Galveston · Trolleys + buses
Your first ride, explained from where to stand through where to get off.
Bus times are published schedules, not live arrivals. Trolley and rail service is currently posted as intervals, so trolley rides show a frequency instead of exact times. Check service alerts ↗
Island Transit
Choose your destination to begin. Select a dot or a place below.
The historic rail trolley is a trip in itself.
Running today?
Monday — Routes 1–6 run today; the trolleys are off today. The free ferry runs 24/7. Island Transit runs the trolleys on a seasonal calendar, so a closed day is normal rather than a fault. The $1 buses and the free ferry still run — check the hub for what is moving.
Published Island Transit schedule, verified 2026-08-21 — not live vehicle positions.Service alerts ↗
Three trolleys
Two of the three run nearly the same downtown-to-Seawall corridor, which is where most of the confusion comes from. Here is the honest split.
Rubber tire
The whole visitor coastline for a dollar — the best sightseeing deal on the island.
Seasonal Wed–Sun / Fri–Sun · 10am–8pm on operating days
Stops, times & what’s nearby →Rubber tire
The Strand-to-Seawall link when the rubber-tire trolley is running.
Seasonal Wed–Sun / Fri–Sun · 10am–8pm on operating days
Stops, times & what’s nearby →Rail car
The historic streetcar ride from downtown to the Gulf — take it for the ride itself.
Seasonal Wed–Sun / Fri–Sun · 10am–8pm on operating days
Stops, times & what’s nearby →Trolley questions
Downtown, the shared stop is 20th & Market, with Strand & 21st and 25th & Strand a short walk away. On the coast, 21st & Seawall is the transfer point between the Seawall Trolley and the downtown routes. Choose your destination and starting point above for boarding stops and current service frequency. Each route guide has its full stop list.
No. The trolleys run a seasonal calendar — seasonal wed–sun / fri–sun, 10am–8pm on operating days — so a day with no trolley service is normal. This page checks the published schedule against today's island date rather than assuming.
The same flat Island Transit fare as the buses: $1.00 for adults, 50¢ reduced, children 50¢ (ages 6–11) · under 6 free. Free when issued by the driver — ask when you board. Full price list on the fares page.
They cover nearly the same corridor between the Strand and 21st & Seawall. The Rail Trolley is the restored streetcar on tracks; the Downtown Loop is a rubber-tire trolley bus that also substitutes for rail service when weather keeps the historic cars in. If you want the rail experience specifically, check that rail cars are operating before you plan around it.
Not directly. The trolleys do not serve the cruise terminals — you connect from the terminal area to downtown first, then ride south. The cruise-port transit page walks the actual connection.
Keep going