Being a train enthusiast I was a bit excited to go on the "Noth Pole Flyer" out of Bertrum TX on December 13, 2025 with my two grandkids and thier parents, six people in total. So this is a grandparents perspective. Upon arrival to the depot area, there is no indication of event parking as the lighting was very poor at 6:15 at night. The web site mentioned free parking but had no maps of the area. What I saw coming from the east, was a long row of cars parked in a Hodge podge fashion along the tracks. We ended up parking by the library across the highway. (Short walk with a light to cross with). I'll mention this again later. I came across a small sign in the middle of a crowd that says "no alcohol, no weapons licensed or otherwise." Would be nice to know before this Texan shows up armed. So had to run back to the car to secure my weapon. Ehh, minor inconvenience. BTW, the rules are on the web site. We pick up our tickets at will call and wait. The train comes up and parks. The engine was a short haul/swicher unit, no steam, with very beautiful vintage passenger cars. My family's car just happened to stop right in front of us, #41. We boarded and it was like going back in time. We found our seats easy enough. However, keeping in mind, either people were a lot taller and thinnier back then, or they have tall tables and do like airlines and add extra tables. It was tight. Little wiggle room for an adult. If you are in the window seat, you get to look forward and to the side. You cannot turn around to see what is behind you. If you adjust your seat, you are bumping the person behind you. And trust me, every car is packed. Being a night trip, there is nothing to see outside. So bring stuff for the kiddos to do and snacks and drinks. The two hour trip is loud. Kids are loud, and you have adults talking over the kids. My train enthusiast self went on an exploring expedition through a lot of the other cars. Some like mine had 4 person tables, others 4 person commuter recling seats with no tables. Some had one bathroom available others had two. I stood between two cars and just watched the scenery go by. It was a refreshing change to the snot-monsters noise in my car. The endless coco was good. Very hot. Eventually a minstrel came out and started some interactive Christmas carols. Pretty good. Simultaneously, a balloon guy came out making hats and the sorts for the kids. Then out came the forgetable part, a story teller. Hard to hear, not well versed in the story and choppy in her reading. Alas, Mrs Clause with some very different tasting, highly addictive cookie for everyone, saved the day. The highlight of the adventure was Santa. The staff had his appearance very organized and orderly. Each table had a chance to take photos with the big guy. The most unimaginable gift was given. A wooden train whistle to about 15-20 kids, my own grandkids included. Imagine if you will, about 30 minutes left in the trip with the incessant "tweet-tweet-tweet" penetrating that one nerve that goes from your ears to your feet and makes your spine want jump out of the window. Now, after a engine switch from one end to the other delay, we headed into the depot. We didn't exit the way we got on. We got on the depot side (city side), and exited on the parking lot side. Well that's fine and great. But if you park on the city side, you are blocked by the train with only two ways to get to your vehicle. Oh yes, I said a bunch of nasty, nasty cuss words. You either wait for a full train to disembark and hope they let you walk through, or, you walk around the shortest part of the train and back to the crossing light I mentioned earlier. So that's the trip review. But now to the staff. Man those cats get 5-stars. Friendly, informative and in character. I can't imagin doing that trip 5-6 times a day. They made an otherwise blah trip much, much nicer. This is a one time experience with kids. Maybe, someday, my wife and I will try a romantic trip through hill country or something like that. read more

See all

The staff is incredibly friendly, and the check-in process couldn't be easier. The train cars are impressively clean and well-kept, and we really enjoyed learning about the history behind the ride. It's a unique and nostalgic experience that takes you back in time. While I do wish the views along the route were a bit more scenic, the overall experience was still absolutely worth it and I would gladly do it again. If you're looking for something different to do around Austin, please support this train. It's a special kind of adventure you don't find every day. read more

See all

The wedding oak wine train sells out pretty quickly. I have been waiting almost a year to get a booking. I finally was able to book a ticket for eight of us. The train leaves out of Cedar Park depot. You do have assigned seating. At the Cedar Park depot, they do have bathrooms. I suggest using them because the bathrooms in the train do not open for at least 30 minutes after you leave the station. In the train, we were provided with some snacks and drinks. The drinks include a coffee, hot tea, cold, tea, juice. The snack was a Chex mix. They do have a cart when you can buy some more snacks, but not anything hardy. We did take charcuterie, boards and snacks with us. They let you take an ice chest on board as long as there is no alcohol in it. They do check your ice chest. The train ride is about two hours to Burnet, Texas. They do give you five tastings while on your way. The person delivering your tastings is from the winery and has a lot of information regarding the wines. We were in the Maurice car. In the Maurice car, they have tables with four chairs each. It can get a little cramped. The chairs are not the most comfortable but adequate. Once you arrive toBurnet, they give you two hours to go to the winery or have lunch or do both. We went on a Sunday in the majority of the shops and restaurants were closed. We did end up eating pizza and pasta at a nearby restaurant and then heading to the winery to enjoy some wines. At the winery, we bought three bottles of wine and shared between eight of us. We did get to take Wine home, but they do put it in a different cart until you arrive back to Austin because you are not allowed to drink alcohol that is not provided by the train. Once we arrived in Austin, everything went smoothly to include our pick up of wineand disembarking. Parking is available on site. The train has volunteers that help you throughout your journey. They are super sweet and know all the history of the train. They also have a car that has nice reclining seats. They told us about it on the way back and we were able to take a nap there. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

