Austin to Destin FL road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops
The distance from Austin TX to Destin FL by car is 737 miles, with an 11h28m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Austin to Destin drive are Houston, Baton Rouge and Biloxi.
An Austin to Destin road trip takes you from the capital of Texas to a Florida Panhandle beach town.
Things to do in Austin TX
Austin is renowned for its live music scene, although it has plenty of more conventional attractions too. These include Austin Zoo, the Museum of Ice Cream and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Top Austin experiences include ebike tours taking in the city highlights, haunted pub crawl walks and segway tours.
You can also try highly-rated downtown food tours, half day wine shuttles in the Hill Country, brewery-hopping beer tours and sightseeing on a boat cruise.
For Austin hotel recommendations, try band crashpad chic meets rainbow bathrobes at the Hotel San Jose and the unashamed rock star swagger of the W.
Things to do in Destin FL
Destin is a beach town on the Florida Panhandle, with white sand beaches and several golf courses. The Destin Harbor Boardwalk tends to be the centre of activity, and there is plenty of activity to be in the centre of.
Top Destin experiences include a sunset tiki cruise, a Crab Island sandbar adventure, a dolphin-watching speedboat cruise and parasailing.
You can also try jetski rentals, the Maximum Magic show, Hydrojet sunset tours and banana boat rides.
If looking for Destin accommodation, the Comfort Inn and Suites offers good value and the plush Henderson Beach Resort has private beach access.
Austin to Destin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Austin to Destin is 737 miles. That makes for a driving time of around eleven hours and 28 minutes. The quickest route is along the TX-71 and I-10. The best stops to add to an Austin to Destin road trip itinerary are Houston, Baton Rouge and Biloxi.
For more suggestions, check out the guides to individual legs of the journey:
Austin to Destin road trip attractions: Houston
The top Houston attraction is unquestionably the NASA Space Center, which takes you behind the scenes of the Johnson Space Center. This includes the Mission Briefing Center, and a vast array of high tech exhibitions.
Other attractions include the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum,
For more Houston experiences, try hip hop party bike tours, foodie walks in the Montrose neighbourhood and quirky tours of Houston’s tunnel system.
Top Houston accommodation options include the superb value Club Quarters Houston Downtown and the upscale but boutique Magnolia.
Best stops between Austin and Destin: Baton Rouge LA
The obvious attraction in Baton Rouge is the Louisiana Capitol Building, but the castle-like Old Capitol Building is more attractive. It’s also now a museum, with interactive exhibits on democracy and the colourful characters who have walked the corridors over the decades. The colourful stained glass dome is spectacular, too.
As a museum, the Capitol Park Museum is better, telling multiple strands of Louisiana’s story. Other Baton Rouge attractions include the Magnolia Mound Plantation, built in 1791, and the environmentally educational Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.
Great places to stay in Baton Rouge include the affordable Hampton Inn & Suites Baton Rouge Downtown and the historic Watermark.
Austin to Destin drive: Biloxi MS
Biloxi on the Mississippi coast is best known as a casino destination, but there’s plenty to keep non-gamblers interested. The Biloxi Lighthouse opened in 1848, and is now open for public tours. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum covers the region’s history, and looks at just how big a business fishing is. You can also take a cruise on one of the schooners moored outside the museum.
Also in Biloxi is Beauvoir, the lavish home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The mansion is open for tours.
Excellent value Biloxi accommodation options include the Palace Casino Resort and Hotel Legends.
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