Getting to Houston

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the sixth largest airport in the world, is the easiest and most convenient way to get to the city from abroad, as it receives hundreds of daily flights from all over the world. Getting to Houston other than by air usually means having to connect by an intricate nationwide network of freeway and railway systems; interstate highways and rail lines link Houston by car, coach and train, respectively, from Canada and Mexico via various cities across the country. Visitors can also reach the city by passenger ferry via the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Bay via the Port of Houston.

By car

Houston is encircled by Interstate I-610, and intersected by Interstate I-10, which links the city to San Antonio to the west and New Orleans to the east. Interstate I-10 corresponds closely with the US/Mexico border, and Houston is accessible via this freeway from El Paso, Texas, that borders with Ciudad Jurez on the Rio Bravo del Norte in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Driving from San Antonio to Houston takes four hours; New Orleans to Houston takes seven; and El Paso takes fifteen. These times are based on non-stop driving at, or below, applicable speed limits.

By rail

The thrice-weekly Sunset Limited service links Houston from Mexico via San Antonio and El Paso. The train journey from San Antonio takes four hours, 50 minutes; El Paso takes four hours, 20 minutes. The highly comfortable Amtrak (phone: +1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) operates nationwide long-distance services to and from Houston Amtrak Station, 902 Washington Avenue (phone: +1 713 224 1577).

By bus

Greyhound (phone: +1 800 231 2222; website: www.greyhound.com) ushers passengers in from Mexican and Canadian border cities via Houstons 24-hour bus terminal at 2121 Main Street. Although bus services off the main routes are not highly developed, Greyhound runs frequent services connecting Houston, San Antonio and other major towns and cities in Texas and further afield. The average journey time from San Antonio is three hours, 30 minutes; New Orleans: eight hours, 45 minutes.

By air

Houston has three airports. However, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (phone: +1 281 230 3000; website: www.houstonairportsystem.org) is the largest and the international air thoroughfare into the city. 35kms north of the city, it is Houstons only international airport, serving over 150 destinations worldwide. Flights take approximately eight hours, 55 minutes from London to Houston; three hours, 25 minutes from New York; three hours, 35 minutes from Los Angeles; three hours from Toronto; and 19 hours, 50 minutes from Sydney.

By ferry

Houston is accessible by ferry from the Bolivar Peninsula, a thirty-mile long sandy strip of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from the waters of East Galveston Bay. The bay crossing is accomplished by driving onto a free highway department ferry boat. Follow the signs from the ferry, cross Galveston Island to get to the Broadway, which turns to the highway. From here, Houston is I-45 north from Galveston Island. The ferries cross one of the busiest marine intersections in the world, including the Houston Ship channel, with approximately 7,000 ships coming into the Port of Houston each year.

Houston airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport is Houstons international airport, situated 35kms north of the city. It has five distinct terminals, although terminals C, D, and E share a common, and very large, building. An automated people-mover connects Terminals B, C, E and the International Arrivals Building. There is also an underground inter-terminal train to connect the five terminal buildings. Airport facilities include bureaux de change, ATMs, tourist information, car hire, duty free, shops, restaurants and bars.

Houston airport transportation

Transport options to the city from the airport include the Express Shuttle (phone: +1 (713) 523 8888; website: www.coachusa.com), a daily service that runs trips every 30 minutes from 06:45 to 23:30. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, known as METRO (phone: +1 713 635 4000), operates regular public buses, 101 Airport Express and 102 Bush IAH to downtown Houston daily from 05:00 to 01:00, every 25 minutes, on a journey that takes an hour. Taxis are also available outside the terminal.