Dallas

Introduction

Downtown Dallas

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When you think of Texas, you think of cattle, wide-open spaces and dirt lanes. But Texas also calls to mind the cities it's famous for - San Antonio, South Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Austin, Houston and, last but not least, Dallas. Dallas is the third-largest (as estimated by the United States Census Bureau on 1 July 2006) city in the state of Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The city covers 385 square miles and is the seat of Dallas County.

Sights and Activities

Night Life

If you like the nightlife, Dallas' arts and entertainment district Deep Ellum is for you. Many streets in Deep Ellum are blocked off on the weekends, but finding parking isn't a problem. Full of all kinds of music (rap, rock and indie music are the most popular), Deep Ellum has quite a collection of clubs to choose from. With art galleries, restaurants, tattoo parlors, live music venues, bars, and dance clubs, you're sure to find something in Deep Ellum to interest you.

Travelling with Children

If you're traveling with kids, or a nature/animal lover, the Dallas Zoo, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and Dallas World Aquarium are good places to visit. If you're up for the short ride into Grapevine, they hold several carnivals/festivals: Main Street Days Outdoor Adventure and GrapeFest. If you want to take a trip to Ft. Worth, there's the Kimball Art Museum, Ft. Worth Zoo and the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. Dallas also hosts the State Fair of Texas.

Art and Culture

There are also several choices in the way of culture and art, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Majestic Theater, the Dallas Opera, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, which performs in the I.M. Pei-designed Morton Meyerson Symphony Center.

Shopping

Dallas may be best known for its shopping. Downtown Dallas is home to the original Neiman Marcus department store at Main and Ervay. World-class shopping can be found at NorthPark Center at US 75 and Loop 12. NorthPark features its own Neiman Marcus store as well as Macy's, Nordstrom, Dillard's, Barney's, and the Apple Store. Further north, at I-635 and Dallas Parkway is the Dallas Galleria. This giant complex features three levels of shopping beneath a vaulted glass ceiling, an ice-skating rink, a Westin Hotel, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and a number of restaurants including Mi Cocina (offering views of the ice rink) and the Grand Lux Cafe.

Events and Festivals

The State Fair of Texas is held annually in Fair Park, approximately two miles east of downtown. Fair Park is home to the world's largest collection of Art Deco exhibit buildings, most of which were built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition and were painstakingly restored in the 1980s. The State Fair is held several weeks during the fall. To coincide with the State Fair, the Fair Park Music Hall usually hosts a Broadway musical.

Weather

Dallas has a humid subtropical climate, yet this part of Texas also tends to receive warm, dry winds from the north and west in the summer. Winters are generally mild, with typical daytime highs between 50 °F and 65 °F and nighttime lows between 30 °F and 50 °F. However, strong cold fronts known as "Blue Northers" sometimes pass through Dallas, plummeting nightly lows below 30 °F. Snowfall is seen on average 2-4.5 days out of the year and snow accumulation is typically seen at least once every winter. A couple of times each year, warm and humid air from the south overrides cold, dry air, leading to freezing rain, which often causes major disruptions in the city if the roads and highways become dangerously slick. On the other hand, daytime highs above 65 °F are also not unusual during the winter season. In sum, extremes in weather are more readily seen in Dallas and Texas as a whole than along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, due to the state's location in the middle of the U.S.

Spring and autumn bring pleasant weather to the area. Vibrant wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet, Indian paintbrush and other flora) bloom in spring and are planted around the highways throughout Texas. Springtime weather can be quite volatile, but temperatures themselves are generally mild. The weather in Dallas is also pleasant between late September and early November, and unlike springtime, major storms rarely form in the area.

Getting There

By Plane

There are several airports in Dallas, though most travelers will only need to know of two of them.

• Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport (IATA: DFW, ICAO: KDFW, FAA LID: DFW) is about fifteen miles (24 kilometres) northwest of the centre of Dallas and about the same distance northeast of downtown Fort Worth. This is the largest airport in the region and the one most international visitors will arrive at when visiting Texas. It is the largest, and main, hub for American Airlines and its affiliate, American Eagle. The airport has five semi-circular terminal buildings designated by letters (A through E). Terminal D is the newest, and is the designated international terminal. All terminals are served by a new, elevated, fully-automated tram system called Skylink. The Skylink system is free to use and runs every two minutes. All stations are inside the security perimeter, so transfers between terminals can be made without having to pass through security a second time.

To/from the airport

• Rail: The airport is served by the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail line at CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, south of the airport. The line serves both downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. To reach the airport from the station, you have to take a shuttle bus and transfer to another bus serving either Terminals A and C, Terminals B and E, or Terminal D.
• Bus: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) offers bus service to downtown Dallas and Irving on Route 310 to Express Route 202 at the North Irving Transit Center.
• There are some shuttle services and plenty of taxis available. Also, rental cars are available with many companies, including Hertz, Avis, Budget, Alamo/National, Enterprise and Trifty.

• Dallas Love Field (IATA: DAL, ICAO: KDAL, FAA LID: DAL) is Dallas' second-largest airport and is about five miles (8 kilometres) from the centre of Dallas. Love Field was the main airport for Dallas until DFW opened in the early '70s. With only three runways and twenty gates, Love Field isn't as busy as DFW, which some people prefer. Love Field is primarily served by Southwest Airlines, though a few other carriers have operations there as well. Note that Southwest Airlines does not operate out of DFW, so any travel involving that carrier will be through Love Field.

By Train

The Texas Eagle operated by Amtrak travels between Dallas and Chicago, stopping in St Louis as well. It also goes south towards San Antonio.

By Car

Dallas is well served by a number of Interstate and other limited-access highways which offer direct access to all of the major urban centers in the region, including Houston, Oklahoma City, Austin, and San Antonio. High-quality maps are offered for free at the state's visitor centers. The map, along with a free travel guide, can be requested in advance of a visit by visiting the state's tourism website.

By Bus

Greyhound Bus Lines serves Dallas. Their terminal is located downtown at 205 South Lamar Street. The terminal is three blocks from the DART light-rail line as well as numerous city bus lines.

Getting Around

By Car

Dallas is much easier to see by car than cities like San Francisco or Chicago. Ample free parking can be found anywhere outside of the downtown districts. A large network of freeways lays over the city like a web, and a grid of wide arterial surface streets makes navigation easy. Freeways should be avoided during morning and afternoon rush hours on weekdays. Plan your trips around these times and most traffic snarls can be avoided. Toll roads to be aware of are the Dallas North Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike, operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (see their website for toll rates).
Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

Dallas has the most extensive light rail system of any city in Texas. Both the light rail system and the city bus system are run by DART, for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Both the Red Line and the Blue Line connect downtown Dallas to the West Village shopping and entertainment area (via Cityplace Station) and Mockingbird Station, home to several restaurants as well as the Angelika Theater. The Red Line also stops at the front gate of the Dallas Zoo. The Green Line extends to the east and serves the front gate of Dallas Fair Park, home to the State Fair of Texas as well as Deep Ellum and Baylor Hospital. The Green Line will eventually offer a station at Dallas Love Field (airport); until it does, both it and DFW (the larger, international airport) can be reached from downtown by bus.

By Bike

While Dallas does have marked bike routes throughout the city, it does not have many designated bike lanes or paths. The city government has published The Dallas Bike Plan, which can be viewed at their website.

Sleep

Budget

Learn

• University of Dallas
• University of Texas at Dallas

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are hundreds of big and small post offices in Dallas. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.