This Airport has 800 daily departures and is the 43rd busiest airport globally. Today’s Houston Intercontinental Airport also referred to as Houston Airport in Houston, Texas, USA, and was previously known as George Bush Intercontinental Airport, to honor the 41st President of the United States of America, George H. W. Bush.
Sprawled across a good 40.5 square km, Houston Airport has 5 runways, 4 terminals for its Domestic flight operations and 1 terminal for its International flight operations. The five terminals work independently with over 200 gates which are well-connected to each other by an elevated train and an underground train.
Until the year 2017, Houston airport has had over 4 million passengers boarding to and from flights to South America, Asia, Canada, Africa, Europe, Central and the United States of America.
The Houston of the 18th century was known as the Bayou City because of its location on the banks of River Buffalo Bayou. In modern times, Houston is called the Space city because of the presence of NASA in it.
No more learning the bus tour schedules by heart. A self-driven car rental is the best option to go around a vast city like Houston which has a diverse culture and many things to see. TravelCar Car Rentals can be booked in George Bush Intercontinental Airport, for your road trips in and around Houston. TravelCar offers an array of car models for every traveler hailing a car for oneself. From leg-spacious vans to compact economy cars, their rental cars are in excellent driving condition.
Be it as short stay as a day or as long stay as a week or a month, TravelCar Car Rentals are transparent in their pricing, insurance, and deals. They have offers and seasonal discounts you can avail of. TravelCar Car Rentals are sought after for their round-the-clock customer support service. Whether the car rental is for a short or for a long term, TravelCar Car Rentals are with you while you are behind the wheel.
TravelCar Car Rentals have a wide range of car models to suit every group of travelers. A few of the highly preferred car models for a group of up to 8 travelers are Luxury SUV Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade and the like. For a group of 5 travelers, TravelCar recommends a Hyundai Elantra; a Mini Van as a Dodge Grand Caravan, or a Chrysler Pacifica. TravelCar has a great option of Compact models: Nissan Versa; Standard SUV Hyundai; Santa Fe and more. They also have a choice of Ford Fiesta Sedan; Chrysler 200, Toyota Camry; Volkswagen Jetta among the Economy car models in their fleet of car rentals.
Houston is the most inhabited city in the U.S. state of Texas and the fourth most densely inhabited city in the United States. The estimated population in 2017 is 2.312 million. Houston is situated in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Covering a total area of 627 square miles, Houston is the eighth most spread-out city in the United States.
It has direct flights from all over North America. Houston is a great choice for a weekend getaway. There are a dozen and odd things you can embark on in Houston, Texas.
Be it unique attractions, shopping or weekend getaways, Houston has it all. You can trust TravelCar Car rental to service you to the hilt!
1. NASA Space Center, Houston
Think of Houston and the image of a space shuttle comes to our mind and what better time to visit NASA than during its 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon!
At NASA’s Space Center, it is a lifetime experience. You can see the replica of Independence, the first ever shuttle carrier NASA 905 on display in the Independence Plaza. The Moon rocks are displayed in the Lunar Vault. Astronaut suits are also on display. You can explore a model of Skylab training center used for the astronauts’ space life training. If your visit is on a Friday, you might meet an Astronaut!
2. Buffalo Bayou Park
For a leisure evening, drive to Buffalo Bayou Park. The park is lush green, 160 acres wide and cuts across the city. The uniqueness of the Park is an old underground drinking-water reservoir from the 19th-century water tank which is now transformed to a fountain. It has waters of Buffalo Bayou surrounded by cycle-tracks, walkers’ path, Dog Park. If in a mood for flexing yourself, indulge in some kayaking, paddling or cycling activities or just relax under the shady trees. The park’s Waugh Drive Bridge is home to over two lac Mexican free-tailed bats which fly out during sunset.
3. Exclusively for the Foodie
Houston is a great option for the foodie in you. There is a wide choice in cuisines-from Mexican, Asian, and Latin American to traditional.
If you are in Houston between September and the end of July, catch the unique creativity of Chef Chris Shepherd. Called ‘One-Fifth Houston’, the concept is to introduce different dining experiences in a restaurant located in an old church- cuisine, theme, et al!
4. Vintage shopping
19th Street in The Heights is the place to be for all quirky shoppers. The shops and its articles beckon you to indulge in some vintage shopping. 19th Street in The Heights has all items of the bygone era. There are shops where you can buy jewelry, evening gowns, and articles for décor, gifts and much more. Even if you are not buying, a walk down the street will give you a unique experience.
5. Visit the Houston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre home to around 6000 or more animals in Hermann Park. Many of them are one of a kind. The zoo has an education center for children. The main attraction in the zoo is, feeding the Giraffes, experiencing the life of aquatic animals, watching Otters and Sea lions playing around in the water. The park also has paddleboat rides on McGovern Lake, Japanese Garden, and the Miller Outdoor Theatre.