What a unique experience! This is the perfect relaxing activity if you're looking to spend some quality time chatting with friends. Great for big groups, a date (or even more so a double date!), and families with kids. We did the Bertram Flyer which was 3.5 hours round trip as advertised. When you park at the parking lot at the depot (easy to spot), make sure you head to the building on the right side of the parking lot to pick up your tickets at will call, and then go through the entrance at the depot to get in line to have your tickets checked. GET THERE EARLY and give yourself enough time to pick up your tickets from will call. They close the doors 10 minutes before departure and we did see several people being turned away. The train departs on time, if not a few minutes early. We sat in the Buckeye Trail car and it was comfortable! No seat belts, and plenty of leg room. The windows on one side were pretty cloudy which affected the view, but the staff member let us open our windows. The more expensive lounge cars didn't have that issue and had clear windows. There is also a small bathroom in each car. The lounge cars have tables and free snacks, but I preferred the experience without the tables. Next time I may try the Silver Pine car since it looked super comfortable! I didn't have high expectations of the view and was glad I didn't. You see brush for most of the ride which obscured the open fields you otherwise would see. A lot of the ride was through the city of Cedar Park, and don't expect to see animals either. There is a concessions car in the middle of the train. I found the prices to be high, especially for the toys and souvenirs. Coffee is $3 for example. However, you can bring your own snacks and drinks (no alcohol I believe) and they don't check bags. The 15 minute layover is only enough to stretch your legs, walk through the mini museum, and take pictures. Overall I enjoyed this chill experience and would do it again! read more

See all

We had a GREAT time! Highly recommend! I took my two young kids. We met all the nice railroad volunteers, took a bunch of pictures, explored all the train cars, and we had a delicious lunch at Trailblazer Grill. We enjoyed the entire experience. We had a blast! IMPORTANT: For kids, bring a small backpack with snacks, drinks, and an activity book. It made the six-hour day REALLY enjoyable. Having snacks and an activity (and crayons) made for a full day adventure without ANY restlessness. It also helped that we rode Club 41 car with the table. My wife and I were undecided about buying tickets because we read some bad reviews. We decided to try it anyway. HERE'S THE TRUTH: We definitely saw miserable kids and miserable adults. Both of which were bored within 15 minutes and were scrolling their cell phones. Bored to tears. Some tiny kids watched videos on iPads while their parent was asleep. They both looked miserably bored. I bet they'll leave a bad review about the "boring train". One lady was in a bad mood as soon as she boarded. "The seat numbers make no sense!" I showed her that every table had the seat number on a large placard. Can't miss it! She dragged her little boy up the aisle and sat down with a scowl on her face. Her mood worsened for the next six hours. Those seat numbers ruined her day! She'll leave a bad review. I saw one bad review that the train only served Chex Mix. What? There were plenty of snacks on board. Over a dozen kinds! Not on every car... but you're free to wander around different train cars. I saw two cars that had snacks and an attendant to help. I enjoyed coffee and the kids got a few small bottles of juice and some powdered donuts. We saw plenty of snacks but you can still bring your own. I saw a few comments about the train being old, and not the nicest amenities. Hmmm. Well, TRUE. The train is nearly 80 years old! And it's been retired twice from full-time service! In New York and Mexico! So cool! These train cars have been meticulously restored for FREE (!t by VOLUNTEERS! They spend countless hours of their own time just out of passion. All the cars seemed great to us! Old, vintage, cool! We couldn't care less that I could see it was restored. Or if the bathroom was dated. Or if a few bulbs were burned out. Who cares! This shouldn't be another pampered, luxurious, getaway with fiber internet and 200 channels. This is a small taste of what every American experienced to travel a hundred years ago! Slow and patient. Seeing the sights pass by. The sounds of the metal rails and the bells on the crossing arms. Slowly and patiently. Far from Facebook. An iPad will certainly ruin all this. Last thing I'll say is that this entire operation is maintained and operated by volunteers. You can tell! These guys showed up at 6am on their DAY OFF from their full-time jobs. On a Saturday! And they dressed up in a uniform that I'm sure they purchased. And they tended to US all day long. Zero pay. Volunteering. With smiles on their faces. Up until we stepped off the train in the late afternoon. Then they cleaned up after us. FOR FREE. The train conductor and car attendant worked so hard for us. It was obvious they had worn their uniforms ragged. There's no uniform budget! There's no unlimited funds to buy new hats, new carpets, new light bulbs! These folks do it out of their own pocket and with love. And it was awesome! There is NOTHING to complain about. What a treat! What an experience! THANK YOU! Thank you for all your hard work, sweat, and time to lovingly restore a FULL-SIZE FREAKIN TRAIN from the past... so me and my kids can experience something so cool. The restoration and work by hand is evident. The passionate volunteers who do it for us to enjoy. GREAT JOB! Your ride will turn out exactly what YOU make of it: A boring, slow day without wifi. Or... an exciting 6-hour tour of Texas aboard a vintage train where we can sit back, nibble on snacks, and watch the scenery roll by! So cool! We can't wait to go again! read more

Just in time for much-needed summer adventures, the Austin Steam Train Association invites you to ride the rails through the Texas Hill Country! If this is your first time taking a ride with Austin Steam Train, know that you're in for a fun, leisurely ride -- as well as a glimpse back in time. One of the goals of this nonprofit locomotive organization is to re-create first-hand experiences of historic railroading. Kids and grown-ups of all ages will enjoy boarding vintage train cars that are fully restored for modern comfort. The historic Hill Country Flyer will take you on a 66-mile round trip from Cedar Park to Burnet, with a brief layover in Burnet for lunch and shopping. The Bertram Flyer is a shorter journey, traveling from Cedar Park to Bertram. A 15-minute layover in Bertram gives you just enough time to tour the fully restored 1912 train depot there. The Bertram Flyer runs on a seasonal schedule. All seats are reserved and preassigned. The train departs Saturday at 10 a.m. and returns at 1 p.m. On Sundays, it departs at 2 p.m. and returns at 5 p.m. The train runs from March through November. Thing Two and I had I good time on the Saturday evening train ride. We brought in our own food to avoid paying for high priced snacks on board. Small IPA's were being sold for $6.00 (Yikes). If you have the time to board this train just once, it's worth it. read more

See all

Looking at the reviews, you will need to come with tempered expectations to enjoy this train ride. We did the Hill Country Flyer, a 6.5hr ride to Burnet (with 2 hr stop in Burnet). When we went, the temp was about 88-deg but the ac in the passenger car kept us comfortable the whole trip. But all the cars are vintage with possibly questionable reliability. The scenery is also ok at best, there are some gravel quarries, some brush, even as RV storage place along the way. The big draw is the train itself and you'll really have to be into the history of the train and the classic nature of it to enjoy. My son is a massive train history guy and loved seeing the Milwaukee Road, New York Central, and CA Zephyr passenger cars on this train. The staff are also really nice and do what they can to educate and help. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

