Hi there,

I'm heading down to San Antonio for the Labour Day long weekend and was also hoping to take a day out to head up to Austin. I'm travelling on my own and have read some things which say that the drive between SAT and Austin can be a nightmare, particularly when you arrive in Austin proper as it is pretty difficult to navigate. Given that I won't have a map reader, I'm just a little reluctant to commit to renting a car and heading up there if its likely to prove a difficult journey.

Can anyone confirm whether that is correct or whether it seems overblown? Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,

David

Describing the drive as a nightmare is rather overblown. It's a short hop from SAT to I-35, then about a 60-75 min drive to Austin. Now the traffic can get pretty heavy on the interstate, so I'd recommend taking Highway 281 north from SAT, a beautiful hour's drive through the Hill Country, turn right onto Highway 290 and you approach Austin from the west side.

its about 90 mi on i35...i agree that aus is somewhat difficult but manageable..if you know where you want to go, try the online mapping & print ....you might want to pick a hotel & use the chains directions for a start...its an easy day trip...enjoy!

Thanks for the replies so far - I was going on what Frommer's had to say on the driving situation re. both I-35 and the Austin area.

The Hill country suggestion sounds excellent and one I was already considering. As for Austin, the State Capitol and the Johnson Library are the two things I'm keen on seeing and, from what I can see on the maps, they are pretty close so I could probably even just stick the car in a parking lot for the day and cover the rest on foot.

Thanks - any further suggestions gratefully received.

David

This is pretty good, too: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/about/about.shtm

There's plenty of parking around there. You could also drive along Riverside Drive to Barton Springs and take a dip, if it's a hot day, which it probably will be.

I second the motion. As long as you're in town, definitely go to Zilker Park and Barton Springs, if not to swim (the water can be chilly), at least to check it out. The Taniguchi Japanese Gardens are also located there. If you're in the mood for some exercise, they have canoes for rent that you can paddle out onto Town Lake. There is also a miniature train ride for the kids.
Also, if you like books, there is an excellent "non-chain" bookstore called Book People with a large selection at Lamar and either 5th or 6th Street.


Further suggestions:
1.Stop in New Braunfels on the way and check out Landa Park (a city park with a beautiful lake, cypress trees and a miniature train foir the kids). Nice spot for a picnic. There is a great waterpark in New Braunfels (The Schlitterbahn), but on Labor Day weekend it will be such a zoo that I would recommend avoiding that area entirely. Also, you might like the town of Gruene (pronounced "Green"), just north of New Braunfels, about 5 minutes off the interstate, take the Canyon Lake exit. Kind of touristy, but has a Texas flavor and fun for a quick look.

2.Stop in San Marcos and take a glass bottom boat ride on the San Marcos River at Aquarena Springs. http://www.continuing-ed.swt.edu/aquarena/

3.Try authentic Hill Country barbecue in a unique rural setting at The Salt Lick restaurant, outside of Austin about 25 minutes, near Driftwood.
The best time to go on weekends is at lunch or during the afternoon. Dinner is usually so crowded that it can spoil the experience.
http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

The drive up I-35 isn't too bad, although it should be a lot easier. The problems are perpetual construction and heavy traffic. But with a rental car, you can comfortably make it from downtown San Antonio to downtown Austin in well under two hours.

Call me biased, but if my whirlwind tour of Texas only afforded me a weekend of sightseeing, I'd forego the side trip to Austin. There's plenty to do in San Antonio for just a weekend. Be sure to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk. And don't miss the two best Tex-Mex restaurants in the world: Paloma Blanca and Rosario's (the non-airport location).

If you're into music, I recommend checking out some of the live music venues, such as Antone's, Stubb's or Emo's. Check out the Austin Chronicle's music section. In addition to what was mentioned before, some other things to do in Austin:

:-: climb the 100 stairs of Mt. Bonnell for a great view
:-: visit the Umlauf Sculpture Garden
:-: visit Amy's Ice Cream in the Arboretum and have an ice cream with crush'n
:-: Waterloo Records, great independent record store
:-: see the comedy stylings of Esther's Follies
:-: take a walk on the Town Lake hike and bike trail at sunset (and if it's summer, it will be hot if you try to do it any earlier!)

Also, in my humble opinion, the barbecue is better in AUS than in SAT, while SAT has better Mexican food. The best barbecue will be in Lockhart, which is a slight detour to the East between the two cities. I recommend Smitty's Market there. If you only have time for Austin, I'm fond of John Mueller's Barbecue.

OK, you're biased. If I only had a weekend, I'd skip San Antonio. YMMV.

But if you do need more things to do in SAT, I'm fond of the Spanish missions there.

Also, you should have no trouble walking from the Capitol to the State History Museum to the LBJ Library. This walk will take you through the boring state office complex and the less beautiful parts of the university. It will be mighty hot too, so bring some water with you. But if you're going on 4 September, remember that it's the opening day of Texas Football. In that case I would definitely the aforementioned venues in advance for their parking advice, as football fans will take up almost all of the parking in the northern downtown/university area.

Which is one of the reasons why I will be spending Labor Day weekend in the Colorado mountains! But hey, I get to live in Austin all year round, which is no bad thing