4 Epic Road Trips With Easy Flights from Austin
Where to Go
Words by Jerod Morales & Ashley Bowling
Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) is quickly becoming a fast-track pass with nonstop flights to anywhere you want to go. With new routes, new airline carriers, the addition of the South Terminal, and future expansion plans, the options are only becoming more and more attractive (and affordable!) for jet-setters to escape this beloved city and embark on an unforgettable adventure.
Lucky for East Austinites, ABIA calls our attractive sector of land home. Within 20 minutes or less, we’re a skip, hop, and a jump from a security line that puts us on a short flight to some of the most beautiful parts of the country. Knowing the options are endless and the bucket lists are long, we’ve outlined four epic road trips that are a cost-effective flight from Austin and have some of the most desirable destinations to explore.
Exploring the Great Outdoors via San Francisco
From the Redwood Forest Floor to Rocky Oceanside Cliffs
Flight Deals: SFO, OAK, SMF, SJC
Good Deal Alert: $80-160 for a round trip flight from AUS
Numerous breathtaking stops on this road map can be savored over an entire summer or compacted into one action-packed week. The journey through this lush land is yours for the making.
No trip to San Fran is complete without a stop at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Both the well-manicured trails above and the ocean park below give beautiful, yet different, vantage points for perfect photo ops.
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Ways to Save $$$ on Car Rentals
1. Rent and return the car from the same location.
2.Check pricing from different locations – other than the onsite airport rental companies. (It could provide enough savings to take a ride share to pick up your rental.)
3.Bring kid’s car seats from home with you. Most airlines provide free checked child transportation gear.
4. Rent your car on a credit card that has damage/collision coverage.
Did you Know? In Texas, full coverage auto insurance policies cover rental cars up to the car value you have insured.
Turquoise Waters
Historic Forts & Glass Bottom Boats via Miami
Airports to Check Flight Deals: MIA, FLL
Good Deal Alert: $75-140 for a round trip flight from AUS
Whether landing in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, make your way to the beach where the salty blue water crashing on soft creamy sand wait to greet visitors in a steamy, peaceful bliss at the southernmost tip of the United States.
First stop upon arriving in the Keys is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Glass bottom boats are a theme here; however, adventurists are encouraged to swim the coral reef for an unforgettable sight: swimming over the Christ of the Abyss Statue that rests 25 feet below the surface.
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Car sick? Take along peppermint essential oil, OTC motion sickness meds, and pressure point wristbands.
Top Tool for Flight Searches:
Find the best prices and itineraries using Google Flights. This service is a flight aggregator that pulls in all the major airlines. Track prices, view a date grid to compare fares, and select the best option. There are some exclusions like Southwest, where you’ll need to search directly on their site to compare fares. Once you’ve found your ideal itinerary, it’s typically best to book directly with the airline itself.
Where Mountain Cliffs Meet Desert Sands via Las Vegas
The Colors of the Rainbow Come to Life in this Tri-state Road Trip
Airports Deals: LAS, FLG, PHX
Good Deal Alert: $45-125 for a round trip flight from AUS
Just 30 minutes from the glitzy lights and ringing slots of Vegas sits a landscape that feels uncharted, lying peacefully underneath baby blue skies filled with beaming rays of sun, waiting to be explored.
Stumbling upon Lake Mead National Recreational Area lends itself to undulating terrain while driving the winding roads alongside sparkling blue waters juxtaposed against rust-colored hills. It’s a treat to explore what feels like the world’s largest playground, dipping in and out of sandstone caves and red rock formations under the bursting Nevada sun.
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Apps for the Road
- GyPsy Guide – narrated driving tours app
- All Trails – guide to the best hikes anywhere
- Outdoorsy – RV rentals
- Roadtrippers – collaborative planning app
- GasBuddy – to find cheap gas
Explore for Miles via the Mile High City
From Breathtaking Mountain Peaks to Brilliant Meadows via Denver
Airports to Check Flight Deals: DEN, COS
Good Deal Alert: $40-130 for a round trip flight from AUS
When nature is calling, there is no better place to be than colorful Colorado. From the sweeping meadows and mountain peaks to the rushing rivers and towering trees, experience all the reasons the Rocky Mountain state inspired “America the Beautiful.”
After touching down in Denver, make the short drive to River North Art District. This is no run-of-the-mill art gallery, but the RiNo art scene is a place where old warehouses and factories are now vibrant walls and open air walkways to display fine art lined with smooth jazz clubs, coffee shops, and trailblazing restaurants.
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Points for Paying Rent
If you pay rent, you might be leaving money on the table. A new card on the scene called the BILT Mastercard has partnered with properties across the country to allow cardholders to earn points paying rent. Those points can be used to fly on American Airlines and stay at Hyatt hotels, to name a few.
Airport Lounge Access
You don’t have to be a road warrior logging hundreds of flights a year to get access to airport lounges. A number of credit cards open access to hundreds of lounges. Some, like the Priority Pass program, also offer meals for two people up to $28/person at certain airport restaurants.