UPDATE: The only way I found to actually get in touch with someone is via facebook messages. They have since updated the ticketing information and my friend will be able to get his ticket. Original: Haven't even gotten on the train yet. I originally booked for the 16th of February. Unfortunately I have a work emergency that is putting me out of town well into the week past then. I wasn't worried about getting a refund as I at least saw that before purchasing. The problem lies where I am trying to pass my tickets off to a friend so he and his partner can use them. eTix says, no name changes on Will Call, No Refunds, No Exchanges. I try to reach out to Austin Steam Train directly on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week. No one answers the phones even though they're in office from 10am-4pm. This business model is absolutely atrocious. I'm boned out of a couple hundred dollars and I can't even pass it on to my friends without showing up to Will Call and HANDING THEM THE TICKETS because these people DO NOT answer their phones. read more

I was excited to try this train ride for Mother's Day since it sold out so quickly last year! However, this year mimosas weren't included but we still decided to try it. If you are picking up tickets from Will Call, plan to get there early. There is a bit of a line but it moves rather quickly. This is a 2 hour train ride to Burnet, two hour layover there (which was another horrible experience), and 2 hours back. This organization is volunteer based and while most of the staff/volunteers were friendly, my train attendant was not. From the moment I walked onto our designated adult only cart, the cart attendant Eric was extremely rude. I was concerned about our seating. We thought it was an open train cart but instead was a private room. I simply asked, how do we get ppen seating since we weren't aware we were in a compartment and he gave a rude response. Told me apparently I didn't read what I booked and I need to sit where booked. Additionally, he made smart comments about people stealing Arizona teas as my family and I grabbed complimentary drinks and muffins that we were offered. Oh, and lets not forget, he made sure to stop at every private room, tell everyone happy Mother's Day and have small talk, yet skipped over our room each time. I personally believe, if you feel some sort of way about a particular race, you should not work with the public where you are sure to encounter other races. The additional train carts were very pretty and vibrant with all open seating but they were not adult only carts. The train also includes a concession cart that sells light snacks, drinks, canned alcoholic beverages, and souvenirs. I try not to let people ruin my day and hoped for a great experience but Mr. Eric unfortunately messed that up for me. read more

See all

I booked the wine train after watching a few video advertisements on IG and since I haven't been to Napa yet I wanted to try a small experience closer to home. The good was that the pictures of the cars were accurate and the staff was friendly everything was clean and organized. The bad was for the price of the experience I do not feel it's worth the money. There is a sommelier from the winery on board who gives you 5 one ounce pours to taste the wines on the 2.5 hour trip. She did give great descriptions of the wines but I expected more. There were only snacks available for purchase and a single size bag of chips was 4.50. The train lets you off in what looks like an abandoned cowboy town. They provide you with a card for a free wine tasting for 2 however you cannot use it the same day and it is only at this tasting room location even though they have 3 locations. In fact you cannot order any tastings or wine by the glass during the 2 hour stop only bottles. And the food availability for purchase is a $25 charcuterie board that is really only enough for one person or a chicken salad sandwich box which is better priced but not worth it if you don't eat meat. I saw many people on the tour leave the winery and walk 10 minutes to fast food places. On the ride back you cannot drink any wine and the car was silent without the sommelier. They should play music or give fun facts. They also ran out of water. Most people ended up just taking a nap on the ride back as this is basically an all day experience. I would recommend bringing card games to occupy yourself. I would only recommend a trip if you're going for just a train ride and I would bring snacks and drinks if it is allowed. read more

See all

This is such a neat experience! My son loves trains so I'm not sure why we haven't been earlier. These are old school trains with lots of cars being pulled. You can walk through them, explore, and really get that old time feeling. I went on the St Patrick's day train and had a ball. The live music was so fun and they made sure to get everyone involved. The green cocktails were cute and festive but needed more booze in them! You can bring your own food and snacks to save money and I am all for that! I am looking forward to another train trip! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

Sorry, but this trip was miserable. Advertised as air conditioned cars. We took the sunset trip starting at 7 P.M. it was 99 degrees outside and 98 degrees inside this tin can. The attendant said "sorry about the poor air conditioning but these cars were built in 1930-1950. So in other words "Sorry we mislead you by saying there was air conditioning". Can't open the windows but it wouldn't help much as the train was only allowed to travel at 10 MPH due to something called a thermal heat restriction. We were the pot roast in the stew pot. Went to the ticket office to buy tickets to avoid the $4/ticket service charge on line only to discover there is a service charge no matter where you buy them. So add an extra $4 to the advertised price of each and every ticket. Since they can't travel faster than 10 MPH, they are not doing the 90 mile round trip original journey or, so they said, it would take 9 hours! Said probably only about 15 miles out and then back 15 miles. That's 15 miles too far. We've ridden this train a couple of times before with our grands, but it was in early spring or winter before. This trip was miserable and I would pay another $100 if they would just let me off. So sorry this turned out to be such a poor experience for us and our 5 year old granddaughter from Arkansas. read more

See all

Easy to book your tickets online. Usually depart on time. Cart sections depends on price range. Very family friendly. You pick up tickets on a building near by (about 25 meters). You just give your name and how many in your party and you'll get your tickets. Once you get your tickets, you'll walk to where the train is located, show your tickets and they will direct you to your cart. Once you find your seat/section...relax and enjoy the ride! The view to Borne is very relaxing and enjoyable. The train does provide drinks and snacks and some alcohol. Mask as of Jan 22, 2022 is required during the train ride. Bathrooms are located throughout various train carts. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - One of many view and seats. - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

