By Air
The nearest airport to Matheran is the Mumbai Airport (Which handles both International and Domestic flights), which is about 100 km away.
(Another airport nearby is the Pune Airport which is about 120 km away.)
A narrow gauge train runs from Matheran to Neral, a town at the foot of the hill. Neral is well connected by rail with cities such as Mumbai and Pune.
By Rail
Mumbai to Neral
Mumbai is a major railhead near Matheran. Trains such as the Deccan Express which run on the Mumbai (CST) - Pune route stop at Neral Junction (A town at the foot of the hill).
Apart from the above local trains also ply on the Mumbai - Karjat/ Khapoli (Via Neral) route frequently. You need to take a local train on the central line in Mumbai going to Karjat/ Khapoli and get off at Neral.
Neral to Matheran
A mini train runs from Neral to the main Market in Matheran (Matheran Light Railway - It plies on the Neral - Matheran route and stops at 3 stations on its way - 2 on the ghat - Juma Patti Station and Water pipe Station [Named so because the old steam engines used to be refilled here] and one near Dasturi Naka - Aman Lodge Station). You can book tickets for this train online on www.irctc.co.in.
This train service (Matheran Light Railway) had been stopped because on 26/7/05 torrential rains had washed away the tracks. However w.e.f. March 2007, the tracks have been repaired and this train is now back on track. It completes 100 years in 2007, and it is also on the tentative United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) heritage list.
Apart from the toy train, there is a share-a-taxi service from Neral town to Dasturi Naka in Matheran. With effect from 2008, a mini bus service has been started by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), which plies between Karjat and Matheran, via Neral. A German built Matheran Locomotive MLR 740 steam engine (website: www.mlr740.co.uk), is now owned by the TRANSECO CENTRE which is based in Peterborough (UK).
By Road
From Mumbai you need to go to Navi Mumbai and from there towards Panvel. You get on to the Mumbai Pune Expressway at Panvel. 8 km ahead you exit at the Shedung/ Khopoli turnoff and get onto the old Bombay Poona road. After some time there will be a turnoff on your left, at a place called Chowk where a big green sign over the road asks you to turn left for Matheran. From then on there are regular road signs to guide you. From Chowk to Karjat rail crossing is 9 km, then 12 km to Neral at the tip of the hill.
After that the last stretch of the road (About 7 km) is on the ghat which leads you to Dasturi Naka (Last point to which cars are allowed, where there is a car park) at the tip of Matheran.
Courtesy : Matheran.org
