Travel to Houston

Flying to Houston

British Airways and United operate direct flights to Houston from the UK. Numerous airlines fly to the city from within the USA, and the airport is one of United's major hubs. Spring and autumn are the most expensive times to fly, as well as the Christmas and New Year holidays. You can usually find bargain fares to Houston in January and February.

Flight times

From London - 10 hours 10 minutes; New York - 4 hours; Los Angeles  - 3 hours 10 minutes; Toronto - 3 hours 20 minutes; Sydney  - 19 hours (including stopover).

City Airports: 
Telephone:+1 281 230 3100
Website:www.airport-houston.com
Location:

Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport is located 37km (23 miles) north of Houston.


Money:

ATMs are located throughout the airport. Bureaux de change can be found in Terminals B, C, D and E.


Luggage:

Trolleys are available at various locations throughout the airport for a small charge. Due to security concerns, lockers are no longer available at the airport. The Lost and Found Office (tel: +1 281 230 3299) is located in Terminal E, lower level and opens Monday to Friday from 0800 to 1700 (closed Saturday and Sunday).

Telephone:+1 713 640 3000
Website:www.fly2houston.com/hobby
Location:

Houston William P. Hobby Airport is situated 11km (7 miles) southeast of Houston.


Money:

ATMs are available in baggage reclaim, the central concourse and the food court areas. A currency exchange facility is located on level 2 next to the security checkpoint, before security.


Luggage:

Luggage trolleys can be hired in the baggage reclaim area. A lost and found service (tel: +1 713 845 6673) is on-hand to assist with luggage misplaced within the terminal. A bag wrapping service is also available at the airport.

Travel by road

Summary:

Traffic drives on the right. The minimum driving age is 18, although drivers from out of state with a valid licence can drive at 16.

Overtaking should only be done on the inside lane, although cars on a five-lane highway regularly pass on both sides. At crossroads without traffic lights, the four-way stop system means that it is first come first served for right of way. At traffic lights, a right turn is permitted (with due care) on a red light, unless it is specifically stated not to do so.

The speed limit is 48kph (30mph), if there are no signs, although the general posted speed limit in town is 56-72kph (35-45mph) and 32kph (20mph) near a school. Freeway driving speeds are 88-113kph (55-70mph). A valid national driving licence is required, although it's helpful to have an International Driving Permit if your licence isn't in English. Third-party liability insurance is mandatory.

The AAA (tel: +1 800 765 0766; www.aaa.com) can provide information and basic roadside service.

Emergency breakdown service:

AAA (tel: +1 800 222 4357).

Routes:

Houston is circled by Interstate I-610 - known as 'The Loop'. This is intersected by Interstate I-10, which links the city to San Antonio to the west and New Orleans to the east and also Interstate I-45 from Dallas to the north and Galveston to the south.

Driving times:

From Dallas - 3 hours 30 minutes; New Orleans - 5 hours 30 minutes; San Antonio - 3 hours.

Coaches:

Greyhound (tel: +1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com) operates regular services to San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans. There are also Greyhound services to other major towns and cities in Texas and further afield.

Megabus (tel: +1 877 462 6342; www.megabus.com) runs coach services to San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Travel by rail

Services:

The cost of rail travel is rather expensive and trains are slow and prone to delays, but the level of comfort is high. The main station in Houston is Houston Amtrak Station, 902 Washington Avenue.

Operators:

Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) operates long-distance services from Houston Amtrak Station. The Sunset Limited service links Houston with San Antonio, El Paso, Tucson and Los Angeles in the west. To the east, the train travels to New Orleans.

Journey times:

From Los Angeles - 35 hours 10 minutes; New Orleans - 9 hours 20 minutes; San Antonio - 4 hours 45 minutes.




Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.