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If your spring travel plans currently consist of staring longingly at Metro-North schedules, allow us to upgrade your itinerary: a vintage train ride through the Catskills is officially back this May—and it costs less than your last food delivery order.
The Catskill Flyer, operated by the Catskill Mountain Railroad, is returning for its 2026 season with weekend rides that feel like stepping straight into a pastoral postcard. Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with discounted fares for kids and seniors, making it one of the cheapest scenic excursions in New York State.
Departing from Kingston’s Stockade District, the 90-minute, round-trip journey rolls through some of the oldest landscapes in the country. The route cuts across the Hurley Flats, farmland that dates back to the 1600s, where stone walls, grazing cows and wide-open fields are the norm.
From there, the train crosses a trestle over Esopus Creek—keep an eye out for kayakers and fly-fishermen below—before climbing toward Hurley Mountain, where dense oak and hickory forests surround the tracks. It’s the kind of scenery that makes you forget your phone exists—at least for a few minutes.
Part of the charm is the train itself. The Flyer is pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive that dates back to the early 1950s and you can tell as it moves along the tracks. Riders can choose between classic enclosed coaches or open-air flat cars, which is the move if you want a full-sensory Catskills immersion. (One thing to know before you book: open-air seats tend to go fast.)
Trips run on select weekends from May through September, with departures at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. It’s also easy to get there without a car: you can take Amtrak to Rhinecliff and hop a quick taxi or grab a direct bus from Port Authority. If you do drive, it’s about two hours from NYC.
Tickets are on sale now, so if you’ve been looking for a low-effort, high-reward way to get out of the city this spring, this might just be your sign to hop aboard.