Car Travel

The Hill Country is the land of the open road. The best, and really the only way to access the Hill Country is by car—or by motorcycle, which is an increasingly popular method.

You can access the region from I–35 or I–10, coming from the north and south or east and west, respectively. The gateway cities are Austin and San Antonio (Austin is technically even part of the Hill Country). These two cites are about 60 mi from each other on I–35. Between these two hubs on the interstate lie New Braunfels, Gruene, and San Marcos. Running north and south through the Hill Country is Highway 281, which intersects with I–10 West and San Antonio, and can be reached from Austin via Highway 71 or Highway 290, the latter traversing the region from east to west.

You can rent a car from any of the major national chains at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and San Antonio International Airport.