Ultimate Visit Texas Guide: Is Texas Good for a Holiday

Oct 6, 2022

Texas, also known as the Lone Star State, is also the second biggest State in the U.S. and very popular amongst UK travellers.

From the bustling, but historic cities of San Antonio and Fort Worth, to the thriving metropolis of Houston and Dallas, to the cultural city of Austin, Texas truly has something for everyone.

Texas has busy towns and cities but the adventurous can hire a car and head south-west towards the famous Rio Grande River separating U.S. and Mexico and enjoy the vast and expansive Big Bend National Park.

Here things operate at a leisurely pace and depending on when you travel it can be many hours before you see another person, which was a surprise to us during our time at the park.

Having spent much time in Texas, and having driven many miles across it’s plains, I want to share everything I can about Texas and whether it’s good for a holiday for solo trips, couples, friends, and larger families.

There are things to be cautious about, and we encountered a few, so we will explore those too.

Travelling to Texas from the UK

There are three main airports in Texas serving regular direct flights from the UK.

These are the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, the Dallas Forth Worth international airport in Dallas and the San Antonio International airport in San Antonio.

All of these airports are served directly by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines from London Heathrow (LHR).

All of these airlines offer premium cabins such as Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class depending on how luxurious you want your trip to begin.

Prices of course vary by airline and by time of the year.

Expect to pay from around £800 per person in Economy, from £1,600 per person in Premium Economy, from £3,000 per person in Business Class and from £4,200 in First.

The flights are between 9 hrs to 10 hrs each way, so an upgrade to a bigger and more spacious class certainly helps with the journey.

A recent return flight on BA Business Class (Club World) helped to make both inbound and outbound flights to Houston go very fast, with plenty of opportunity to take a comfortable nap which can certainly help beat any jet lag if planned well.

Best Places to Visit in Texas

Texas has no shortage of well known, and hidden gems, waiting to be explored.

Almost every travel itinerary and travel books recommend spending two to three days at each destination, and although this is good if you really want to explore the food, the culture and everything the city has to offer, it doesn’t help to get around this huge state on a holiday.

One to two days per destination can be enough to explore the best the city has to offer, even if some of the attractions may need exploring on a second trip.

All of the recommended destinations below were visited by our team during a recent holiday to Texas:

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park sits on the south-west edge of Texas, at the border of Mexico and is only separated by the famous Rio Grande River.

Just beyond the famous Las Fajitas hotel on the outskirts of the entrance to the Big Bend National Park is a parking area. Stand on the bank on the U.S. side and Mexico lies just 12 feet across from you – just do not cross – although rafting down the river is permitted.

A good 6 hours drive from Houston, Big Bend National Park is one of the least touristy and least visited National Parks in the U.S. at times we didn’t see another person for hours.

It is huge, expansive, and very quiet with a curious combination of terrain from rocky sun scorched vistas to green pastures and trees.

Big Bend National Park is also home to a variety of wildlife including snakes and black bears, who have only recently started calling Big Bend National Park home after many years of living on the Mexico side across the river.

Although someone can spend days and days hiking and exploring, we spent 3 days and travelled by car in the scorching heat and felt we covered a good area of the park.

Austin

Austin Texas at sunset

Austin is known as the music capital of the U.S. and with the expansive bars and clubs it’s easy to see why!

Although famous for its variety of music, and being the capital of Texas, it has a very cultural and artistic feel. Many walls are adorned with murals and artwork.

It is also home to natural swimming lake Barton Springs Pool. A wonderful retreat to spend a few hours. Despite the heat (at around 35 degrees in late summer) the water was cool.

The lake surface was very slippery underfoot due to the algae, so be careful if you decide to take a dip but it’s a very popular destination for locals and youngsters wishing to escape the city and relax, swim and picnic. Entry was $12 for the day per person.

During a night out the team went to a concert at the Moody Centre and took a bicycle taxi across town, which was very fast and fun. A worthwhile experience but negotiate a price upfront.

That said, they found the bicycle taxi drivers very polite, courteous, friendly and one even tried to help them save money.

Fort Worth Stockyards

A cattle drive at the Fort Yard Stockyards

Forth Worth is split in to two almost separate cities.

To the south is skyscrapers, bars, restaurants, and hotels not out of place in New York.