6. Attend the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
If you are in Houston in February or March, head to The Livestock Show and Rodeo. It is Houston's much-awaited event every year. It is a 19-day carnival that brings the whole city out to celebrate. The young and old of the family can participate in this show. The whole day is full of entertainment with a variety of activities to do. Some of the best Livestock are for show; the cowboys display their skills and there are food and music to keep you entertained.
The whole family can book a car from TravelCar and bring back a lot of pleasant memories.
7. Waterwall Park
The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is located in Uptown Houston. The Waterwall Park is over 3 acres wide with innumerable oak trees. It has 46,500 square feet of water cascading down arch-shaped structures which are 64 feet above you! Gallons of water gushing out of a fountain, down on the sculptures and concrete walls is an attractive sight to watch.
<H2>Driving around Houston</H2>
Houston is not only ‘happening’ inside the city, but there are also a few interesting places to see outside it too. There are destinations a few hours away from Houston which is worth making a road trip to. Few attractions to visit include the Texas Seaport and Museum, and the Strand Historic District, Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig. Head to Moody Gardens for great family time.
Each of these destinations mentioned here is a mere 1 to 8 hours’ drive. Nevertheless, a road trip in TravelCar Car Rentals will make the trip comfortable and less tiresome.
1. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
The distance to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is about a 4-hour drive from Houston. Enchanted Rock is a pink granite dome which has risen on its own. It has many fabled tales around it, a few being mystic and magical. Listening to tales about hearing the rocks groaning and creaking are bound to give you goosebumps.
2. Dinosaur Valley State Park
About 259 miles to Downtown Houston, you will reach Dinosaur Valley, State Park. Choose a dry day to pack for the park. You can spot Dinosaur footprints on the riverbed of Paluxy. You could place your feet in these factual footprints and be appalled by the sizes! Other activities that may interest you are mountain climbing, horse riding, camping and fishing in the river.
3. Fishing at Lake Anahuac, McGovern Lake, Double Lake
There are many fishing spots around Houston. A few miles drive out of the city will get you to one of these fishing pleasures.
Lake Anahuac is a rare mix of fresh and saltwater fishing in it. It has redfish, speckled trout, and southern flounder and black drum white crappie. The lake is a part of a wildlife park, and you can take a stroll around it too.
McGovern Lake
McGovern Lake is an 8-acre amazing fishing spot with clear water. It has an age limit of under teens and above 60. The lake is a part of Hermann Park and was made bigger and better with cautionary measures in 1999.
Double Lake
Head North of Houston by TravelCar car rentals. An hour’s drive will take you to Double Lake. This lake has catfish, bream and the bass variety of fish. This is an excellent idea of a holiday for kids. Double Lake has scenic hiking trails surrounding it and small-sized motor-boats to ride on the lake. There a few Camping areas too.
Pleasure Pier of Galveston
If you are looking for a quiet time, an hour’s drive to the beaches of Galveston is just the place to head to. You can have some good time going around downtown or walk on the beach or wade through the shallow water and dine at the restaurant by the sea. In the midst of the long stretch of the beach is Pleasure Pier.
Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch is a good 9-hour drive from Houston. If you are artistic or simply love playing with colors, this is a tourist spot we recommend you go to for sure. Cadillac Ranch has a mammoth set up in an art form with many Cadillac-scrap placed nose-deep into the ground.
The awesomeness sets in when the artist in you is allowed to paint the Cadillacs the way you want. Periodical refreshing with paint is done to enable visitors to spray paint the Cadillacs and satiate their artistic pleasures.
Grand Canyon of Texas
With a rich history to boast about, the Grand Canyon of Texas, the second largest canyon in the USA, is about 3 hours’ drive from Houston. Also referred to as Palo Duro Canyon, the Grand Canyon of Texas is huge in size. It was inhabited by Native American tribes. It is a treat for Geology lovers. There are trails for hiking leading to the Lighthouse Peak.
Even if you are a novice to Grand Canyon, this is a great experience to remember. If you want to absorb Texas, then Grand Canyon, Texas is where you ought to head to.
With a more or less a Tropical climate, driving in Houston can be enjoyable in a TravelCar car rental. Houston has numerous toll and freeways to drive around the city. Houston’s expressway system is the second best in the USA.
Two aspects make driving in Houston a nightmare. One is the traffic and the other is the construction of sorts. Nevertheless, a sense of time-management and an Economy or a Compact car from TravelCar will help in making the drive enjoyable in Houston.
The lanes for Heavy Vehicles are open for a few hours early to mid-morning and towards early to late evening. Caution needs to be taken while driving on these lanes by car. TravelCar car rental Customer support team will be available to respond to queries on payments at Toll plaza or on navigating through congested traffic.