Driving into Galveston

[Uncwrn93]

I'm reading reviews where traffic in Galveston around the port is horrible. We will most likely be driving down the morning we leave (based on weather predictions in January). Out plan is to leave Dallas by 6am (which on a perfect day should get us to Galveston by noon). Do I need to leave a ton of time trying to get to parking?

[Galveston Cruiser]

Horrible traffic is subjective when all want to be at the same place at the same time.

 

I assume you will be dropping off luggage first then park. If so, come in Broadway, left on 21st then left again on Harborside, right on 23rd into port.

The reason - most will be coming from the opposite direction, you are just going around.

 

Drop off luggage, park, then take the shuttle to port.

[sptrout]

I'm reading reviews where traffic in Galveston around the port is horrible. We will most likely be driving down the morning we leave (based on weather predictions in January). Out plan is to leave Dallas by 6am (which on a perfect day should get us to Galveston by noon). Do I need to leave a ton of time trying to get to parking?

 

No, there are several commercial parking lots very close to the port. It has never taken us more than 10 minutes from car to port. I think that the reviews that you have read may be about private vehicles driving up to the loading/unloading areas in front of the cruise terminal entrances. It can get busy especially when disembarking passengers are confronted with incoming passengers and their cars. They do not have the best traffic flow because of the railroad tracks in front of the cruise terminals that have limited crossing (I have never seen a train though).

[PenguinLife]

My advice is stay away from the official port parking, the first time we cruised out of Galveston we used the port parking, nearly an hour of circling through parking lots (3 lots, crossing 2 side streets) at walking speed before being directed to a parking space, but I guess they had to have a reason to employ all those flag wavers. Since then when sailing out of Galveston we have used one of the commercial lots, some have shuttle buses that allow luggage so you don't have to drive through luggage drop off before parking. Our favorite is Galveston Park N cruise, no shuttle bus, just an on site golf cart, but they are just across the street from the port, one wide street to cross and you are there, 2 minute walk at most.

[scottrn7]

http://discountcruiseparking.net/

 

58.99 pay ahead, free shuttle and they will also handle your luggage.

 

We also recommend

 

http://ezcruiseparking.com/

 

Free shuttle, 65.00 book online before you get there.

 

Galveston Park N Cruise offer only the indoor parking at 80.00 book online before you go, 65.00 uncovered, but you have to walk across the street to the terminal. They recommend you drop off family and luggage before parking.

Edited October 27, 2015 by scottrn7
correction

[cajun-crazy]

 

I assume you will be dropping off luggage first then park. If so, come in Broadway, left on 21st then left again on Harborside, right on 23rd into port.

The reason - most will be coming from the opposite direction, you are just going around.

 

Drop off luggage, park, then take the shuttle to port.

 

Last trip, we were one of those that were "coming from the opposite direction" - and traffic was bad.

 

I'm looking at a map. Is 21st showing on the map as Moody? And I don't see 23rd. Is it 22nd that goes to the pier?

 

Also, it seems that after we dropped the luggage and other passengers in my car off, they had to walk almost to the end of Terminal 1 to enter. Is it still like that? I went off and parked, then came back to meet them.

[PenguinLife]

I agree with the above comment it is best to approach the port on one of the parallel streets, go past and then turn around so you will be making a right turn into the passenger drop off instead of passing through all the exiting traffic then trying to make a left turn into the drop off entrance. This lets you miss about 80% of the traffic congestion at the port.

[ifihadaboat]

Yes, 21st Street is Moody. January 3 - is that when you are sailing? I don't foresee any serious traffic issues then, and your timeline looks good. You might have a good map app in case you need alternate routes around Houston.

[turboteacher]

The folks who used ParkNCruise...did you drop off your passengers/luggage at the terminal and then park? I foresee this as a HUGE problem (so much traffic at the terminal), so I'm looking for us to all park and then walk with our luggage (we are travelling through multiple airports, lugging our luggage across a street, is not a problem). Is this do-able? Can you just walk across the street, and enter the cruise terminal?

[ifihadaboat]

Reading on CC forums, others suggest that you call Park and Cruise directly to get your questions answered. If you are sailing on Carnival, the walk isn't so bad, but if you are sailing Royal, it is a little longer. Personally, I don't think the time to drop off passengers and luggage and then go park is all that long. On the good side, our weather should be pretty good on the 3rd.

[bptex]

The folks who used ParkNCruise...did you drop off your passengers/luggage at the terminal and then park? I foresee this as a HUGE problem (so much traffic at the terminal), so I'm looking for us to all park and then walk with our luggage (we are travelling through multiple airports, lugging our luggage across a street, is not a problem). Is this do-able? Can you just walk across the street, and enter the cruise terminal?

 

When I used them they gave us a ride in a golf cart to the corner and we walked across the street to the terminal with luggage. There is a traffic signal, lots of foot traffic crosses the road.

[notyours75]

We used Galveston Park N Cruise on our last trip and spent more time trying to get out of the terminal lot after dropping our luggage off than walking across the street back into the terminal after parking. Its so close I took a picture of our car from our balcony cabin.

 

Highly recommended, already have a reservation for our Jan Cruise. This time we will park first, then just walk our luggage across the street. We operate under the if you can't hump it by yourself you packed too much philosophy.

