Austin is the perfect place for a hire car adventure. It’s a city that’s easy to navigate and doesn’t generally have major problems with congestion.

It’s well worth familiarising yourself not just with general US driving laws before you arrive – you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road, overtaking on the left – but also with local customs and traditions. Austin is a very cycling friendly city, so watch out for dedicated cycle lanes and paths, while it’s also pedestrian friendly too, so avoid blocking crosswalks.

Speed limits vary by area, with lower limits signposted for urban and built-up areas. On freeways, Texas has one of the highest speed limits in the US. The SH-130 toll road which runs from Austin to Seguin has an 85mph stretch covering some 40 miles.

Austin is well connected to other key Texan cities, with the I-35 running right through its heart. For nearby San Antonio, head south-west. If you continue on that route you’ll cross into Mexico at Laredo. Take the same road north for Waco, Fort Worth, the sprawling Dallas and onwards to the state of Oklahoma.

For a day trip to the coastal city of Houston, you can take the TX-71 East before joining the I-10 E at Columbus.

Just over an hour away to the west is Fredericksburg, a town settled by German immigrants. It’s full of interesting architecture and churches, while nearby Enchanted Rock is on the National Register of Historic Places. The huge pink granite dome is a place of myth and mystery.

From its buzzing, cutting-edge music festivals to its brilliant barbecue restaurants, Austin is a fascinating place that walks a line between weird and wonderful. It’s also incredibly friendly – you’ll soon be chatting away to the welcoming locals who’ll tell you all the best places to go and the must-see new openings.

Funky Festivals

Arrive in March and you’ll be here for South by Southwest (or SXSW) - a music, media and film festival that has been taking place every year since 1987. It has expanded to become one of the biggest festivals in the world, with thousands of musical acts and an ever-growing number of visitors. It can seem like something is going on in every single street – and it probably is. Live shows, previews, film screenings, panel discussions and a growing number of fringe events keep it vital.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is a more recent event, started in 2002, that takes place over two consecutive weekends, usually in the autumn. It attracts internationally famous bands and performers, such as R.E.M, Sheryl Crow, Eminem and Radiohead.

A bounty of barbecue

Barbecue is a way of life in Texas, and there are dozens of stunning places vying to fill your stomach in Austin. You’ll need to time it right – some have reputations so good that you might find yourself waiting in line for a couple of hours. Franklin’s at 900 E 11^th Street is only open for lunch and soon sells out of its fatty brisket and burnt ends, which is why you’ll find a queue snaking down the street from early morning, complete with fold-out chairs and a party atmosphere.

Alternatively, head for Micklethwait Craft Meats for amazing sausages and pork chops, Freedmen’s for pulled pork, Stiles Switch for beef ribs and La Barbecue for, well, everything.

Birds, bats and Barton Park

There’s rarely a dull day in Austin, weather-wise – it’s a place of sunshine, whether sweet, sultry or sweltering. Which explains why there’s over 300 parks in the city and the people love to enjoy the outdoors. The natural spring pool at Barton Park, surrounded by pretty pecan trees, is a popular place for locals to cool down in the height of summer.

The huge Lady Bird Lake is a haven for the active – with cycling and running trails, swimmers and canoeists, kayakers and paddleboarders. There’s a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail if you want to stay fit while you’re in Austin, while those who want to take it easy can join a lunch or dinner cruise down the river.

End the perfect day by bat-watching. Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the US, and the South Congress Bridge is where many of them make their home. Locals and tourists sit on the banks of the lake at sunset during bat season (roughly March to November) and witness the unforgettable experience of the ‘bat swarm’ as they emerge to feed. Like Austin itself, it’s unique and truly memorable. Car hire in Austin means you can really see all that this off-kilter city has to offer to visitor.