to visit for one day?
 

I just want some feedback here but what would be the best major city in Texas to visit for one day? I'm highly considering a daytrip sometime before the MD-80's are gone and the price seems to be about the same to all those destinations from my home airport.

Austin is pretty sweet and laid-back. Rent a bike, tour the Capitol, and check out the bats.

It's the cutest little airport, too. It's got more charm than DFW.

Austin.

San Antonio would be a worthy day trip too.

Both see (some) MD80s still, but don't book too far our (read: past the locked down equipment schedule) because the AUS and SAT routes that used to be all S80 all the time are seeing more and more 738, 321s, and 319s with every schedule change.

ETA: It's also very easy to get into (and out of) Austin on the cheap from the airport. Look at Route 100 (Airport Flyer) on the Capital Metro web site.

I'll move this thread over to the Texas destination forum for additional feedback.

Thanks!



aztimm

MKE-DFW in fact was using 319's last month but the MD80's came back on that route recently so you never know what could happen they could bring back a flight on an MD-80 or two on any of those two routes. I was thinking though that DFW-AUS or DFW-SAT or DFW-IAH would be the last three routes to exist on MD-80's in 2017 or whatever

Other than Austin, Dallas. Primarily because it now has LRT service from DFW into the centre of the city where you can visit a local history museum in the old city hall, the JFK Memorial museum in the old Schoolbook Depository building, and go for BBQ a block away in a funky restaurant district before heading back to the airport. And if you have more time, it's a short walk up to a fairly extensive contemporary art museum.

The RBJ Library and Museum in Austin is a good look at the '60s in America, but most of Austin is in the evening.

Austin for sure. Distance into downtown is close from the airport and $25-$30 via Uber if you don't take the bus. The bus, though, is super cheap and drops you off downtown and costs less than $2. http://www.capmetro.org/airport/

San Antonio or Austin

Austin will likely be the best choice, though this is hardly the ideal time of year to spend an afternoon there.

Yeah, my first answer to "what city in Texas is best to visit" is Austin. But a big part of that is the music, and most of that is in the evenings, missed by someone coming in for a day trip MR. And much of the rest of what appeals to me in Austin is outdoors, from Town Lake and the park, to the bar patios on Rainey St, to the bike share system & bikeability of downtown. So for a summer afternoon, when it may be 100 in the shade, maybe not so much.

Having used Orange Line to/from DFW, Dallas still sucks :p

These are both good, but I'm still rather partial to Fort Worth. Does not have light rail like Dallas, but you can get there via shuttle to Trinity Rail Express (except on Sunday).

So am I, even if I live here.

There used to be a shuttle to downtown Fort Worth from DFW that would drop at downtown hotels, which would normally be faster than the shuttle to south remote--shuttle to Trinity River Express station-train. I think. (This comes with a dated information alert. Have not verified recently. At all).

Small walkable downtown that is a bit interesting.

There is a city shuttle bus from there to the Stockyards, which are historic, walkable, and interesting.

There is a arts and museum district also not far from downtown, which I think us on a bus line.

Together more than enough for a day.

Second amen would be San Antonio. Between the Alamo and Riverwalk you can easily fill a day. Don't have a clue how to get there from the airport but they must have cabs and shuttles. Last week DFW-SAT was still Mad Dog service.

I would not disagree with Fort Worth as it is the Texasmost city, where the west begins and so forth. But San Antonio is quite interesting and compact in the area around the river walk.

Getting from SAT to the Riverwalk is only a few minutes by cab. There is a bus service (route 5) but it's not terribly frequent and takes a bit of a detour.

If you pick San Antonio, I'd focus your time on the area around the Pearl and Southtown (essentially, just north and just south of the Riverwalk, respectively).

As a former SA resident I'm required to warn you to avoid the Riverwalk. ;)

A few other things to do:

- Bike through the restored missions

- Get a cup of coffee at Brown Coffee Co (according to Alton Brown, "the best cup of coffee in the world")

- Eat some breakfast tacos

If I was just doing a day trip, I'd probably focus on the Pearl area and skip downtown entirely.

Austin. Barton Springs Pool is great on a hot day.