TRAVEL TIPS
By Train
Austin sits at roughly the midpoint of Amtrak's Texas Eagle line, which snakes in a great V from Chicago through Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona before ending up in Los Angeles. Trains depart from Dallas daily and arrive in Austin at around 6:30 pm.
Austin's Amtrak station is located downtown near the intersection of 3rd and Lamar, on the north bank of Lady Bird Lake. Although there are many shops within walking distance, there's little to the station itself other than a ticket counter and waiting room. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 9:30 pm.
Austin also has a MetroRail that services 32 miles of existing freight tracks between Leander and downtown Austin. The Red Line services nine stations, including a stop in front of the Austin Convention Center. It runs weekdays every 30 minutes during morning and evening rush hours, with expanded service times on weekends. MetroRail fares are $1 for one zone and $1.50 for two zones.
