Houston is huge, and most visitors need a car to see it. The rental car, gas, tolls, hotel parking, 17% hotel taxes and tickets to Space Center Houston add up fast.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours.
Compare hotels in Houston →For 3 nights with flights, a hotel and food, plan on about $1,700. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like a rental car, gas and tolls, hotel taxes, parking and Space Center Houston tickets, it's closer to $2,950. Use the calculator above to change any number to match your trip.
Most visitors do. Houston is very spread out, and attractions like Space Center Houston are far from downtown. Texas adds a 10% tax to car rentals, and airport rentals carry extra fees on top. Source
A taxi to downtown is about $58 from IAH or about $31 from Hobby. METRO's 500 IAH Downtown Direct bus costs $4.50 and runs about every 30 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hobby is much closer to downtown if you can fly there. Source
Adult tickets are about $30 online and about $5 more at the gate. Parking is $10 per car. Buying online saves money for each person in your group. Source
The Menil Collection is always free. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has free general admission on Thursdays, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science is free on Tuesday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. Buffalo Bayou Park and Discovery Green are free to visit. Source