A tubing shuttle is the bus that takes you from the outfitter to your put-in spot, then back from the take-out at the end of your float. Without it, you'd need two cars and a designated driver. With it, you park once, float, and the shuttle handles the rest.
What Is a Tubing Shuttle?
Texas rivers flow one direction — that means your start point and end point are different places. Outfitters solve this with shuttles: typically repurposed school buses or open-air trams that loop between their parking lot, the put-in upriver, and the take-out downriver.
How Tubing Shuttles Work
- 1.Park at the outfitter, check in, grab your tube.
- 2.Board the shuttle (5–20 min ride upriver to put-in).
- 3.Float downriver back toward the outfitter (or to a take-out where another shuttle waits).
- 4.Return tube, change, drive home.
Shuttles by River
- •San Marcos: Short shuttle (5–10 min). Lions Club, Texas State Tubes, and others run continuous loops. See San Marcos outfitters.
- •Comal: Very short shuttle (5 min) — the river is only 2.5 miles. Some outfitters skip the shuttle entirely (walk-back model). See New Braunfels outfitters.
- •Guadalupe: Longer shuttle (10–20 min) along scenic River Road. See Guadalupe outfitters.
Shuttles From Austin to the River
There's no public Austin → river tubing shuttle on a regular schedule. Your real options:
- •Drive yourself (45 min–1 hr each way). Cheapest for small groups.
- •Party bus charter from downtown Austin (~$40–$80/person for groups of 10+). See our party bus tubing guide.
- •Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) — possible but pricey ($60–$100 each way to San Marcos). Surge pricing on weekends.
Private & Group Shuttles
For groups of 15+, several Austin party-bus companies offer all-in packages: pickup downtown, drop at the outfitter, beverages on board, return ride. Costs run $50–$100 per person depending on bus class. Great for bachelor parties, bachelorettes, and corporate outings.
Tipping & Shuttle Etiquette
- •Tip $2–$5 per person in cash to the shuttle driver.
- •No glass, no Styrofoam — banned on rivers and most shuttles.
- •Keep your tube held vertically, not blocking aisles.
- •Drying off before boarding is appreciated but not required.