Is flying from AUS to SAT dumb?

[Buzzard]

If not flying I would take the train. Cab/Uber to and from the station perhaps.

 

[TheBOSman]

*please don't tell me to car it unless you're willing and able to give me a lift ;-)

So I shall tell you to car it (as long as it is a weekend and I'm not out of town, or with sufficient notice for me to get the day off at work).

Amtrak is scheduled for 3 1/2 hours, as San Antonio is the terminus of the route. It's schedule padding, because Amtrak knows the train will get delayed along the way. This way, Amtrak seems more on time. It's similar to if QF or VA allowed themselves 2.5 hours to fly SYD-MEL, we all know it takes much less, but the airline's on time performance would skyrocket if they did that! It is scheduled for 2 1/2 hours to go from San Antonio to Austin.

The Megabus stop in Austin is well located, and the San Antonio stop is downtown a few blocks north of the Alamo. Hard to get too much better really. Taxis or Uber would be readily available at both ends. Megabus or Greyhound can both run late yes, particularly with Austin traffic. But I wouldn't pay $270 to avoid them. You could probably hire a limo service or something similar to drive Austin to San Antonio for cheaper than that.

Driving on the other side of the road is not that difficult honestly. Start slow, take a spin around wherever you pick the rental up. I've driven in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa all without issue. Just remember that here, right turns are the short turn, and left turns are the long turn. You're sitting on the other side, which I find actually helps: you're sitting closest to the center line both here and in Australia in effect.

The drive down is relatively straight forward, although the traffic on I-35 can be pretty awful at rush hour, especially on the Austin end. You could take the toll road, which will have few other cars on it, but will cost quite a bit between the tolls and the toll pass rental. And, quite a bit of it has an 85 mph speed limit, highest posted speed limit anywhere in the USA.

Have a good visit to Central and South Texas, however you decide to get between the two!

 

[DC3]

I'm with the get the car crew. I lived in the States for 6 years and regret being such a wuss for the first year (the one year I lived in California too!) where I was too scared to rent a car. It was a piece of cake. From memory there is a pretty good outlet mall in between Austin and San Antonio as well.

Well said. This is something that most of us put off. In the end, there's really no issue. And, there's plenty of advice on AFF about taking out vehicle rental insurance.

 

[kevrosmith]

I found driving in the States relatively easy. The main challenge is when turning corners - our natural inclination is to turn short on left and wide on right, so I would say out loud to myself each time, "keep right, keep right" as I went around the corner. The freeways are easy once you are on them.

In Washington State (I assume other States would have similar rules), I found the turn right even on red light interesting, as even when 2 or 3 lanes off the freeway were turning right, they would still all manage to creep around and merge with the right-of-way traffic. I just learnt to keep in mind that saying, "When in Rome...".

 

[andye]

Personally i love driving in the US. Why not seriously consider it? Go on! COYS

Strange coincidence that SAT's most famous sporting team is called the Spurs

 

[DC3]

When turning, right is tight, left is loose (or something similar).

 

[JohnK]

I would take the train or bus.

 

[Justinf]

The only thing with driving is that I have to go to the rental agency, pick up the car and then drop it off at the rental agency in San antonio. Would have to cab it at both ends anyway.
Cheapest quote I have received for a town car is $190 which is ridiculous.
Looks like it's Megabus.

 

[cjd600]

I'm with the get the car crew. I lived in the States for 6 years and regret being such a wuss for the first year (the one year I lived in California too!) where I was too scared to rent a car. It was a piece of cake. From memory there is a pretty good outlet mall in between Austin and San Antonio as well.

San Marcos outlets.
And a pretty good BBQ place in the hills at Driftwood

 

[cjd600]

When turning, right is tight, left is loose (or something similar).

Keep your passenger in the gutter

 

[docjames]

The only thing with driving is that I have to go to the rental agency, pick up the car and then drop it off at the rental agency in San antonio. Would have to cab it at both ends anyway.
Cheapest quote I have received for a town car is $190 which is ridiculous.
Looks like it's Megabus.

