Where to Stay Near Schlitterbahn New Braunfels

Schlitterbahn at a Glance

Walk from Comal Inn

8 min, 0.5 mi to Schlitterbahn East

East entrance

588 S. Union Ave

Original park

Free tram from East, unlimited rides

Park parking

Free, plus a paid VIP area

Park Day Forecast

From the National Weather Service, updated hourly. Handy for picking your park day.

Full forecast

How to Get In from Comal Inn

1. Walk to the Schlitterbahn East entrance at 588 S. Union Ave. From Comal Inn, head up Comal Ave and turn right on W Lincoln St. Follow Lincoln past Di's Homemade Pizza, then turn left on S Union Ave. The East entrance is just ahead on the left. There's a sidewalk the whole way, wide enough for a stroller. In summer you'll pass the tubing outfitters' pickup line on Lincoln, where tubers coming off the Comal at the Last Tubers Exit catch their shuttles.
2. Spend the morning at Surfenburg, Blastenhoff and Tubenbach.
3. Ride the free tram to the Original park. You can ride it as many times as you want during the day.

One tip from the park: lockers don't transfer between East and the Original park, so take what you need with you when you hop on the tram.

Before you head over

• Beach towels aren't provided. You're welcome to take your room towels to the park, just bring them back.
• Each unit has two small ice trays in the freezer. There's no ice machine on the property, so pick up a bag of ice if you're filling a cooler.
• Arriving on park day? Early check-in at 1 p.m. (instead of 3 p.m.) is $15. You can add it during pre check-in.

Schlitterbahn East vs. the Original Park

How to Beat the Lines

Want the popular rides without buying a Fast Lane pass? Get to the gate 30 to 45 minutes before the park opens. As soon as it opens, grab a table, drop your things and go straight to the line for the ride you want most.

You may only get one popular ride in this way, but it can cut the wait from over an hour to 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how fast you move. Since Comal Inn is an 8-minute walk away, you won't lose time parking.

Schlitterbahn with Little Kids

Surfenburg, Blastenhoff and the Original park all have kid areas with shallow water. Two worth knowing about:

• Schatze's Storybrook Park on the Original side opened in 2024. It has the Bow Wow Blaster, billed as the world's first water coaster for kids, plus slides and more than 70 water features.
• Han's Hideout is a five-story water funhouse with four body slides, net crawls and a shipwreck bow that dumps 500 gallons of water every few minutes.

Every ride with a height requirement has it clearly posted, and life jackets are available throughout the park.

Take a Midday Break in Your Room

This is the big advantage of staying this close. When the kids are worn out or the afternoon heat peaks, walk back to Comal Inn for lunch, a snack, some A/C or a nap, then head back to the park. Check the park's re-entry rules when you buy your tickets.

Bringing food in? Coolers are allowed at Schlitterbahn within the park's size limits. See the current cooler guidelines before you pack.

Tube the Comal the Same Day

You can do Schlitterbahn and tube the Comal River in the same day. Rent from an outfitter, or buy your own tubes at a local store like H-E-B or Walmart and float on your own.

For a short float close to Comal Inn, take the public staircase down to the river at the Garden St and Lincoln St bridge and float to the Last Tubers Exit. It takes a little over an hour, and you can do it as many times as you like.

Dinner After the Park

A full day at Schlitterbahn followed by dinner downtown is the most common plan we see. These are our local favorites, all walkable from Comal Inn:

Which Room Fits a Waterpark Trip

Every unit sleeps up to 4. Compare all five units or use the room finder.

Book Early for Summer

Summer weekends book first. There's a 2-night minimum from June 1 to August 15 and on every Friday and Saturday night. Want to float the Comal River too? It's a 3-minute walk. See all walking distances.

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