There are lots of ways for remote workers to get around Austin and experience the city’s countless cultural and outdoor activities on offer every day. As with most American cities, the most popular way to get around Austin is by car. If you do not have your own, however, you are in luck because Austin has a sophisticated public transportation system which serves the entire city and is extremely useful to remote workers looking to get around town affordability and in an environmentally-friendly way.
Austin’s Capital Metro system is an integrated public transportation network boasting a number of transit methods aiming at facilitating movement across its several neighborhoods through the Downtown area.
Below, we highlight the popular ways remote workers use to get around Austin.
Texas’ capital has an extensive bus network which makes it easy and convenient for remote workers to get around Austin. The MetroBus system has over one hundred routes around the city and recent vehicle additions means you can expect a ride every 15 minutes within the system’s operating hours during the day on weekdays. The CapMetro App offers citizens the opportunity to pay for their ticket via their phone and track the location of incoming buses. The city’s MetroExpress system is a BRT system with integrated bus lanes meant to avoid the city’s congestion and make trips faster and more efficient. You can ride the city’s buses for an affordable 2.5USD for a single ride.
The city’s MetroRail network is another easy convenient way for remote workers to get around Austin. The fast rail service offer 26 miles of track connecting the entire city from north to south - the network starts at the Downtown/Convention Center Station and follows through Central Austin (Kramer) to Lakeline before ending at Leander on the northwestern border of the city. The MetroRail is a fast and safe way to avoid congestion on the roads of Austin and it is easy and relatively affordable to use, with single tickets costing 3.5USD.
Increasingly popular in this hip city, bike rentals and electric scooters are becoming a common way for remote workers to get around Austin. The Austin B-Cycle rental scheme offers affordable bikes at over 70 locations around the main central neighborhoods of the city and, with lots of designated bike lanes in this area, it is common to find swathes of cyclists getting around town on any particular day. Equally, Uber has begun to offer its JUMP service - low-emission, electric bikes at affordable rental prices around the Downtown area. The popular Lyft and Lime companies also offer electric scooters around designated areas of Austin, providing another convenient way for remote workers to travel short distances within the central parts of the city.
If you really want to explore the city and region in full without having to worry about catching that last bus or riding a bike after a long day of work, then renting a car might be advisable for you. Austin, like most American cities, has a sophisticated network of roads and highways meaning it should be relatively easy and safe to drive here. Car2Go offers a convenient rental service at locations across the city, giving you the option to rent for a short trip and drop off at permitted parking locations across the city. You’ll also find lots of other car rental options around the airport and in the Downtown area.
For more information about living in Austin as a remote worker, check out our complete Austin guide.