If you are going to the BlueBonnet festival, this is the way to go. Sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery, and when you get to the festival, no looking for parking. Just jump off the train, and there you are. Each train car has it's own characteristics, but take my word, spend the extra money for the air conditioned cars. We had a chance to walk through the other cars, and even on a beautiful spring day, you can tell a big difference walking into the cars without A/C. We rode on the City of Chicago, in a table for two, which had great views. There was complimentary water, tea and snacks on our car. The volunteer, Barbara, was informative about the train, wildflowers, and announced points of interest on the route. read more

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Expensive, boring, disappointing. Took my wife + 3 kids on the Christmas flyer. Scenery is five miles of back yards in Burnet, TX; forwards and backwards on the same track. No holiday music, no decorations. My final straw was the free hot-chocolate: one packet of swiss-miss dissolved in 1 gallon of warm water and you have to walk through 4 box cars to serve yourself. Don't waste your money read more

This review is based on my customer service experience with Zena, not the train ride itself (although I may come back and give an update!) Zena is a lifesaver. Not literally, but she has made my train experience 2x as good. I bought a Groupon because I didn't even realize there was a train experience in Austin. After the headache of scheduling, our trip got canceled. Zena came in to save the day. She mailed me another gift certificate that expired in a year (vs the next week per my Groupon) AND she gifted us a little extra! Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, the GC could not be redeemed online. After multiple tries of calling in (and getting a forever ring - no pick up), I was getting irritated. I emailed Zena back asking for her advice. She wrote back in 24 hours and apologized for their phone service. She even offered to reserve me herself. After a few back-and-forth emails, she answered all my questions and got us all squared away. Our train ride happens this weekend and I can only hope that the experience is similar to Zena's customer service. read more

It's such an adorable idea - volunteers running a historic train line on weekends to give people an authentic experience. But the train is slow - really really slow. The view is simple and unmemorable. The F&B in the first class is simply a cinnamon roll and lemon cake with tea. They do have apples and oranges as well. The trip back was painful - we stood in the concession cart the entire time because the A/Cs didn't work and it was triple-digit hot on a September Saturday. Even my 5-year-old nephew, who is obsessed with trains and knows all there is to know about them, wasn't engaged in this ride much. Thankfully, we had carried board games and our own food so the ride to Burnet was okay but the ride back was really terrible. read more

Man. I hate giving the ASTA three stars. Everyone I dealt with from the ticketing to the souvenirs to the volunteers on the train were wonderful. And on top of that, the five of us that went had a great time. The tickets we got were $25 apiece for adults. This was for the 3 hour Bertram Flyer on a Sunday. $25 was the cheapest amount for a seat in an air conditioned car. The cars were very clean, the novelty of being on a train great. The ride itself was about as dull as dull gets. Lots of highways and backyards full of junk. If you blink, you'll miss the 300 ft bridge, which was a supposed highlight. We were running out of things to point out to my 2.5 year old nephew to keep him interested. "Look, a chicken!!" The return from Bertram is the same route as the way you came, so just dull in reverse. The Depot stop on Bertram is cool for about 5 minutes. Let's break it down like this. 5 star customer service, 4 star price, 2 star view. Overall, worth doing once. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Little man taking it all in - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

I rode this train out of austin many years ago behind the 442 on one of the short runs and had a blast, yesterday we took the long trip to Burnett and back. I was disappointed in the destination but not the ride. The silver pine car was very clean and the seats were very comfortable, Noah who was in charge of our car was very friendly and had a good sense humor, even offered to get me a sign up sheet when I showed interest in volunteering. read more

Train ride was about 2 hours into Burnett, Tx several shuttles waiting to take you to different restaurants. While on train your served beverages snacks and fruit . Everyone is friendly and cordial and knowledgeable about the train. Once in town gun fight is 35minutes to departure little western town set up with jail bank and fake gun fire which is extremely loud but some comic relief also you can bring a small cooler with drinks and snacks for train ride and if celebrating anything bring along cupcakes #HillCountryFlyer# read more

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We rode the Hill Country Flyer which departs from the Cedar Park station and goes to Burnet, Texas, where there is a two-hour layover so that passengers can disembark, do some shopping or grab some lunch or both. Before leaving, the Burnet Gunfighters put on a show which is free to passengers, although they do accept donations. The scenery leaves a lot to be desired, however that is not something that the Steam Train Foundation can control, they have a designated track and can not control who builds subdivisions or places gravel pits along the route. If you are looking for a beautiful scenic ride, this probably isn't for you. However, if you want to experience riding on a passenger train, and learning about the history of the railroads, it is a great experience. They are very careful with social distancing and we felt completely safe riding the train. I spoke with a couple of families that had young children and they loved it! All in all, I would recommend it as a very enjoyable way to spend the day. read more

As recent residents to the Austin area our 15 y/o son wanted to experience a classic train. We fortunately found the Austin Steam Train Association. We booked tickets on the Sunset Express trip. The Staff was all very friendly and knowledgeable. You are able to bring your own drinks (non alcoholic) and snacks which is a plus. They do have a concessions car which is nice. To us the trip was not as much about the scenery as it was the experience of a mode of travel long since gone. read more

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

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Took the Mother's day special trip on Sunday from Cedar Park to Bertram. I liked the train for the nostalgia, but the scenic route doesn't offer much to look at. Mostly houses and farms along the way. I booked "the Chicago first class car", but the booths and chairs were not comfy. You do get free water or tea, along with mini brownies / coconut mini cake / and little apples. It was nice they handed out a little box of Russell Stover chocolates for the moms. Service was great also. read more

Austin Steam Train Association - Rounding the bend. - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

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We did the Octoberfest themed evening trip, and it was fun! It was an evening trip started when there was still some light so you could see scenery on the way out of town, and then got dark. Not a big deal though because the entertainment and food on the train was super. Unless you have kids, I would only recommend one of these "theme" nights that offer food and adult beverages. Also, book early so you can get in one the the "first class lounge cars" those are the ones  with tables and chairs vs. just rows of chairs. The food on this themed trip was great, they had musicians roaming the cars and all the volunteers that run the operation were really friendly. It was really cool talking to the knowledgeable staff and roaming through the various old train cars which each was very different. Overall a really fun night! read more

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Prelude: try not to pay to much attention to the negative reviews here on Yelp. Review: February 9th, we boarded the 'Valentines Day' Flyer. Weather was cool, 42 degrees. Train was crowded, but not packed. Very pleasant ride, attendants were pleasant. Seating is comfortable enough, our party was able to sit booth style facing one another. We brought books, and sketching material, and cards but found ourselves taking photos of one another and the scenery. The scenery isn't marvelous, it's flat Texas crunchy country, run down homes in small towns, however, it's about the ride, right... not much to do in Burnet, we went to a coffee shop and had lunch. The ride back was just as well, and who doesn't want pictures of a classic train ride. If you wanna do something a bit different, something chill, hop aboard and stare out the window. read more

Joined the beer train ride with my fiancé as a (very late) birthday present. The train ride was cancelled in March due to technical difficulties but it was well worth the wait! The food was good and was paired with beer from Whitestone Brewery. The team was nice and very informative. They even managed to switch us from a veggie (ew) meal to a regular meatasaurus type meal since we accidentally booked the wrong thing. Thanks for a great date night! By the way, I can't speak for the other cars, but the Rippling Stream was pretty cool! read more

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

Updated review: Put my money where my mouth was and gained several months worth of volunteer experience with another similar operation. Upon first glance, this seems like an excellent idea, a train ride through the Texas countryside with vintage railroad equipment. Basically nothing to hate, right? Oh boy you'd be wrong. A little background-I'm currently involved with a railroad museum as a volunteer on their steam operation. Several of my friends work on the rolling stock at the museum. Point being, I know how a volunteer operation like this is *supposed* to be run, and what an experience is *supposed* to be like. Pros: Oh my god. The sunset views were amazing, unlike anything I've ever seen. Once past some of the industrial areas, the scenery wasn't half bad either. Very much enjoyed that. Cons: It was evident as soon as I boarded the train that this group was really hurting for volunteers. Our car (the Eagle Cliff, beautiful on the outside) was being staffed by a lovely elderly woman who was assigned another very busy car. She was having to do double duty. I took it upon myself to staff the car with her permission, just being a Good Samaritan. I kept drinks cool, tried to entertain other passengers, and helped distribute snacks. Unfortunately, that didn't last very long. Another volunteer saw me being helpful, and decided that wasn't allowed. She spoke to me like I was four years old, (mind you I was 19 at the time) and informed me I had to be a member in order to help out, or I could return to my seat immediately. I could understand possibly being embarrassed by a member of the public having to help out, but perhaps I could have become a volunteer. That's not how you treat potential volunteers, or anyone for that matter. To make matters worse, it was evident this group doesn't have the funding, desire, ability, or all of the above to maintain their equipment. The AC was out in this car, making the trip unbearable. There was also a lot of dust and peeling paint on the car interior. The worrying thing is with that attitude, you have to wonder what things not visible to riders aren't being maintained. Eventually, I did get re-seated to a different car, the Rippling Stream, which was just barely tolerable. It certainly didn't help that the train arrived over an hour late back at the depot. In conclusion: ASTA, I'm extremely disappointed. At the time, I was looking forward to volunteering here once I had moved to the DFW area. Definitely not anymore. I will not be coming back here, and I advise anyone looking to do this ride to do something else, such as the Texas State Railroad. ASTA, some advice if you'll humor me. If you truly want to run steam and your historic diesel again, you really need to step up your game. You need to aggressively seek passionate volunteers, especially in the areas of equipment maintenance/restoration, and car hosting. Aggressively seek donations/grants for restoration/maintenance. You have such potential, don't continue to waste it. read more

My family and I took a ride on the Hill Country Flyer and this a brief overview of our experience and I recommend you heed this review well. ---------------------------- I visited and rode the September 7th 10:00 am to 5:00 pm ride to Burnett going out of Cedar Park Wirth the Austin Steam Train Association and I'd like to share my experience that day. To begin the train left 20 minutes late from the terminal when it was communicated the train would be leaving promptly and on time consistently. Which is fine although it did negatively impact the quality of time spent in Burnett and exploring the town which was a key experience in the advertised outing. Another large disappointment was the lack of the advertised western gun fight. We saw no mention of it, nor display of it. Apparently that was another misrepresentation of the trip. It was advertised we would have two hours to explore downtown Burnett and have lunch. This was barely enough time to visit a local restaurant flooding with business from both local lunchtime and other passengers. With barely an hour in Burnett without enough time to eat we actually had to leave the restaurant we were at in a manic frenzy without eating, apologize to the staff at the restaurant for our rush due to this,and return to the train. Then upon returning at the specified time we still not even begin the process of departing until nearly 30 minutes past the time we were told to return! The. On the return trip we didn't even get above 10 mph on the speed making for a grueling and arduous journey back creating an atmosphere on complete misery on the entire train. On top of all of that the trains expected time to return was 5:00 we did not return until after 5:30! This is insane it officially help derail our entire vacation plan and helped out more of a strain on our time off. Meaning we had to rush and adjust our original plans. Another issue with the experience was there little to no a/c in rear car named Rippling Stream on a day with temperatures rising above 95 degrees! Although the next car over had perfect a/c with a lower priced ticket. Paying for six tickets @55 dollars to sit in the heat in pool of our own sweat was not the idea of a luxury car provided by marketing materials. We actually had to use the pamphlets provided to make fans in order to be comfortable during the ride and continuously go into the other cars for refuge from the sweltering heat. Upon informing staff of the issue we were told once the train is moving we can go to other cars and stand in the cool air to gain some reprise from the heat.This is insane as we bought out the entire private room to have a bonding family experience we certainly were unable to enjoy. Also this car represented itself as a purchase of an adults only car ticket and children were running through the car. We wanted an experience that would supply with a relaxing adult atmosphere that was negatively impacted by this not being enforced. Another major concern of mine is lack of communication from staff with the private areas of the train. Announcements regarding safety, departure time, arrival, landmarks etc were unheard in the private room and no effort was made by train personnel to inform us of anything. We were left alone with no information about anything given without having to seek out an attendant regularly. To mention with sound there was also an almost constant excessively loud screeching noise as we moved along at a slugs pace that I feel each passenger will hear in their nightmares of this ride for years to come. This experience wound up being more stressful due to the previously mentioned circumstances causing our trip to be unenjoyable. Due to the dishonest representation of a truly climate controlled car, and times for departure misrepresented. Unfortunately this is not an outing that we would attended again or recommend to others visiting the Austin/Hill Country area. This is not something we would recommend for anyone trying to relax or enjoy a vacation. read more

We had the nicest attendant and the best time together on the hill country flyer. We booked for a kid birthday party, and they were so kind and accommodating. Highly recommend bringing a few games/activities with kiddos and making reservations ahead of time for the Trailblazer Cafe. Hope you enjoy! read more

Hard to explain the title but me and the wife did this for our 1st time alst month, and even though the scenery is pretty dang boring from Cedar Park to Burnet, the Silver Pine (car we rode in ) was fun, meeting and talking to other folks was fun, walking the cars was fun, the snacks and gifts on the train were good to have, and all the volunteers were very knowledgeable and happy to talk to you about everything... So yes, I would recommend it and we will probably do it again. Just don't expect anything exciting to look at when traveling and ride with an open mind. Oh, and they do let you carry on your own food and drinks and we weren't aware of this ahead of time and that mighta helped us some , but Burnet does have a lot of decent restaurants to go to....Enjoy ! read more

Choo choo! Naturally after a night out of watching the UT football game, Jolly Rancher shots, cute guys, too many cigarettes, and being driven home by an unknown Lesbian Good Samaritan, I effectively woke up at 2:00 PM the next day...sitting on the Austin Steam Train. Well, sort of. My radio connections came through again with another event that I would probably never have thought to do on my own, and I wasn't going to miss it. My friends "J" and "D" and I rode together to the station located right off of 1431. Actually, with the crappy directions D had from the phone, we passed it a time or two, but we eventually found our way. We met up with the others right outside the gate to board the train. I recognized most of them from the nights out at the Contenders competition. Briefly we discussed grabbing Double Dave's to take on the train (which seemed like a popular thing to do), but we decided against it. When everyone who was able to show up did, we boarded the train and made our way to the "Santa Fe" car. It was cute. Very 'Some Like It Hot." Apparently we were in our own room, which was "The Turquoise Lounge" for first-class passengers. They had "light snacks" waiting on our tables that included coconut macaroons, banana-nut mini muffins, and some very nice blackberries. Faaaancy. More than one person commented on the lack of booze (mimosas would have been delightful), but the way I was feeling, a gallon of water sufficed. Our docent/tour guide was named Jeannie, and Jeannie was as sweet as pie. Although she seemed completely dazed and confused throughout the whole thing, albeit in a totally benign way. She began by explaining our route (the 3-hour round trip from Cedar Park to Bertram). She then explained that the "salty snacks" were located one room over, along with water or soda. (Note: you can ask for root beer, but at the time we did, it appeared to be a rare, precious commodity). I had an off-the-zone bag of Doritos. Finally, the train pulled away from the station and we sat talking as I looked at the scenery. Which was basically Mexican restaurants in Leander and the HEB-Plus for the first portion of the ride. Later, we would pass a trailer with an above-ground pool and two tractor yards. Good Lord, is this what the rest of Texas looks like? Finally, both the train and the hill country scenery hit its stride about midway through, and that was when it was time to go exploring. As first-class ticket holders, we were allowed anywhere on the train (VIP baby, all the way). We stumbled our way through the "coach" class seating, which didn't seem all that bad, and was perfect if you had a whole family along for the ride. We passed the bathrooms that had the flusher on the floor (not one of us dared to even pee on this trip). We passed through a car that was thick with a musty smell that can probably only be found on old trains. We passed through a souvenir shop, I realized having a hangover on a train was a horrendous idea, and then we finally made it to the caboose. My friend 'B" actually struck up a conversation with the train employee who was standing in the back. He informed us his job was to watch for sparks that could cause a fire. I get the sense the reality was less dramatic; his job really only consists of making sure no little kids fall off the back. He was very nice though. And now I got to make a couple little cracks to A and J about being touched on the caboose. Believe me--if you knew the whole story, it'd be hilarious. We finally reached our destination of Bertram. Or as I thought it should be called, The Absolute Middle of Nowhere. We de-boarded for about 15 minutes, and Jeannie, bless her heart, offered to take a group picture with our cameras by the engine. They turned out great. There's not a whole lot to do at this little station except peruse the jewelry stands they have, which I swear looked as if they were made of painted railroad track rocks strung together by kids at a summer camp. I guess that's the Bertram equivalent of Cartier. Back on the train. We rode back to Cedar Park, and saw the sights in descending order: hill country, then the tractor yard, then the trailer with the above ground pool, then rounded it out with another look at the HEB-plus and the Leander Mexican food restaurants. OK. So, a few things. I guess if you're a young family and your brood is easily amused by trains, then this is a lovely little thing to do after church or something on a Sunday. Although why one would pay $20-$50 per person just to sit is beyond me, but I can't dictate people's spending habits. From what I hear, they offer other extended rides out to Burnet, and "special event trips" like a murder mystery tour. That could be fun. All in all, I thought it was a cute, nostalgic experience where we got to hang out and take it easy for a few hours. And if you go, ask Jeannie *WHY* they call it a "Y". Don't ask questions, just do it. read more

So...let me say this...it's worth the $ to upgrade to first class lounge. These seats sell out fast, so plan ahead, you MAY get lucky and find some close to departure date if someone else cancels though so always check online just in case :-) Excusrion class doesn't seem like it would be worth it to me...more like being on an airplane. Also wouldn't recommend first class coach for same reason...just splurge and go with the Lounge option. MUCH more comfortable and enjoyable. *side note- children ARE alllowed on First Class Lounge Cars, just not the adults only lounge cars (which are slightly nicer). THE GOOD: *Our car was very well climate controlled...very cool A/C, we were on the Maurice Beckham (Santa Fe 1343) * Volunteer staff very friendly and helpful * Snacks provided in first class lounge cars (mini-muffins, coffee, ice water and some fruit) * Free to move about train at all times * Just fun to ride a train THE NOT SO GOOD: *Very difficult to get in touch with staff when trying to inquire about reservations, etc. It seems like they never answer the phone...ever. I did get a return call the same day, so that was nice, just seems like it's not protocol for them to answer the phone at first. I think it's just one lady working there during the week, and I am sure she is busy. *VERY limited information about the train's journey, what to expect, destination etc. on website. Plenty of other neat facts and the rules of the road are posted online, but I gathered most of my information about the actual voyage from Tripadvisor and Yelp. Seems like it would be helpful to have more detailed explanation of what to expect, etc. on their webpage. *The destination isn't all that great, BUT...it wasn't at all about the destination but the trip and the trip was great! We went to Burnet. Populaton estimated at 6K so that's about what we expected, just want to let those folks that may not be aware know in advance, the most entertaining part of the trip, is indeed the train ride. *Scenery...yes, a little dull, may be better during Spring? But again, it's not necessarily about amazing scenery, it's about being on a train and feeling old fashioned and just enjoying the company of the people you came with. read more

We took our 6-hr-old on the 3-hour Bertram flyer. Tickets were about $20 as a special offer for June. He was so excited ... but after about 20 minutes, the excitement wore off. It was truly a very boring ride, with basically nothing to see but fields and some trees. The "trestle bridge" was barely noticeable; it went by so fast. The 10-minute stop at Bertram (only for the "antique train station") was a massive let-down, other than getting out of the train and knowing the agony was halfway over. Yes, it was neat to see the restored cars and yes, the staff was friendly ... however, the ride was over-priced and dreadfully boring at 3 hours. Our son was almost asleep and we ended up trying to entertain him with word games and "I spy" for 2 hours of it. The "concession car"was also a let-down. Nothing but soda pop and junk food, and a very small selection at that. I would never recommend this ride to anyone, and am thankful that we didn't take out-of-town guests on this one. It's a shame to give a relatively poor review to a fantastic concept and admirable restoration, but I felt compelled to warn any families with small children. Perhaps a different train ride (as some reviewers are describing) would be a much better bet. Just don't do the 3-hour Bertram flyer. read more

Updated information 401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste A-103, Cedar Park TX 78613 Phone: (512) 477-8468 OK so the new station is pretty nice, the train is still pretty dusty (but hell it is older than I am so that's cool) the seats are comfortable, and you can flip them around so you can actually get 4 people sitting together, and that is really nice. My son loves trains ..... he was excited. I like trains, this was pretty cool. We (my wife and I) went up for a night flyer on Valentines day .... recommend doing this at least once, it was catered by Whole Foods .... slamming good (I took along some rum, they provided Coke, the drinking kind silly) pretty much everyone stayed in the train during the night (what are you going to do at night in Bertram?) This was a Great Valentines day. The day trip we took our son, should have paid extra for air conditioning, they were fixing some of the track so there were parts that they were going really slow, no air, really hot, really not cool. At Bertram..... the train station is "antique" it looked brand new (renovation?) but antique to me means old, not cool. It was OK. Whatever, I'm on fire people, where can I get some ice cream? The gas station 2 blocks away ..... take the walk, they have 1 ... ONE toilet .... the line had 15 people ...... and one guy (way in front) took a really long time ..... the math didn't look good for me, I would have prefered a construction site plastic toilet..... Ice cream, that was nice, my body temp dropped .... finally .... what else can we do here? Wait for the train .... and? Wait for the train ..... damn should have brought my rum on this trip ..... guess there is nothing to do during the day either. Still my boy liked it .... and that is really all that counts. read more

Booked train a month in advance in mid September. The day was 93 degrees but still train left 20 minutes late, cut time in Burnet. The gun show was canceled. The train went less than 10 miles an hour with power/ AC shutting on and off the 6 hour trip became 8 hours of torture. Never ever again! read more

My wife is a train lover, so wherever we go on vacation we look for vintage train rides. This one is in our neck of the woods, maybe 90 minutes (YMMV with Austin traffic) from San Antonio, in Cedar Park north of Austin. We booked a ride on one of the A/C trains (thanks Yelp for all of the reviews), but it turned out to be a pretty nice day. Still the A/C was great. The Hill Country Flyer leaves at 10am and arrives back in Cedar Park at 4pm. Make sure you arrive early, there were lots of people around and most everyone had to go to Will Call to pick up their tickets. Our First Class Lounge tickets included coffee, iced tea, juice, water, fruit, and mini muffins. There are was a First Class lounge for adults only and a First Class Lounge that included children. We booked the latter. Our train car volunteer host was Maurice - what can I say - if you get to take this trip make sure you get Maurice as your guide. Maurice made the ride wonderful! He kept us busy on the trip up and back with word games, challenges, songs, balloon animals, and just general excitement. There is a "train robbery"on the trip, and all money was donated to a Food Bank - very cool. The "robbers" were funny and so was the sheriff. When we arrived in Burnet, we walked from the train to "downtown". They had provided us a map with local restaurants and other stores. We chose Post Mountain BBQ, just off the square - excellent food. Note, a two meat plate, which includes 2 sides, was enough food for my wife and me. After lunch we headed back to the train for the Wild West Show. They use blanks, but wow they are very loud. The show was typical, lame, but fun. They had requested volunteers to be "floozies" for the show, and the "girls" did a great job and had fun. Overall, we highly recommend the Hill Country Flyer for a great day of train fun. read more

Let me start off by saying my son is obsessed with trains. He was totally excited about this trip. We took the Indpendence Day Flyer, which is essentially the Bertram Flyer the day before July 4th, with a band on board. We paid $82 for 3 people (2 adults and 1 child). What word describes this 3 hour trip? BORING. The train slowly pulls out of the station and then travels through Cedar Park and Leander at a snails pace. I kept telling my son we were going to speed up and go "really fast" but the fastest the train ever got going was maybe 40 mph. I did overhear something about why it can't go faster, but really, who cares. A train is supposed to go FAST! Not only was the whole ride too slow, but the scenery was just downright sad. Maybe it got better as you headed into Burnet, but all I could think was, thank goodness we're doing the short trip! My son had been so looking forward to this and by the time we hit Bertram, he was ready to go home. He spent the last hour of the trip jumping on me and playing the "yes/no" game with a complete stranger. I did like that tickets were provided for snacks and drinks (2 per person). However, the snack options were very limited - all junk food. You can bring your own food, which is good. No alcohol allowed, which is bad. That may have actually livened up the whole experience. As another person commented, the whole thing was just missing the WOW factor. If you want to ride a train to entertain your child, take the Austin Metrorail. Or plan a whole trip around Durango, CO and do the Durango-Silverton train trip. Now THAT'S a train ride! This was just sad and I would not recommend it to anyone. read more

We took the hill country flyer (does,nt even go fast ) and loved the train ride even thou it wasnt the scenic view advertized as just folks back yards and a few empty fields . we purchased two compartments they removed the partition *there were 4 of us* on the city of chicago get those if you can by booking early the ambiance was almost as it would have been when the car was in service pull down bed ,sink , mirror ,private toilet (although not in use) ceiling fan , and even a built in ash tray and razor blade disposal .,stainless steal plenty of leg room and you could if you wished shut the door given complete privacy . the remainder of the seating in the city of chicago was arranged around plastic type tables with 2 or 4 placings looked like folks in a school cafeteria and the price for each seat was same as we paid for a compartment hense my advice book early, check internet for seat availability . the standard coach and excursion cars left a lot to be desired two seats each side of a central isle with people constantly walking back and forth and as for seat comfort goes think airline with less leg room. taking a tour of the train noticed at least one gentlemen( must have been very tall and weighing 250 lbs) wedged into one of the seats ,passed the *gift *coach very quickly after having noticed the usual high priced tourist junk displayed for passengers purchase . we got on our way on time 10 am and within minutes of the train moving the attendant took our drink orders , that was the last we saw of him, to get some complimentary offerings cakes, biscuits , fruit etc I had to go into the main compartment and help myself from the tray he had placed on one of the tables arriving at burnet well what can i say mm was this the destination of our train ride ?? you could walk into the square or take a ride to a restaurant somewhere in the distance . the town square was empty I mean empty other then the staff in the *few* open stores and the folks from the train i did;nt see anybody. talk about a dead town my goodness saturday afternoon . the many antigue stores advertized in the brochure turned out to be just 2 very disaapointing as we wanted to bring something home, both had the usual faux america antique merchandise , went to HEB to get batteries for the camera and there we found some local inhabitants there might have been a few more in the whataburger across the street , didnt go there . on the way back to the train 2 /1/2 hours stopover *cant think for the life of me why anything to see took about 20 mins * we stopped to see the * how the west was won *( presentation by the sheriff who we picked up on the way and a few local girls dressed as "bar hostess* and a drunk outlaw ) they used real guns with blanks and it was a pretty decent show some laughs and , given out as a bonus hints on gun safety and weapons care around children .it took up some of the remaining time ,saved us wondering around the square for 1/2hour ride home again pleasant compartment on the train the feel of a age gone by the* romance of a train ride * not a bad trip considering I liked the train i felt the best value was the compartment on the city of chicago on a somewhat overpriced trip the adventure itself was somewhat of a bummer by disembarking at a town (burnet ) that didnt seem to care to much if we were there or not , a few welcome signs and a more active and varied commercial district would have helped ..... would have scored it higher but for the dissapointment of burnet maybe I expected to much from looking at the brochure. well you live and learn being kind ill give it a 3 t read more

It was fun. It was deal on Groupon thought I purchased the burnett ride which takes you there for lunch. Lots of screaming kids. Would be nice if they had an adult only caboose. Otherwise it was nice had a/c. read more

We took the sunset trip and with the exception of noisy toddlers it was nice and relaxing. We were in the Buckeye Lake car, it was air-conditioned and comfy. We found the snack car was not over priced and had we wanted to bring snacks, it is allowed! I would def do again. If I could ask for anything more it would be a kid free car. Just tell Roy Kate sent you! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - View from my seat - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

We've taken many commuter trains and international trains, but not an antique train. We chose this for ourselves, as well as my visiting parents. Like another poster said, our train broke down 1/2 way into our ride, then we spent 1 hour waiting for retrieval and then went back to the depot. Unlike the previous poster, the volunteers stated we could talk to the office on Monday for any compensation we felt we were owed. (We will be asking for at least 50% refund since we only saw 50% of the tour) I understand why the volunteers didn't say anything else; they're volunteers not paid staff - they don't get to make those decisions. Thankfully no one was unruly or rude to the volunteer staff. As for the quality: underwhelming. There was no 'unfolding' of the landscape. We saw other train cars, lots of tress, the San Gabriel bridge and then .. nothing. Lots of backyards with junk, businesses back doors and that's it. It was very disappointing overall. read more

Worth every penny. Took our 3 grandkids 8, 5 and 2 1/2, for the Valentines Day trip up to Burnet. Not only did our grandkids love it, we were thrilled. Best date night in a long time. I am already planning another trip, when some out of town friends come down. We have lived in this area for 40 years, and are excited to see how this organization has grown and how these volunteers are passionate about trains. My granddaughter just said she wanted to go again very soon. My grandson is super into trains, so this was perfect. He kept on saying All Aboard the choo choo train read more

We love trains and have enjoyed train rides in 7 countries so this was right up our alley. Our trip was the Hill Country Flyer and we absolutely loved exploring the vintage cars and the locomotive section. The volunteers were simply brilliant! Very friendly and they loved answering questions about the program, the various cars, and the steam engine they're putting back together for 2016. Our lunch stopover in Burnet was also like stepping back into time - right after lunch we explored the antique shop in the square and came home with a cast iron skillet and a vintage comic book. The shoot out was very cheesy but I took it with a grain of salt from my own days working in a tourist town with a shoot out show. Some of the younger children in the crowds had a hard time with the noise of the guns and one child was in hysterics because he thought the actors were really being shot. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and will definitely want to come back for bluebonnet season! read more

My wife and I took the steam train with another couple recently. The experience was unique, but I'm just not sure it delivered much bang for the buck. We were in a fairly empty car, and sat and played a card game, drank some beers, and looked out the window for the 90 minutes or however long it was. Honestly my favorite part of the whole thing was walking around from car to car to use the bathroom and buy concessions. It would probably be more fun with the kids. I could also see how someone with more of an interest in trains and history, or someone from the era of this train's heyday, would have loved the experience. read more

Awesome experience run by a great group of volunteers. What a relaxing afternoon of old fashion trip into the country! I definitely recommend a day trip so you can see the countryside during the down and back trip. Easy process and a great Saturday or Sunday afternoon activity! read more

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We had an amazing time on the sunset train ride. We were in the first class adults only box car named Nambe and Karen was a top notch hostess who made everyone truly feel like they were first class passengers. Thank You Karen, you insured we will definitely be riding the train again!! read more

Austin Steam Train Association - We enjoyed our first class adult only sunset train ride and it was 5 stars all the way! - Trains Near Me - Cedar Park, Texas

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We paid for a car with a/c but didn't end up with it. I have emailed them about it and still haven't heard back, a month or so later. Like many others have said, this was a dull ride. I would have loved to hear someone tell us about the land's history or anything but just sit there. We had a group of guys sit next to us who drove trains and brought a radio that they found our conductor's station on that was the most fun we had on the actual ride. That didn't even have anything to do with the ASTA. They could have just gave a tour of the train and then sent you to Bernit and said you can enjoy the little show and leave as you like. The staff was nice even though they said they couldn't fix the a/c and the snacks and gift items were reasonably priced. read more

Awesome experience! The staff was so friendly and the train ride was so much fun! We will definitely be coming back. :) read more

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

Took the Hill Country flyer trip. Great time and Steve Hanson was a wealth of knowledge. Everyone running the train were volunteers. Great job. read more

All the employees are very nice, it seems that the family is running the business, you can see older people as well as kids as the crew members. Other than that, the train is old, the ride is by the country hills, not nice views, you can even see trash piles along the railroad. The lasted over 2 hours, the Christmas singing and santa's presence is just 15 or 20 minutes since they have to be in all the cars. The North Pole Flyer is just the name, I would recommend them to play environmental music, because after the solo singer leaves your car there is nothing else. The ballon maker guy is awesome. $55 per ticket is to expensive for this experience. read more

Terrible experience, Save your money and your day!!! Train departed late, track maintenance, train was traveling 7 mph for 45 minutes so that delayed the visit to Burnet on the New Braunfels Hill Country Flyer. We had 50 minutes to eat and walk around wasn't enough time to even eat due to the lines from everyone else being rushed. They need to post on their website about the delays, I blasted them on Facebook they removed the truth about my post and bLocked me. Very deceiving, they have lots of terrible reviews i should have read first. read more

This experience was by far a waste of my time today. I spent about $123 dollars on three tickets for the Mother's Day Flyer. The food cart wasn't attached and not working (train conductor said it has been under construction for a year now). There was nothing really special about today's flyer and the Mother's Day gift they gave away was either a $10.00 gift certificate to their shop (get to that later) or a book that talked about the history of their train. Now the gift certificate would of been great (which that is what my mom picked) but the train shop was closed when we got back. So she wasn't even able to spend it and she won't be back because she lives in Kyle (and I won't drive back north for a $10 dollar gift certificate). So lets get to the things that really didn't sell me on this. .. The train car was VERY hot .. i mean at least 85+ degrees in there. The female employee never came into our car to check on us and so we had nobody to tell about our hot trip. The train was over an hour behind and we got stuck waiting a lot for other trains to use the tracks while we were in the hot a*s car. The lack of food cart was bad because as apart of the mother's day flyer we were suppost to have more to offer. The train arrived late to the Farmer's market (while going through the ghettos of the east side to get there.. point is it was an ugly train right) and so we only had 45 min to get food. You would think that was a lot of time, but nobody told the farmer's market that a train was coming by and so the lines were out the wasoo at every booth. So if you didn't get food then you were hungry. Your probably thinking "why didn't you bring your own food?" .. well because I didn't see anywhere on the website where I could AND It didn't say anywhere on the website that the food train was out of business. Now back to the heat.. So many people were hot and cranky and some passed out (fell asleep) from being so hot. I really was bored, hot, irritated and hating my train trip. Now I know they have other train experiences to be had.. but DO NOT take the train that goes into town. You will pass by 95% ghetto, graffeti, and nothing pretty at all. I would advice looking at the various trips they have and calling ahead with all questions. Don't assume that your going to have a great time. i mean honestly doing a train ride at 20 mph to a farmer's market is torture... read more

Very overpriced n is a one time thing IMO. We went for the polar express ride. They serve hot chocolate ( very horrible, how hard is it to make good hot chocolate?) n a stale-ish cookie. The scenery for the train ride was view of run down backyards. The train stopped for 30 mins in an area which was in a bad neighbor hood. Graffiti n run down rust cars. Really, this is the view? Don't think this is worth $200 for a family of four. read more