As a string of seaside communities frequented by affluent Big Apple residents, you might think The Hamptons are off limits to us mere mortals. But we were pleasantly surprised when we paid a brief visit to escape the frenetic energy of “the city that never sleeps”. We set off on the only (double deck) Long Island Railroad [LIRR] train to Montauk from New York’s Penn Station at 9am.The single track railway takes you out to the Hamptons in the morning, returning at 11pm.The three-hour journey allows time to settle back, chat and tuck into a packed brunch, passing through each of the Hamptons, West, East and Southampton, before arriving at Montauk.