Texas: Before You Go Guide (Printable + iPad)

Texas is bigger than most countries, and it catches first-timers out: drive times of hours between cities, toll roads, reservations for the Alamo and state parks, summer heat, flash floods in the Hill Country and a hurricane season on the Gulf.

This printable guide puts everything you should know before a trip to Texas in one place, in short plain-English points, researched in October 2026 with links to the official sites so you can double-check anything.

WHAT'S INSIDE

• Conditions right now: the Hill Country floods of 2025 and 2026 and the new camp-safety laws, Big Bend road closures, the 2026 hurricane season, drought and wildfire, and the changing hemp rules
• Entry, tolls and rules: REAL ID, rental-car toll plans, alcohol hours, state park reservations, fireworks and burn bans
• Getting there and between regions: DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso airports, Amtrak, and a drive-time table
• Getting around: why you need a car, distances, gas and parking
• Money, phone and tax: sales and hotel taxes, tipping, cell coverage in West Texas
• Heat, flood, storm and wildlife safety
• Culture and etiquette, and how to eat Texan: BBQ rules, Tex-Mex, breakfast tacos, kolaches
• Five Texas regions at a glance, and 14 mistakes first-timers make
• What things cost: 30 everyday prices, from BBQ by the pound to Space Center tickets
• A month-by-month calendar, a pre-trip countdown, a tick-box packing list and a first-day checklist
• Texan English, Spanish menu words and place-name pronunciations (Bexar, Manchaca, Waxahachie, Pecos and more)
• Emergency numbers, including state park and Big Bend lines
• Two editions: a printable PDF and an iPad edition with a tappable contents page

PERFECT FOR

• First-time visitors to Texas
• Anyone planning a road trip between Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston
• Travellers who like to arrive prepared
• A thoughtful gift for someone with a Texas trip booked

PAIRS WELL WITH

The Texas Travel Guide (best things to do), the Texas in 10 Days itinerary, or the Texas Travel Pack that bundles every Texas guide for less.

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

You'll receive 2 PDFs. No physical item will be shipped.

• Print edition (23 pages): US Letter, prints fine on A4
• iPad edition (31 pages): tappable contents, room to write

This guide is general travel information, not legal, medical or immigration advice. Rules (including firearm, hemp and entry rules) depend on your situation: always confirm with the official sites before you travel.

PLEASE NOTE

Rules and prices were checked in October 2026 and are subject to change: admissions, fares, menus, hotel rates and taxes can change without notice, and conditions after the 2025 and 2026 floods and storms are changing week to week. Please confirm important details with the official sites before you travel. Photos are illustrative. Researched and written with the help of AI tools.

Made by Global Trip Insight. For personal use only.