This section will give more detailed directions and travel advice.
Federal Express and UPS both serve the center.
Please ship your packages to arrive no more than five days prior to your arrival. We cannot guarantee the security of luggage sent too much in advance of the retreat.
Address:
(Your Name)
C/O The Palyul Retreat Center
359 Hollow Road
McDonough, NY 13801
607-656-4645
The closest aiport to the center is in Binghamton, approximately a 45-minute drive from the center. It is also possible to fly to Newark, LaGuardia or JFK (in order of proximity) and to take the bus into New York City and transfer to a bus in Port Authority terminal.
At Binghamton Airport, you can find taxis waiting curbside for customers. If no taxi is present, you just need to wait a short while. Fare to the center ranges from $50 - $70.
You can also fly to Syracuse Airport and rent a car to come to the center, one-way, dropping off at Binghamton Airport.
Arrival dates for full-month retreatants:
July 8 and July 9 between 8:30 AM and 9:00 PM. D
Departure August 10 after 3 PM or August 11 before Noon.
(Please note if you are planning to stay for the Lama Dance, it will likely be held on 8/16. The kitchen will closed).
All others please try not to arrive after 9 PM weekdays as the registrar is unavailable.
The registrar is a volunteer position. Please be so kind as to forward as much information about your arrival and departure times as you possibly can so the registrar can make plans to accommodate arrival.
Coach USA/Short Line bus schedule: (1-800-631-8405)
Coach USA now owns the Shortline Bus Company.
On their website you can get a PDF of the NYC-Binghamton-Green Schedule.
Greene is 15 minutes from the center, however, please be forewarned, the center cannot officially pick up from the bus stop and public phones in Greene may be difficult to find. If you choose to take the bus to Greene, you may wait up to three hours for pick-up. Better is to take a taxi from the Binghamton bus station to the center.
The Short Line bus runs 7 days a week from New York's W. 42nd Street Port Authority Terminal. (Click for most updated information.)
Please try to limit the use of your vehicle during your program. This has been requested because of the fragility of the landscape and roads as well as the dust driving releases into the air. Most of our roads are not paved. If you notice the roads have been freshly oiled, please do not drive fast over the surface but maintain a speed of less than 10mph. (This is done once prior to the commencement of the retreat).
Parking is ONLY permitted in the parking lot outside the office. Please do not park by the temple, next to the dorms or in the tent areas except as absolutely necessary for unloading your luggage. Cars parked overnight are subject to tow at owner's expense. If you have a disability requiring special parking, please consult the office.
There is not much Public Transportation available to travel to the center.
If you are flying in, take a New York Bus Service to New York's Pennsylvania Station. From Penn Station, you must go to 42nd Street and 7th Avenue, Port Authority Bus Terminal (Penn Station is on 34th and 7th Avenue). Take the Short Line to Binghamton or, preferably, Greene, NY.
It is possible to take the AirTrain and then the "E" train to Penn Station, but it is not advisable if you have a lot of luggage and are travelling during the week.
The following arrival destinations are serviced by the taxi/car service to the Center:
Greene, NY bus stop (closest to the center)
Binghamton Greyhound bus station
Binghamton Shortline bus station
Binghamton Airport
Retreatants need to obtain their own transportation to the center. Taxi Numbers here. Ask Checker Cab for the Palyul Center Group rate (likely increased due to gas prices). Each car can be shared by up to 4 people.
Recreation Vehicles are prohibited overnight on the land due to Health Department occupancy rules. However, there are camp grounds in the neighboring area which accept mobile homes.
Please see taxi numbers here.