Visiting Austin

Getting In

The main airport is Austin Bergstrom International Airport. If you are flying in from Mexico, you may want to check out the San Antonio Airport. Flights there can be a lot cheaper and its about an hour away. 

Downtown Austin is a lot of fun and only about 15 minutes away from the airport.

Lodging

We have a block of rooms at the Embassy suites right next to the lake and just south of downtown, but stay wherever you feel comfortable and is affordable. If it was us, we'd probably team up with some other guests and get an AirBnB. We recommend the east side, north of the River and east of I-35. There are plenty of fun bars and restaurants in a walkable area. If you'll have a car, there are also a bunch of hotels on Riverside and Ben White that are pretty affordable 

Safety

Austin is a fun place that attracts visitors from around the world throughout the year and for events like SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival. It's also home to celebrities like Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and Matt McConaughey. While Austin has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country, it is also experiencing increasing levels of poverty, homelessness, and crime. Please be careful while enjoying Austin. There are a few precautions that I take living here that I think you should consider as well.

Driving
Road Rage - this is Texas, everyone has a gun, just let it go.
Green Light - wait two extra seconds before accelerating when the light turns green. People run red lights while trying to speed up and catch the green light all the time and a lot of times it ends with a bad accident.
Play Defense - Austin is a party town, there are a lot of drunk drivers and not a lot of police making stops. Be aware of other cars swerving or driving erratically and steer clear.

Walking
Drunks / Junkies / Zombies / Hobo's / Homeless - you will see a wide variety of street people around town. Some are down on their luck, some decided on that lifestyle, some are on drugs, and some are all of the above. I recommend not interacting with them. A simple apologetic shrug and "sorry I don't have anything" is good enough for people asking for money. If you see anyone walking up the street yelling at themselves or throwing things, just move to another part of the sidewalk. For the most part, these people are harmless, but you might as well be on the safe side.
Crosswalks - Do not stand on the edge of the curb, look both ways twice, maybe even three times. People will drive through stop signs or stop past the stop all the time. 

General Safety

• Beware of "Dirty" 6th street (between Congress and I-35) after 10 on Friday's and Saturday's 

• Don't go to corner stores or parks before 8AM or after 10PM 

• Use the buddy system 

• Watch your tab carefully. A lot of bars will add drinks to your tab and assume you wont notice when closing out. At some places, it's just best to close out after each round.

• Don't buy anything from anyone in any parking lots