Plan your visit
Getting around Austin
The center is walkable and the rest of the city is spread out. Here's how to get between them, and where to park.
Central Austin, from the Capitol down Congress Avenue to Lady Bird Lake and across the river to South Congress, is easy to cover on foot. Beyond it the city spreads out, so most visitors mix walking with rideshare, buses or a car.
Parking downtown
Street parking downtown is metered: pay at the pay stations or with the city's Park ATX app, and read the posted signs, since time limits and hours vary from block to block. Public garages and surface lots cover the rest of downtown, and many hotels offer valet. On busy nights and during big events, garages fill early, and leaving the car behind is often the easier choice.
Buses and the train
CapMetro runs the city's buses and the MetroRail Red Line, which links downtown with North Austin and the northern suburbs. MetroRapid buses run the busiest corridors more often, and CapMetro buses also connect downtown with the airport. Check routes and times in CapMetro's app before you ride.
Bikes and scooters
MetroBike, CapMetro's bike share, has stations across downtown and the central neighborhoods, and its fleet includes e-bikes. The Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail is the most pleasant way across the center. Rental scooters are common downtown; check the app for where you can ride and park.
Rideshare and taxis
Rideshare apps and taxis serve the whole city. On weekend nights around Sixth Street and Rainey Street, expect higher prices and plan to walk a block or two to meet your driver.
Driving and the airport
Interstate 35 and MoPac (Loop 1) are the main north-south highways, and both slow down at rush hour, so allow extra time on weekday mornings and evenings. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is southeast of downtown, usually 15 to 25 minutes by car outside rush hour, and rideshare, taxis, rental cars and CapMetro buses all serve it.
Getting around questions
At a metered space on the street (pay at the pay station or with the Park ATX app), in a public garage or surface lot, or with your hotel's valet. Check the posted signs for time limits, and on busy nights consider leaving the car and taking a rideshare instead.
Not for downtown, South Congress or East Austin, which you can walk, bike or ride between. For the Hill Country, the lakes and the swimming holes outside the center, a car is the easiest way to go.
By rideshare, taxi or rental car, it's usually 15 to 25 minutes outside rush hour. CapMetro buses also run between the airport and downtown.