Plano
Introduction
Plano is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city in Collin County, with a small portion extending into Denton County. It is one of the principal suburbs of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, making it a convenient base for exploring the wider region.
Getting there
Plano sits just north of Dallas and is easy to reach by car: U.S. Route 75 runs straight through the east side of the city and connects to Interstate 45. The nearest airports are Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Love Field, each roughly a 30-minute drive away. Taxis and cars for hire are readily available once you arrive.
Public transit can also get you there. From DFW International Airport, take the DART Silver Line from Terminal B Station to 12th Street station, just south of downtown Plano, then ride the Red Line or Orange Line a short distance north to Downtown Plano station or Parker Road station. You can also take the Orange Line from Terminal A, but because it routes through Downtown Dallas it takes much longer; during off-peak hours the Orange Line ends at LBJ/Central Station, where you transfer to the Red Line. From Dallas Love Field Airport, take the DART shuttle bus from the lower level to Inwood/Love Field Station, then ride the Orange Line south through downtown Dallas to Plano, or the Green Line north to Downtown Carrollton Station and transfer to the Silver Line.
Getting around
Driving is by far the most practical way to get around Plano, and for most trips it is the only reasonable option. The city's major roads follow a grid, which makes navigation straightforward once you have your bearings, and local businesses often give their location as the intersection of two major roads, so addresses like "Coit and Legacy" are worth understanding before you set out. Several major highways run through the city, including the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121), the Dallas North Tollway, US 75, and the George Bush Turnpike. Taxis and cars for hire are readily available if you would rather not drive yourself.
DART runs buses and two train lines in Plano, so public transit is genuinely useful but limited to a few corridors. The north-south Red Line light rail comes from Dallas in the south, stops in downtown Plano, and terminates shortly afterward at Parker Road Station. The northeast-southwest Silver Line commuter train comes from DFW Airport in the southwest, connects with the Red Line at 12th Street station just south of downtown Plano, and terminates at Shiloh Road to the east. From Parker Road Station you can take a bus or an on-demand shuttle to much of the rest of the city, and trains and buses are covered by the same fare. For more detail on riding DART, see the Get Around section of the Dallas article.
Walking is not a realistic way to cover most of Plano, and although bike lanes, bike paths, and recreational bike trails exist in some parts of the city, a bike will not get you to most places in a reasonable amount of time. Treat both walking and cycling as options for a specific neighborhood or trail rather than as ways to get around the city as a whole.
Where to stay
Plano's lodging spreads across the city rather than clustering in a single district, so your choice often comes down to which part of town you want as a base. Along the Dallas North Tollway corridor near Legacy Town Center, the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center offers a complimentary shuttle, while the NYLO Plano at Legacy is an ultramodern boutique property with meeting space and room package deals. Also on Preston Road, the Microtel Inn & Suites Plano serves a free continental breakfast in the morning. If you're staying longer or traveling with pets, the Residence Inn Plano provides fully equipped kitchens and pet-friendly rooms, and the Residence Inn The Colony/Plano is an all-suite option with kitchens, a living area, and free WiFi for short or long stays. Other dependable choices include the Courtyard Dallas Plano Parkway, whose lobby centers on The Bistro for healthy morning fare and evening dinner with cocktails, the AmeriSuites Dallas/Plano, the TownePlace Suites Dallas Plano, the Comfort Inn & Suites Plano East, and the Fairfield Inn & Suites The Colony/Plano, which offers stylish, affordable rooms and suites with free WiFi and breakfast.Food & drink
Plano's dining scene spans a wide range of cuisines. For South Indian, head to Chettinaad Palace on the Central Expressway service road, where the buffet is both cheap and delicious. Authentic homemade Mexican food is the draw at El Grande Burrito in nearby Allen, with dine-in or carry-out and sopaipillas for dessert. Polish cooking appears at For You Taste of Poland, an upscale art cafe on the southbound Central Expressway that also houses a small Polish foods market and deli; the Taste of Poland plate is big enough for two. Little Gus's Cafe at Coit and Legacy is a good bet for brunch, while Simon's Sushi on North Central Expressway serves some of the area's best sushi and is BYOB—ask for the daily special menu. Thai Samba, outside Collin Creek Mall, satisfies both meat lovers and non-meat eaters with dishes like pepper steak, garlic chicken, cashew chicken, seafood noodle, seafood chili paste, lemon grass, and crab meat fried rice. For drinks, the historic district around East 15th Street is the place to be. Fillmore Pub and Vickery Park sit close together, making for an easy pub crawl; Fillmore is usually noisy and crowded on weekends, while Vickery Park offers a wide variety of beers, ciders and mixed drinks plus finger foods and sandwiches, and you can reserve its large back room for gatherings. Buffalo Wild Wings on Central Expressway is a chain bar that doubles as a solid spot for chicken wings, burgers and finger foods, with almost everything available in one of fourteen sauces ranging from mild sweet BBQ to the unbearably hot Blazin'. Jakes Joint on Parker has a great atmosphere with an outside patio and palm trees, and Plano Super Bowl stays open around the clock.What to see and do
For a haunted house that operates year-round rather than just at Halloween, head to Dark Hour Haunted House, a professionally produced attraction that stages several shows a year, some tied to seasonal holidays; check the website for showtimes before you go. The Interurban Railway Museum is another option for a look at the area's past. Outdoors, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve spreads across 200 acres with a paved path for walking or riding, a separate unpaved route for off-road cycling, and plenty of dirt trails for pedestrians. If you want to shoot hoops, there's a basketball court in the Stoney Hollow neighbourhood, and families can spend time at Amazing Jake's Food & Fun.Three days in Plano
Day one: Arrive at DFW International Airport or Dallas Love Field and make your way into Plano. From DFW, taxis and public transport are available; from Love Field, you can take DART via Inwood/Love Field Station on the Green Line to Downtown Carrollton Station, then transfer to the DART Silver Line. Driving is another option, with routes such as the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Coit Road leading into the city. Settle in and spend your first afternoon exploring Downtown Plano, a historic district with a walkable street grid and a station on the Red Line.
Day two: Use the DART Red Line or Orange Line to connect between Plano and Dallas. From Downtown Plano Station, ride south toward Downtown Dallas, where you can transfer at Central Station or continue along the lines to reach destinations near LBJ. If you prefer to stay local, the Parker Road area offers access to the Red Line and a base for exploring the northern part of the city. In the evening, return to Downtown Plano for dinner along the street.
Day three: Head to the Legacy area for a slower final day, using Coit Road and the Sam Rayburn Tollway to get around by car. If you are departing from Dallas, the DART Silver Line connects Downtown Plano toward Downtown Carrollton Station, where you can transfer to the Green Line for Love Field Station and Dallas Love Field. For DFW International Airport, allow time for the drive or a combination of DART lines and a transfer. Fort Worth is also reachable by car via Interstate routes if you are extending your trip westward.