How we handled the transportation issue (Hobby to Galveston)

[cvpends]

There has been lots of confusion about how to get to Galveston from Houston, so I thought I would let you know what worked for us. For our recent cruise on the Magic, we had certain things we knew we wanted to do:

 

1) NASA outside of Houston

2) Harbor House Hotel in Galveston

3) Museums in Galveston (Ocean Star Oil Rig, Railroad, etc.)

4) Galveston-Bolivar Ferry

5) Olympia Grill restaurant

6) Gaido's restaurant

7) Galleria Mall in Houston

 

Because of our plans, I knew we needed a car.

 

Our flight arrived at Houston Hobby just before noon on Friday.

 

I booked a rental car through Avis, using their website. In booking it I specified pick up at the airport on Friday, and drop off on Sunday morning at 10 AM at their facility in Texas City (which is the time when it opens.) I called the Texas City and asked for shuttle service back to the port. The rental car (a full-sized one, since there were four of us with lots of luggage) was $35 per day, for a total of $70 for the two days, plus $8 per day in taxes and fees. The shuttle service was $50. There was NO drop-off fee for dropping the car off at a different place from where we had picked it up! When we got our luggage from the luggage pick-up at the airport, we walked out the door, got right into the waiting Avis van, which took us five minutes away to the Avis lot. We got out of the van, found our name on the white board, got in our car, and drove off. The whole process from getting luggage to driving away was literally 10 minutes.

 

This meant that we were at NASA by 12:30 or so, way ahead of my estimate. So cool!

 

Drop off was just as easy. We got to the Avis place in Texas City at 10 on Sunday morning, and by 10:30 were back at the Harbor House. We checked out, walked over to the Magic, and were on board just a few minutes later. So easy and so fast!

 

When we got back, we took a taxi to Texas City, since I hadn't requested shuttle service. With tip, that was $60. We had time to eat breakfast at Waffle House (a treat for us, since we don't have that place in California), and then went to Avis at 10 AM and got our full-sized car. Again it was $35 for the day, plus $8 in taxes/fees, with no drop-off fee to drop it off at Hobby the next day. We enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Suites and the shopping trip at the Galleria, and the next morning dropped off the car at the airport. The whole process was very easy and affordable, I felt, and it allowed us the flexibility to do all the things we wanted to do while in Texas. The only largish costs were the shuttle from and taxi to and from Texas City, but compared to transfer fees or limo costs it wasn't bad, plus we had the use of the car to go where we wanted to go.

 

Here is a summary of the transportation costs:

Car (35 + 8)*3 =129

Shuttle 50

Taxi 60

-------------------------

Total 239

 

239 divided by 4 people is $47.8 per person, for round-trip transportation.

I think the Carnival shuttle service was $30 per person per direction (perhaps someone can confirm this) so that would have been $60 per person.

 

I hope this helps someone in sorting out the Hobby to Galveston transportation issue.

[cvpends]

Here is a summary of the transportation costs:

Car (35 + 8)*3 =129

Shuttle 50

Taxi 60

-------------------------

Total 239

 

239 divided by 4 people is $47.8 per person, for round-trip transportation.

I think the Carnival shuttle service was $30 per person per direction (perhaps someone can confirm this) so that would have been $60 per person.

 

I hope this helps someone in sorting out the Hobby to Galveston transportation issue.

 

Whoops, I divided by 5 (we picked up the fifth person in our party in Texas City on Sunday morning and she shuttled back with us.) Anyway, to be fair it should be divide by 4, since there only four of us must of the time. So it was really $60 per person for four people, which is what the shuttle would have cost (I think.) So the advantage was the flexibility of having a car for those three days.

[DaNana]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information! I know there used to be a hotel in Houston that would shuttle you to the port AND back with a room stay. Haven't been able to find it but this might work also! Did not realize Texas City has an Avis office open on Sunday! :)

[ssb]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information! I know there used to be a hotel in Houston that would shuttle you to the port AND back with a room stay. Haven't been able to find it but this might work also! Did not realize Texas City has an Avis office open on Sunday! :)

 

Country inns

But do not believe they have it anymore.

[cvpends]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information! I know there used to be a hotel in Houston that would shuttle you to the port AND back with a room stay. Haven't been able to find it but this might work also! Did not realize Texas City has an Avis office open on Sunday! :)

 

 

My pleasure. I am hoping that my experience will help someone :)

[cvpends]

BTW, the important thing is, however you work your transportation, I highly recommend spending some time in Galveston before or after your cruise. We felt like in our two days we barely scratched the surface of all there is to do in Galveston. When we go back (probably next summer) we will spend a at least a couple more days there. Enjoy!

[TruckerDave]

You have to go back....you missed Moody Gardens.:D

[cvpends]

You have to go back....you missed Moody Gardens.:D

 

We definitely want to go there next time!

[ssb]

There has been lots of confusion about how to get to Galveston from Houston, so I thought I would let you know what worked for us. For our recent cruise on the Magic, we had certain things we knew we wanted to do:

 

1) NASA outside of Houston

2) Harbor House Hotel in Galveston

3) Museums in Galveston (Ocean Star Oil Rig, Railroad, etc.)

4) Galveston-Bolivar Ferry

5) Olympia Grill restaurant

6) Gaido's restaurant

7) Galleria Mall in Houston

 

Because of our plans, I knew we needed a car.

 

Our flight arrived at Houston Hobby just before noon on Friday.

 

I booked a rental car through Avis, using their website. In booking it I specified pick up at the airport on Friday, and drop off on Sunday morning at 10 AM at their facility in Texas City (which is the time when it opens.) I called the Texas City and asked for shuttle service back to the port. The rental car (a full-sized one, since there were four of us with lots of luggage) was $35 per day, for a total of $70 for the two days, plus $8 per day in taxes and fees. The shuttle service was $50. There was NO drop-off fee for dropping the car off at a different place from where we had picked it up! When we got our luggage from the luggage pick-up at the airport, we walked out the door, got right into the waiting Avis van, which took us five minutes away to the Avis lot. We got out of the van, found our name on the white board, got in our car, and drove off. The whole process from getting luggage to driving away was literally 10 minutes.

 

This meant that we were at NASA by 12:30 or so, way ahead of my estimate. So cool!

 

Drop off was just as easy. We got to the Avis place in Texas City at 10 on Sunday morning, and by 10:30 were back at the Harbor House. We checked out, walked over to the Magic, and were on board just a few minutes later. So easy and so fast!

 

When we got back, we took a taxi to Texas City, since I hadn't requested shuttle service. With tip, that was $60. We had time to eat breakfast at Waffle House (a treat for us, since we don't have that place in California), and then went to Avis at 10 AM and got our full-sized car. Again it was $35 for the day, plus $8 in taxes/fees, with no drop-off fee to drop it off at Hobby the next day. We enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Suites and the shopping trip at the Galleria, and the next morning dropped off the car at the airport. The whole process was very easy and affordable, I felt, and it allowed us the flexibility to do all the things we wanted to do while in Texas. The only largish costs were the shuttle from and taxi to and from Texas City, but compared to transfer fees or limo costs it wasn't bad, plus we had the use of the car to go where we wanted to go.

 

Here is a summary of the transportation costs:

Car (35 + 8)*3 =129

Shuttle 50

Taxi 60

-------------------------

Total 239

 

239 divided by 4 people is $47.8 per person, for round-trip transportation.

I think the Carnival shuttle service was $30 per person per direction (perhaps someone can confirm this) so that would have been $60 per person.

 

I hope this helps someone in sorting out the Hobby to Galveston transportation issue.

 

Thanks for information!:)