[ifihadaboat]

It looks like ParkNCruise is going to be very convenient for you. Their website suggests you reserve ahead to make certain there is space for you. If you are good handling your own luggage, and since you are sailing Carnival, that will be great. Know that you turn into the ParkNCruise before the light at 25th Street, so when you see the stately white building to the right, be prepared to turn right.

[vistapat]

We're sailing on Liberty (terminal 2) on March 6th, and our daughter is driving us down from Houston. She will also pick us up after the cruise. Is there an alternative to having her drive into the terminal area, such as a coffee shop or similar, where she could wait and we could walk to meet her? I can see from the map that the terminal area seems to be very hemmed in, and I couldn't see a way to get out of the area without walking all the way to the end past terminal 1 with our luggage, which would be difficult for DH. Can you get out of the cruise port area somewhere in the middle? I saw on Google maps a covered walkway, but it seems to lead to an unfinished building. Any suggestions? She's going out of her way to chauffeur us, so any help I can give her I will.

 

Thanks, Pat

[turboteacher]

We used Galveston Park N Cruise on our last trip and spent more time trying to get out of the terminal lot after dropping our luggage off than walking across the street back into the terminal after parking. Its so close I took a picture of our car from our balcony cabin.

 

Highly recommended, already have a reservation for our Jan Cruise. This time we will park first, then just walk our luggage across the street. We operate under the if you can't hump it by yourself you packed too much philosophy.

 

Thank you notyours75!

I agree...as we will be shleping our luggage through airports, so I think we'll be able to handle crossing the street with it :) I bet the terminal will be a gong-show...we'll just walk!

[zdcatc12]

We're sailing on Liberty (terminal 2) on March 6th, and our daughter is driving us down from Houston. She will also pick us up after the cruise. Is there an alternative to having her drive into the terminal area, such as a coffee shop or similar, where she could wait and we could walk to meet her? I can see from the map that the terminal area seems to be very hemmed in, and I couldn't see a way to get out of the area without walking all the way to the end past terminal 1 with our luggage, which would be difficult for DH. Can you get out of the cruise port area somewhere in the middle? I saw on Google maps a covered walkway, but it seems to lead to an unfinished building. Any suggestions? She's going out of her way to chauffeur us, so any help I can give her I will.

 

Thanks, Pat

 

For leaving, yes traffic going into the terminal is a nightmare,she could drop you around the train museum and you could walk the rest of the way, it is only a couple of blocks. When you get back, she could pick you up at the ship. There is not much traffic then, especially if you do self-assist (if RCCL has it). When we got back a few weeks ago, I walked over to EZ Cruise Parking (about 6 blocks) to pick up the car and had the family in the car five minutes later.

[vistapat]

For leaving, yes traffic going into the terminal is a nightmare,she could drop you around the train museum and you could walk the rest of the way, it is only a couple of blocks. When you get back, she could pick you up at the ship. There is not much traffic then, especially if you do self-assist (if RCCL has it). When we got back a few weeks ago, I walked over to EZ Cruise Parking (about 6 blocks) to pick up the car and had the family in the car five minutes later.

 

Randy, thanks. I see the railroad museum on the map, but it isn't clear whether there is a pedestrian-friendly way to walk to terminal 2. It appears you need to cross a busy highway or two and the railroad tracks. My DH could manage two blocks with luggage, but not really more than that. Can you in fact cross from the museum to the terminal with sidewalks and/or under- or overpass?

 

Thanks, Pat

 

Pat

[zdcatc12]

Randy, thanks. I see the railroad museum on the map, but it isn't clear whether there is a pedestrian-friendly way to walk to terminal 2. It appears you need to cross a busy highway or two and the railroad tracks. My DH could manage two blocks with luggage, but not really more than that. Can you in fact cross from the museum to the terminal with sidewalks and/or under- or overpass?

 

Thanks, Pat

 

Pat

 

We walked with our luggage from our parking lot which was across the street from the museum. Just go north on 25th and at the intersection with Harborside, there is a crosswalk with lights (and a cop that just sits there). After crossing Harborside it is just a short walk to the terminals. We left out of terminal 2 and came back into terminal 1. You kind of have to maneuver your way through the people going to 1, but we did it, it wasn't that bad. Another reason not to drive to drop off your luggage is that the only entrance is at 22nd St regardless of which terminal you are leaving from, and the day we left traffic was backed up to at least 28th St, though there were 2 ships leaving that day.

[vistapat]

Randy - thanks again. This looks like it might be the solution we were looking for, especially if our daughter can park her car and help her dad with his luggage over to the terminal. Looks like she could cut away from Harborside a few blocks west (maybe 33rd or 37th) and approach the museum from the south. Again, thanks for your help.

 

Pat

[zdcatc12]

Randy - thanks again. This looks like it might be the solution we were looking for, especially if our daughter can park her car and help her dad with his luggage over to the terminal. Looks like she could cut away from Harborside a few blocks west (maybe 33rd or 37th) and approach the museum from the south. Again, thanks for your help.

 

Pat

 

Yeah, that would be ok. She also could actually drop you off on 25th street between Harborside and Santa Fe Place (would leave you with a super short walk) and then make a left turn on Harborside when she leaves. I just used the museum as a reference, because it is an easy reference point. Any street south of Harborside shouldn't be an issue with traffic. Good luck, we've gone out of there 4 times and it's always been easy for us!