To the north are the Fort Worth Stockyards, a true cowboy town full of bars, good food, cattle drives and Billy Bobs, the largest honky tonk in the world with over 40 bars inside!

The area is quite touristy but certainly not unauthentic. It is also one of the only areas of the U.S., outside Vegas, that you will see people drinking alcohol in the streets, which is allowed.

The John Wayne Museum a particular and surprising highlight exploring the life of the famous actor. Our team spent an hour and a half here and become completely absorbed.

Billy Bobs is a must even for the experience of forty bars in one place. Big known stars as well as cover bands play here often. Inside there is also a Billy Bob’s gift shop and a restaurant, that caters to vegetarians (although not on the menu, ask for a veggie patty to replace the meat if required – it’s highly recommended!).

There is a day entry fee and a night entry fee, and drinks are on the pricier side of around $10-$12 a beer and $12 a spirit and mixer, but when in the Fort Worth Stockyards it’s a must!

It is well worth spending a day or two in Fort Worth, and the luxurious five star Stockyards Hotel right in the heart of town is incredibly convenient for exploring the local area.

San Antonio

The Alamo in San Antonio

San Antonio’s most famous landmark attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

The Alamo is the post where a small number of brave local men, led by Davey Crockett, fought heavily outnumbered until the end against a small army of fighters from Mexico for its independence.

Situated in the heart of the city a visitor can either explore the gardens and tributes to the brave men for free, or – and very much recommended – go inside The Alamo where you can learn all about the battle or watch the video presentation (to the left of the entrance).

Alamo guides sit inside and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

If arriving by car there are a number of paid parking places close by. Our team used The Alamo Car Park in the city. It cost $10 per day and is less than a 5 minute walk to The Alamo and town centre.

Bandera

Bandera in Texas

Situated to the east of Austin and Houston is the small more rural town of Bandera.

Small in size it emits local authentic charm with an array of gift shops, bars, and restaurants.

If in town you must pay a visit to the Busbees BBQ restaurant. It’s where the locals come to eat and has an area dedicated to John Wayne who ate at the restaurant almost every day when filming The Alamo nearby (The Alamo was not filmed in San Antonio, it was filmed just outside Bandera in a made for film studio).

There aren’t many boutique or five star hotels in the area but many decent chain hotels exist, or alternatively a recommendation from our team are the small Mistley Cabins of Bandera for a cosy night in a traditional Texas cabin surrounded by nature and dark skies.

Houston

Houston in Texas

The surprising fact most visitors discover is just how BIG Houston is!

The main downtown district, like many downtown districts across the U.S. are relatively small, but the suburbs stretch for considerable lengths.

Similar to London, the area between the City and West End is relatively small compared to the area of London including the surrounding 32 boroughs.

The team travelled around on foot in the day and at night. Around the downtown area it was busy but not congested and the team felt safe in their surrounding area.

The Guadalajara Del Centro mexican restaurant deserves a note-worthy mention as the food served is a delectable treat, and very close if visiting for a show or gig at the House of Blues.

The Springhill Suites, Marriott hotel on Dallas Street is a great choice for being in the heart of downtown especially for the House of Blues. There are no less than three hotel chains in the same building, which can be a little confusing, but the central valet parking at $45 a night, covers all three hotels.

NASA Space Center

NASA Space Center Houston

No visit to Houston, or even Texas, is complete without a trip to the Space Center Houston, which is essentially the main NASA Space Center experience.

Tickets can be purchased online in advance by choosing a time slot for the day you want to arrive. Parking fee on top of $5 is mandatory as part of the ticket purchase, even if arriving by taxi.

Driving to the Space Centre is easy and is easily located on the Nasa 1 road.

The visit to the NASA Space Centre is really split in to three parts.

After passing through the QR code ticket barriers the first hanger has some great interactive exhibitions aimed at a younger crowd. Here the gift shop, restaurant and photo opportunities can be found.

Take a ticket for the trolley tour, it’s free and part of the entrance fee. The ticket will give you a boarding number. Look out for the time of the boarding departures and make sure to be at the queue area at least 5 mins before the departure time.

The audio trolley tour takes you around the NASA space centre buildings and the audio commentary explains what happens in each. You depart for a really incredible tour across one working building seeing scenes not out of place in a film like Apollo 13!

