Air
San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has direct service to all major U.S. hubs. Dallas and Houston are 50 minutes away, and Mexico City is an hour and a half away. The airport is served by the following airlines: Aerolitoral, Aeromar, America West, American, Atlantic Southeast, Continental, Delta, Mexicana, Midwest Express, Northwest, Southwest, TWA and United. Stinson Field is a “reliever” airport for San Antonio International and a public-use general-aviation airport not served by commercial aircraft.

Bus
The Greyhound bus terminal is locatedat 500 N. St. Mary’s (800-231-2222) andhandles Greyhound, Kerrville and Valley Transit bus lines.

Rail
The Union Pacific-Southern Pacific (UP-SP) railroad provides rail service to San Antonio from the U.S. coast and cities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The UP-SP has two internodal facilities in San Antonio. Both are equipped for loading and unloading various types of rail freight containers. The Amtrak trains “Texas Eagle” and “Sunset Limited” serve the San Antonio area.

Public Transit
VIA Metropolitan Transit is the only transit system in the Southwest with the ability to serve an entire metropolitan area. Funded through a 0.5 percent sales tax, VIA operates a fleet of nearly 500 brightly colored buses and provides more than 38 million passenger trips each year. In November 2004, voters elected to fund the Advanced Transportation District with an additional 0.25 percent in sales tax. The ADT plans to minimize highway congestion by expediting state projects, to improve traffic flow at busy intersections, to utilize technology to provide faster bus trips and extended bus service hours, and to offer more transit options, passenger facilities and other rider conveniences.

The bus fare is 80 cents, with discounts for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Commuters can park their cars at various park-and-ride locations and ride an express downtown for as little at $1.60. The Park & Ride system is also used for special events like Fiesta, the Folklife Festival, Spurs games and events being held at the Alamodome. VIA operates four streetcar routes serving all major downtown destinations. The rubber-tired streetcars replicate those that traveled down the streets of San Antonio during the turn of the century. The streetcar fare is only 80 cents. Call (210) 362-2020 for route information or go online to www.viainfo.net. VIAtrans service is also available for the mobility impaired. Call (210) 362-2140 to register for this service.

Streets and Expressways
You can typically reach downtown San Antonio in 35 minutes or less from any point in Bexar County. The 135 miles of expressway include interstate routes IH-10, which runs east and west; IH-35 and IH-37, which run north and south; and Loops 410 and 1604, which circle the city. In the expressway system, all highways radiate from the central business district, allowing all parts of San Antonio to be easily accessed. Highways in Texas are generally financed by gasoline taxes, vehicle registration fees, some general revenue and federal funds.