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Old 05-10-2007, 07:14 PM
 
13 posts, read 63,559 times
Reputation: 11

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Hi there,
I'm hoping to come to Austin over memorial weekend and would like to find a hotel/motel to stay in downtown. I won't be renting a car so I'd like to be within walking distance to restaurants, shops, etc..I hear the Austin Motel is cute--are there any others in the area? Also, I was hoping to find a realtor who would be able to take me to some open houses around Austin and some of the surrounding areas (Round Rock?) Is that an unrealistic expectation that one would pick me up downtown and drive me such distances? I'm coming from CA. and I don't want to deal with a car rental since I've heard about the less than pleasant "driving situation"
Advice is appreciated!
Thanks so much!
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Old 05-10-2007, 07:37 PM
 
575 posts, read 2,496,831 times
Reputation: 149
Quote:
Originally Posted by marinmom View Post
I'm coming from CA. and I don't want to deal with a car rental since I've heard about the less than pleasant "driving situation"
Advice is appreciated!
Thanks so much!
Don't worry, if you have survived CA driving, you can do ok here. Just rent a car with a GPS, seriously. Also, people don't signal in Texas, or if they do, it is not to gain permission, it is a 1/2 second warning that you will be cut off, so back off in that amount of time, or just ride their bumper, everyone here gets used to that pretty quick. Oh, and welcome to Texas...
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Old 05-10-2007, 07:44 PM
 
2,269 posts, read 7,336,186 times
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There are plenty of other hotels in the downtown area. If you want to stay in the area where the Austin Motel is located, the closest one will be the Hotel San Jose. From what I have heard and read though, I would not waste money on the San Jose if you can get the Austin Motel.

Here is a website showing the other downtown hotels:

http://www.downtownaustin.com/fun/hotels/

Also, there is a bed and breakfast that is in a good location: http://www.bravahouse.com/

Since you're coming Memorial Day weekend, I would start checking now to see about availability and price.

As for driving around, please do not read too much into reports of the traffic and driving being unbearable. Personally, I think it's ridiculous. I have never felt overwhelmed or threatened on Austin roads. I just don't get the complaints at all. Obviously, the people complaining have never driven in New Orleans, Atlanta, etc. Austin traffic is so tame compared to many places.

Either way, I'm positive a real estate agent would love to show you around, including picking you up downtown and driving you around. In fact, I would be surprised if you didn't already have PM's offering you just that.

Enjoy your trip and let us know if you need any recommendations for restaurants, etc.
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Old 05-11-2007, 11:22 AM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,135,731 times
Reputation: 4295
Quote:
Originally Posted by marinmom View Post
Hi there,
I'm hoping to come to Austin over memorial weekend and would like to find a hotel/motel to stay in downtown. I won't be renting a car so I'd like to be within walking distance to restaurants, shops, etc..I hear the Austin Motel is cute--are there any others in the area? Also, I was hoping to find a realtor who would be able to take me to some open houses around Austin and some of the surrounding areas (Round Rock?) Is that an unrealistic expectation that one would pick me up downtown and drive me such distances? I'm coming from CA. and I don't want to deal with a car rental since I've heard about the less than pleasant "driving situation"
Advice is appreciated!
Thanks so much!
As always I recommend pricelining a hotel. My favorite site for finding out how much to bid (to get the lowest amounts) is biddingfortravel.com. I think you can get he 4* downtown austin hotels for 70/night

Texas drivers are a lot slower than CA drivers. Most of the complainers are from portland
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Old 05-11-2007, 12:49 PM
 
Location: Austin TX
1,207 posts, read 6,281,831 times
Reputation: 420
Marinmom, feel free to PM or email me. You are not set up to receive PMs or emails, but I would be happy to give you a good realtor referral w/references.
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Old 05-11-2007, 01:38 PM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,333 posts, read 18,063,046 times
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Quote:
I was hoping to find a realtor who would be able to take me to some open houses around Austin and some of the surrounding areas (Round Rock?) Is that an unrealistic expectation that one would pick me up downtown and drive me such distances?
If you call any of the bigger real estate offices in Austin, you'll find an agent willing to work with you. The newer less experienced agents will jump at the chance to have a live prospect. The older more experienced agents will grill you with a lot of questions before committing to giving you a weekend of time.

I would first suggest setting your parameters as best you can so you can ask questions of agents to decide if they know how to find what you're looking for. Austin is much more spread out than most people realize, and it can take an entire day to see homes in just one part of Austin.

If it turns out that a certain part of town and type of home is going to best meet your needs, you want a Realtor who knows that area and type of home. In other words, a Round Rock Realtor won't know all the nooks and cranny's of South Austin and vice versa.

I agree with the comment above that said rent a car with a GPS, or just get a map. You can learn a lot just driving around on your own, even if you do get a bit lost and disoriented.

Good luck and welcome to Austin!

Steve
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Old 05-11-2007, 06:16 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh--Home of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions!
11,310 posts, read 12,376,554 times
Reputation: 4938
Driving in Austin is not bad at all! I-35 can be a little scary at times, but that is the same with any major interstate! I have never had any problems with driving in Austin and I visit the place frequently!
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Old 05-11-2007, 07:18 PM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,704,369 times
Reputation: 2851
Yeah, we like to have little rants about it, but it shouldn't keep you off the road totally. Like anywhere, just drive defensively.
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Old 05-11-2007, 09:19 PM
 
100 posts, read 382,033 times
Reputation: 43
Default Driving in Austin

Hi Marin Mom --
We are from the East Bay in CA. and have made several trips to Austin in the past 2 years for my husband's work. We didn't get the driving complaints at all -- sure, people might cut you off once in a while, but that's a regular occurrence here in CA.! ... To top that off, I am a CA. native with a NY'er husband -- I had to teach him not to honk and flash his headlights every time someone cut him off (he's quite well trained now)! While the roads can be a bit confusing at times, we never found the traffic to be the-maze-of-the-Bay Bridge-at-rush hour hairy!

We love Austin and have a fabulous realtor who has not only shown us all around Austin many times, but once even secured us a babysitter so we could house hunt in peace! She has picked us up from all over Austin and is extremely gracious and knowledgeable. Feel free to IM me if you need another name or more info about our experience, but I am sure that you will get lots of help.

GOod luck and enjoy!
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Old 05-11-2007, 11:06 PM
 
13 posts, read 63,559 times
Reputation: 11
Thanks so much for all the helpful advice everyone! I still have not made reservations for my trip but the links to hotels you provided are great! I'm beginning to realize that I will need a longer stay than just a weekend to get a feel for the area...but I'm just so eager to see Austin and I'm worried that if I wait until my summer break the weather will be too hot to explore outside...
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