How to Book an Austin Hotel Online

Whether you travel a little or a lot, picking a hotel in a big city such as Austin, Texas can be intimidating. Finding the right place to stay in the state capital of Texas can be only a few mouse clicks away. Once you familiarize yourself with this city's features and layout, you can easily book a hotel in Austin online.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Stay near the "drag," off Guadalupe Street, if you want to get a taste of Longhorn life. This area of Austin is largely populated by University of Texas students and you will find restaurants and retail stores catering to the needs of UT's student body.
2. Book a hotel near the Congress Avenue overpass and enjoy the night flights of America's largest urban bat colony. The 1.5 million bats that live at the corner of Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street make their nightly flight around dusk between the months of April and October.
3. Reserve a room in nearby Johnson City if you plan on paying a visit to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. While you can't camp overnight to enjoy the impressive Texas wildflowers in bloom in this national park, there are a number of hotels and bed and breakfasts nearby.
4. Stay at a hotel near the Lake Austin area to enjoy scenic views and visits to landmarks such as the Laguna Gloria Villa or the Austin Museum of Art. This museum features remarkable views of Lake Austin from its historic gardens.
5. Enjoy the organic life of Austin by booking a hotel near one of this green city's farmer's markets or organic farms online. You'll find them near the Triangle, between Lamar and Guadalupe and near Republic Square Park.
6. Check out the vibrant live music scene of Austin when you find a hotel near Sixth Street. No matter when you plan on visiting this city, you can find live music listings for every night of the week online.
7. Don't leave the city limits without paying a visit to two of Austin's music landmarks. You'll find the Stevie Ray Vaughan memorial near the Town Lake trail on the way back to your lodgings near Threadgill's on Lamar, where Janis Joplin made her music debut.

Tips & Warnings

• In addition to being a popular tourist destination, this busy capital city is home to several universities as well as the Texas state government. You should book your hotel well in advance of your travel plans, especially if you will be traveling in the peak seasons around university graduations and state legislature sessions.
• Check out a site like Trip Advisor for reviews of Austin hotels by other travelers (see Resources below).