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Voykit pocket guide · United States
New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
Give New Braunfels 2 nights in summer for tubing and Schlitterbahn, or 1 night off-season for Gruene and downtown. A car is required.
New Braunfels is a small Texas Hill Country town on I-35 between Austin and San Antonio, built on two rivers and a German settler heritage. Almost everything visitors come for is water: floating the Comal in an inner tube, the Schlitterbahn waterpark, and the Gruene historic district on the Guadalupe. Summer weekends are the whole point and also the whole problem — traffic, full hotels and river rules. Off-season it is a quiet one-night stop between the two big cities.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- New Braunfels, Texas
- Best months
- May–Sep for river and waterpark; Apr and Oct–Nov for Gruene, Wurstfest and lower prices
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug weekend afternoons (heat, traffic, packed rivers); check river flow after drought
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee and a pastry downtown | $5–9 |
| BBQ plate or burger | $14–22 |
| Sit-down dinner, one main | $18–35 |
| Draught beer at a Gruene or downtown bar | $6–9 |
| Tube rental plus shuttle | $20–30 |
| Schlitterbahn one-day ticket | $50–70 |
| Wurstfest admission | about $8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SAT · San Antonio International
- About 30 mi / 45 min south on I-35; the closer of the two main airports
- AUS · Austin-Bergstrom International
- About 45 mi / 1 h north on I-35; more flights, longer drive
Typical fares
- SAT airport → New Braunfels
- about 45 min by car or rideshare
- AUS airport → New Braunfels
- about 1 h by car or rideshare
- Downtown parking
- $5–10 depending on lot
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is the only practical way to move around; I-35 runs through town and SH-46 crosses it. Downtown and Gruene are each walkable once you park. Tube rental shops run shuttles back from the river take-out. Summer weekend traffic on I-35 and around Schlitterbahn is heavy — go early.
See and do
Known for
- Tubing the Comal and Guadalupe rivers
- Schlitterbahn waterpark
- Gruene Hall and the Gruene historic district
- Wurstfest and German-Texan heritage
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gruene Historic District | Drive 10–15 min west on Hwy 306 then Hunter Rd | About 20 min |
| San Marcos | I-35 north about 18 mi | About 25 min |
| San Antonio | I-35 south about 30 mi | About 45 min |
| Austin | I-35 north about 45 mi | About 1 h |
| Natural Bridge Caverns | Drive west on SH-46 then Natural Bridge Cavern Rd | About 35 min |
Sleep
- Downtown / San Antonio Street
- Walkable to Naegelin's, the Faust Hotel and the Comal tube chutes; best for one night without a car in the evening.
- Gruene
- Historic district with Gruene Hall and the Gristmill; quiet at night, 10–15 min drive from downtown.
- I-35 corridor
- Chain hotels and free parking at exits 187–191; cheapest beds, but you drive everywhere.
- River Road / Guadalupe
- Cabins and RV resorts on the river; best for tubing groups, book months ahead for summer weekends.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Danke |
| Hello | Hallo |
| One beer, please | Ein Bier, bitte |
| Where is the river put-in? | Wo ist der Einstieg? |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das? |
| Cheers | Prost |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- River rules are enforced: no disposable containers, glass, styrofoam or coolers over 16 quarts on the Comal inside city limits.
- Beer on the river is allowed, but open containers in city parks are not.
- Summer weekend hotels and river cabins sell out weeks ahead; book early or sleep in San Marcos or Seguin.
- Tubing depends on water level — rentals close or shorten runs in drought or after heavy rain.
- Schlitterbahn ticket prices and dates change by season: check the official site before you go.
New Braunfels is a low-crime resort town; the real risks are summer heat, fast-moving river water and alcohol on the river. Wear shoes, use a leash for glasses, and never tube alone after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for New Braunfels yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tubing the Comal and Guadalupe rivers
- Schlitterbahn waterpark
- Gruene Hall and the Gruene historic district
- Wurstfest and German-Texan heritage
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of New Braunfels: www.nbtexas.org/
- Schlitterbahn New Braunfels: www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels
- Wurstfest: www.wurstfest.com/
- Gruene Hall: gruenehall.com/
- Natural Bridge Caverns: www.naturalbridgecaverns.com/
- Wikivoyage: New Braunfels, revision 5141111 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5141111
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
New BraunfelsNew Braunfels, Texas
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies here; consulates are in Houston, Dallas and Austin. US visitors: 911 for anything urgent.
German phrases are heritage flavour, not required — everyone speaks English.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/new-braunfels). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.