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Quick Guide to Texas/AustinOkay, here's a quick guide to Texas for those of you who have never been here. My qualifications: I'm a 32 year old born-and-bred Texan who lived in Austin for six years. For those who attended RTX2011, you'll remember me as the guy who wrote a similar guide last year including frequent weather updates (you'll also probably remember me as the drunken fat jackass, but I was in a bad place in my life last year and while I'm still fat and still drunk (usually), I do expect at least 80% less jackassery this year..at least the bad kind).
Weather
It's going to be hot and humid. July in Texas can literally kill you. If you're not from the Gulf Coast, the jungles of Southwest Asia, or the Brazilian Rainforest, you do not know what to expect. Highs in the summer in Texas range typically from 90-110F (32-43C) with humidity typically over 80%. Make sure to drink lots of fluids (and no, sodas and beer do not count) and bring at least 2 changes of clothes per day along with plenty of antiperspirant because you will be sweating a lot. The following is not an exaggeration:
Food
Austin has a lot of amazing restaurants in every price category, so anyone eating at a chain fast food place or "casual dining" restaurant should be ashamed of themselves. This really deserves its own thread, but I would like to point out specifically Casino el Camino which is located on 6th Street and Red River, which is a great bar which serves the best hamburgers in the world. It's less than two blocks from the convention center and has been talked about both on the Drunk Tank/RoosterTeeth Podcast as well as featured in a RoosterTeeth Webcomic.
Alcohol Laws
The legal drinking age in Texas is 21 years of age. The only legal way to drink in Texas under the age of 21 is if your parent or legal guardian who is over the age of 21 purchases the alcoholic beverage and serves it to you, and the bar can still request that you not do this.
Alcohol may be purchased in bars until 2 AM, at which time no more alcohol may be served and all unfinished drinks must be collected. There are no such things as "to-go" cups and bouncers will get mean if you try to leave a location with a drink in your hand.
For purchasing for consumption at your hotel room, beverages containing more than 10% alcohol by volume (liquor) may be purchased only from liquor stores which may only sell alcohol between the hours of 10 AM and 9 PM Monday through Saturday (no sales on Sunday). Beverages containing less than 10% alcohol by volume (beer, wine, those weird pre-mixed margarita thingies, etc.) may be purchased at any store with a license to sell them (convenience stores, grocery stores, etc.) between the hours of 7 AM and 12 midnight Monday-Saturday and 12 noon to 12 midnight on Sunday. You must be 21 years of age to purchase and many places will not sell to you if you are with someone who is under 21 years of age.
Acceptable IDs: State-issued driver's license or ID card with photo, military ID, and passport.
Texas does not limit the amount of alcohol you can take out of the state, but you can only bring certain amounts of alcohol into the state from other states/countries (the law's very specific here, but generally it's around 24 bottles/cans of beer, 4 bottles of wine, or 2 bottles of liquor). US Customs may have different laws, so you international folks will want to look into that.
Open containers are illegal. You must be indoors or in a clearly defined outdoor patio area in order to consume alcohol or have an open container. Drunk driving is not cool and Austin has plenty of cabs/buses so I'm not even going to get into the drunk driving laws because if you drink and drive, you're a dick end of story.
Transportation
Capital Metro (bus/train) http://www.capmetro.org/
Yellow Cab: 512-452-9999
Austin Cab: 512-478-2222
Lone Star Cab: 512-836-4900
There is a Capital Metro bus that runs from the airport to downtown. Check the website for specific times for your flight, but the ride from the airport to downtown last time I took it (3 years ago), it took around 20-30 minutes early Sunday morning with zero traffic. All the cab companies charge the same rate by city law based on mileage and "idle time", and there is a surcharge to get a cab from the airport. The total trip should cost around $20-30 plus tip. Yellow Cab and Austin Cab both accept credit/debit cards, but (as of last year) only Yellow Cab had real life grown-up card sliders (Austin Cab had those old school giant things with carbon papers that take an imprint of the card), so keep track of your charges because they won't show up immediately in your account. Also, many hotels in the area offer airport shuttles either included in your room rate or for an additional charge.
Misc.
Tipping is expected at all sit-down restaurants and all bars. Expected is 15% at restaurants and 25% at bars (with a minimum of $1/drink). This isn't required by law, but if you're at a bar and don't tip, expect crappy service and for your drinks to be poured "light" (more soda/mixer than alcohol).
