7 Mistakes People Make When Visiting Houston
What Not to Do in Houston on Your 1st Visit
This list of mistakes people make when visiting Houston range from common slip-ups related to travel planning to misconceptions about the city’s size. In this guide, we highlight some common pitfalls first-timers to the city often face in order to help you avoid them.
The large Texan metropolis is closely linked to NASA thanks to its Space Center, but there’s plenty to see and do beyond Independence Plaza and its impressive Space Shuttle. Read on to learn more about what to avoid on your first trip to Houston to ensure a smooth and enjoyable visit.
7 Mistakes People Make When Visiting Houston
- Choosing an unsuitable area to stay
- Underestimating the climate
- Visiting just for the Space Center
- Underestimating the layout of the city
- Letting the amount of traffic surprise you
- Skipping Houston’s Tex-Mex offerings
- Exploring the city without the Houston CityPASS
1. Choosing an unsuitable area to stay
Would you rather stay around Downtown or in the Museum District?
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
On your first visit to Houston, you’ll surely want to make the most out of your trip, but the ease of access to certain highlights depends on where you’re staying. Downtown is a first and top choice for being close to most of the attractions, with convenient connections to other highlights elsewhere.
Northwest Houston is a great choice if you’re on a budget, with plenty of 3-star hotels and easy access to Downtown. If you’re looking for some of Houston’s best shopping and nightlife scenes, Uptown Houston is a good option. And if you’re planning to travel as a family for sightseeing with plenty of cultural and historical landmarks to admire, book a stay in the Museum District.
Choosing an unsuitable area to stay
2. Underestimating the climate
Houston’s heat and humidity might surprise you
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
In Texas, the saying goes: “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it’ll change.” Houston is no exception to this rule. The city is certainly known for its hot and humid summers but, if you’re visiting between June and August, you can expect occasional scattered shows and thunder in the afternoons. In fact, June is the wettest month of the year. Make sure you pack right for any weather.
One additional thing you should also know about Houston’s weather is that it can get quite extreme with hurricanes and flooding beyond the summer months through to November. Plan to visit during winter, and you can expect relatively dry and mild conditions.
Underestimating the climate
3. Visiting just for the Space Center
There’s more to Houston than the Space Shuttle and Mission Control
Ideal para: História, Foto
When you’ve seen everything about NASA and rockets at Space Center Houston, it’s worth adding some of the city’s other top highlights to your list. There’s a lot more to see in Houston, so consider allowing an extra day for the Museum of Natural Science, The Menil Collection, and Rothko Chapel.
Other great sights for when you have extra leisure time include Discovery Green, where you can roam or picnic in 12 lush acres for free, and Hermann Park with its 400 acres filled with historic monuments and beautiful installations. For a great 2-for-1 visit in Houston, combine the Museum of Fine Arts and the nearby Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.
Visiting just for the Space Center
4. Underestimating the layout of the city
“Everything’s bigger in Texas”, including travel times
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
Houston is a big metropolis that’s about 60 miles wide, meaning the distances between its many attractions can be pretty big. Although you have the metro train that covers the Downtown area, it doesn’t quite reach the other neighborhoods where your intended sightseeing destinations might be located. In such cases, you’ll often need a car to get around.
Houston’s size also means that there’s a lot to explore. Spend a few moments to research which neighborhoods and points of interest you’d like to visit before you arrive, so you can make the most of your trip.
Underestimating the layout of the city
5. Letting the amount of traffic surprise you
Getting around might take a while
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias
Just like the rest of Texas, in Houston, you can expect longer travel times to reach your destination, and not just because of the distances involved. It’s a car-based city and Houston’s traffic scene is quite notorious. Don’t expect to get around quickly and try to avoid traveling in a car during rush hour, typically from 7 am to 9 am.
Even so, if you’re staying around Downtown and planning to visit nearby attractions and neighborhoods, you don’t always need to use a car like everyone else. Make use of public transportation options available like taxi cabs or the METRORail light rail system.
Letting the amount of traffic surprise you
6. Skipping Houston’s Tex-Mex offerings
The original fajitas and queso will melt in your mouth
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias, Alimentação
Houston has a booming food scene thanks to it being a melting pot of cultures with an ensuing variety of cuisines. An eclectic array of family-run restaurants present offerings created from treasured family recipes. There’s everything from pad Thai to pho noodles, spicy Sichuan stir-fries to wholesome German schnitzels and Pakistani delights.
Some of the not-to-be-missed Houston food includes original Tex-Mex dishes such as those offered by Ninfa’s. The restaurant has plenty of branches throughout the city, with the original on Navigation Boulevard in Second Ward. It’s where the national fajita and queso craze allegedly started. Be sure to savor their crispy tacos too while you’re in town.
Skipping Houston’s Tex-Mex offerings
7. Exploring the city without the Houston CityPASS
A great option for budget travelers
Ideal para: Econômico, Foto
If you’re traveling to Houston on a budget, getting a Houston CityPASS can help you get the most out of your visit. Although some of the city’s attractions feature “free days,” it can be a gamble most of the time as there can be long queues of like-minded groups. That’s where the CityPASS comes in handy.
After purchasing your pass online, you’ll have access to Houston’s most notable attractions at discounted prices. With the current Houston CityPASS, you can visit five attractions total, with Space Center Houston included automatically. Then add four of the following: Houston Museum of Natural Science, Museum of Fine Arts, Kemah Boardwalk (all-day ride pass), Children’s Museum Houston, Houston Zoo, and Downtown Aquarium.
Exploring the city without the Houston CityPASS
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