I booked this for part of a getaway weekend several weeks prior to the trip. I booked us in the Rippling Stream as it was adult only first class. My wife is currently using a wheelchair/crutches due to a recent surgery and they were accommodating in getting us to our seats. I will come back to handicap accessible in a bit. The train is in great shape for its age. The ride was just what I thought it would be, just lumbering along. A few stops depending on what city they were going thru, but a solid 2 hours both ways. The conductors and attendants were informative and easily talkative. There rules about food and drink are wide open, with the exception of alcohol - no alcohol brought on and, on this ride, no alcohol is sold as is on others. They do have some food snacks and souvenirs for sell in the Cedar Park car. Our car had juice and donuts and snacks for the ride if you didn't bring anything. We saw many bringing orders form Chick-filet and other places. Once we got to Burnet, we had two hours to get a bite before the ride back home. Very enjoyable time. Handicap situation - They do have some seats that are handicapped marked but when we booked this, that was not an issue. Fast forward and it was an issue. We were just lucky that I booked a seat that worked. The attendants that helped us get on were great - they have a wheelchair lift that will get you on the train, but the doors on the train are too narrow to get thru - at least the ones I went thru. So once on the train, my wife had to use crutches to get to our seat and we were lucky I booked us a curved bench seat with no others around us. If you use a wheelchair, walker or crutches, be cautious where you sit - the hallways are very narrow. Tips: - restrooms are small and not always open - go before you get on the train. - on their website, they recommend the Trail Blazer Cafe - I do not. You can read that review if you want. There are not a lot of options downtown, but we would have been better off going to What-a-Burger next to where you get off the train and then went D/T that fight that chaotic mess. Everyone on the train goes there and its a race or be prepared for a long, long wait. Enough said about that. As for the weekend getaway, it was awesome - I was with the woman I love and that is the most important thing. read more

Read before booking TLDR: your reservation has no bearing on where you will be seated. There is no human to talk to, just a convoluted form that won't be addressed for a week or more after your event. My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary. I found the Austin Steam Train, and we decided to spend money on the experience rather than a night away. This would've been our first time so I picked our seats very carefully. I spent about an hour or more pouring over the train layout and photos trying to pick the best location. We reserved a compartment that would be just the two of us which was a pricier ticket. Less than 48 hours before the train was to leave I received an email notifying us that our tickets had been exchanged. We would now be in a main lounge at a table for four. There was no explanation for the change or a refund for the difference in seat price. We scrambled into action trying to figure out how to right this wrong. Unfortunately, every phone number or contact-us link instructed us to fill out a form through the third party ticket company. I did my best to fill out the convoluted form and was assured that our form would be dealt with in 1-3 business days. Already a problem since it was Saturday and our event was Sunday, but then they ultimately didn't respond for a week and a half. Given the options on the form and the timetable, we decided it was best to ask for a refund and not go on Sunday. The company had left a pretty bad taste in our mouths by then anyway with arguably shady behavior. A week and a half later when the ticket company got around to responding, Emerson from Etix notified me that part of the Terms and Conditions of the ticket was no refunds or exchanges. I don't understand how anyone does business like this. What is the purpose of a reservation if it can be disregarded? Customers buying tickets at the last possible second would have a choice of the open seats, but we were assigned whatever seat was convenient. My only consolation is that hopefully my money goes towards preserving the trains so they will outlast the current management. read more

We took the Austin Steam Train up to Burnet and absolutely loved it! We had both never been on a train before other than the metro and weren't sure what to expect. The train had plenty of free snacks and we had our open table to play cards on the way up and back. The Crew Chief even stopped by to give us some history on the different train cars which we really enjoyed. It was a cold, rainy day but we still enjoyed the views on the way up and back and had a ton of fun exploring Burnet. We stopped by the Warehouse BBQ for lunch and also grabbed a coffee in town as well! Well worth the trip and an overall fun experience! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Maurice Beckham train! - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

Very misleading website. 7+ people in the one train car we were in were under the impression that we bought tickets for a train that took us to a winery. No clarifications we're provided on the website or in person until we were about to leave and they said "no alcohol allowed." The website has pictures of people drinking wine and has "adults only" cars. read more

I liked my visit! I paid for the Cedar Park to Burnett ride. It's about 6.5 hours including a 2 hour stop in Burnett. I paid $60 per person for one of the more expensive carts the Rippling Stream one of the Adults Only lounges. And I'm glad I did. My cart had a lot of complimentary refreshments to choose from. And since we only had 10 people in my cart we pretty much had as many drinks as we wanted. I will admit we were the youngest people in our cart. So our fellow ride goers had higher expectations and were pretty disappointed with the look and feel of the train. But my boyfriend and I haven't experienced something like this before so we were excited and happy for the ride. So everything was new and great. I feel we're prepared for longer, faster train rides now. I really liked being in a cart with less people. We got to know almost everyone and we had great conversations. Daniel was absolutely amazing. His love for trains showed. And he was great to have conversations with. Great guy who answered everyone's questions and concerns. We toured the entire train and it's nice seeing the other carts. There are definitely way more seats in the others. And they're nice too. My picture below was taken in one of the carts I toured in. (I only have videos of the one I was actually in). I will admit the city of Burnett didn't have much to see or do. I purposely brought my own food. After researching some menus I gave up on vegan options. Which is normal in small towns. It's a VERY small town. The best part was the little show the city of Burnett put on for us. The actors were great, friendly, and funny. A really great crew and was happy to watch their show. We were very tired by the time we had to get back on the train. We board at 8:15 and start the ride at 9. Because of waking up early and walking around the small town we pretty much fell asleep when the excitement died down. If you've been on a train before you might have high expectations. But if not and love new experiences and trying new things I think you'll really like this trip. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to all the volunteers for making this trip absolutely amazing. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

I'm pretty sure this is the tourism equivalent of chicken-&-waffles: another empty promise meant to separate me from my hard earned monies. Fortunately for me the plague was in top form. Was in the area looking for sustenance and 'Steam Train Association' showed on the map so I figured to pop in for a quick viddy before lunch. pulled up on a nearly empty lot, a shackled gate, and a locked door, the sign had the now common 'Closed for Plague' message which softened the blow of discovering "...that the train and rail yard are not open for public tours or photography" which meant the entirety of the museum was contained in the double-wide corner space in the strip. There's nothing inherently wrong with scenic train rides on vintage rolling stock, I've done it before and it's OK but that's just not my cup of meat. I was here for a bit of museuming but there was no museum to be had - nor postcarding nor touchable cars nor engines :-( sad face read more

