Everything you need to know about getting around Austin, Texas

23.04.2024 - 09:07 / lonelyplanet.com

Austin is a unique and proudly weird city in many ways but one thing it has in common with its Texan neighbors is a heavy reliance on cars to get around.

The state capital is big and covers a lot of ground, which makes exploring on foot during hot and humid summers very difficult. While having your own wheels can be convenient, the costs can add up both financially and environmentally.

It may not have a subway to get you from A to B quickly, but Austin has been doing its best to improve its public and sustainable transportation options. We've got everything you need to know about getting around Austin.

The MetroBus service is the go-to option to see all that Austin has to offer on the cheap. You can get in and around downtown Austin, to and from the airport, out to some of the suburbs, like Round Rock, and around the UT campus – all via MetroBus.

The bus service’s 11 high-frequency routes stop every 15 minutes or less. Even better? Five night-owl routes run from midnight to 3am, Monday through Saturday night, in some of Austin’s most popular neighborhoods, like South Congress, South Lamar and Riverside.

Although the day-pass fares are cheap ($2.50), you’ll get better value from a seven-day pass ($11.25) if you’re staying in Austin for more than five days. Kids under 18 ride for free. Purchase a pass through the CapMetro app to avoid wasting time in the vending machine queues.

If you’re in a hurry to get somewhere in Austin, hop on a MetroRapid bus. 

Speedier than a regular MetroBus, these Wi-Fi-outfitted vehicles take transit-priority lanes and get a head start at stop lights, thanks to bus-first signals. More importantly, the MetroRapid is a limited route that runs north and south, connecting the Domain to Westgate and Tech Ridge to Southpark Meadows, while also stopping through the University of Texas Campus and downtown Austin.

MetroRapid buses come every 10 to 15 minutes on weekdays and 15 to 20 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.

In 2022, proposals were set forth for Austin’s first subway system, featuring four subterranean stops connecting South Austin and downtown Austin. It will be a game changer, but until then, you can take advantage of the MetroRail – a 32-mile system with nine stops between downtown and North Austin, ending in the northern suburb of Leander.

The MetroRail doesn't necessarily stop at the most popular destinations around the city, but that’s where connector buses come in, running passengers from MetroRail stations to major destinations nearby. For instance, the MLK station is serviced by a connector bus that takes riders directly to the University of Texas campus, and Kramer Station’s connector bus goes to the Domain or UT’s Pickle Research Campus.

Austin’s MetroRail runs from 6:55am to