Once the tour ends you enter back into the main hanger but this time where real space rocks from the moon, and other artifacts that have been in space are kept and showcased.

It’s a stargazer’s dream!

In fact, here you can actually touch a piece of the moon!

Terlingua Ghost Town

Welcome sign at the entrance to the Terlingua Ghost Town

The best places to go in Texas list couldn’t be complete without a quirky entry not found on most top 10 Texas places!

The Terlingua Ghost Town is situated just outside the Big Bend National Park.

It may not be worth the 6 hour drive from Houston, Austin, or Dallas just to visit but is essential to make a detour along its dirt road if you are planning on visiting Big Bend.

The Terlingua Ghost Town is part RV holiday park, park RV living park and part thriving small ecosystem with the most eccentric shops, motels, bar, and very nice gift shop surrounding by nothing by plains and open skies.

Being Cautious in Texas and Things to Avoid

Although Texas is considered a relatively safe place to visit it is always wise to take caution when needed.

The downtown areas in large cities are generally considered safe to walk around but surrounding suburbs – like in most capital and large cities – are probably best avoided, especially at night.

Texas is also hot. Very hot. Even in usually cooler months like September and October the temperature in the cities can reach between 30 degrees and 40 degrees Celsius. Sun cream is a must.

If you do venture down to Big Bend National Park, you will need mosquito insect repellent with a good concentration of Deet.

Also remember that in the National Parks you are in the natural habitats of wildlife, some dangerous and although attacks on people are rare, following the rules of safe observing are mandatory.

Bears and snakes are common, so look out for the ranger information stations before you head out on a hike and follow their instructions and rules.

Before we look at some frequently asked questions, we couldn’t finish off this section without commenting on the driving in Texas, especially between Dallas, Houston, and Austin. It’s fast!

It can feel a little frenzied at time, but if you feel uncomfortable either pull of the main highways and look for alternative slower roads, help from a GPS system comes in useful, or keep in the slow lane (furthest right on the highway) and let faster cars pass by.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Texas Good for a Solo Explore?

Texas is a great state to explore solo. Texans are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Large towns have many tourists who travel across cities and states and finding groups and social events is never a challenge.

Is Texas Good for Couples to Holiday?

Texas is a great place for couples to holiday. It offers variety of attractions, landmarks, events, nights out, scenic drives and mountain terrain for a perfect romantic getaway for two.

Is Texas Good for Families and Children to Visit?

Texas has everything for families from the great outdoors with amazing camping opportunities with unique wildlife, to the NASA Space Center in Houston to the beaches of Galveston.

It is generally considered a safe state to travel in with children and families and has a huge amount of variety to keep even little ones entertained.

Are there Snakes in Texas?

Yes, there are snakes in Texas. A lot of them!

It doesn’t mean you will necessarily see one. Our team spent time in Texas, including three days in and around the Big Bend National Park and did not see or hear a single snake.

Many people have seen and heard snakes, just keep a safe distance, and observe from afar.

Are there Bears in Texas?

Black bears are now back in Texas and are found in Big Bend National Park after leaving for the Mexico border but returned several decades later in the 1980’s.

Black bear cubs in Texas

There are around 14 black bears in the national park.

Is Uber available in Texas?

Uber is available in the main towns and areas of Texas including Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth (including the Stockyards) and Austin.

Our team used a number of Uber taxis on a number of occasions and found all drivers polite and friendly.

What is the Time-zone of Texas Compared to the UK?

Texas is included in the Central Time time-zone and therefore is -5 GMT in summer and -6 GMT in winter, or always 6 hours behind the time in the UK.

Is Texas Hot?

Texas is very hot. It can be uncomfortably hot and humid for visitors not used to the heat. Air conditioning is available in almost every hotel, shop, restaurant etc…

Hiking and walking are advisable in the morning only for most of the year and carrying plenty of water as well as sun cream is recommended.

Is Texas Good for a Holiday – In Conclusion

Texas is truly a state that has it all.

A visit and fly drive to Texas is really a luxury trip to add to any adventurous bucket list.

Glorious beaches, steeped in history, a huge National Park, cattle ranches, rodeos, and the NASA space center – it proves Texas really is a great place to holiday!