See all

My family rode the North Pole Flyer, not so much for the Santa stuff since we have no children under 10, it was more for family fun. And it was a fantastic experience. The train was actually pretty cool, I've never been in a proper train before, I mean, it was old fashioned but still just a really really cool experience. We paid for the private suite and it was worth it, we also walked throughout the train which was a bit old west feeling. My favorite part was walking between cars to see the view unencumbered by windows. We walked through all the cars (like most people on the train did) to see what the other cars were like. The giftshop car was the nicestest with big windows and plenty of room to walk around while balancing yourself on a rocking and rolling moving train. Some of the private rooms give you an idea of what is was really like to ride a train across country with a sleeper car, teeny tiny shower, and narrow hallways. It was such a great experience. Not sure why people complain about the views because mine were fantastic! I mean, c'mon. We live in Texas not Denver. I know what the hill country looks like. There's no mountains but where the hills meet the sky is expansive. It was beautiful. read more

See all

While the train was enjoyable (Maurice Beckham car), we were disappointed by lunch at Trailblazer Grille. The view as you travel between Cedar Park and Burnet isn't particularly exciting, but the different car formats are interesting. All of my family and friends went from car to car and stopped at the small vestibules between cars that were open air. As the train went over highways, you could wave at the cars waiting for the train to pass and people waiting for the train to pass would wave back, even at 183 and 1431 where the wait was particularly long because the train had to change tracks. What was wrong with Trailblazer Grille? We had a group of 13 and only an hour for lunch and return to the train. We didn't get our meal until about the time that we were supposed to be back at the train. Suggestions, don't make reservations at Trailblazer if you have a large group. Call in advance to arrange a pickup if you want Trailblazer food and do your site-seeing then pick up. Go to some other restaurant. There are a lot of commonplace restaurants, like Whataburger, nearby. You'll get more from your event if you don't take a large group to Trailblazer. read more

The advertising is better than the actual ride. This is supposed to be a Christmas themed ride for the kids and here's what we got for $70 a pop. 1. No bathrooms. Everyone had to walk up to the front car to go to the bathroom which meant people walking through during balloons, reading, Santa etc. and some bathrooms had toilet that were filled to the brim with poop. Great. 2. They could have decorated the cars with a bit more than garland. 3. Maybe lighten up the ride by playing Christmas music throughout the cars. 4. The lady reading the book gave a speech about being quiet because she has to read it multiple more times throughout the weekend. Hate to break it but that's your job..,but also the kids didn't even pay attention so maybe scratch the book. 5. Ms. Claus should have at least had a white wig. The kids were like "wow, she's younger". Don't blame her much for not wearing a wig because the A/C didn't work and it was hot AF. 6. The coloring sheets were passed out 5 minutes before we got back. Why weren't they passed out up front. 7. The only person who seemed like they half enjoyed their job was the musician. 8. The snack shop cost $30 for a few snacks. Overall 1/5. Too expensive for what you get and complete underwhelming Christmas spirit. read more

So I have very mixed feelings when it comes to our mini trip on this train. I booked that groupon for the North Flyer as my kids are in love with trains so this would be a nice treat for them. They enjoyed Santa and the hot chocolate, I didn't mind the scenery as it was pretty. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the story telling was only for a few minutes of the 2 hour ride. The biggest issue is, I really thought the ride will be in motion for the most part. I know there are stops but it really felt like we moved for 30 minutes and sat still for the rest o the trip. It was really annoying and boring to just be sitting for most of the two hours on the train. In fact, I believe you don't even leave the small town of where the train first left. They should consider playing Christmas music (I saw speakers on the train) to keep people entertained if we are going to be sitting for 90% of the time. Overall this trip didn't feel worth it for the price we paid. 2 stars~ read more

Booked a North Pole Express ride for a specific weekend with a toddler. Planning anything with a toddler than involves traveling to another town is a nightmare, as you might be aware. The day of our reservation arrives, we start driving 45 minutes away to the departure location in Bertram. Our friend who went ahead called us as we were about 1/2 way there and told us the trip was cancelled. No warning. Finally checked my email, and saw an email, 1 hour before the scheduled departure time, saying mechanical issues had caused the ride to be cancelled. I understand mechanical systems fail without warning, etc. But one hour's notice, via email only, no text, no call, etc., is completely unaccecptable. Based on previous reviews, it also appears that this company will modify reservations without much prior notice. Altogether unacceptable. They did say that we would get a refund, but no chance to rebook a trip that our toddler was very excited to do. I am very disappointed, and it greatly impacts my likelihood to book with this company in the future and/or suggest it to friends and family. read more

My husband and I went on the Hill Country Flyer for our anniversary weekend and we were in the "Rippling Stream" train car. The Train itself is quite impressive and was my first time on a real train not subway. The First Class Coach option was really nice and the seats were spread out along with social distancing, we felt really comfortable. My only complaint was it was VERY cold outside and though they are climate controlled, it was really cold the first half of the ride - coming back was much more comfortable. I also wished the lay over time perhaps had been 3 hours to provide a little more browsing time in Burnet. It would be cute to do music in each train car from the era the train was made. Ours was built in the late 30's so it would be a nice little touch that's simple to do! They had complimentary snacks and drinks which was a plus. Can't wait to do it again in a private suite! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

Do not ride this train! I'd purchase a private room for a group of 4 in the RS cart. 3 days prior to our trip, we received an email stating they'd change our tickets because the AC was out and would not be fixed in time. The lady over the phone promised our new seats would be comparably, and that was not the case. The AC wasn't working in Club 41, and we were all dripping in sweat, and sticking to the leather seats. After the 2hr stop in Burnett, the temperature had rise and was unbearable. Everyone was fanning themselves. We had to ask the volunteer turn the AC down TWICE!. I find it odd that he did not think to do this sooner when everyone is miserable. Also, it's surprising that first class doesn't have curtains to block out the sun. My friend and I found another cart in coach that was empty and had wonderful working AC. The lovely volunteer, George gave us permission to move considered that he was aware that Club 41 always has problems. The volunteer named Zulema (I believe) told us we could not sit in the empty cart simply, because she did not want to clean it. She was rude, condescending, and spoke to us like we were children. She should not be working in customer service, because she doesn't know how to treat people. She has a bad attitude and ultimately is the reason we will not be returning. Our friend George, offer to clean our seats considering that was the only reason she didn't want us to sit there. Five minutes later the AC went out in that cart, but we stayed considering we were no longer sweating bullets. After 30mins we couldn't take it, and move to another empty cart with working AC. After another 5 mins, we heard that a few of the other cart's AC went out. This seems to be a constant problem. Overall, we had terrible experience. As someone who's worked in the customer service industry for 6 years, I find it startling that no one offered to move us to another cart with working AC, and we had to resolve the issue ourselves. It's common sense! It's too hot in Texas to be sitting in a oven for hours. We will not be returning! read more

