Planning a Trip

Arriving by Plane

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport -- Most visitors will arrive via DFW Airport (tel. 972/574-6000; www.dfwairport.com), located midway between the two cities and one of the largest in the nation. The airport, the world's third busiest and larger than the island of Manhattan (take that, New York!), has four terminals connected by a "people mover." DFW Airport Visitor Information (tel. 972/574-3694) provides hotel, sightseeing, and transportation information, and the Airport Assistance Center (tel. 972/574-4420) offers crisis counseling, foreign language assistance, and car-seat rental. You'll also find currency exchange booths and ATMs in terminals A, B, D (International, the newest terminal), and E. All the major car-rental companies have representatives here (though note that if you're returning a car here, the rental terminal is a good 5 miles away, so allow a little extra time before your departure). Transportation between terminals is quick and easy on Skylink, the world's largest airport train.

Ground transportation to Dallas, Fort Worth, or the surrounding area is by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) bus, airport shuttle, private car, charter limo, courtesy car, or taxi. Many hotels offer courtesy transportation to and from the airport; check to see if yours does. Transport by bus is the cheapest option, but the best value is taking the airport shuttle. For additional information on ground transportation, call tel. 972/574-5878.

Dart (tel. 214/979-1111; www.dart.org) offers two means of travel between DFW Airport and downtown Dallas: the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and DART Express Route 202. Passenger terminals at DFW Airport are served by two DART shuttles serving terminals A and C, and serving terminals B and E; both operate from CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. Express Bus 202 departs from the DFW Airport ground transportation level in terminals A and E and travels directly to the West Transfer Center in downtown Dallas. The TRE operates Monday through Saturday (note: not on Sun); the 202 Express Bus runs hourly, 7 days a week, from 6am to 11pm. Single-ride fares on either are $2.25. An Express 1-day pass is available for $4.50 and is good for unlimited rides on DART and The T (including your return trip) until 3am the next day. For more information, call tel. 214/979-1111 or 877/657-0146 or visit www.trinityrailwayexpress.org.

Another convenient mode of transportation to and from the airport is Super Shuttle DFW (tel. 800/BLUE-VAN, 817/329-2000, or 972/615-3005; www.supershuttle.com/htm/cities/dfw.htm), which can be reached 24 hours a day. A typical fare to downtown Dallas is $17 to $24, to Fort Worth $16 to $29. The Airporter Bus Service (tel. 817/267-5150; www.the-T.com/airporter.html) runs between DFW Airport (upper level) and downtown Fort Worth (making 33 round-trips daily). It departs from the Airporter Park and Ride Lot, at 1000 E. Weatherford St. in Fort Worth, and Fort Worth's Ramada Plaza every half-hour between 6am and 10pm daily, and will even pick up at certain hotels ($12 per adult from the airport [or $15 by advance reservation from scheduled hotels to the airport], $7 for children 12 and younger).

Taxis are also on hand at airport arrival gates. You can also make airport transportation reservations by calling Yellow Checker (tel. 214/426-6262 or 817/426-6262) or Cowboy Cab (tel. 214/428-0202). If you prefer limousine service, try ExecuCar (tel. 800/410-4444), Agency Limousine (tel. 800/277-LIMO or 817/284-7575) or DFW Towncars (tel. 214/956-1880). The taxi fare to downtown Dallas is about $40, downtown Fort Worth, $43; limo service is about $55 and $60 respectively.

Driving from DFW Airport -- International Parkway connects directly to major freeways serving both Dallas and Fort Worth (Hwy. 114 and 635 north, and 183 and 360 south). Signs clearly indicate the route; each city is 18 miles from the airport. Despite that seemingly short distance, the drive to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth in peak hours takes up to an hour.

Love Field -- Love Field (tel. 214/670-6073; www.dallas-lovefield.com) is just 7 miles from downtown Dallas. After DFW Airport was built, Love Field became primarily a private plane and cargo airport for DHL and Federal Express. Southwest Airlines has continued to operate out of it, and recently it has been resurrected as a commercial airport, with Delta and Continental Express building or revamping terminals. While you're hanging around in the Southwest terminal, drop in on the Frontiers of Flight Museum (tel. 214/350-3600), open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 1 to 5pm. Admission costs $2 for adults, $1 for children younger than 12.

All the major car-rental companies are represented here. The same ground transportation services for DFW Airport also travel to Love Field. A taxi downtown costs about $13; the Super Shuttle is $15, $6 for each additional passenger.

By Car

You'll almost surely need a car to get around Dallas-Fort Worth (unless you stick to the downtown areas), so it's not a bad idea to arrive in one. The major roads into Dallas are I-635 (better known as LBJ Fwy.), which goes from DFW Airport east to Dallas; I-20, which joins I-635 and heads west to Fort Worth; I-35, north-south from the border towns in South Texas, through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, and all the way to Oklahoma; and U.S. 75 (better known as Central Expwy.), which runs north-south from downtown Dallas to the northern suburbs. From Houston, the drive to Dallas (or Fort Worth) is about 5 hours; from Austin, 4 hours. Dallas is about an hour from Fort Worth.

By Train

Amtrak's Texas Eagle serves Dallas's Union Station, 400 S. Houston St. (tel. 214/653-1101), and Fort Worth's Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) in the southeast corner of the city at 1001 Jones St. and 9th Street (tel. 817/332-2931). Trains arrive from Chicago, St. Louis, Little Rock, San Antonio, and Los Angeles; Heartland Flyer trains serve Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. For more information and reservations, contact Amtrak at tel. 800/USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com or www.texaseagle.com.

The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) travels back and forth between Dallas and Fort Worth (day pass, $4.50); for more information, call tel. 214/979-1111 or 817/215-8600 (www.trinityrailwayexpress.org).