We study infinite translation surfaces which are $\mathbb{Z}$-covers of compact translation surfaces. We obtain conditions ensuring that such surfaces have Veech groups which are Fuchsian of the first kind and give a necessary and sufficient condition for recurrence of their straight-line flows. Extending results of Hubert and Schmithüsen, we provide examples of infinite non-arithmetic lattice surfaces, as well as surfaces with infinitely generated Veech groups.