DO NOT RIDE THIS TRAIN. We had an absolutely horrible experience riding the 9am-3pm ride. First off, we were changed from our original car to a different one due to lack of A/C to end up in a car that barely had A/C to begin with. Our original cart was Eagle Cliff and we were moved to Club 41. Lunch was atrocious. Trail blazer was also the iconic place to go for train riders mostly out of convenience, but none the less, it was nasty food that didn't offer much. Go somewhere else for lunch. I had a chicken pot pie and it tasted like plastic. So the exploring part of burnet turned into waiting in line at trail blazer for awful food. Second, we get back on the train after lunch and it feels like an oven since the Club 41 car does not have blinds to keep any heat out. One of the other passengers spoke to the conductor who was advised us to have the A/C turned down. Keep in mind we rode to Burnet with uncomfortable heat and had been sitting the car for more than 20 minutes waiting for departure back to Austin. The A/C was turned down to more times. It was set to 72 and the lowest it could get to was 68. It was not only left above 68, but we needed to ask multiple times to get it to this level. This did not change much since it was so hot outside, so we sought to move to a car with more A/C. When speaking to a volunteer we were told we could move to a front car. When we did, Zulema (I believe that's her name) treated us like children and ordered us back to our original car because she did not want to clean and the car we moved to was less expensive. George (our life saver who helped us escape the heat), stepped in and said he would clean the otherwise empty car since he knows club 41 has many issues. She then walks off in a puff telling him he shouldn't do things like this. 5 minutes later the A/C just turns itself off. Zulema should not be in a customer facing role treating customers like this and not accommodating us as the A/C was unbearable. Even though I support small businesses, this operation needs more funding and more volunteers like George. Until Zulema is fired from working here and the A/C is fixed, I will not be coming back and will be actively advising people to stay away from this business. read more

Full disclosure - I love trains, so I may be a bit biased around this experience. Having taken lots of scenic trains in Colorado/the West, I can see where some would be disappointed by the views provided on this ride - the route follows a state highway and what was probably pastures 20+ years ago is now developed as Austin sprawls outwards. The main selling point on this train is just getting to enjoy the most fun mode of transportation out there - a train! We don't often find ourselves in situations where we get to relax and enjoy a train ride, so any opportunity to do so is a winner in my book. However, there are some small improvements that could be made to the train cars/experience that I think would help overall: clean the windows both inside and out, re-upholster the seats, and add in PA voice-over announcements to give some brief history of the train line/cars instead of the volunteer attendant trying to yell it at a busy car. The time in Burnet is fine, we packed a picnic and enjoyed it at a park nearby the town square. Overall, I am glad to have done the Hill Country Flyer experience from Cedar Park to Burnet, but would say to manage expectations in terms of scenery. read more

See all

Booked a sunset train ride for my husband and I and it was such a fun experience! We loved all the fun facts the volunteers had to share about the train cars and lifestyles of some of the riders back 100+ years. The sunset was magical and the night portion of the ride was really neat, having the moonlight illuminate the tracks in front of us. One of the cars is a dedicated gift shop/concession stand with a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from. Everyone we came in contact with was so kind and made the experience that much more memorable. Overall such a great time - we would definitely book this experience again! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

See all

Enjoyed my first ASTA experience today. Here's my recap: - Purchased a First Class Lounge ticket so I had my own room in Rippling Stream - Train left the station on time, arrived at Burnet on time, and left for Cedar Park on time. We were only an hour late reaching Cedar Park because a car thought it could outrun the train, but it could not. Once the accident reporting was complete the train resumed. - Personal note: I am a train nerd and love riding trains, so my threshold of being annoyed on a train is higher than most. This will affect my review below. THE GOOD: - clean cars, fun to walk in between them, and if you're without children, the adults only first class cars are a must - Rippling Stream and Nambe. Otherwise with kids, I would recommend the Maurice Beckham or Eagle Cliff. - the trip itself is smooth and the volunteers are friendly and helpful. You can tell they enjoy being there, informing and helping others. - Burnet has an abundance of antique shops if that's you're thing. Also the soups at the downtown coffee shop are wonderful. - The shootout show in Burnet, while not having a worry about winning any acting awards, is fun for the kids and has a good ending. They could trim some of the fat from it, and make it a more concise / engaging story - there were a few too many awkward pauses. But I applaud the folks who are likely doing this for free. And the kids loved it. THE NOT SO GOOD - The scenic ride - if you're from the area this should not come as a shocker - is not that scenic. There's a great bridge over the San Gab river but otherwise it's unremarkable trees, backyards, roads, and strip malls. But again, none of this bothers me that much because I'm on a train relaxing. - Burnet: This is a sleepy, very conservative town. One sign to deter thieves in a store said, "We got an alarm. We got video. We got guns. DON'T BE DUMB." While the downtown is a short walk from the train station, 2.5 hours here is way too much time unless you love antiques. There isn't much else. And as far as lunch goes, I highly recommend walking a bit farther past the first couple restaurants or else you'll have long wait times. I went to a deli just a couple blocks away and it had no line. - Announcements: there are few. Nothing along the way to alert you to landmarks or scenic opportunities (there is really just one, the bridge over the river). But it would be nice to hear more than the pre recorded departure / arrival ones. - The warm soft drinks: no one wants green tea or apple juice at room temp. There was literally an ice bucket next to these (but for scoping ice). A second one to put these beverages on ice would go a long way. - Lack of variety in snacks: for a first class experience, at least more than the mini lemon cakes and mini cinnamon rolls would be nice. Some savory, perhaps? - chairs in the RS lounge car are what you'd find at your local dentist's waiting room. I expected something that would at least remain comfy for 1.5 hours at a time. OVERALL. - for the price I paid, it's 4/5 stars. I knew the scenery wasn't going to awe, so most of my ranking is based on the train experience inside. The quibbles above are all minor; chill the drinks, add some pretzels, get someone to donate an old leather chair or 2, and be a bit more chatty with us. Those who really ranked their train ride low usually fall into the following categories, so please take them with a grain of salt: - a/c sucked because it was Austin in the summer (hopefully fixable but not all that surprising) - solution is to go when it's not hot, the 60 days out of the year it's under 99 degrees. I also think they have ironed out most of the a/c issues by now. - Burnet was terrible, Burnet food was terrible, etc. It's Burnet. There's a reason it's not as well known as Fredericksburg. You walk a bit father to get away from the crowds, you cross check their list of lunch spots they give you when you board with a quick glance of Yelp reviews and you roll the dice. - scenery sucked, super ghetto, etc. Maybe because I grew up in St Louis, but using the word ghetto here is laughable at best. It's junky, yes. Unkempt, sure. And truly, if you live in the region, you should know better than to expect breathtaking views. You've driven on 183 east of 35?. Same views. If you're from out of town I could see valid point here since the website pushes it hard that it's scenic - but us locals know how much lipstick you can put on this pig. So go check it out! But go First Class if possible. And be flexible about being home on time; like with any train, delays can happen. read more

