Practical Information for visiting Texas

Coverage is continuous in the Texas Triangle, along the interstates and on the coast, and disappears in the far west: Big Bend's visitor centres, the Chisos lodge and the Rio Grande Village store offer free public WiFi, and the park recommends downloading the NPS app's maps for offline use before arriving; the Guadalupe Mountains warn that phones are unreliable and will show the wrong time, because the park keeps Mountain Time while the phone may not. Download maps before leaving El Paso, Fort Stockton or Alpine, and carry a paper one. In the cities free WiFi is standard; during a hurricane or an ice storm -- Uri in 2021 took the grid down for days -- power, coverage and charging can all fail, which is why the advisories want a charged phone, a plan and local media monitored.

Both advisories rate the United States as needing normal precautions. Violent and gun crime rarely touch tourists but the cities have neighbourhoods to avoid, especially from dusk to dawn; petty theft is common in urban centres and tourist spots; rental cars are the target, so never leave bags, passports or valuables in a parked car, even in the boot. Firearms are widely and legally carried, mass shootings occur, and the advisories ask visitors to know how to respond to an active shooter. Protests are common and can turn violent; move away early. The UK names crime linked to illegal drugs as a major issue in the Mexican states bordering Texas, and both warn never to cross the border with a hitchhiker or unknown passengers, since the driver answers for what they carry.

Nature is the real hazard. Tornadoes pose a risk across the central and southern states and may come with little warning; Texas has more than any other state, mostly in the north in April, May and June. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November and the upper Texas coast is the most-struck in the state: monitor the National Hurricane Center, follow evacuation orders and expect flights to be disrupted. Flash floods kill in the Hill Country. Heat from June to September is the season's danger, and in Big Bend the park itself asks for a gallon of water per person, an early start and a plan left with someone, because dehydration there is, in its words, a deadly reality; the desert swings 30 degrees a day and is hot even in winter. Wildfires, ice storms and grid failures are all in the recent record.

Dial 911 for an ambulance. Health care is excellent -- Houston's Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world -- and very expensive: insurance covering treatment and evacuation is essential for non-residents, foreign prescriptions are not valid, and some medicines cannot be brought in, so check the FDA's rules and expect to see a US provider for a refill. The advisories list Zika and West Nile virus as risks, rabies possibly present in wildlife including bats, and heat and humidity from June to September as the season's danger, with dehydration and heatstroke fatal; Big Bend's page adds salty snacks, lightweight layers, a wide hat, and lying down in shade at the first headache or dizziness. Guadalupe Peak is a mountain environment at nearly 9,000 feet with risks found nowhere else in the state, and a hiker died there of exposure on New Year's Eve 2022. Tap water is safe; the Gulf sun burns fast; rattlesnakes are common and left alone.

Two sets of laws apply, the state's and the federal, and breaking either can cost a visa. ID: carry a passport showing permission to be in the country; authorities may ask for proof of status at any time. Alcohol is 21 nationwide and checked; many Texas counties and towns restrict or ban sales, so a dry town is not a joke. Cannabis is illegal in Texas and under federal law, previous use can bar entry, and drug paraphernalia is prohibited at the border. Firearms are legally carried openly by citizens; treat a holstered weapon in a shop as ordinary. Parks: Big Bend is cashless and its wildlife and backcountry rules are enforced; the Alamo asks hats off inside the church, no food or drink, no flash and no pets. Driving: right turn on red after stopping unless signed; hire firms' own rules on age and experience; proof of insurance required in many states.

Manners are Southern, first-name and tipped: tipping is expected in restaurants, bars and taxis and to hotel staff, and is how service workers are paid; "sir" and "ma'am" are ordinary courtesy; the state flag and the Alamo are treated with reverence and visitors do well to match it. The UK notes that LGBT+ attitudes vary hugely by state; Texas's cities are open, its small towns less predictably so. Ask before photographing on tribal or private land, which in Texas is nearly all of it.

Emergency numbers: 911 for police, fire and ambulance anywhere in the state.

Consular: Canadian Citizen Services on 1-844-880-6519 or the emergency line 1-888-949-9993, with consulates in Dallas and Houston; the UK's help and services for the US are listed on its advisory. Natural hazards: tornadoes with little warning in spring, hurricanes and flooding on the coast from June to November, flash floods in the Hill Country, extreme heat from June to September, ice storms and grid failure in rare Arctic outbreaks; monitor local media and the National Hurricane Center, and follow local emergency services' instructions including evacuation orders. In the parks: Big Bend asks hikers to carry a whistle and tell someone their route and return time; the Guadalupe Mountains have no services for 35 miles.