Getting Around

Texan distances are best negotiated by car ; in fact, in the larger cities like Dallas or Houston driving is all but essential. Greyhound routes are concentrated between the major cities of the east and the central region, though buses also serve the Gulf Coast, the Rio Grande Valley, West Texas and, to a lesser extent, the Panhandle. Two Amtrak trains pass through Texas: The Texas Eagle travels between Chicago and San Antonio, stopping in Dallas and Austin; while the Sunset Limited stops in Houston, Alpine and El Paso on its way between Orlando and Los Angeles. An Amtrak Thruway bus links San Antonio with Laredo. Flying saves time and can be very cheap; look out for price wars between airlines such as Southwest and smaller local carriers.

Where Texas really falls down is on public transportation within the cities themselves; mass transit has proved impractical in a state where long distances - in Houston many people travel at least thirty miles to work - and low gasoline prices make the love affair with the car almost inevitable. Cycling only really makes sense within cities like Austin and San Antonio.