USA Bus Lines

Steps to ride metro in houston?

Hi. Am going to Houston late September. Will be alone, first time in the States. What are the steps to ride the metro? Hv checked the metro website but i mean what's the real procedure... first of all, u wait in the bus stop. Is there a machine or person near every stop to buy 24hrs ticket? will depart from museum district (main&bissonet). So i buy ticket. where do i validate it? then i hv to transfer to another line, do i validate it again? or u show it to the driver? i would really appreciate long answers or even mail :-) tnx tnx for the answers. Well, i have to admit that it must be diffuclut for u to understand that -1st: i cant rent a car cause i will hv only 2 free days and in any case am european and i need an international driving licence plus i like to walk -2nd i am very used to extreme hot weather and hv absolutely no problem. So, i am going to stay in a hotel in the museum district and i want to go for shopping in the galleria. If i am correct am going to use rail (bus and rail when i go from iah to hotel) to go to galleria so i ll buy a day pass in the ticket machine. I am going to ride the rail 4 times - 2 for each direction. Do i have to validate it each time i enter the rail? Btw, europeans do prefer public transportation and do walk more than americans, it's just a cultural difference :-) I can understand most of u drive a lot and dont like hot weather :-) Tnx, for the answers .

Public Comments

1. Sorry, I can't tell you. I've been here for over 20 years (since I was a kid) and never ridden the bus. Most Houstonians haven't ever ridden the bus. I don't even know how they sell tickets. I always thought that people put change in the slot and asked for transfers. Have you thought of renting a car?
2. The procedure is a bit different if you are going to ride the bus or the rail. There is a rail station near your intersection of Main and Bissonett. There is a self pay kiosk for tickets at the station. The conductor will not ask for your ticket. If there is a Metro Cop on board they will ask for your ticket. It is like the honor system. If you ride the bus the bus driver ask for your fee or pre-paid tickets as you board. Edit: You only have to validate the ticket on the rail if there is a Metro official on board asking for the ticket. Otherwise just buy the ticket and ride and get off where you need to. Save the ticket becasue it will be your transfer pass if you need to use the bus. You will always have to validate the ticket or transfer pass or have cash when you board any bus.
3. Well, it is not easy to use the bus system in Houston. The city is hugh, the metroplex area alone covers more than 600 square miles. The two main reasons people do not use the system is 1) it does not criss cross, so you have to take one bus and go downtown and change to another bus or two and then reach your destination, 2) and because of the intense heat 3 months out of the year and the amount of walking involved in catching the buses makes it an unpleasant experience. If you want to visit the Museum District, then stay in an hotel in the area and use the shuttles and metro rail to move between each of the 14 museums. Your hotel will provide you with the shuttle and metro rail schedules. Houston's first light rail line links downtown to some of Houston's greatest assets-The Museum District, Texas medical Center, Rice University, the Houston Zoo and Reliant Park. For buses you can call metro on the phone and tell them where you want to go and they will give you the bus number locations of the stops, and times, you pay the $1.00 or $1.50 (no change provided) when you board the bus. You can also purchase a metro rail or bus pass for the day. Whether you ride the bus, rail or both, you will be able to get on board using METRO's standard fare items. Day Pass If you have more than one round trip to make in a day, a Day Pass may be a better value than a transfer. For just $2, you get unlimited rides on METRO's Local bus service and METRORail for 24 hours from the time of purchase. Purchase a Day Pass from the Operator as you board any Local METRO bus with cash, tokens or a Stored Value Card. You also may purchase a Day Pass at a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) located on each rail platform with cash or credit/debit cards, but not tokens. For additional areas of the city, the Galleria for shopping, etc. look into the tours from your hotel. You coud also look into renting a car for the time you are in the city. Wecome to Houston; enjoy your visit!
4. go to ridemetro.org and you can you the trip planner link
5. After your shopping at the Galleria, I would suggest taking a taxi to your hotel. Hope you have a good time in H-town.