Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged, as popular dates and departure times may sell out. Reservations can be made online or by calling our team at 603-745-2135.
Online bookings can be made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit and debit cards. After booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your reservation details. You may either print your confirmation email and bring it with you or have it available on your phone to show our Ticket Agent at check-in. Either option is welcome.
Prefer to book by phone or have questions? Our team is available seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 603-745-2135.
Gift cards can be redeemed when booking an excursion online or by phone. When booking online, simply enter your gift card number in the designated payment field at checkout. If booking by phone, provide your gift card number to our Guest Services team and we’ll apply it to your reservation.
Please note: Gift cards may be used toward excursion bookings only and cannot be used for gift shop, food, beverage or other purchases.
For most Rail Bike excursions out of Lincoln and Laconia, you reserve the entire Rail Bike rather than individual seats. Each Rail Bike accommodates up to four riders.
Select Zip Trip experiences in Lincoln are booked by the individual seat instead of by the Rail Bike. Be sure to review the booking details for your selected experience before purchasing.
Advance reservations are strongly encouraged. You can book online or call our team at 603-745-2135. Online bookings accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit and debit cards.
After booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to fill out a waiver and your reservation details. You can print your email or show the confirmation on your phone when you arrive for check-in; there is no need to print the waivers.
Prefer to book by phone or have questions? Our team is available seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 603-745-2135.
Lincoln Rail Bikes are motor-assisted, helping make pedaling easier. The standard excursion travels nearly 10 miles over approximately two hours, following the river and winding through the forests of the White Mountains. A limited number of shorter, 80-minute Zip Trips are also offered on select dates.
Laconia Rail Bikes are not motor-assisted, so guests provide the pedaling power. This five-mile, approximately two-hour Lakes Region experience is mostly flat and includes a longer mid-ride break along the lake.
Both offer unique ways to experience New Hampshire by rail.
If a waitlist is available for a sold-out excursion, we encourage you to join it. Availability can change as reservations are updated, but joining the waitlist does not guarantee a seat.
If space becomes available, you’ll receive an email notification shortly after the opening occurs. Once notified, please call us at 603-745-2135 to book. Availability is first-come, first-served, so we recommend calling as soon as possible after receiving the email.
Yes. Our trains and rail bikes operate rain or shine when conditions are safe.
Train excursions generally operate in rain, snow and sunshine. Passenger coaches are enclosed and heated as needed.
Rail bike excursions may be delayed, modified or canceled due to heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, high winds or other unsafe conditions.
Safety always comes first, and guests will be notified of any weather-related changes.
Yes. Reservations may be changed to another available date or time up to 48 hours before your scheduled departure for a $5 change fee per rider. All changes are subject to availability.
If you purchased Trip Protection at the time of booking, you have additional flexibility and may change your reservation up to two hours before your scheduled departure with no additional change fee.
To make a change, please contact our team at 603-745-2135.
Yes. Cancellations made at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure are eligible for a refund, less a $10 per-ticket cancellation fee.
Cancellations made within 48 hours of departure are non-refundable unless Trip Protection was purchased at the time of booking.
If you purchased Trip Protection, please contact our team to discuss the cancellation options available under your protection.
For assistance, call 603-745-2135.
Trip Protection gives you additional flexibility if your plans change. When purchased at the time of booking, it allows you to cancel or reschedule your reservation up to two hours before your scheduled departure.
If you cancel, you’ll receive a refund for the ticket amount, minus the cost of Trip Protection and any booking fees.
Please note: Trip Protection must be purchased at the time of booking and cannot be added to a reservation afterward.
In the rare event that we need to cancel a train or Rail Bike excursion, we will contact affected guests by email as soon as possible. Guests will be asked to contact our team at 603-745-2135 to discuss available rebooking or cancellation options.
No cancellation or rebooking fees will apply when an excursion is canceled by the railway.
Granite State Railway & Lincoln Rail Bikes Depot, Lincoln, NH: Open most days from 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Winnipesaukee Railway, Meredith, NH: Meredith Station opens from 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Thurs. – Sunday) and 9:30 AM – 3 PM (Monday)
Winnipesaukee Railway, Weirs Beach, NH: Weirs Beach Ticket Booth opens at 10:00 AM (Thurs. – Monday)
Laconia Rail Bikes, Laconia, NH: Station opens at 9 AM – 4 PM (every day except Tuesday.)
For Rail Bike excursions, please plan to arrive 45 minutes before your scheduled departure. This allows enough time to check in, complete required waivers and participate in the safety briefing before your ride.
For train excursions, please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled departure to allow plenty of time for check-in and boarding.
Traveling from Weirs Beach? Please allow additional time for parking, as street parking in the area is limited.
All excursions depart on time, so we recommend allowing extra travel time when planning your arrival.
