Help for a couple of Canadians..never been to Texas

[Kelownabccan]

We are thinking of going on the Voyager of Seas on Sun, Feb 27th......will arrive IAH on Thurs night...5:30pm.....so that gives us three nights before cruise....fly out on Mar 6th....same day at 6:30pm from IAH.....a can anyone give us an idea of how to do things....we are not elderly...lol....and will have small roll on cases....do not know the logistics of the area....

 

stay overnight by airport?

rent a car?

drive and park in Gavelston?

stay in Houston or go to Gavelston?

take a shuttle?

 

boy I do not know where to stop.....

 

Thanks, Ken

[firefly333]

I can tell you that the rental car place in Galveston is closed on sunday, so you would have to turn it in by saturday. I myself prefer staying on the seawall of Galveston and have the beach. Why stay away from the beach when you can drive an hour and stay right near one or across from it.

 

Most people take shuttles to Galveston or a limo and if they want to go further than they can walk down the seawall to eat, grab a taxi. I think its up to you if you want to spend the first night at the Houston airport.

[Texas Tillie]

A few thoughts from a native Houstonian about your plans - first, welcome to Texas!

 

I would consider renting a car - ar least for getting to Galveston. If you can get a really good deal on a rental car, it might be cost effective to keep it for the week you're on the cruise (parking it at a hotel that includes parking) and then you'll have it for your return to IAH on your final day. Be aware that your only option for renting and turning the car in on Galveston Island is Enterprise - but if you keep it for the week, all agencies are viable.

 

I would not recommend staying in the airport vacinity as it's not a very good neighborhood. I'd only do it if you went straight to your hotel and stayed there until the next morning. If you've got a rental car, drive to the Galleria or similar area. Then the next day (Friday) you can do a driving tour of Houston before heading to Galveston.

 

If it interests you, you can stop at NASA on the way to Galveston. In Galveston I'd recommend a hotel on Seawall Blvd. You'll then have all day Saturday to do the tourist things in Galveston - a lot to do.

 

I'd suggest that you go online and look at the tourist bureaus for both Houston and Galveston and then come back here with specific questions.

 

Good luck on your planning!

[ssb]

We are thinking of going on the Voyager of Seas on Sun, Feb 27th......will arrive IAH on Thurs night...5:30pm.....so that gives us three nights before cruise....fly out on Mar 6th....same day at 6:30pm from IAH.....a can anyone give us an idea of how to do things....we are not elderly...lol....and will have small roll on cases....do not know the logistics of the area....

 

stay overnight by airport?

rent a car?

drive and park in Gavelston?

stay in Houston or go to Gavelston?

take a shuttle?

 

boy I do not know where to stop.....

 

Thanks, Ken

 

 

Go to Galveston

:D*******First get reservations now************

Mardi Gras Galveston is beginning Saturday 26th

A family oriented large event

with all of our closest friends

See galveston.com/calendarofevents/#/?i=5

February 26, 2011

You need to decide if you want to stay on

1. Gulf of Mexico Beach Area (many many hotels)

2. Historic Old Town Strand Port Area (Tremont and Harbor House)

3. Bayside Area (2) Moody Gardens Hotels

Tremont and Harbor House are 2-3 blocks to terminal.

Everything is close though!

All hotel/motels are just two or so miles from terminal anyway.

Parade is on Seawall

To get bearings of island

Look at FREE internet map

 

See Galveston.com

Interact and Discover

Maps

Galveston Fun Map

 

Click on the image of Galveston Fun Map here or on site

With 3 days only

There is plenty to do in Galveston/Kemah/Nasa area

 

Kemah is ½ hour away and fun[/b]

nasa space center

kemah board walk

 

galveston:

1894 grand opera house (a must see tour and or event)

ghost tours

old town galveston - on strand and post office streets(lots of shops and ice cream, old army surplus store, fine restaurants theater)

winerys

many live theater venues

museums

antiques and art Galleries

horse drawn carriage rides

galveston historical foundation properties

moody gardens (lots to do) (Imax Theater with lots of educational films)

schlitterbahn water park

airplane museum

restored tall ship schooner Elisa (wonderful)

1900 storm and pirate jean laffite documentary films at port

walks and shelling on the beach

shopping

dolphin watch and port tour

turtle rescue farm behind San Luis Resort

carved damaged trees from storm tour

kite flying on beach

free ferry ride

maritime museum

sea wolf park – wwII submarine and destroyer

many historical and Victorian homes

bishops palace (wonderful)

moody mansion (wonderful)

ashton villa (wonderful)

oil drilling rig museum

large souvenir shop over gulf water

duck tour (amphibious boat)

http://www.galveston.com/interact and discover/webcams/

[Kelownabccan]

Thanks for the info....have lots to think about and now with the Mardi Gras party I better do something sooner than later.....my thoughts were echoed.....get a hotel first night with rental car....drive to a nice area, tour the next day in Houston, stay overnight, drive to Gavelston, tour, stay overnight, go on cruise, drive rental car back to airport....we do not leave until 6pm so have the whole day to tour and get back also....thanks again...Ken

[firefly333]

A lot of the hotels have free cruise parking, you just need a cab for most of them. Holiday Inn has their own shuttle to the port, but coming back its known to be iffy how long you have to wait for it. There are two Holiday Inns on the SeaWall. Probably run about $100ish a night plus tax.

 

Give us a idea what kind of hotel you want and Im sure there will be tons of suggestion depending on what price range you want.

[ssb]

If you are willing to expand yourselves

I would have you

consider the following:

 

Fly into San Antonio Wed .... Stay on Riverwalk or Market Wed nite ....... Rent Car thurs Tour SA and Drive to Gruene 1/2 hour....... Stay there Thurs nite ..... Drive to Houston or Kemah/Nasa Friday ....... Go to Galleria area in Houston or Kemah/Nasa , stay one or the other there Friday .... then Sat to museum district Houston OR or Kemah/Nasa Sat Morning which is on the way to Galveston with no lost time.....</SPAN> then to Galveston Sat moring or afternoon ............ OR go Friday and nite to Galveston then back to Kemah/Nasa Sat morning ...it is very close

Galveston Mardi Gras - Sat nite Cruise Sunday

 

SOME GALVESTON HOTELS MAY REQUIRE TWO NITES????????

[Kelownabccan]

Boy....mabe I need to revise things and come for a longer time....lol....Ken

[firefly333]

We used to rent those house on the beach in Galveston for the weekend and hang out on the beach and then do a big shrimp feast for saturday night dinner. We would go into town and buy a pound of shrimp for each person or so and then cook it up in all sorts of treats.

 

To me Houston is just another big city .. but I love Galveston. Even on seawall, which isnt much of a beach, the boardwalk is always hopping. The boardwalk is miles and miles of beach with people skating by, some metal statues and watching people go into the water. I saw a Amish family, the women with their heads covered, pick up their long skirts to wade .. dogs and people going by. We had folks in Quality Inn Beachfront who had a BBQ who cooked out by the outside door of the inside pool there.

 

Moody Gardens alone would take a full day in Galveston.

[ssb]

Boy....mabe I need to revise things and come for a longer time....lol....Ken

 

Yes!

Since you are coming!

Yes San Antonio Riverwalk and Gruene are wonderful.

Houston is interesting

Galeria and Museum District are nice.

Nasa always a must for a visitor to area.

Kemah is fun and on water

Galveston is wonderful!

And Mardi Gras is a real plus.

Then your cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com

www.gruenetexas.com

www.galleriahouston.com

www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org

www.spacecenter.org

www.kemahboardwalk.com

www.galveston.com

www.mardigrasgalveston.com