Cheap flights to Houston, Texas (TX)

Houston is a year-round city so no matter when you book your Houston flight, you’re sure to enjoy good weather. The weather is pleasant from autumn through spring. If you can stand the heat, cheap plane tickets to Houston are commonly found during the summer months when the temperature is very hot and very humid. Thunderstorms are frequent in late summer and occasionally Houston experiences a tornado. Houston is also vulnerable to hurricanes, so be cautious about booking flights to Houston during hurricane situation, which is usually June through November. Winters are generally mild, but there can occasionally be very sudden cold weather in late autumn and winter, when frigid winds whistle down off the plains.

As long as you’re spending most of your Houston time downtown, you won’t need to rent a car. Houston’s downtown and museum district are small and compact, and many hotels have shuttles to help you get around. The city’s public transportation system is very good. The Metro has both bus and light rail services. If you do decided to venture out, you’ll want to rent a car. Finding your way around shouldn’t be too difficult. The city is smartly laid out, streets are clearly marked and the roads are well kept. The only trouble you’ll have is with traffic. Houston drivers are notoriously ruthless and fast, and you’ll want to stay off the road during rush hour.       

• Space Center Houston is the official visitors’ center for NASA's Johnson Space Center. The tram tour and the 4-hour tour show you working parts of the space center, and sometimes you can see astronauts in training. The Astronaut Gallery has a number of actual flight suits and pictures of all astronauts and crews. Films, simulations, and interactive displays give you the feel of being in space. Plan to spend at least half a day. If you take the 4-hour tour, consider a full day.
• The Houston Museum of Natural Science has excellent permanent exhibits (including good dinosaurs, a planetarium, and a Foucault pendulum) and often has outstanding traveling exhibits. The star attraction is the rainforest environment in the Butterfly Collection, with hundreds of butterflies eating, flying, or resting (sometimes on you).
• The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), near the science museum, has an admirable permanent collection, including a sculpture garden, and also hosts outstanding traveling exhibits. It’s worth visiting just for the architecture, a mixture of early 20^th century traditional and outstanding modern, including two additions by Mies van der Rohe. For a guide to sculpture and other public art owned by the city, check out www.houstontx.gov/municipalart.
• If your Houston flights are delayed don’t despair. The Houston airports have a reputation of being a “city within a city”. Take a stroll through any airport terminals and you’ll find dozens of specialty retail shops, fine dining and Wi-Fi service. Be sure to watch the time so you don’t miss your Houston flight.
• Now part of the MFAH, Bayou Bend is a wonderful museum house set in 14 acres of lovely garden. It showcases the American antiques, some as old as the 1600s, collected by Miss Ima Hogg. (Yes, it’s pronounced “I’m a hog.” The tour explains how her father, Governor Jim Hogg, did that to her—and also that she did not have a sister called Ura; that’s just a Texas tall tale.)
• East Texas has similar terrain to Louisiana, and Houston has several bayous, watercourses that are quite deep and narrow, except during heavy rains. At places like Bayou Bend, they are a lovely part of the natural environment. In downtown Houston, they have sloping concrete banks to reduce flooding, but they are still sometimes home to wildlife such as shore birds like herons or even the occasional alligator.
• The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo takes place in late February and early March. But there are also other rodeo and livestock-related events throughout the year. Check the Web site: www.hlsr.com.
• Galveston, an hour’s drive from Houston, is a small beach resort town. In addition to the beaches, its attractions include the Victorian buildings in the historic district.