San Antonio Info
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Posts: 17
Home Country: usa
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 Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:01 am Post subject: GETTING THERE/AROUND IN SAN ANTONIO / SAN ANTONIO TRANSPORT |
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GETTING THERE/AROUND IN SAN ANTONIO
GETTING THERE
By Air
Just eight miles from downtown the San Antonio International Airport ( SAT ) ( +1 210 207 3450/ http://www.ci.sat.tx.us/aviation.com ) features two terminals and 28 gates. For the eighth largest city in the country the airport is surprisingly compact, making it easy to negotiate for first time visitors. Its runways cater to the following major airline companies:
America West ( +1 800 235 9292/ http://www.americawest.com )
American Airline ( +1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com )
Continental ( +1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com )
Delta ( +1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta.com )
Mexicana ( +1 800 531 7921/ http://www.mexicana.com )
Northwest ( +1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com )
Southwest ( +1 800 435 9792/ http://www.iflyswa.com )
United ( +1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com )
Airport shuttle service via SATRANS ( +1 800 868 7707/ http://www.saairport.com ) enjoys strong marks for price and reliability. One-way fares cost USD9, and round trip tickets USD16. Shuttles exit the airport about every ten minutes. Hours: 7AM-1AM daily.
Taxis swarm the outside perimeter of the airport and are a smart option if time matters. Most rides to downtown take 15 minutes. The average fare ranges between USD15-USD18. Some of the more prominent taxi companies include:
San Antonio Taxis ( +1 210 444-2222 )
Executive Airport and Taxi Service ( +1 210 824 1037 )
Yellow Checker Cab ( +1 210 226 4242 )
If maintaining a strict budget tops the priority list opt for a bus into San Antonio through VIA Metropolitan Transit ( +1 210 362 2020/ http://www.viainfo.net ). For only USD.75 it's a true bargain. The lone catch, however, is that bus rides can take up to an hour for certain downtown locations.
Rental car options abound and include:
Advantage ( +1 877 5500/ http://www.arac.com )
Alamo ( +1 800 327 9633/ http://www.alamo.com )
Avis ( +1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com )
Budget ( +1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com )
Dollar ( +1 800 4000/ http://www.dollar.com )
Enterprise ( +1 800 325 8007/ http://www.enterprise.com )
Hertz ( +1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com )
National ( +1 227 7368/ http://www.nationalcar.com )
Thrifty ( +1 800 367 2277/ http://www.thrifty.com )
By Train
Amtrak ( +1 800 872 7245/ http://www.amtrak.com ) chugs into San Antonio's train station at 224 Hoefgen Street four days a week. The Sunset Limited accesses San Antonio from Los Angeles, Tucson, New Orleans and Florida every Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. While the Texas Eagle approaches downtown from Chicago, Dallas, and Saint Louis every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
By Bus
Greyhound ( +1 800 231 2222/ http://www.greyhound.com ) zips into San Antonio's downtown station at 500 North Saint Mary Street on a daily basis from all points north, south, east and west.
By Car
San Antonio's cobweb of Interstate highways lends it easy accessibility. Interstate 10 dips into the city in a northeast/west direction making it the main route from Houston. Interstate 37 approaches from a southeast direction out of Corpus Christie. And Interstate 35 steers into the city from a north/south direction.
GETTING AROUND SAN ANTONIO
VIA Metropolitan Transit ( +1 210 362 2020/ http://www.viainfo.net ) provides 106 bus routes throughout downtown and the surrounding suburbs. All of the major attractions are serviced including Six Flags, Sea World, The Alamo and River Walk. Fares range from USD.80 to USD1.60. Downtown's VIA Streetcars present an oh-isn't-this-fancy alternative with its fleet of open-air, historic streetcar reproductions. Four lines ( red, blue, purple, yellow ) wind through downtown daily operating 7AM-12:30AM on weekdays and 9AM-10:30PM weekends. Rides cost 50-cents.
Metered taxi service is your quickest bet for getting around town. Taxis can be found at most hotels, otherwise call for they are difficult to hail. Two of the main companies include:
San Antonio Taxis ( +1 210 444 2222 )
Yellow Checker Cab ( +1 226 4242 )
Driving through San Antonio is not recommended. A hellish maze of one-way streets plague downtown, confusing even lifelong residents. Even if you do manage to inch into town, parking is next to impossible. The city has seemingly been so busy 'remembering the Alamo' that they've forgotten about parking. The police are ticket quick so don't even chance parking illegally.
Bike routes are not a priority. To say San Antonio is bike friendly would be akin to saying great white sharks make for great pets. Save the bikes for the surrounding hills. |
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