Austin for first-time visitors
The Texas State Capitol. It stands 308 feet tall at the north end of Congress Avenue, built from sunset-red granite quarried near Marble Falls. Free to enter, no reservation needed. Walk the grounds first for the best city orientation, then work south down Congress Avenue toward the river and South Congress.
Questions first-timers ask about Austin
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Must-see
The Texas State Capitol. It stands 308 feet tall at the north end of Congress Avenue, built from sunset-red granite quarried near Marble Falls. Free to enter, no reservation needed. Walk the grounds first for the best city orientation, then work south down Congress Avenue toward the river and South Congress.
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Best time to visit
October and November. Austin's summer heat regularly tops 38°C (100°F) from June through August, making outdoor sightseeing miserable. By mid-October, afternoon highs drop to 27°C (80°F), the live-music calendar peaks around ACL Festival in Zilker Park, and hotel rates sit 20-30% below SXSW-season pricing. March and April work too, but expect SXSW crowds in mid-March.
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Airport to city
Take a rideshare from Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) to downtown. The trip runs 15-20 minutes and costs $15-25 on Uber or Lyft. Pickup is on the lower level outside baggage claim. Capital Metro's Route 20 bus costs $1.25 and takes 35-40 minutes to Republic Square, but runs limited hours after midnight. No rail link exists.
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How to get there
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) sits 13 km southeast of downtown, with nonstop domestic service from 70+ US cities. Southwest Airlines dominates the route map. Round-trip fares run $200-400 from most US cities, £500-800 from London Heathrow on British Airways. San Antonio (SAT, 130 km south) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW, 310 km north) serve as secondary hubs for international connections.
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Getting around
Uber and Lyft for anything beyond walking distance. Austin has no subway. CapMetro's 801 MetroRapid bus runs every 12 minutes on South Congress and North Lamar for $1.25, and the app sells a $2.50 day pass for all routes. Electric scooters fill gaps downtown. South Congress, East 6th, and the 2nd Street district are walkable, but between neighborhoods, rideshare is the realistic answer.
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