10 Mistakes People Make When Visiting San Antonio
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Our guide on how to avoid common travel mistakes in San Antonio helps you to make the most of your visit and use your time and money wisely. San Antonio is one of the top travel destinations in Texas, with its historical sights, parasol-lined River Walk, exciting theme parks, and vibrant mix of cultures to explore.
Planning ahead will help to prevent travel mishaps and make it easier to sort out logistics such as where to stay and how to get around. Make your trip as seamless and worry-free as possible by being aware of these mistakes people usually make when visiting San Antonio.
10 Mistakes People Make When Visiting San Antonio
- Taking a taxi cab from the airport
- Only visiting the historical sights
- Driving a car downtown
- Playing it safe with dining choices
- Being careless on The River Walk
- Expecting too much of The Alamo
- Coming unprepared for the heat
- Staying only at downtown hotels
- Being too shy to ask for help
- Missing out on the taste of a puffy taco
1. Taking a taxi cab from the airport
Hotel shuttles and city busses offer savings and a more leisurely ride
Ideal para: Econômico, Casais, Famílias
Catching a taxi cab from San Antonio International Airport offers a quick way into the city, but you’ll save money by using a shuttle or city bus instead. Several hotels in San Antonio offer a free airport shuttle service, so be sure to check on possible transportation options when booking your place to stay.
Bus route number five runs between the airport and downtown daily from 5.30 am to 9.45 pm. The bus trip to downtown takes about 30 minutes. If you’re arriving early and hope to spend the day exploring the city, consider buying a day pass giving you unlimited bus trips for just a few bucks.
Buscar hotéis - San Antonio, Texas (SAT-Aeroporto Internacional de San Antonio)
Taking a taxi cab from the airport
2. Only visiting the historical sights
There’s much to see beyond the Spanish missions and museums
Ideal para: Econômico, Foto
San Antonio is a fascinating city for history buffs, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the great outdoors in addition to those historic churches and The Alamo. Brackenridge Park offers the perfect escape from the tourist crowds with its walking paths and green spaces. You’ll also find the Japanese Tea Garden and San Antonio Botanical Garden within the park’s 340 acres.
The city is surrounded by some of the most scenic landscapes of Texas, including the vast Hill Country with its wildflowers and wineries, lakes and rivers. Explore the 40 miles of biking and hiking trails of Government Canyon State Natural area or go for a subterranean adventure at Natural Bridge Caverns, with guided tours available through the limestone caves.
Only visiting the historical sights
3. Driving a car downtown
These streets are made for walking
Ideal para: Econômico, Casais, Famílias
If you’re wanting to explore downtown San Antonio, it’s best to avoid using a car. The streets are narrow and difficult to navigate with a vehicle, and it’s easier to walk around. You could also go for a pedal-powered tour by renting a bicycle or making use of the city’s bike share service.
A scenic way to get around is to catch a river shuttle barge operated by Go Rio. Shuttle boats run about every 60 minutes, starting at 10 am. The boats ply the river through downtown north to the Museum Reach section of the River Walk. Get a day pass or opt for a narrated river cruise to learn more about San Antonio’s history, architecture, and culture.
Driving a car downtown
4. Playing it safe with dining choices
Discover great cuisine beyond Tex-Mex
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
San Antonio has diverse dining choices for hungry visitors well beyond the city’s Tex-Mex favorites and tourist-oriented River Walk restaurants. With its mix of cultural influences including Mexican, Spanish, German, French, and Native American, San Antonio’s vibrant food scene has even been formally recognized, earning the city the title of a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
A fun foodie hotspot is the Pearl Brewery District, a former brewery turned farmers’ market and food center. Don’t miss San Antonio’s feast-filled events for food lovers including the Culinaria Wine and Food Festival, the Mole Festival, which celebrates Chicano and Latino cuisine and culture, and the popular Fiesta San Antonio, a carnival of food, parades, and parties.
