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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Dallas
Give Dallas 2–3 nights: one for Downtown and Deep Ellum, one for the museums, one for Fort Worth or a stadium. A car or rideshare is the default.
Dallas is a car-oriented metro of 1.3 million people, spread across Downtown, Uptown, Deep Ellum and the northern suburbs. Its sights cluster into three groups — the JFK and arts district downtown, the barbecue and music strips, and the stadiums out in Arlington — so most trips need two or three nights and a rideshare budget rather than a walking plan.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (35–37 °C highs), late May–early Jun storm seasonJul–Aug (95–99 °F highs), late May–early Jun storm season
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $80–130 excl. bed · Mid $150–250 excl. bed · High $300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Dallas Police non-emergency 311
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Barbecue plate (brisket, two sides) | $18–28 |
| Tex-Mex dinner with a margarita | $25–40 |
| Draft beer at a Deep Ellum bar | $7–10 |
| Rideshare, 5 kmRideshare, 3.1 mi | $12–20 |
| Museum entry (Dallas Museum of Art is free) | $0–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DFW · Dallas Fort Worth International
- American Airlines hub, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth; DART Orange Line to Downtown from the Terminal A station.
- DAL · Dallas Love Field
- Southwest's base, inside the city; DART route 524 Love Link bus to Inwood/Love Field station.
Typical fares
- DFW Airport → Downtown, DART Orange Line
- about $3, 50–60 min
- DFW Airport → Downtown, rideshare
- $35–55, 25–45 min
- Downtown → AT&T Stadium, rideshare
- $30–50, 25–35 min
Get around
A car or rideshare is the simplest way around; DART light rail covers Downtown, Deep Ellum and DFW Airport but not Arlington, which has no rail link. Allow 25–45 min by car between Downtown and the stadium district, more on match days.
See and do
Known for
- Dealey Plaza and the JFK assassination site
- Dallas Arts District museums
- Deep Ellum barbecue and live music
- AT&T Stadium and the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Texas State Fair at Fair Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | Trinity Railway Express from Union Station, about 1 h; no Sunday service | 1.5 h |
| Arlington (AT&T Stadium, Six Flags) | Car or rideshare, 25–35 min from Downtown | 45 min |
| Irving (Las Colinas) | DART Orange Line to Las Colinas Urban Center, about 30 min | 45 min |
| Plano | DART Red Line from Downtown, about 40 min | 1 h |
| Addison | Car, about 25 min north of Downtown | 40 min |
| Carrollton | DART Green Line from Downtown, about 45 min | 1 h |
Sleep
- Downtown
- Museums, Dealey Plaza and the DART hub on foot; quiet at night outside a few blocks.
- Uptown
- Restaurants and bars, M-Line trolley to the Arts District; the priciest beds.
- Deep Ellum
- Music venues and barbecue; loud on weekends, walkable to Downtown.
- North Dallas / Park Cities
- Shopping and SMU; car needed for everything.
- Arlington
- Stadium-district chains, 25–35 min by car from Downtown; best on a match day.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the DART station? | Where is the DART station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Check, please | Check, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat: highs of 35–37 °C in Jul–Aug, with heat indices above 40 °C; plan indoor blocks midday.
- Spring storms and tornado risk in Tornado Alley; check warnings before driving.
- No rail service to AT&T Stadium in Arlington: rideshare demand spikes after games.
- Downtown empties after office hours; check the block before booking a cheap hotel.
- Prices are shown before sales tax, which is added at the till.
Central Dallas is fine by day and busy at night in Uptown and Deep Ellum; the real risks are summer heat, highway driving and leaving bags visible in a parked car. Check the block before booking a cheap Downtown hotel.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Dallas yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dealey Plaza and the JFK assassination site
- Dallas Arts District museums
- Deep Ellum barbecue and live music
- AT&T Stadium and the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Texas State Fair at Fair Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VisitDallas: www.visitdallas.com/
- DART: www.dart.org/
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: www.dfwairport.com/
- Dallas Love Field: www.dallas-lovefield.com/
- Wikivoyage: Dallas, revision 5309131 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309131
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Dallas
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries have consulates in Houston or Dallas; check your own country's list before you travel.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/dallas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.