San Antonio

San Antonio is the second largest city in the state of Texas and the 7th largest in the United States. It's the 24th largest metropolitan area in the country. Visited by more than 31 million annual visitors, San Antonio is a beautiful city at the axis of three different geological terrains: Hill Country, South Texas Plains and Prairie and Lakes. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and lots of drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. San Antonio's downtown is one of the most lively in the nation.

Understand
San Antonio is considered to be the cradle of Texan liberty. Its best-known landmark is the Alamo, the site of the famous battle (1836) where Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were killed. When most visitors see the Alamo for the first time, their common reaction is "Hm, I thought it would be bigger."

No other city in Texas reflects the state's Spanish and Mexican heritage better than San Antonio. Hispanics make up a considerable fraction of the population and it shows in most places. The Hispanic atmosphere of San Antonio makes it a truly unique U.S. city. This becomes most evident during Fiesta week, a yearly celebration that attracts 3.5 million people to its over one hundred events including parades, music, festivals, fairs and food and drink in the charming downtown streets of the city. San Antonio also has a significant African-American population.

San Antonio, with a population of about 1.5 million (2020), and a metro population of nearly 2.5 million (2018), still enjoys a small-town feel despite the hustle and bustle. Its people are friendly, open and bicultural, and the concentration of population around its center makes it easy to get just about anywhere within a 30- to 40-minute drive.

Climate
During the summer it can get hot, and sometimes humid. Temperatures in the 90s and 100s °F (30s °C) are typical from May to September, though there are some days that stay cooler. April and October have also been known to get into the 90s and even 100s, and during the winter it typically is cool and rainy. Carry a light sweater; you never know when the weather may change in San Antonio.

Visitor information

 * Visit San Antonio website

By plane

 * . Serves over 30 national and international destinations with non-stop service and many more with one-stop direct service.  For destinations, check with individual airlines.  Ground transportation from SAT to Downtown available by shuttle ($19 one way per person), by taxi ($25-35 one way, up to 4-6 persons depending on the size of the taxi), or by public bus (Number 5) which stops just outside Terminal B (brings you downtown in about half an hour for $1.30 exact change and runs approximately every 30 minutes).

By train
San Antonio is served by two Amtrak long-distance trains. The Texas Eagle provides a direct connection with Chicago while the Sunset Limited calls in San Antonio on its way between Los Angeles and New Orleans.



By car
Most visitors to San Antonio arrive by either I-35, I-10, I-37 or US 281. I-10 comes from El Paso to the west and Houston to the east. I-35 comes from Austin to the north and Laredo to the south. Driving times are about 1 hour from Austin, 4 hours 15 minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth and less than 3 hours from Houston.

By bus

 * Megabus. Service from Dallas, Austin, and Houston. The bus stop is in the parking lot on the south corner of 4th St and Broadway St.
 * Autobus Americanos. Mexican trans-border bus line with services from various points in Mexico. Bus stop is at 301 Broadway in San Antonio.
 * Turimex Internacional. Mexican trans-border bus line with services from various points in Mexico. Bus stop is at 518 N, Alamo in San Antonio.
 * Omnibus Mexicanos. Mexican trans-border bus line with services from various points in Mexico. Bus stop is at 930 Broadway in San Antonio.
 * Omnibus Mexicanos. Mexican trans-border bus line with services from various points in Mexico. Bus stop is at 930 Broadway in San Antonio.

By boat
San Antonio is in the middle of Texas. Therefore, it is not accessible by boat, although there are many tubing opportunities around San Antonio, thanks to the huge abundance of rivers in the area.

Public transit
San Antonio's bus system, the VIA Metropolitan Transit, runs the downtown trolley service (actually a bus) for a small fare. Bus fares range from about $1.10 to $2.50 depending on the service with a one-day $2.75 pass (for purchase at some retail outlets see VIA's Website under Fare information) for all routes.

There are 4 types of routes: Express, Skip, Frequent, and Metro. The Express routes usually run from the sub-urban areas (mostly Park and Rides) to downtown. Most of them run about once every 30 minutes. Skip service usually runs along the streets with high traffic. They usually do not stop at bus stops that are served by the frequent routes. Skip routes also usually run about every 30 minutes. Frequent routes can also be found on high traffic roads and as the name implies, the stops are very frequent. Although Frequent routes come by about once every 15 minutes, it is usually faster to wait a little longer and take the Skip routes if you are going a long distance,for example on San Pedro ave, it is usually quicker to wait for the #3 (Skip) as opposed to the #4 (Frequent) if you wanted to get from downtown to North Star Mall. Metro service is usually found in neighborhoods around the city, frequency varies with each route, but they usually run about once an hour.

