San Antonio is a beautiful city on the South Texas Plains. There's a lot to do in this city: fine art museums, historical missions and plenty of amusement parks in addition to great dining and drinking. The culture and people are vibrant and interesting. Overall, San Antonio feels like a small town; however, the population is over one million.

Get in

 • By plane - San Antonio International Airport. (SAT)
 • By train - Amtrak, SAS, 350 Hoefgen St.
 • By car - Most visitors to San Antonio arrive by either I-35 or I-10.
 • By bus - Greyhound, 500 N St Marys St, Downtown.
 • By boat - It's in the middle of Texas unless you want to tube down the river

Get around

San Antonio's bus system is known as the Via Metropolitan Transit. It also runs the downtown streetcar service for a small fare. Bus fares range from about $0.80 to $1.60 depending on the service. Discount fares are available to children between the ages of 5-11, senior citizens 62 and older, Medicare recipients, persons with disabilities and students. A reduced fee ID is required for reduced fares and can be acquired from Via Information Centers (Students may get the necessary forms from their campus administration). Bus schedules and route information can be found at Via's webpage or by calling the Via information line (210)362-2020 or for the hearing impaired at (210)362-2019.

Activities

Events
 • Fiesta, Fiesta is a yearly event held in San Antonio in late April. Fiesta is a 10-day, city-wide, fun-filled, multi-cultural, family-oriented celebration. With over 100 different events, it's the biggest party and greatest community benefit in the state of Texas
 • San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is an annual agricultural fair and entertainment event in early February. It provides world class rodeo action and entertainment to people of all ages.
 • Texas Folklife Festival, The Texas Folklife Festival is an annual four-day celebration in the second week of June, of the diverse ethnic and cultural groups that settled our state. Some 45 groups bring their stories, crafts, music, dances, and foods to share with visitors in a vibrant blend of education and entertainment.

Amusement Parks
 • Seaworld - A theme park which has several rides, dolphin shows etc.
 • Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Home to several thrill rides and exciting shows Fiesta Texas is an entertaining theme park geared to people of all ages.

Sports
 • San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Spurs that currently play at the AT&T Center.

Shopping

San Antonio is home to a variety of shopping venues with a wide selection of shops and stores. With ten major shopping malls within an hours drive of downtown and La Villita and Market Square right in the heart of downtown San Antonio.
 • La Villita, 418 Villita, 210 207-8611, fax 210 207-4390. Shops open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission. Closed holidays.
 • Market Square - El Mercado, 514 W. Commerce, 210 207-8600, fax 210 207-4287. Free admission. Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., summer; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., winter. Stores closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter.
 • Alamo Quarry Market, 255 E. Basse Rd, 210 225-1000, fax 210 271-3491. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., daily
 • Rivercenter Mall. Located on the River Walk, with free admission. Adjacent to the Marriott Rivercenter and the Menger Hotel.

Dining

Budget
 • Casa Rio (Tex-Mex) - a great Tex-Mex restaurant if you're on a budget. This is one of the first restaurants that took advantage of its setting on the River Walk.

Mid-range
 • Joe's Crab Shack River Walk; 212 College Street #100. Dinner $9 - $21; a great good time, especially when the waiters all stop and line dance in the aisles. Good food, silly T-shirts, on the North side of the River Walk loop.
 • Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery 218 Produce Row in the Mercado. Open 24 Hours. Blow $5 on the Mariachis, they're among the best in town. Good food: Tex-Mex, Mex-Mex and Nuevo Mexicano (we didn't find out what the last one meant, but given how well we ate, we trust that it's good). Splendid bakery in the front section. Entrees were $9-$20. Rumored to have free wifi. Some of the best mariachi musicians in town (they tune because they care).

Splurge
 • Zuni Cafe 500 River Walk. While you can have a splendid local version of a Cobb Salad for $10 here; the daily specials page does not have prices listed (if you have to ask...) - our paella and seared ahi tuna were $35 and $25 and worthy; good to share with good company. The salsa is smoky and tasty.
 • Yokonyu Sushi Bar & Restaurant 301 East Houston Street at Navarro. Gorgeous lovely modern setting inside; across a dusty brick street from a Walgreen's and the Buckhorn Museum & Saloon, just a couple blocks away from the River Walk (to its South) and the Alamo (off to the East) where horse-drawn carriages pass by.