The enormous US state of Texas sits in the centre of the United States' southern border with Mexico. It’s the nation’s second largest state and contains major cities like Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso and Austin, the state capital. Nicknamed ‘The Lone Star State’, Texas is renowned for its desert landscapes although there are plenty of mountains, forests, grassy pastures and beaches too. If you have a hire car in Texas you’ll be able to explore a huge variety of sights, ranging from the historic Alamo Mission battlefield to the high-tech Houston Space Centre.
Texas is bigger than the UK and Germany combined, so there’s lots to see and if you hire car you can enjoy all the state's attractions. You’ll find 18th-century Spanish colonial Catholic mission buildings in San Antonio, which form a World Heritage Site that includes the Alamo, the scene of Davy Crockett’s heroic last stand. And the Space Centre in Houston is now a major attraction featuring a mix of space exploration vehicles and modern interactive shows for visitors to enjoy and explore whilst learning more about the origins of NASA.
Driving in Texas is generally safe and well-mannered and motorists should remember that you must carry your driver’s license at all times and that the maximum speed limit is 70mph. Unusual rules to look out for include drivers being allowed to make a right turn at a red light unless signed otherwise. Drivers can also make a left turn at a red traffic light, if the streets involved are one-way. Also note that you can’t park within 15 meters of a fire hydrant and if you see a school bus with its red lights flashing, you must stop.
