Visit To Houston,Texas

Are you planning to travel to Houston?,Well if you are I thought I could let you know about some of the things that you might want to do or see while you are there.

To start with, let me tell you how to get there.If you are traveling by air there are two major airports and numerous smaller airports that you can fly into.

If you are flying commercially, though, the two major, international airports will likely be where you end up. George Bush International Airport (IAH) is commonly known by Houstonians as Houston Intercontinental and is located on the North side of town. If you are flying in from an international destination this is probably where you will land. This airport is huge and is served by most, if not all international airlines. Houston's other major airport, Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), is located just South of downtown Houston.Both airports have most of the car rental agencies located on or near the airport. Shuttles are available to take you to them if they are off site.You may have to get an International Drivers License before driving in US. Use this URL to read more about it
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign_Visitors_Driving.shtml

I you have never driven in the United States, remember the driver sits on the left and when you are on the road, the driver in the car approaching you will be on the inside of the lane. As with any trip of this nature you may want to get a guide to help you if you are unfamiliar. Most rental car agencies will have GPS available. If you don't know your way around this can be very helpful but be careful because it can put you in a bad part of town where crime is high. Ask around so you know where NOT to go as well! Houston is a very large place and it can be confusing finding your way around. Just like any other large city out there. The city and surrounding metro are covers a HUGE land area and driving distances from one part of town to another can be as much as 30 miles.

If you don't want to rent a car, you can either look for a Taxi or Limo available just outside of the baggage recovery areas at both airports..If you are looking for a more economical option then Supershuttle is there for you .SuperShuttle passengers share the ride with others going in their direction in one comfortable blue van.You have option to book Supershuttle in advance through their website
http://www.supershuttle.com

If you are a simple person who likes traveling in City buses, you can utilize the buses run by Metropolitan Transit Authority. City is well connected by metro buses. This is probably the of the cheapest options to get around.But you may have to learn the schedules and transfer points.You can get more information from the website.
http://www.ridemetro.org/

The major highways connecting Houston are Interstate 45 ,Interstate 10 and there are two loops as well. The inner loop is known as Loop 610 and the outer loop is the Beltway 8 or Sam Houston Tollway. Beltway 8 is a toll road. There is a North-South Tollway also known as The Hardy Toll Road . HOV lanes are available for any vehicle with more than 1 occupant. I-45 Will take you to Dallas about 300 miles North or Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles South. I-10 Will take you as far as the west coast in California or if you are East bound all the way to the east coast in Florida.

If you are going to drive in Houston, please bring tons of patience with you. People in Texas do not believe in signaling their intentions. If you see a turn signal it is purely accidental. :) Do not drive on the inside (left) lane unless you are doing a minimum of 75 MPH! Do not slow down at Yellow lights or you WILL BE rear ended. DO NOT HONK at other drivers as some Texans are known to carry guns in their vehicle.

All joking aside...be careful out there. There is a lot of road construction that is not properly marked and you could find yourself in a dangerous situation if going too fast and you encounter a city vehicle stopped in the lane in front of you unexpectedly.

Fog is another road hazard that you should be concerned with. Typically it is only a problem in the winter and spring but when it is present,slow down !!!

Flash flooding is another dangerous thing and can happen unexpectedly.Do not drive through water if you do not know how deep it is. People drown every year because they do this.

As far as your stay in Houston is concerned, you have n number of hotels in Houston.You can get rooms as cheap as $25 a night.Be cautious of what part of town these cheap rooms are in since they might be in high crime areas that are unsafe.Since Houston is so big you may want to find a place close to what you want to see.I was staying at Hedwig Village at the outskirts of the City.

There are many tourist attractions in Houston, which can thrill, delight, educate, or promote relaxation. Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, so activities can be found both for day and night. It’s unlikely you’ll find yourself bored visiting this city.


One of the main tourist attractions in Houston is the Houston Space Center, which through a variety of exhibits chronicles the history of the NASA Space Program. If you are interested in the stars and our space travels thus far, this is a perfect place to visit. There are theaters, tours, a gallery of astronauts, and terrific kid’s activities. You’ll find interest and adventure for the whole family at this museum. The Space Center is open seven days a week, and may have extended hours during the summer months. It may even have longer hours on holidays, but always check before you go to be sure all the exhibits are open.





If watching wildlife is your favorite thing to do, there are a number of tourist attractions in Houston or the surrounding area, which will definitely satisfy. The Downtown Aquarium features 400 different marine creatures, with a massive 150,000-gallon center aquarium. The Houston Zoo has over 4000 animals to visit, and the Armand Bayou Center in nearby Pasadena features 2500 acres of true Texas wildlife,native plants, and hiking opportunities.

Houston’s proximity to the water provides some wonderful activities. At the Port of Houston, you can take ferry rides, and watch ships dock and unload.

Houston is known as a patron of the arts, and the sheer number of museums certainly supports this title. You can visit museums of both contemporary and fine art. The Museum of Natural Science remains one of the delightful tourist attractions in Houston and a favorite of city residents. Numerous historical museums catalog the rise of the west, the growth of railroads, progress in health care, and the Holocaust. In all you can visit over 20 museums in Houston, which can take up quite a bit of time.

Hermann park is a major attraction at Houston. This park hosts a variety of attractions.A picnic area, a playground for children,golf course and jogging trail are among them.Hermann park railroad has a toy train ride which takes us through a scenic quick tour of the park The garden center at Hermann park is a meeting place for over 20 Houston area garden clubs. Outside the center are over 2,500 rose bushes in a variety of colors, and an international sculpture garden.Another attraction here is Museum of natural sciences. This museum is the fourth highly attended museum in US.You can enjoy the Wortham IMAX Theater, Cockrell Butterfly Center, the Burke-Baker Planetarium, or one of the permanent exhibits here.Houston zoo and Japanese garden are other major attractions here.Hermann park is reachable through Metro Rail. You need to get down at Museum District station.

You might wonder why you don’t see many people walking around in Houston? It’s because they are all underground :).A majority of the downtown office buildings are connected by underground tunnels, and in this underground tunnel system there are various shops, restaurants, banks, barbers…just about, well, anything you would find above ground. There are maps posted on the walls showing you the various routes you can take. The tunnel system is color-coded and is almost 7 miles connecting around 77 buildings. If you feel like you are lost, stay at the the tunnel loop, which connects all the tunnels.Other cities, notably Montreal, Toronto and Minneapolis, are renowned for their extensive tunnel and sky-way networks. But Houston may be alone in the extent and nature of its pedestrian circulation system of tunnels and sky-walks that become particularly popular on days like Aug. 12, 13 and 14 when temperatures hit 102 and 101, or tropical storm days which flood many streets.