Getting around Houston mostly means driving, but you can cover Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District and NRG on the METRORail Red Line, and rideshare fills in the rest. The city is enormous. Plan your day around one side of town and you will spend it eating instead of merging.
METRORail
The rail has three lines. The Red Line is the one that matters for most people, running from the Northside through Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District and the Medical Center down past NRG Park. The Green and Purple lines run east from Downtown, toward the East End and toward Third Ward and the universities.
A one-way local ride on a bus or train has been listed at $1.25, with a free transfer within three hours on a smart card and a day pass cap. Fares change, so check METRO before you count your quarters. That is still the cheapest date in the city.
The Bus
METRO buses cover a lot more ground than the rail, including routes the rail never touches like Westheimer. They work best for a straight shot on one big road. Crossing town on three buses is a commitment, so give yourself the time and bring headphones.
Where You Can Actually Walk
- Montrose: the Menil campus, Lower Westheimer and a lot of patios.
- The Heights: Heights Boulevard, 19th Street and the trail.
- Midtown: bars and food along the rail.
- Downtown: parks, theaters, ballparks and the tunnels on weekdays.
- Rice Village: compact blocks and the shaded Rice loop.
- The Museum District: park once and walk all day.
Driving, If You Must
Locals sort the city by rings: inside the 610 Loop, between 610 and Beltway 8, and everything past that. The freeways have names and numbers and people use both. Feeder roads run beside every freeway and will save you more than once. Rush hour on the 59, I-45 and I-10 is real, and Westheimer at 610 is its own punishment.
Driving impaired by anything is DWI in Texas. The law's definition of intoxicated covers alcohol, drugs and any other substance that takes away the normal use of your mental or physical faculties. So the plan is easy: sober driver, rideshare, delivery or stay on the couch.
Rideshare
Rideshare is everywhere inside the Beltway and it is the right answer for any night out. Weekend bar zones like Washington Avenue and Midtown get crowded, so walk a block or two off the strip to get picked up faster.
A Good Day on the Red Line
Start with breakfast in Midtown. Ride south to the Museum District for the natural science museum and an afternoon in Hermann Park. Ride back north for dinner, then a show at the Continental Club on Main or a game Downtown. Nobody drives, nobody circles for parking, nobody ends up on the 59.
Storm Days
Houston streets flood fast in a heavy rain, and underpasses fill first. If it is really coming down, stay put. Never drive into high water. More in Houston by season.
