Why You Should Take a Flight to Texas

With its cattle ranches, oil fields and canyons, brash cities and small-town hospitality, the Lone Star State is the embodiment of America. Covering an area twice the size of Germany and stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the north of Oklahoma, there is a lot of Texas to explore. It is home to NASA and The Alamo, modern art galleries, country music bars and spectacular scenery.

When to Book Flights to Texas

There is never a bad time to visit Texas and the best time to visit depends on where you are heading. Texan summers are warm, with temperatures above 30°C in many places. Winters are mild and dry but can be chilly. Spring and fall are the best times to explore the outdoors. Big events to look out for include the Texas State Fair in Dallas in early autumn, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March and the South by Southwest festival in Austin also in March.

How to Find the Best Flight Deals to Texas

There are plenty of ways to bag a cheap flight to Texas when you book with Expedia.

Use the ‘Nearby airports’ option to compare flights from different departure and arrival points in the UK and Texas. The ‘Show flexible dates’ option allows you to compare prices on different days and can unlock different routes to some destinations. The Show options drop down menu and the buttons on the left of the search results allow you to filter flights by duration, airline, price and other criteria.

UK Departures to Texas

Optimal flight times from UK cities to Houston, Texas include:

• London to Houston 10 hours 10 minutes
• Manchester to Houston 9 hours 50 minutes
• Birmingham to Houston 13 hours 5 minutes (no direct flights)
• Glasgow to Houston 12 hours 37 minutes (no direct flights)
• Newcastle to Houston 12 hours 45 minutes (no direct flights)
• Edinburgh to Houston 12 hours 46 minutes (no direct flights)
• Belfast to Houston 13 hours 15 minutes (no direct flights)

Main Airports in Texas

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston deals with more than 40 million passengers and 450,000 flights a year. Located 23 miles north of downtown Houston it has five terminals with a train and subway connecting them. There are bus and shuttle services into the city, and a wide choice of rental car companies.

Dallas Fort Worth handles even more passengers than Houston with around 900 flights a day, but most of the traffic is domestic. There are trains between the terminals, and bus and rail services to Dallas and Fort Worth. Shuttle buses take passengers to the consolidated car rental facility.

Austin–Bergstrom International Airport, which opened in 1999, is five miles outside the state capital and has direct flights from the UK. It is the fifth biggest airport in Texas.

Which Airlines Fly to Texas?

Among the airlines flying direct to cities in Texas from the UK are:

• United
• British Airways
• American Airlines
• Norwegian Air UK

How to Get to and Around Texas

All the main airports have good ground transport links into cities. Dallas, Houston and Austin have adequate public transport networks with bus and light rail systems.

Getting around Texas is relatively easy if you are travelling between big towns. There are flights from the major hubs to regional airports around the state, Greyhound buses link major population and there are some train services.

The best way to explore the wilds of Texas is by hire car. This gives you the freedom to step off the beaten track and is much more convenient than relying on public transport in towns and cities. Renting a car can also be cheaper than flying or taking the bus, but book ahead for the best rates.

What Are the Must-sees In Texas?

Now a museum, The Alamo is a must-see for visitors to San Antonio. It was here in 1836 that several hundred Texan revolutionaries died defending the garrison from the Mexican army, in an episode that has gone down in American folklore.

Get a taste of wild Texas at Big Bend National Park near the Mexican border. You can raft the Rio Grande, trek through forests and plains and marvel at the landscape and wildlife.

There are some great museums in the big cities. The Johnson Space Center in Houston is the home of NASA, and the visitor centre is fascinating. In Dallas visit the Sixth Floor Museum for all you ever wanted to know about the assassination of John F Kennedy.

Tips and Tricks for Travelling in Texas

When driving leave the interstates to explore the countryside. Gas stations are common, but Texas is big so don’t let the tank run low.