There's good budget travel news in Texas, one of the tricker American states for tourists to see without a rental car.
Now rolling this week: Shofur, which is serves 12 daily routes between Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Waco. Like the low-cost bus services in the East (Bolt Bus, Megabus), the vehicles of Shofur have free on-board Wi-Fi, power outlets, and one-way fares that start incredibly low for tickets booked far in advance: Austin-San Antonio for $9; Waco-Dallas for $11; San Antonio-Dallas for $33; and Dallas-Houston, a trip of about four hours, for $20 (and no more than $50).
Also like other low-cost road services, Shofur—it's name is a play on the word chauffeur—has no fixed stations. Instead, passengers receive an address for the pick-up stop and can track the arrival of their vehicle using an app.
Its founder, Armir Harris, developed his transportation experience by running shuttles for South by Southwest, the Super Bowl, and other major events, and he pitches his Shofur as an alternative to Southwest Airlines: "Texas is a great market because there are cities that are a little too far to drive to and too close to fly," he said.
Shofur can be reached at 800/436-8710, on Shofur.com, or via its mobile app.