Smoking is not allowed in any indoor public area in Austin including but not limited to restaurants, hotel lobbies, convention centers, bars, and public transportation. You must be further than 15 ft from any entrance/exit to a public building. You must be 18 years of age with ID to purchase tobacco, and there are many specialty smoke shops in downtown Austin that carry imported cigarettes if you're from overseas. State law dictates that you can bring no more than 4 cartons of cigarettes or 9 loose packs with you when entering the state.
If you're wondering about your specific hotel/airline/etc., contact them directly as they are the only ones with the correct information
If anyone has any other questions, ask away!
Post edited 2/17/12 9:45AM
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and thank you! My friend lived in Austin for 2 years, but she could drive and spent most of her time NOT in Austin (in Dallas, and San Antonio where most of our other friends live) so she hasn't been much helpful :sigh:
There are a few different options...
First, if your hotel offers a shuttle I'd check that out. Sometimes their transportation is complimentary (minus a tip to the driver) if you're staying there.
Second, check out the Cap Metro Airport Flyer route. It'll be cheap, but may take a while.
Finally, you can cab it. Probably the fastest, but most expensive option.
Your super-dooper best option, though, will be to call your hotel and ask them if they provide a shuttle. A lot of them have free shuttles from the airport which will probably be faster and cheaper if it's not included in your room price already.
If anyone else is wondering, it'll be the same options and cost if you're coming in via Greyhound or Amtrak, though I don't think the Hilton has a shuttle from the bus depot.
I'm not sure. You'd need to contact the hotel to find out details like that.
www.accuweather.com/en/us/austin-tx/78701/july-weather/351193?year=2011
Take that with a grain of salt. Remember the old joke about "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes"? It's only a mild exaggeration. At RTX2011, we had a freak heat wave hit for the weekend and it was 10 degrees hotter those three days than it was any other day the two weeks before or after. The year before that, we never broke 100 degrees except for a few days in August. Year before that, we went something like 8 weeks straight with highs in the 100s (it set a record). But even a "mild" summer in Austin is a completely different beast from summers elsewhere in the country, especially to people from the Pacific Coast or New England (summer is when I get revenge on all my friends from those areas when I complain on Facebook about lows being in the 30s during winter).
Oops, forgot that. Sorry!
Let's not forget that all liquor stores close at 9 PM everyday, except on Sundays, when they are closed all day. Important to know if you drink more than beer.
True. Even if it is rainy this year (please God let it be, I want to go tubin'), it will still be muggy. 90+ degree temps with rain is not a good thing.
Quite a few things. Keep an eye on the SideQuest group, where we'll soon be publishing our list of "SideQuest Approved" guide to Austin with several sightseeing locations, delicious eats, and other fun things in Austin.
Edit: For now, you can check out our list of locations from last year.
Post edited 2/20/12 10:27PM
Cool, cheers!
Okay, I've been up way too long and I'm brainfried right now, but I could go on for a while. Check the Sidequest forums from both this year and last year, google whatever you're interested in, and I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Yeah you do.
The schedule tends to get a little off (5-10 minutes) during rush hour, 7:30 - 9 AM and 4:30 - 5:30 PM. Also, the Night Owl buses (the ones that run late nights to take the drunks home) can be way late. However, you'll almost never have to deal with missing a bus because it's early because drivers get in big trouble if they run ahead of schedule.
In reply to i2egan, #21:
Legal drinking age is 21 years of age, no matter where you're from.
In reply to Abstruse, #24:
i thought that might be the case, but just wanted to make sure. thanks
So I am underaged and don't expect to drink, but can I still get into bar/restraunts like Casino Al Camino?
It all depends. Some places you can get in if you're over 18, but others you can't unless you're 21.
It depends on whether or not the place makes more than 51% of its sales in alcohol as that's the difference between a bar that serves food and a restaurant that serves alcohol. Pretty much any restaurant will allow anyone of any age, but most bars are 21+, though some are 18+ (depends on the specific liquor license). Some, like Highball, even change during the day from 18+ up until 10PM when it becomes 21+. If you're even a little in doubt, call them in advance or check their website.
It depends on whether or not the place makes more than 51% of its sales in alcohol as that's the difference between a bar that serves food and a restaurant that serves alcohol. Pretty much any restaurant will allow anyone of any age, but most bars are 21+, though some are 18+ (depends on the specific liquor license). Some, like Highball, even change during the day from 18+ up until 10PM when it becomes 21+. If you're even a little in doubt, call them in advance or check their website.
Edit: Sorry about the double post. The RT website apparently has two names it signs me in at depending on what link I click on and I couldn't delete the other one
Post edited 3/19/12 2:15PM