Discount fares are available to children between the ages of 5 and 11, senior citizens 62 and older, Medicare recipients, persons with disabilities and students. A reduced fee ID is required for reduced fares and can be acquired from VIA Information Centers (students may get the necessary forms from their campus administration). Bus schedules and route information can be found at VIA's website, by calling the VIA information line +1 210-362-2020 or for the hearing impaired at +1 210-362-2019, or at the San Antonio Visitor Information Center.

Taxi
Cabs are available to be hailed downtown, at the airport, or at military bases. In other areas you should reserve a cab in advance.



Events

 * First Friday Art Walk. San Antonio First Friday is a free showcase of the art community in San Antonio. The event takes place on the 1st Friday of every month in the historic King Williams district. Many local restaurants feature live music, and there are vendors selling local goods along the walk.
 * First Friday Art Walk. San Antonio First Friday is a free showcase of the art community in San Antonio. The event takes place on the 1st Friday of every month in the historic King Williams district. Many local restaurants feature live music, and there are vendors selling local goods along the walk.

Theaters
San Antonio is home to several historic vaudeville theatres; The Empire, Aztec, Alameda, and the Majestic. There are also many live music venues including, Sunset Station, Paper Tiger, Scout Bar, Blue Star Arts complex, Pearl Brewery, Cowboys, La Tuna's, Randy's Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar, and The Ten Eleven and many great local bands.



Buy
San Antonio is home to a variety of shopping venues with a wide selection of shops and stores. With ten major shopping malls within an hour drive of downtown as well as La Villita and Market Square in the heart of downtown San Antonio.



Groceries and other basics
The major supermarket chains in San Antonio are H-E-B and Walmart, with some locations open 24 hours. In addition many specialty and organic supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market, Central Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe's can also be found in San Antonio.

Farmers Market
The Pearl Brewery (now an urban re-development center) hosts a farmers market on Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM and Sundays from 10AM to 2PM. Local farmers, vendors, and artisans offer up fresh, seasonal products to the public. Excellent restaurants, boutique shops, condos and apartments have been incorporated in this yellow brick former brewery. The horse stables have been converted into a ball room/dance hall. The "Pearl" is right next to the San Antonio River which forms an excellent green area, you can walk or take the river shuttle up from your hotel downtown. Plenty of parking is available under Hwy 281 and along Grayson St.

Drink
San Antonio's downtown is the hub of the city's nightlife, with hundreds of dining options, bars and clubs mostly on the Riveralk and throughout street level. Other major nightlife locales, include Southtown Arts District, home to First Friday Art Walk, a large art block party with crowds upward of 20,000 along Alamo St. Scores of dining, galleries, theatres and lodging options, that include more than 10 historic 19th century B&Bs adjacent to the Riverwalk.

Wander down through the River Walk and take your choice of bars and eateries. You can't go wrong. There are also several bars/restaurants in the Mercado block of tourist shops.

Stay safe
By American standards, San Antonio is safe for its size; despite a rather high poverty rate and the racial tensions that flared up around the country since 2017, the Alamo City has managed to avoid most of the crime waves that hit other American cities. As long as you take elementary precautions, you'll have a fantastic time. Even when there are crowds for such events like the Alamo Bowl, it is still relatively safe. The River Walk always has something going on, but if you're in one of the quieter spots at night, exercise some caution.

San Antonio has a high rate of cars break-ins. Do not leave any belongings in your car.

Some neighborhoods in the east (Eastwood Village, Wheatley Heights, Arena District) should be approached with caution at night, though they are of little interest to tourists unless you. In San Antonio, if a place looks iffy, don't go there at night.

Connect
As of Dec 2021, San Antonio has 5G from AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile. Free WiFi is widely available.

Consulates

 * 🇧🇪 Belgium
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇲🇽 Mexico

Go next
To leave San Antonio, use US 281 south to get to Brownsville, I-10 east to get to Houston, I-10 west to get to El Paso, I-35 north to get to Austin, Waco, and Dallas/Fort Worth, I-37/US 181 south to get to Corpus Christi and Floresville, SH 16 north to get to Bandera, SH 16 south to get to Poteet, or US 281 north to get to Blanco and Johnson City. An alternate route to Austin is to use US 281 north and US 290 east. I-410 and SH 151 do not leave the city. However, Loop 1604 does go to small towns in the county.


 * New Braunfels - 30 miles northeast of San Antonio, this town is best known for its German culture and heritage, not to mention the Schlitterbahn, persistent in being voted the world's best waterpark.
 * San Marcos - 50 miles northeast of San Antonio, San Marcos is the home of Texas State University and its Aquarena Center, as well as two massive outlet malls that have more than 350 shops.