OK, so I have never driven on the other side of the road and I won't contemplate hiring a car and driving this trip, so even though it's the most logical way to do this, I'm not logical*.
I need to get from Austin to San Antonio, which might seem easy enough, but aside from driving, there's the bus (Greyhound or Megabus) which is a simple 90-minute trip, but have heard horror stories about both.
There's Amtrak, but it leaves Austin at 6.30pm and takes three and a half hours (for the life of me i don't know why).
The other option is flying from AUS to Houston and then to SAT with Southwest. Can do it for about $280 and connection times are pretty good (leave noonish, get in around 4pm).
The cons of the bus are that the megabus stop is out of the way and is often late and Greyhound is Greyhound. Both are cheap (less than $10).
The cons of the train are the length of the journey and the timing. The pros are it's $11.
Flying is more fun, but cost prohibitive and relatively lengthy. At least Southwest gives you one free bag to check in.
So I am crazy or dumb or both to contemplate flying.
*please don't tell me to car it unless you're willing and able to give me a lift ;-)

$190 door to door (and you don't have to drive yourself), vs $280 plus transfer to fly.

Why is that crazy?

 

[Justinf]

$190 door to door (and you don't have to drive yourself), vs $280 plus transfer to fly.

Why is that crazy?

Good point. I think I really am cray cray.
Question though: do you need to tip the driver? I'm guessing yes.

 

[andye]

Good point. I think I really am cray cray.
Question though: do you need to tip the driver? I'm guessing yes.

My LA-based brother says tip is included with Uber even in the US. Not sure with other companies-standard taxis in LA seem to expect one

 

[Justinf]

The fine print in the email the company sent me says 'gratituity is not included, not expected but always appreciated.'
I guess that means gratituity is expected, which makes it closer to $230?

 

[mmchow]

Fare estimate for UberX from Austin Downtown to San Antonio came up $80 -$110. Tipping is optional with Uber. If you do not have an account, sign one up with the bonus first ride, usually $10-$20 off.
https://www.uber.com/fare-estimate/

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I found driving in the States relatively easy. The main challenge is when turning corners - our natural inclination is to turn short on left and wide on right, so I would say out loud to myself each time, "keep right, keep right" as I went around the corner.

An easy way someone explained to me (well, easy for me, maybe not others!) is that 'your heart should always be beside the center line' (from small roads, and by other road markings for multiple lane roads).

 

[Ausbt]

An easy way someone explained to me (well, easy for me, maybe not others!) is that 'your heart should always be beside the center line' (from small roads, and by other road markings for multiple lane roads).

What side of one's body is the heart on though?

Reports on US news tonight of an officer shot dead at at Greyhound bus stop in Richmond, VA. I recall wandering around Cleveland once at midday and passing by the Greyhound stop ...very scary.

 

[medhead]

I've driven a car in Spain and that was really hard. Even after my brother told me to remember righty tighty, lefty loosey. But an uncle who was there at the same time said he was also finding it hard, he drives in the USA all the time and never finds that hard to drive on the wrong side.

YOLO

 

[wandering_fred]

Drive Austin to San Antonio. Yes. The outlet malls are "interesting" and a useful "pit stop"

At this point I have driven more years (though perhaps not more mileage) in Australia than the USA...

When in Australia consider Swahili for a traffic circle... (Courtesy "The Economist" many years ago)

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[TheBOSman]

Drive Austin to San Antonio. Yes. The outlet malls are "interesting" and a useful "pit stop"

At this point I have driven more years (though perhaps not more mileage) in Australia than the USA...

When in Australia consider Swahili for a traffic circle... (Courtesy "The Economist" many years ago)

Happy wandering

Fred

All y'all (as would be said here in southern LOTFAP) keep going on about the outlet malls. I say you haven't really experienced Texas unless you stop at the Buc ee's in New Braunfels. There's nothing in the entire state more Texas than that place . I 100% GUARANTEE that doesn't exist anywhere in Australia, or even nearly anywhere else in the USA .