Advantages & Disadvantages of Traveling to Houston

You think about spending your vacation in Houston but want to get additional information about the city, living costs, housing, safety, climate, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of traveling to Houston in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Traveling To Houston – Overview

Living CostsWhile living costs in Houston are pretty high, tourists in Houston still often have to spend less money than tourists in NYC or other fancy places.
Accommodation CostsWhile there are some affordable hostels in Houston, the majority of hotels are rather expensive.
ClimatePeople in Houston can experience hot and humid summers and relatively mild winters.
SafetyHouston is not the safest city and crime rates are way above national average.
LandscapeThere are many lakes, livers and forests nearby Houston and you can therefore make many nice day trips as a tourist in Houston.
EntertainmentYou can visit sports games, museums and will find many other entertainment options in this vibrant city.
NightlifeNightlife in Houston is pretty decent since you will find interesting bars and clubs where you can meet many interesting people and party until the early morning.
Public Transport & WalkabilityPublic transport in Houston is solid near the city center and distances are also rather short so you will find most things you need as a tourist within walking distance.
advantages and disadvantages of traveling to houston

Advantages of Traveling to Houston

  1. Solid public transport in Houston
  2. Decent medical infrastructure in Houston
  3. Houston is a pretty tolerant place
  4. You can visit many interesting people in Houston
  5. People in Houston are often friendly and outgoing
  6. You will always find someone to help you out
  7. Hot summers are attractive to many tourists in Houston
  8. Many people traveling to Houston appreciate mild winters
  9. Houston is located at the coast
  10. Nice nature surrounding Houston
  11. Houston is a pretty popular city
  12. Houston has interesting architecture
  13. Many interesting museums in Houston
  14. Decent bars and clubs in Houston
  15. You can visit many great sports games in Houston
  16. More than enough entertainment in Houston
  17. Tourists never get bored in Houston
  18. You can try many delicious foods in Houston
  19. Houston is a culturally diverse place
  20. Many solid shopping opportunities in Houston
  21. You can enjoy big city life in Houston

Solid public transport in Houston

One advantage of traveling to Houston is that you can spend your vacation in a place where you will find decent public transport and can therefore get around by bus or train in a pretty efficient manner so you can get from A to B without having to spend lots of time in traffic and will have enough time to see all the nice things in Houston.

Decent medical infrastructure in Houston

You will also find decent doctors and hospitals in Houston and in case you get sick during your travels, you will likely find really good medical treatment so you can recover as quickly as possible.

Houston is a pretty tolerant place

You should also know that people in Houston are often pretty tolerant and open to new things and no matter where you come from, you can just have a great time in the Houston region and can spend your vacation with many like-minded people.

You can visit many interesting people in Houston

Since people in Houston are often open to new things, you can also experience many different ways of life and while this can make your vacation much more interesting, it may also give you some inspiration regarding what lifestyle you want to live at home in the long run and you may therefore also learn many new habits.

People in Houston are often friendly and outgoing

Many people in Houston are also friendly and outgoing and you will therefore have a hard time making new social connections with locals who can show you the city much better than most tour guides and you can also make many new friendships in a rather playful manner.

You will always find someone to help you out

Since you will find many helpful people in Houston, you can also be pretty sure that you will find someone helping you out in case you get lost who can show you the way back to your hotel or on various other occasions you might experience as a tourist.

Hot summers are attractive to many tourists in Houston

If you visit Houston in summer, it is pretty hot and humid.

While some people don’t like this kind of climate, others love it and if you belong to the second group of people, you can just have a great time in this city.

Many people traveling to Houston appreciate mild winters

Not only summers can be great in Houston, but also winters are rather mild and people living in Detroit or other colder places may be able to escape cold winters for a while by traveling to Houston.

Houston is located at the coast

Since Houston is located at the coast, you can also do many water sports or just relax at the beach and this can make your vacation much better compared to people spending their vacation in Chicago or other places that don’t have a coastline.

Nice nature surrounding Houston

You will also find nice forests, lakes and rivers nearby the city of Houston and this allows you to make many nice day trips so you can enjoy the amenities of a big city while you can still relax in many recreational spaces and can have a great time in general.

Houston is a pretty popular city

You should also know that Houston is one of the biggest and most popular cities in the US and you if Houston is on your bucket list, you may not get happy before you have visited this city and may just want to go for it since you might always wonder what spending your vacation would look like otherwise.

Houston has interesting architecture

There are also many nice skyscrapers and other buildings in Houston and if you love architecture, you may have more than enough interesting places to visit in this region and can also expand your knowledge in this regard quite a lot.

Many interesting museums in Houston

You will also find many nice museums in Houston and can see paintings and other art pieces you may not see in many other museums on a global scale.

Decent bars and clubs in Houston

Another benefit of spending your vacation in Houston is that you will also find many decent bars and clubs in this region and nightlife is great so you will find many locations where you can hang out with great people and party until the early morning.

You can visit many great sports games in Houston

There are also many great sports teams in Houston and this means that you can watch many games live in person and can also take many nice pictures that you can post on social media.

More than enough entertainment in Houston

You will also find more than enough entertainment options in Houston and this means that you will always have something to do and in case you need adrenaline all day long, you can also get action 24/7 most of the time.

