Houston airports to the Galveston cruise port

Galveston has no commercial airport of its own, so cruise passengers fly into Houston. There are two options, and the difference between them is mostly time.

	Houston Hobby (HOU)	George Bush Intercontinental (IAH)
Drive to the port	About 45 minutes, per the port	About 1.5 hours, per the port
Distance	About 40 miles	About 70 miles
Shared shuttle, booked online	$28 one way, $56 round trip	$28 one way, $56 round trip

The distances come from Visit Galveston, the island's visitor bureau. The drive times come from the port. Houston traffic can stretch either one.

Shared shuttle

Galveston Limousine Service runs a shared shuttle from both airports. On September 10, 2026 its site listed these fares:

Route	Booked online	Booked by phone
Hobby, one way	$28	$55
Hobby, round trip	$56	$100
Bush Intercontinental, one way	$28	$65
Bush Intercontinental, round trip	$56	$120

Booking online is a lot cheaper than calling. The fare covers two suitcases, none longer than 30 inches on any side, plus one carry-on per person. Extra bags are $20 each way. The company says the trip takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. On cruise days its shuttles back from Galveston can leave the terminal up to 30 minutes late.

At Hobby the pickup is at Curb Zone 4, outside baggage claim on the arrivals level. The airport says to reserve at least two days ahead.

Cruise line transfers

Many cruise lines, Royal Caribbean among them, sell their own transfers from both Houston airports. You book them with your cruise.

At Bush Intercontinental the cruise lines have desks in baggage claim in Terminals A and C. The coaches leave from the south side of those two terminals.

Taxi, rideshare and driving

Taxis are available at both airports. Uber and Lyft also serve the port. Get a price estimate in the app before you commit, because a 70-mile ride from IAH adds up.

If you rent a car, take I-45 South onto Galveston Island and follow Harborside Drive to the port. A one-way rental means sorting out a return at the port end, and a round-trip rental sits in a parking lot for the length of your cruise, so compare it with the parking costs first.

Hobby or Intercontinental?

If the fares are close, fly into Hobby. It's roughly half the distance, and the shuttle costs the same from either airport. Bush Intercontinental makes sense when it saves you real money on the flight or when your only nonstop goes there.

If you land on the morning you sail, remember the port suggests arriving about three hours before your boarding time. Add the drive, and a late flight leaves very little margin. Flying in the day before and staying on the island is the safer plan. See hotels near the cruise port.