Porting From Galveston?????

[karaokes]

Hello Cruisers ;)

My first time posting! Can anyone give me tips on porting out of Galveston :confused: There will be 5 of us flying in from California using the Houston (IAH) Airport. Carnival says there is a transfer bus at the rate of $70 per person round trip. That is $175 each way. I was wondering if there was a public bus or perhaps is it cheaper to use a taxi, car rental or maybe even a limo??? Anyone else use different means of transportation? I could also use some tips on hotels if we decide to stay an extra day or two before we port. Would Houston be better place to visit or would it be Galveston?

Thanks for any help.

 

Karaokes :D

[wrp96]

Definitely check into a rental car, but remember to check into the one way drop off fees.

 

A popular option is a shuttle service like www.galvestonlimo.com.

 

We had a private driver who was wonderful, who drove us from the airport to our hotel, hotel to pier, and pier to airport, for less than we would've paid for a rental car or shuttle service for us.

[texas greeneyes]

Hi karoakes, and welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

The advice from the previous poster is good. I would opt for a rental car, especially if I was going to have a day or two in the area pre-cruise.

 

As far as where to stay, try going to the Ports of Call/Gulf Coast Departures section of these boards. There are suggestions and information there regarding pre-cruise hotel options. If you decide to stay in Galveston, know that the vast majority of the hotels with a Seawall Boulevard address are just across the street from the beach.

 

Houston and Galveston both have lots to see and do. There are also NASA and the Kemah Boardwalk to consider; both are between Houston and Galveston.

 

An excellent source of information, including hotel, restaurant, and attraction reviews, is tripadvisor. Just google that word and it will bring up the dot com site. There is tons of info there, and I have found it to be very reliable.

 

Of course, you have already found your best source of info right here at Cruise Critic! Lots of great folks here who can answer just about any questions you have regarding cruising.

 

By the way, from what part of California are you traveling? I was born in San Diego and still have family in southern California.

 

Patty in Houston

[clearlakecruisers]

Also check http://galveston.com for lots of information on transportation, lodging and restaurants.

 

I'm in the Clear Lake/Bay Area/NASA area, which, as the previous poster mentioned, is about mid-way between Houston and Galveston on I-45 and there are lots of lodging options and great food in this area.

 

There has been a lot of "conversation" on this site about transportation from IAH to Galveston. Someone just reported a great rate on renting a van for a larger group. Just do a search and you should have lots of info come up. Be aware that public transportation in Houston consists mainly of city buses or the light rail Metro line from downtown to the Astrodome/Reliant Stadium area (a great inexpensive sight-seeing choice by the way as it also takes you from downtown through the museum area/Herman Park/Rice University area and through the Texas Medical Center)

[Brianinidaho]

Hello Cruisers ;)

My first time posting! Can anyone give me tips on porting out of Galveston :confused: There will be 5 of us flying in from California using the Houston (IAH) Airport. Carnival says there is a transfer bus at the rate of $70 per person round trip. That is $175 each way. I was wondering if there was a public bus or perhaps is it cheaper to use a taxi, car rental or maybe even a limo??? Anyone else use different means of transportation? I could also use some tips on hotels if we decide to stay an extra day or two before we port. Would Houston be better place to visit or would it be Galveston?

Thanks for any help.

 

Karaokes :D

 

I posted a thread a few away called 5 ways to get from iah to galveston. Which was obtained from searching this site. Hope ti helps.

[springtxbill]

Check with Enterprise fleet rentals for a van. You can get it without a drop charge.:)