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Major city · United States

AustinAustin, Texas

Give Austin 3 nights: 1 downtown for the Capitol and music, 1 South Congress, 1 East Austin. Skip Jun–Aug unless you want 38°C days.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jun–Aug (38°C days), mid-Dec–mid-Feb ice-storm risk
Airport
AUS
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Austin is the Texas capital, a university city and the self-styled live-music capital, sitting on the southeast edge of the Hill Country. Downtown, South Congress and East Austin hold most of what a visitor does; the rest of the city is car country. Three nights covers the core, and spring or autumn is when the weather lets you walk it.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Austin, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$4–7
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast taco$3–6
  • BeerDraft beer at a bar$6–9
  • Taxi, about 5 kmRideshare, 5 km downtownSurge pricing after midnight.$10–18
  • Metro or bus rideCapital Metro local ride$1.25 (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entrySome museums are free on certain days; check.$0–20
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUS$40
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$180
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$320

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$140 · High US$260

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Live music venuesTexas State CapitolSouth Congress AvenueBarton Springs PoolBreakfast tacos and barbecue
Airports
AUS Austin-Bergstrom International (About 8 km southeast of downtown; bus 20 to downtown, or a 20–30 min taxi/rideshare)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Austin: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

17°C

6°C

7 rd

Feb

19°C

8°C

7 rd

Mar

23°C

11°C

8 rd

Apr

27°C

15°C

7 rd

May

31°C

19°C

9 rd

Jun

34°C

23°C

7 rd

Jul

36°C

24°C

5 rd

Aug

37°C

24°C

6 rd

Sep

33°C

21°C

7 rd

Oct

28°C

16°C

7 rd

Nov

22°C

10°C

7 rd

Dec

18°C

6°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Downtown, South Congress and the UT strip are walkable in good weather. Capital Metro buses cover the main corridors; a 24-hour local pass is cheap. Rideshare is the default for anything outside the centre — Austin is spread out and the bus network is thin by US standards. Bike share stations sit downtown, near UT and in South Austin.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

San Marcos

go

Door to door: About 1 h

I-35 south by car, about 45 min

River tubing and outlet shopping; pairs with New Braunfels.

New Braunfels

go

Door to door: About 1–1.25 h

I-35 south by car, about 1 h

Two rivers for floating; busy on summer weekends.

Fredericksburg

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

US-290 west by car, about 1 h 30 min

Wine road and German-Texan town; better with a night.

Round Rock

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

I-35 north by car, about 30 min

Suburb with a minor-league ballpark; only worth it for a game.

Georgetown

go

Door to door: About 1 h

I-35 north by car, about 40 min

Courthouse square and old town; easy half-day.

Boerne

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

US-281 northwest by car, about 1 h 45 min

Hill Country base; too far for a comfortable return day.

Kerrville

overnight

Door to door: About 2.25 h

I-10 west by car, about 2 h

Gateway to the Hill Country rivers; sleep one night.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown

Capitol, 6th Street music, walkable; loudest at night and priciest.

South Congress (SoCo)

Shops, food, a 20–30 min walk or short bus ride to downtown.

East Austin

Bars, restaurants and galleries; 10–15 min by rideshare to downtown.

UT and the Drag

Cheaper rooms near campus; quieter in summer when students leave.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$120–200 excl. bed
High
$220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 3 nights × US$180US$540
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × US$140US$840
Capital Metro 24-hour local pass2 × US$3 · checkUS$5
Rideshare downtown to East Austin, one way1 × US$12 · checkUS$12
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$143
Trip total≈ US$262 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,570

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$4–7
Breakfast taco$3–6
Barbecue plate (meat by weight plus sides)$18–35
Draft beer at a bar$6–9
Rideshare, 5 km downtownSurge pricing after midnight.$10–18
Capital Metro local ride$1.25 (check)
Museum entrySome museums are free on certain days; check.$0–20

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Central Austin is busy and generally safe in daylight. The real risks are summer heat, aggressive drivers, and late-night bar streets: keep to lit blocks, watch your drink, and don't walk alone after 02:00.
  • Summer heat is the real hazard: plan indoor stops and water between 11:00 and 17:00, and never leave anyone in a parked car.
  • Spring brings severe thunderstorms and occasional hail; check the forecast before an outdoor day.
  • Winter ice storms can close roads and cut power once or twice a season, roughly late Dec–mid-Feb.
  • 6th Street bar crowds late at night: watch drinks and keep to lit blocks.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AustinAustin, Texas

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Austin; most countries have consulates in Houston or Dallas and embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • AUS airport → downtown, taxi: about $30, 20–30 min (check)
  • AUS airport → downtown, bus 20: $1.25 one way, about 40 min (check)
  • Capital Metro 24-hour local pass: $2.50 (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the toilet?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Austin. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jun–Aug (38°C days), mid-Dec–mid-Feb ice-storm risk · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for AUS: last bus 20 departure, rideshare fallback, taxi rank.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Capitol and downtown, South Congress, East Austin, UT and the Drag.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Capitol, Barton Springs Pool, Blanton Museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Heat and storm fixtures so the summer and spring gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources