10/22/08

Don't do it!

by js78729

It's boring, over priced, one of the employees was very rude, they messed up our seats, they left Cedar Park late, you don't get enough time in Burnet. We had to run eat and run back, it made for a very stressful lunch hour. The kids were bored and complained for 5 hours. For what you spend on this ride you are better off taking the family and your money and heading to the zoo or sea world, etc. I do not recommend it. I wish I had checked the reviews before we spent the money and wasted our Saturday.

• Pros: Good time for a nap!
• Cons: Everything about it!

04/21/08

Not worth the price. Staff was unfriendly. Good for people with younger children.

by Lilly2000

Not worth the price. Staff was unfriendly. Good for people with younger children.

Posted on 04-21-2008 by Lilly2000 (1 Reviews)

This train picks up in Cedar Park and takes you to Burnet for a 2 hour stop. Burnet is a town of nothing to do. As with any small town, everything is closed on sundays. If you do go I would suggest you go on a Saturday. The town doesn't seem to have the tourism thing down yet. The train drops you off in Burnet in front of an HEB Grocery Store. When we were dropped off we thought we would be able to find somewhere local to eat. All that was open were fast food chains and small cafes where they only served snack like items. I was expecting Burnet to have the same charm as the other surrounding small towns of Austin (Fredericksburg, Gruene, and Georgetown). NOT the case. This would be good for families or an older crowd. Not for a younger adult crowd (and when I say younger adult I mean 30's). We had to walk about 2 miles to get to an actual restaurant. They didn't hand out updated maps.The only thing that sparked our interest was a Chinese Food Buffet. Burnet is a nice town. It's just not a tourist town. There were very few shops and the downtown area left something to be desired. The "scenic" ride to Burnet wasn't all that scenic. We passed by a bunch of subdivions & backyards. Some of the staff were downright grumpy and hostile. For the $33 dollar price it wasn't worth it. They provide snacks and sodas but you have to pay for that too. Save yourself from the unfriendly/preachy staff and drive yourself if you want to see the town of Burnet. The price isn't worth the excursion. It takes an hour total trip time to Burnet in car....took 4.5 hours on the train. When we pulled back to the Cedar Park station I was happy to be home and wanted to do something fun.

• Pros: Good for kids and older adults
• Cons: Not worth it.

11/29/07

Incredibly Disappointed by New Years Eve Twilight Flier - December 31, 2006

by jerstica

My husband and I took the Flier last New Year's Ever, December 31, 2006. The only two positive remarks that we have about the trip are that the food was tasty and the volunteers who ran the bar and services were very polite.

However, the remainder of the trip was unacceptable for the following reasons:

1. There were no musical or dance performers on the boarding platform as advertised, "Linger for awhile on the boarding platform as musical and dance entertainers perform and set the tone for a night of fun."

2. There was no Frank Sinatra entertainer on board as advertised, "Hints of old Hollywood ring through our modern world of 2007 as Frank Sinatra croons his oldies through the Hill Country aboard this Twilight Flyer. Feel free to sing along ? everyone knows a Sinatra classic!"

3. The impersonators who did board were the most awful entertainers that I have ever seen. Their costumes were cheap and cheesy, and they did not even know any of the words to the songs that they sang. At one point, one of the Marilyn's leaned over to tell us that she was really drunk.

4. There was no other entertainment or activities provided to create a festive New Years atmosphere. Most the time, we sat in complete silence as we made forced conversation with others around us. Something as simple as providing a radio that played music or a deck of cards might have helped.

5. We were not allowed to visit the dinner buffet until approximately 10:30pm. This is way too long to wait or eat dinner.

6. Dessert provided seemed like nothing more that cheap, stale cookies and brownies.

7. People were so bored that they were sleeping in the car well before it was even midnight.

I would not have felt so ripped off if we had not paid so much for the tickets, $250 total for two people.

I have emailed these remarks to the ASTA, but never received a response.

Enjoy the scenic beauty of the Hill Country via steam train.

by Contributor

In Short
The Flyer consists of a Southern Pacific steam locomotive--restored after 34 years in retirement--and a train of period passenger cars. The Austin and Texas Central Railroad is a project of the Austin Steam Train Association which combines two Texas lines rich in history: the Austin and Northwestern and the Houston and Texas Central. The Hill Country Flyer departs from Cedar Park, meandering through 33 miles of Texas landscape and the San Gabriel River Valley.