Playing it safe with dining choices
5. Being careless on The River Walk
Vigilance is your best buddy while enjoying the view
Ideal para: Alimentação, Foto, Compras
The River Walk is a scenic and often crowded walkway that doesn’t have railings along much of the trail, so you need keep your wits about you. Found below street level, and accessible by steps, ramps and elevators, it’s an easy pathway to navigate for most people.
The walkway winds through the city for 15 miles along the San Antonio River. The River Walk’s shops, art galleries, restaurants, and museums draw many visitors, so keep a close watch on your belongings when you’re in crowded places. And remember to keep an eye out as you wander to avoid a splash into the river. Leia mais
Being careless on The River Walk
6. Expecting too much of The Alamo
Small in size but a big part of Texas history
Ideal para: História, Foto
The Alamo is one of San Antonio’s most celebrated landmarks as the site of an important battle in the fight for independence from Mexico. Some visitors might therefore expect to find a site as large as The Alamo’s legacy, but this is not the case.
The Alamo’s small size, combined with its lure as a historic site, makes it a busy place, so try to visit in the early morning or late in the day to avoid the crowds. It’s also worth a visit after dark, even though it’s closed to visitors at 5.30 pm. Pass by the Alamo at night to see its exterior lit up with a warm glow that’s hauntingly beautiful. Leia mais
Expecting too much of The Alamo
7. Coming unprepared for the heat
Summer travel to San Antonio can be sweaty
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
San Antonio, for the most part, is a pleasant place to explore, with a mild climate that attracts visitors year-round. But be aware that, during the summer months, the weather can get extremely hot and humid. Add crowds of summer travelers to the mix and your visits to San Antonio’s sights and outdoor attractions could get very sticky and sweaty indeed.
If you visit San Antonio in the summer, make sure to bring along a water bottle when you travel around and avoid outdoor activities during the hottest times of the day. Or better yet, plan your visit during the cooler months of November through April.
Coming unprepared for the heat
8. Staying only at downtown hotels
Other neighborhoods might offer more affordable accommodation
Ideal para: Econômico, Casais, Famílias
Downtown San Antonio is a convenient location to stay, but hotel prices are at a premium here. Budget-minded travelers will find better value if they’re willing to look beyond the city center.
King William district, about a 30-minute walk from downtown, is a more affordable area that’s also home to many regal-looking 19th-century homes, so it’s worth exploring the area if you’re staying here. The Pearl district is also worth a look, especially with the neighborhood’s transformation from an industrial area into a creative and culinary hub. If you’re traveling with family and planning to visit Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park, save money and travel time by checking into a hotel in Northwest San Antonio.
Staying only at downtown hotels
9. Being too shy to ask for help
Why miss the chance to connect with friendly locals?
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
San Antonio is a diverse city that’s known for its festive and friendly spirit. With its dash of Texas charm and openness to different cultures, it’s a place where anyone from anywhere is made to feel welcome. So, if you’re new to the city, don’t hesitate to approach locals for assistance or even if you just want to strike up a conversation.
The city even has its own team of roving diplomats called the Centro Ambassadors who patrol the downtown streets on the lookout for anyone needing help. Keep your eyes peeled for their bright yellow shirts and ask for help with anything from pointing the way to the nearest restroom to advice on what to see and do.
Being too shy to ask for help
10. Missing out on the taste of a puffy taco
San Antonio’s beloved signature dish
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
A visit to San Antonio would not be complete without trying a puffy taco, a classic Tex-Mex dish that was born in the city in the 1950s. Puffy tacos are made with corn tortilla shells fried to create a puffy shape, which then forms a bed for a tasty mix of spicy beef or chicken, avocado, beans, and veggies.
The dish was created by the Lopez brothers who ran Ray’s Drive In, which is still around today. Another popular puffy taco spot is Henry’s Puffy Tacos. A puffy taco is also one of the mascots for a minor-league baseball team, the San Antonio Missions. So, go see a game and witness a puffy taco dance and cheer with glee.
Missing out on the taste of a puffy taco
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