Austin to Tampa road trip: Best stops, drive time & distance
The best road trip stops on the Austin to Tampa drive are Houston, New Orleans and Tallahassee. The distance from Austin to Tampa by car is 1,136 miles, with a 17h10m driving time.
Austin to Tampa distance and driving time
The Austin to Tampa drive connects the capital of Texas to the west coast of Florida.
By car, the distance from Austin to Tampa is 1,136 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 17 hours and 10 minutes. The quickest route is along the TX-71, I-10 and I-75.
The best stops to add to an Austin to Tampa road trip itinerary are Houston, New Orleans and Tallahassee. For more suggestions, check out the guides to the individual legs of the Austin to Tampa road trip:
- Austin to Houston drive.
- Houston to New Orleans drive.
- New Orleans to Tallahassee drive.
- Tallahassee to Tampa drive.
Things to do in Austin, Texas
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 Tampa, Florida
Tampa is justifiably one of the most popular holiday destinations in Florida. It’s home to top attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, the Adventure Island water park and Busch Gardens theme park.
Other great Tampa experiences include historic Ybor City food walking tours, seeing the highlights in a street legal golf cart and a Haunted Tampa tour that combines ghosts and pubs.
Also on offer are Segway tours, history cruises, dolphin-watching and celebrity homes tours.
Tampa accommodation is best booked in advance – look for deals here.
Austin to Tampa drive: Houston, Texas
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 Tampa: New Orleans
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
Austin to Tampa road trip attractions: Tallahassee, Florida
Top Tallahassee experiences include the Museum of Florida History, which tells the tale of the Sunshine State. That covers everything from prehistoric mastodons to the Spanish conquest and Disney.
The Tallahassee Museum, meanwhile, flits all over the place, from sculpture to birds of prey. For natural beauty, head to the Alfred B Maclay Gardens State Park.
More Austin road trips
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More Tampa road trips
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