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Texas
TravelTex.com

San Antonio

San Antonio Travel Guide

SanAntonioTourist.com

Public transportation: Most of the fun sights and things to do are downtown in San Antonio, and there's a streetcar and bus system for travel in the city. The taxis aren't bad either. Renting a car might be a good idea, though, because San Antonio is a big city size-wise. You can easily walk around downtown, but if you want to go anywhere else, a car is nice. Traffic is nonexistent compared to cities like New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, and it's really hard to get lost because everything is relatively simple and laid out well. To get from San Antonio International Airport to downtown, you can take a city bus for $.80, a shared-ride shuttle for $14.00, or a taxi costing between $18 - $20.

Stuff to do: You can't leave San Antonio without seeing the Alamo -- it's interesting, informative, and free. The Riverwalk is a huge tourist destination near the Alamo with tons of restaurants, shops, and things to do, including cruises on the man-made river. It's especially pretty in the evening. The Rivercenter Mall is part of the Riverwalk and has an IMAX Theatre. HemisFair Park is on the renovated site of the 1968 World's Fair where you can see the fair's symbol, the Tower of the Americas, and enjoy the view from its observation deck and restaurant. Historic Market Square is lots of fun and a great place for souvenir shopping. Be sure to visit the King William Historic District, a pretty area with lots of cheap bars ($1 - $1.25/bottle beers, all the time), cool shops, and art galleries. San Antonio Missions National Historic Park is pretty cool, and you can get to Mission San Jose on bus 42 from downtown. Two blocks away will be Mission Concepcion. To reach Missions San Juan and Espada, you'll have to take a taxi or drive. If you haven't had your fill of shopping at Rivercenter Mall or Market Square, take a drive to San Marcos to the Prime Outlets Mall. It's been ranked Third Best Place to Shop in the World! You'll need a car to get there, but it's an excellent place to accidentally spend lots of money on cheap clothes.

Bars, pubs, and restaurants: Be sure to eat lots of Mexican food while you're in San Antonio -- it's cheap and good at most places. Breakfast tacos are yummy, and the egg and chorizo ones are highly recommended. Mi Tierra Cafe is usually the place to go, and Rosario's is good but can be crowded. Down the street from Rosario's at 723 South Alamo is Bar America -- a dive, but with dollar bottles of Lone Star Beer, you can't go wrong.