San Antonio in December Help!
 

Does anyone know if it is really crowded the first week of December in San Antonio? I've been reading about the holiday lights on the Riverwalk. Is it possible to get lodging at this late date? We want to stay 6 days, so I assume there is enough to do. I don't really like huge crowds of people so maybe this isn't the time to go. I was thinking in December there wouldn't be huge crowds. Could we manage a few days without a car and just walk or take taxi's everywhere? I would love to hear from anyone who has been here in December and their thoughts. Also does anyone have suggestions as to where we could stay? Is it really noisy and touristy to stay on the Riverwalk?

Firstly, weatherwise, December is a beautiful time to visit San Antonio. We had temperatures around 70°F even in late December. The riverwalk is green and lush and blooming like a tropical forest.

Re: crowds

We stayed over New Year's Eve in San Antonio (which is probably even more popular than the first week of December) and I would not use the word "crowded". Yes, the Riverwalk was lively, but certainly not crowded. There were even sections of the riverwalk where we did not see any other person while walking.

Re: transportation

The downtown area of San Antonio is pretty walkable: Riverwalk, Alamo, Spanish Governor's Palace, Mexican Market, Museums - everything is walkable. You can even walk to the King Williams District (although a short taxi ride would be more convenient). What I would strongly recommend is that you visit the other Missions too. (We did it with a rental car, but I know there are buses.)

Re: Accomodation

We stayed in a vacation rental, but we have seen the hotels. I would say, a hotel on the riverwalk is fine and not more noisy than a downtown hotel (there are three or four hotels in the Alamo area). Location does not matter too much, we are speaking of distances of a few hundred yards.

No, it won't be crowded 1st week of Dec. Kids are still in school and no football bowl game.

For me 6 days is too long in SA in Dec, or any time of the year in one chunk. Two to 3 few days is ok without a car.

If you have 6 days I would also see the hill country and Austin as well. The city of SA is running a big promotion right now with reduced rates on hotels and attractions so do a search before booking. For a really great price use Priceline. Have fun!

We were thinking of spending 4 days in San Antonio and 2 days outside of the city. How does this sound? Also where could we stay on the Riverwalk? We are looking for a nice hotel, maybe not over 160.00 a night. Is that possible? Where is a good place to stay outside of the city when we rent a car and start exploring the hill country? Thanks for any help.

I just checked Hotwire and they offer several very good deals for San Antonio, including a 4-star hotel with pool at $92. As said, Riverwalk South or Riverwalk North does not matter too much. Use www.betterbidding.com to find out which hotel is offered.

In Hill Country, I would probably spend a night or two in Gruene - firstly, it is centrally located, secondly you have the chance to listen to the music in Gruene Hall at night.

IMHO, 4 days is plenty, including Austin, 2 days in San Antonio (Riverwalk, Alamo, the market, the King William District, maybe a mission or two if you haven't seen one before). Then drive to Austin, stopping at Natural Bridge Caverns (awesome) and at Gruene (where you could stay overnight, of course, but I thought 2-3 hours was plenty), then to Austin, where a day of sightseeing will cover everything there is to see. To be absolutely honest, we did all of that in 2-1/2 days.

I am still looking for a hotel on the Riverwalk and everything is booked. I would be willing to spend 160.00 or 170.00 and I would like something very nice. Is anyone familiar with the O'Brien Historical Hotel? It is not on the Riverwalk and we will not rent a car until we leave the city. Has anyone stayed at the Riverwalk Vista? Someone said it was very noisy because of road traffic. Please help with lodging if anyone knows any place. I guess December is really crowded so maybe it's not a good time to go.

I checked Hotwire again. From Dec. 1 to 4 they have very good options, and even from Dec. 1 to 6 they have available 3-star-hotels at the riverwalk, and, I may add, dirt cheap. So, I do not understand your statement "everything is booked".

If there is a problem with the weekend, change your itinerary a bit and spend less time in San Antonio and add two days for Austin (also a beautiful town). My Texas favourite for December would be Big Bend anyway.

Depending on your interests, you could fill 6 days in SA - especially if you like to eat and drink.. ;-) If you are into museums, the McNay Art Institute is great. SA Museum of Art is also worth a visit, and you can now get to it via boat taxi on the Riverwalk extension. The missions are great, but you would be best off with a car for that.

For hotels, you should be able to find something in your price range. The Crowne Plaza downtown was running a special, something like $85/night; not sure if it is still available. It is not on the Riverwalk but not terribly far away. The O'Brien property gets mixed reviews. Check out www.visitsanantonio.com where they have some hotel discounts posted.

Now, about weather - it's anybody's guess. Really. It is already getting cool at night (40's - 50"s) but that could change quickly. It is not likely to be bone chilling cold, but it may get cool enough to require a coat. Best bet is to plan on layers you can add or remove as the temp changes.

Thanks so much everyone for all of your help! I have never used Hotwire so I was a little anxious using it. They don't tell you the name of the hotel and I wasn't really sure how it worked. I will check it out. I will have plenty to do it sounds like.