Guide to Dallas: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The most interesting in Dallas: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shops.
According to act-test-centers, Dallas is a city in the United States, located in the northeastern part of the state of Texas on the Trinity River, the administrative center of the district of the same name. Together with Fort Worth and other cities in the metropolitan area (Arlington, Duncanville, Garland, Denton, Irving, Mesquite and Plano), it makes up the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, which is considered the first most populous city in Texas and the 9th in the United States.
How to get to Dallas
By plane
Dallas is served by two major commercial airports: Dallas Fort Worth International, known as DFW International, and Dallas Love Field, as well as Dallas Executive within the city limits and Addison Airport, located in one of the northern suburbs of Dallas Addison. Two more airports are located in the northern suburbs of Dallas McKinney, and the other two – in the western part of the metropolis.
From the airport to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth, you can take a free shuttle to the Trinity Rail Express station, from where the train will reach the city center in just 20 minutes. A ticket costs about 2.7 USD.
By train
There are two rail routes: the Dallas/Fort Worth between San Antonio and Chicago, and the Heartland Flyer between Dallas/Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
By car
From Oklahoma, take I-35 or US 75 South. If you are coming from Houston, you need to drive about 250 miles north on I-45, which later becomes US 75. I-35 North leads from Austin to Dallas. To get there from Louisiana, you need to follow I-20 west.
In Dallas, the main movement in the morning is directed towards the city center, and in the evening – from the center. The main difficulties in the morning arise on US 75 South (the so-called Central), where you can spend up to 2 hours instead of 20 minutes on a free highway.
There are two branches of I-35: it diverges from I-35W to Denton (30 miles north of Dallas) via Fort Worth at Hillsborough (50 miles south of Dallas), and I-35E, which runs from Denton through Dallas to Hillsborough.
Find cheap flights to Dallas
Weather in Dallas
Dallas is located on the prairie lands of the Midwest, where tornadoes are frequent. In spring, a cold front moving out of Canada collides with warm, moist air masses coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. When they meet over Dallas, a violent storm emerges with a spectacular show of lightning, rainstorms, hail and tornadoes.
The rainiest time in Dallas is spring.
The city’s climate is humid subtropical, although hot, dry northwesterly winds hit this part of Texas in the summer. In winter, they are replaced by cold air masses, and then the temperature drops below zero. It snows for one or two days every winter, and during this time the roads are extremely dangerous for drivers. However, winters in Dallas are considered fairly mild compared to the rest of Texas and other states. Sometimes they are called “protracted Indian summer.”
See also the current weather forecast in Dallas for the next few days.
Dallas Transportation
Dallas Public Transportation – Area Rapid Transit (DART) – oversees bus and rail routes and dedicated lanes for cars. This company launched light rail in 1996 and since then the lines and routes have been increasing.
There are two tram lines in the city. The Red Line runs from south Dallas through downtown to the northern suburbs of Richardson and Plano. The Blue Line runs from south Dallas through downtown to suburban Garland. The branches run parallel for several miles. In the zone of their intersection is the only underground tram station Cityplace in the southwest of the United States. “Light rail” transport runs in many tourist places in the city center. Buses run almost everywhere, but as a rule, several transfers are required, and this type of transportation is the slowest.
There are two types of tickets: either for two hours (from 2.50 USD ), or for the whole day (about 5 USD ) – this is more profitable, since you often have to transfer to other routes. Most buses and city rail transport operate from 5 am to midnight. During peak hours ticket inspectors can check tickets.
The most convenient way to get around the city is by renting a car and taxis, such as Dallas Taxi or Dallas Yellow Cab.
Restaurants and Cuisine of Dallas
Dallas is known for its barbecue and “tex-mex” – regional American cuisine. Dallasians love to eat tasty and satisfying food, so the city has a huge number of cafes and restaurants where everyone will find what they like.
- Blue Mesa Grill owners Jim and Liz Baron prefer local farms and producers, so the food is always fresh here. Every Wednesday from 11:00 to 14:00, local chicken enchiladas and goat cheese wrapped in a tortilla are served here.
- The main concept of The Garden Cafe restaurant is that products are grown right in the garden: corn, green beans, carrots, potatoes and greens. The average cost of a dish is 11 USD.
- The best order at Amore Café is fluffy hot cannelloni stuffed with ricotta cheese, ground beef and spinach.
- Toni’s is a lakeside family restaurant loved by the locals. Parents order fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti bolognese ( USD 6.95), and kids under 12 get a piece of raw dough to play with while they wait for their pizza.
Entertainment and attractions in Dallas
The Dallas Zoo houses about 380 animal species in 8,000 enclosures. Of these, 80 are African, including anteaters and tapirs, and a giraffe greets guests at the entrance to the zoo. Address: Dallas, TX 75203. Hours of Operation: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; adult ticket – 15 USD, for pensioners (over 64 years old) and children from 3 to 11 years old – 12 USD, kids under 3 years old – free of charge. You can learn about thematic exhibitions and discounts on the zoo’s website.
The Dallas World Aquarium features a variety of aquatic life: rarely found in nature, manatees, as well as jellyfish, octopuses, a wide variety of fish, crocodiles, sharks and many others. Address: Dallas, 1801 N. Griffin St., West End. Opening hours – from 9:00 to 17:00, ticket prices from 15 to 21 USD, detailed information about exhibitions and prices on the aquarium’s website (English).
Six Flags Over Texas is a park with hundreds of attractions, including many family shows and entertainment for children. Glow In The Park hosts light and sound shows. Opening hours: summer – daily, spring and autumn – only on weekends. Entrance fee – from 57 USD, details about attractions and discounts on the park’s website (eng.).
The Arboretum and Botanical Garden are 66 hectares of gardens and groves that will impress the whole family. It hosts outdoor concerts, festivals and educational events. Opening hours: daily 10:00 – 17:00. Ticket price: adults – 15 USD, children – 10 USD, children under 2 years old – free of charge. Parking costs 15 USD. Everything about excursions on the arboretum website (eng.).
Museums in Dallas
The Dallas Museum of Art features approximately 23,000 works of art from antiquity to the present day. Among other things, the museum displays works by Edouard Manet and Paul Gauguin. Visiting the permanent exhibition is free. Once a month, something like the Night of Museums is held, when you can view the collection until midnight, but tickets cost from 10 USD. More information about the museum’s collection and opening hours can be found on the website.
You can also visit the Museum of Modern Art – admission is free for everyone, opening hours: 9:00 – 17:00.