See all

We had a great time on the Beer Train last night that was advertised as a sunset tour that was 2.5 hours long. Note that you have about 45 mins moving time, then 40 mins stopped for the engine to be brought from the back to the front and then 45 mins back again. You don't really see much of the sunset, and you aren't moving for 2.5 hours. They also assign seats ahead of time, some of the cars were nicer and louder than others, so just depends what you're looking for. The association was responsive on social media when I had questions, staff and crew on board were all very friendly. They dont really follow any of their own posted rules about masks, no personal coolers, etc. so just something to be aware of- but I think this also varied by car. Overall we had a great time and would go again! read more

See all

For review purposes I picked Austin Steam Train Association vs. A Day with Thomas that happened today thru this weekend in Burnet, Texas. Little Rooster LOVES Thomas the Tank Engine; a significant portion of our paychecks go towards cute yet expensive train toys. When we found out two months ago that Thomas was coming to Burnet, we hit the web and purchased tickets. So its the same venue if you did the Hill Country Flyer to Cedar Park to Burnet. We picked the Friday option hoping for less kids because it was a school day. We arrived to a minimal crowd and began to venture around. Rooster was excited by every stop and the event staff was friendly beyond expectations. Naturally we went straight to Thomas. Took some pics with my camera phone which the staff who was also snapping paid shots happily accommodated. We moved on to Sir Topham Hatt who got loving hugs and held Rooster's hand for the all important family photo album. The family had some time till our actual train time so we visited the gift shop. Unlike previous reviews, the merchandise had no real markup over regular retail prices. Your gonna pay $13 for a single piece of wood with a label maker made descripion like "Bash, Dash, and Ferdinand" anywhere you shop. Our time arrived and we boarded the train. No A/C but the breeze on the old LBJ passenger car was manageable. Most folks will realize this event is NOT made for adults. The music was loud but the boy sang along with every note. From my perspective the train did go backwards and then back to the station which others have complained about. I could care less as little Rooster smiled from ear to ear every second of the ride. Back off the train and another photo op in front of Thomas. A few pics and we headed back to the car for the ride home. Who were they trying to impress here? Not me or the wife. The boy would give this event a million stars and we had a great time for a reasonable amount of railroad tokens. See you next year Thomas! read more

See all

We did the "North Pole Flyer" on Saturday, Dec. 16. Overall, it was a good event, definitely memorable and totally worth the price for a once in a childhood experience. I would not repeat it, and was definitely disappointed by certain aspects, which keep it from being 5 star. It is worth noting that I am aware of 4 different holiday trains in Texas, in Grapevine, Palestine, and Galveston as well as this one. We have now done three of them, including this one, and I would rank it below the other two certainly, but finding tickets was the easiest of all three (I do imagine that those two factors are related). The things that went well include: 1.) Activities were plentiful. This a 2 hour train ride, the longest of all the trains and it didn't feel boring. Now, I read the reviews and the description and knew this, and came equipped with a bag of crafts, books, and coloring books, but honestly between the singing, balloon twister, santa, Mrs. Claus, and the novelty of riding a train, we used them minimally and could very well have had a good time without them. But I absolutely suggest packing some things. 2.) Seats and tables were comfortable, though a bit tight. It's an old train though so yeah, that's to be expected. 3.) Bathrooms were in good condition and readily available. 4.) Ticket line at Will Call was well organized and quick. TSA should learn from these folks. 5.) Loved the quality souvenir my kids received from Santa (no spoiler) and the small touches, like the train conductor punching their tickets and the Christmas music playing 6.) Loved getting to pick our own seats. Take your time with this, seating will make or break your train ride. General tips: 1.) Due to the longer ride, try to get a seat at a table for your family. Trust me, it will be nice to have a place to color at ease and set your drinks for the two hours. The lines of sight are also easier in the cars with tables rather than rows of seats. 2.) Go at night. The scenery is...well, calling it scenery is generous. It's the dry, yellow Texas brush punctuated only by people's backyards with rusty trampolines. It's not magical and anyone over 2 will never believe you went anywhere important. At night the windows become virtually blacked out by the reflections and the children's imaginations will take over. Areas of improvement (looking at you, management) 1.) Ticket said to arrive 45 minutes early. We did and there is literally nothing to do and no where to stand except outside in the grass mere feet from a VERY busy highway where cars drag race past each other at all hours of the evening. You are constantly grabbing the arms of your small children as they stand about 8 feet away from the highway for over an hour waiting for the train, which apparently arrives late more often than on time. Ours arrived at 7:10, so there was zero reason to stand next to that busy road for 55 minutes. 2.) Loading when the train arrives is a cluster. They load all cars at about three chokepoints and you have to walk through all the other train cars to get to yours. Ours, Club 41, required us to walk down very narrow aisles through three other cars to get to our seats. The other trains we have experienced all load each car individually, which is much faster, much more comfortable, and easier on everyone. 3.) Staff. Not all of them mind you, but two in particular. Let's talk about our car attendant. We paid extra to upgrade our car, and one of the perks is supposed to be unlimited hot chocolate "served by your car attendant". I asked about hot chocolate when the train left, my train attendant told me to get it myself at the front of the car. I have a family of six, and obviously don't have six hands so I knew this would require several trips, but made my way up the narrow aisle, to find...hot chocolate was out. A helpful mother told me "she put like 8 cups up there and they are gone". This was for a car of at least 50 people. I looked around for our attendant to ask for more ,and did not find her for the next 30 minute. I looked in both cars on either side of us, nothing. I finally stepped around to the "kitchen" alcove and found some cups with dry hot chocolate mix sitting on a counter under the metal serving shelf. I made my own hot chocolate for my family, and as I did so other families started coming up asking for some. I spent about 20 minutes making and serving those families hot chocolate. Not spending time with my family. I finally apologized to those still waiting and explained that this is not my job and I don't know where the person employed to it actually is, so they had to make their own. Extra distilled water is kept in jugs in the metal cabinet. How would I know that otherwise? Also lady reading the book to the children complained about how many times she had to read in one day and "that's not even counting the three times tomorrow". I feel like she's burned out and should be replaced. read more

