If you’re flying into Houston before a Galveston cruise, your first real decision isn’t which shuttle to book — it’s which airport to fly into. Houston has two: George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby (HOU). Both work. Here’s how to pick.
The Short Answer
Book whichever airport has the better flight for your dates and budget. Neither one adds meaningfully more time or cost to your shuttle ride to Galveston — we run flat-rate service from both, and the drive to the cruise terminals is similar either way.
IAH (George Bush Intercontinental)
- Houston’s larger international hub — more nonstop routes, especially from outside Texas
- Often more flight time and fare options on major carriers
- Sits north of downtown Houston, roughly a 90-minute drive to the Galveston cruise terminals depending on traffic
Hobby (HOU)
- Smaller, closer to downtown, generally an easier airport to navigate
- Strong Southwest Airlines presence, which can mean better fares from some cities
- Sits south and east of downtown — sometimes a slightly shorter run down to Galveston, though it depends on your exact route and traffic
What Actually Matters for Your Cruise
Two things matter more than which airport you pick:
Land the day before if you can. Cruise lines won’t hold the ship for a delayed flight, and neither airport is close enough to Galveston to gamble on a same-day arrival if you can avoid it. An overnight in a Houston-area hotel removes almost all of the risk.
Book transportation that tracks your flight. Whichever airport you land at, we track your flight and adjust your pickup time automatically if it’s delayed — at no extra charge. That matters more than which terminal you’re walking out of.
Pricing From Either Airport
We run the same flat rates whether you fly into IAH or HOU — private van is $170 flat from either airport, and shared shuttle is $40 per person. See the full breakdown on our routes & pricing page.