Since the development of downtown Houston, tourism and local trade has boomed, making the sight seeing and shopping pretty great in this city. The best place to shop is The Galleria, one of the largest malls in the country. It has around 320 stores, including high end retailers like Cartier, Versace, and Tiffany and Co.

Most major sporting events in Texas are held in Houston, MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, AHL and MLS (hopefully you understand a few of these) so it goes without saying that there is SO much sport to see if you are travelling here. There are loads of stadiums to tour, each one the home of a major sporting team or brand.

The Toyota Center (left) is home to the Rockets, Comets and Aeros, while the huge Minute Maid Park is the home of the Astros. Both are located downtown, while others include the Reliant Stadium, Rice Stadium, Hofheinz Pavilion and Robertson Stadium. Phew!

If you have kids in tow or want something to keep you interested, there is plenty to do in Houston. Dont tell NASA, but skip the Space station, its overrated and difficult to navigate with young kids.

Instead, The Houston Museum of Natural Science is a lot more fun for the kids and packed with unique stuff to intrigue and educate. If it happens on the face of the earth and is worth learning about, youll find it in this museum which was established in 1909. There are exhibits on wildlife, astronomy and energy, plus rooms on the Serengeti, minerals, dinosaurs and even a live butterfly room! Put your feet up while watching an IMAX movie in the inbuilt Wortham Theater, or a show at the Burke Baker Planetarium. Hermann Park (left) is a good place for a run around, bike ride or a lazy afternoon snooze.

The Museum of Natural Science is held on the Hermann Park grounds, as is Hermann Zoo and the Hermann Park Golf Course. This park spaces around 445 acres. While youre sight seeing, dont miss the newly transformed theater district Bayou Place. Its lots of theaters, cafes, clubs, and live music venues all in one location, a refurbished vacant convention center in the city district.

Eating is good in Houston. One of the most popular, arguably the best also, is Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel. The Italian dining is set in a European style restaurant, with contemporary trimmings. The antipasti bar is great, as is the bar in itself, but generally the food is the biggest draw- card. Its a great place for a Friday night wine, business group dinner or romantic couple wanting a cosy drink.

A little more edgy and fun is The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant that serves up great concoctions for you to dip into both cheese and chocolate. This one is really popular for a reason, its fantastic for dates, groups and girls night outs. Its even kid friendly!

Something to try out for its unique purposes is the Houston downtown underground tunnel system. It is around six miles of underground tunnels that link around the downtown area, all easily navigated with a map or guided tour. The tunnels lead in and about businesses, shops and restaurants and can be accessed via lifts, escalators or through building entrances and hotels. Its a bit of fun if you have a couple of hours to spare, but guided tours need to be arranged in advance.

Touring or not, Houston is the fourth largest city in America, and to get around you'll need to be smart (or you'll end up in circles and with blisters). We can help you to price and book cheap rental cars, making sure you get the best deal, so you can spend that extra cash on your basketball tickets.