The invention pertains to a method of preparing styrene or substituted styrene involving (1) converting a mixture containing alkylbenzene hydroperoxide or substituted alkylbenzene hydroperoxide to a mixture containing phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol and (2) dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol, characterized by oxidizing an alkene to an alkylene oxide in step (1) in the presence of a heterogenous catalyst and dehydrating the phenyl alkanol or substituted phenyl alkanol in step (2) in the presence of a homogenous dehydration catalyst to obtain styrene or substituted styrene.