We also did the Xmas Polar Express train ride. Tickets were about $50 each. We also went with a friend and their kids too. I'll give this train ride 4 stars. The kids were excited to see Santa and the ride was slow at times. To start, one of the first things was a balloon guy. Ours was awesome. He was funny and overall entertaining. He had me laughing my @ss off. Next came hot chocolate... it's hot chocolate. After that was, singing Christmas Carols. They had 2 girls from McNeil high school. I felt sorry for them. They were nice, but they couldn't just get our car interested in singing. A few of us sang, but overall it was a failure. I'm sure adult beverages if allowed/served would help the spirit. Great job to them but our car was mostly interested. It probably didn't help that they gave us a cookie just before they arrived so everyone was stuffing their face. After that was story time, the lady reading the Story was animated and funny. Kudos to her. She visited just before Santa. Then Santa came. We were in one of the last cars so his visit was a bit rushed. He was nice and gave everyone a wooden train whistle. ***********The entire operation is run by volunteers. So I'd like to thank all of them for their time!******* This was he first time my son was not afraid of Santa:-) read more

This was an excellent experience. We took the train from Bertram to Burnet for one of the special events (Wedding Oaks wine trip). The staff was friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about the history of each train car. If you have a chance to walk to the very last car and look out the back, I definitely recommend taking in that view. I would have loved to take a longer trip and will look for other chances to ride. The website is a little hard to use. We would have really liked a private cabin for our trip but didn't see how to book that on the website. I wish the volunteer in our car would have been a little less Chatty Cathy when we weren't talking about the ride. It was a bit of a distraction from our enjoyment of the ride. Also, riding during COVID was a bit out of our comfort zone already so we were sad to see at least two volunteers wearing their masks covering only their mouth, not their mouth and nose. The website goes into great detail about precautions and that is a basic one not being taken. (That being said, they did a great job with social distancing and I felt like the train was very clean.) read more

The most horrible rip off of an experience I have ever had. I bought 4 tickets for the VIP lounge which included treats and drinks and a nicer car, it was none of those things. The food offered were store bought generic cookies and the drinks were either warm apple juice or water. The car lost the A.C. capacity on the return from the small town with nothing to offer and did not even have the gun fight reenactment due to the extreme heat, now imagine that extreme heat inside a metal sardine box. I invited my 72 year old father and I was genuinely worried we would have to rush him to the emergency room upon arrival. I chewed the place out for their false advertisement and putting the elderly and children at risk in the extreme heat without AC. In summation, do not buy tickets to any of the events this was a horrible experience. I got my money almost a month later, and I will never return and I will warn anyone thinking about ever going to one of these fiascos. read more

See all

Was a waste of money from Cedar Park to Burnet....was suppose to be Hill Country Flyer...saw no Hill Country...just a lot of brush blocking scenery....but not much of that either...Burnet was quaint...but will drive next time...big disappointment.. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - This was pretty much it - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

I organized a group from Meetup.com to try this excursion and it was fun! It's a laid-back trip to the Hill Country. My friends and I were in an Adults-Only car, the Rippling Stream, and we had a great time with each other and looking at the scenery. I highly recommend this trip! read more

See all

This was a great little adventure from Cedar Park to Burnet Texas. Super We stayed in the Turquoise Room, which consisted of 2 tables, 8 chairs and two smaller windows. Staff was super friendly and knowledgeable...Once the train started the conductor came in to room to announce that there we several open seats in the main car...everyone got up and left leaving the wife and I in peace...Not that we are anti social, but it was peaceful to say the least...Good to catch up with each other, as we both work different hours...Truly not much to see on the way up...but it was a great ride....AC did work, not great but tolerable...I see in other reviews there were issues...You have freedom to roam Car to Car once the train gets rolling...and the train does turn around in Burnet...hard to explain, but it does...and we were able to see the other side of the tracks on the way home...Plenty to see and eat in Burnet...Our Car/cabin also came with free snacks and drinks...which is a great perk..as the snacks in the concession stand were quit expensive...The trip was worth it for us and will do it again next year with the granddaughter.. read more

See all

Their North Pole Flyer is like a joke. Don't waste your time and money, it is not worth it. Dirty cars, dirty seats, dirty windows with bleak scenery outside and Santa who gives a broken whistle. That is all for 2 hours trip. Even an obsessed with trains 4 years old was bored. If you decide to go don't forget to take a mask or a respirator, it's hard to breathe inside because of dust. read more