Tourists never get bored in Houston

Since there are so many nice things to do, tourists in Houston also often don’t get bored and can spend their time in a vibrant city where many exciting things are waiting for them.

You can try many delicious foods in Houston

As a tourist in Houston, you will also be able to try many delicious foods from all over the world and while this can make your travels just much better, it also allows you to learn about different cuisines so you can adopt some of this culinary knowledge for your life back home.

Houston is a culturally diverse place

You can also meet people from many different parts of the US or even the world in the Houston region and this allows you to experience many different cultures and ways of life so you can really learn about life and become more tolerant as a person.

Many solid shopping opportunities in Houston

You will also find more than enough shopping opportunities in Houston and as long as you have enough money, you can buy fancy clothes, souvenirs and many other nice things in this region.

You can enjoy big city life in Houston

Since Houston is one of the biggest cities in the US, you can also really enjoy big city life since you will be surrounded by skyscrapers and can also spend your time in a pretty busy environment.

As you can see, there are many reasons for traveling to Houston.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks of spending your vacation in Houston that I want to talk about in the following so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to spend your vacation in Houston or rather want to travel to Los Angeles or other interesting places.

Disadvantages of Traveling to Houston

  1. Houston is a pretty crowded city
  2. Hard to get around by bicycle in an efficient manner
  3. You may get stuck in traffic jams in Houston quite often
  4. Houston may be too hot for many tourists
  5. You may not meet as many international tourists in Houston as in other major cities
  6. Living costs in Houston are rather high
  7. You may have to spend lots of money on accommodation
  8. You may get lost in Houston
  9. Many dodgy districts in Houston
  10. Air quality in Houston is often rather poor
  11. Social inequality is about to get worse in Houston

Houston is a pretty crowded city

One downside to traveling to Houston is that it is a pretty crowded city and you may therefore not have enough space in public for yourself but may rather feel like a fish in a small pond where you may just not have enough space to move to feel comfortable.

Hard to get around by bicycle in an efficient manner

You should also know that it is often pretty hard to get around by bicycle as a tourist in Houston and you may therefore have to rely on a car or other means of transport to get around in an efficient manner.

You may get stuck in traffic jams in Houston quite often

During rush hour, you may also have a hard time getting around by car since streets will often be pretty crowded and you may therefore lose lots of time in traffic jams and may not have enough time for other nicer things.

Houston may be too hot for many tourists

Another problem with spending your vacation in Houston is that it is also a pretty hot place and if you are not used to hot weather, your body may just not be able to adapt to those new hot and humid climatic conditions well and you may suffer from headaches or other unpleasant issues.

You may not meet as many international tourists in Houston as in other major cities

While Houston is pretty popular all over the US, it is still not the most popular city among international tourists and you may therefore have a hard time meeting many other tourists from all over the world.

Living costs in Houston are rather high

You should also not forget that living costs in Houston are pretty high and you may therefore have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other nice things and activities you can do as a tourist in Houston.

You may have to spend lots of money on accommodation

While you may find some affordable housing options in Houston, many hotels are still pretty expensive and in case you don’t know how to find affordable deals, chances are you would have to spend lots of money on accommodation which can make your vacation pretty expensive.

You may get lost in Houston

Since Houston is a really big city, you may also get lost sooner or later and if you don’t have your phone with you, it may take you quite a long time to get back on track.

Many dodgy districts in Houston

You should also be aware of the fact that there are many dodgy neighborhoods in Houston and if you are unlucky, you may end up in dodgy places where you might just not feel safe or welcome at all.

Air quality in Houston is often rather poor

Houston also has rather poor air quality and if you are allergic to emissions, chances are that you will just not have a great time in the Houston region.

Social inequality is about to get worse in Houston

You should also know that the city of Houston has to deal with high crime rates and many other social problems and you may therefore also see many unpleasant things as a tourist in Houston sooner or later.

Top 10 Traveling To Houston Pros & Cons – Summary List

Traveling to Houston ProsTraveling to Houston Cons
Houston is a pretty tolerant placeLiving costs in Houston are rather high
Houston has a coastlineHotels in Houston can be pretty expensive
Houston is surrounded by beautiful natureHouston may be too hot and humid for many tourists
You can visit many sports games in HoustonYou may get lost in Houston
Many great museums in HoustonMany dodgy districts in Houston
Interesting nightlife in HoustonHouston is not the safest city
More than enough entertainment in HoustonHouston has to deal with many social issues
Many fancy shopping options in HoustonHouston is not the most popular city for international tourists
Tourists in Houston can enjoy big city lifeTraffic is a big problem in Houston
Houston is a pretty warm place all year longHouston is not the most bicycle-friendly city
Advantages & Disadvantages of Traveling to Houston

Should You Spend Your Vacation in Houston?

While spending your vacation in Houston can be great since you can enjoy big city life and can make many nice day trips to enjoy beautiful nature, you should also know that Houston is not the safest city and you may also see many unpleasant things during your stay in Houston.

If you even consider moving to Houston not only for vacation but permanently, you should also have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of living in Houston.

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/houstoncitytexas

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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