Our excursions depart on time and are not typically held for late arrivals, so we strongly encourage guests to allow plenty of time for travel, parking and check-in.
If you are running late, please call us at 603-745-2135 to let our team know, and continue to the depot. While we cannot guarantee that a departure can be held, our team will be happy to discuss any available options with you when you arrive.
Granite State Railway & Lincoln Rail Bikes – Lincoln, NH:
Yes, ample free parking is available in front of Granite State Railway’s Lincoln Station for automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, personal RV’s & Group Tour Motor Coaches.
Winnipesaukee Railway – Meredith, NH:
Yes, complimentary parking is available at our Meredith Station for automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and a limited number of personal RV’s. Group Tour Operators with Motor Coaches should plan to call Meredith Station at (603) 279-5253 in advance to ensure parking is available.
Winnipesaukee Railway – Weirs Beach, NH:
Metered parking is available along both sides of Lakeside Avenue in Weirs Beach. Please note that parking is limited on Lakeside Avenue so we suggest you plan to arrive 30 to 45 minutes prior to your departure time.
Laconia Rail Bikes – Laconia, NH:
Yes, free parking is available on both sides of the Laconia Railroad Station located at 15 Veterans Square in Laconia, NH.
Overnight parking or camping is not permitted at any of our locations (Lincoln, Meredith, Weirs Beach or Laconia, NH).
Current coach passenger cars are enclosed and can be heated during colder weather, but they are not air conditioned. Windows can be opened in coach cars to allow for fresh air and ventilation.
First Class and private caboose cars are climate-controlled in all months for additional comfort.
We have restrooms available in our passenger cars, however, we recommend that all guests plan to use the restrooms in our stations prior to boarding the train.
Restrooms are available at the depot before your ride. There are no restroom facilities along the Rail Bike routes or at the turnaround points in either Lincoln or Laconia, so we strongly encourage guests to use the restroom before departing.
We are a no smoking property. Smoking is not permitted aboard any train or in any building. We appreciate your cooperation.
We offer a variety of snacks, ice cream, soft drinks and bottled water for purchase in our Gift Shops in Lincoln & Meredith. In addition, you’re welcome to bring small coolers with a lunch on the train if you wish. All we ask is that you please take off the train what you bring on the train. Please note that alcohol is not permitted aboard the train.
We have wheelchair lifts available at the Granite State Railway in Lincoln, NH and at the Winnipesaukee Railway in Meredith, NH. Handicap access is not available at our Weirs Beach location. When used, wheelchairs must not exceed a maximum width of 24 inches at their widest point. Motorized scooters of any type are not permitted on any of our trains due to space limitations.
If handicap access or assistance is required for boarding, please call (603) 745-2135 in advance of your arrival so that we can provide the proper guidance and/or assistance at the time of boarding.
Guests must be able to safely transfer into and out of the Rail Bike seating, both at the depot and at the turnaround point during the excursion. Rail Biking is an active experience that includes pedaling, although Lincoln’s motor-assisted Rail Bikes help reduce the effort required.
Please note that mobility devices, including walkers and wheelchairs, cannot be transported on the Rail Bikes during the excursion. If you have questions about whether the experience will meet your needs, we encourage you to contact our team before booking.
Due to limited space aboard the train, we recommend leaving strollers in your vehicle whenever possible. Strollers cannot be used aboard the train.
At Meredith Station, strollers may be stored at the station during your excursion. At Weirs Beach, very limited storage may be available for folded strollers with assistance from a Car Host or Conductor, as space allows.
Our railways operate in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and permits Service Animals on Property. Under the ADA, a Service Animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The work or task the dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Emotional support, comfort and companionship animals are Not Covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not allowed on Property.
Requirements For ADA Compliant Service Animals on Property:
● The Service Animal must be harnessed or on a leash, house broken, and under the owner’s control at all times.
● The Service Animal must remain on the floor and is Not Allowed on any furniture at any time. The service animal cannot be held by the owner.
● If the Service Animal disrupts the journey for anyone else, we will have to consider alternative seating options for the service animal and its owner.
● You must inform our ticket office staff, prior to your scheduled train departure, that you have an ADA Compliant Service Animal.
For additional information and definitions of Service Animals please visit the ADA website: Click To View
We offer discounted rates to 20 or more paid guests. For inquiries or to make a reservation, please visit our groups page and fill out the group inquiry form or send an email to [email protected].
Yes! Both Lincoln and Laconia Rail Bikes are great options for groups looking to experience New Hampshire together.
To start planning your group Rail Bike excursion, visit our Group Sales page and complete the inquiry form. A member of our team will follow up to help with your group booking and answer any questions.
You can also contact our team directly by phone or email for assistance.
We understand that unplanned situations arise from time to time and could interfere with your plans to travel with us. Because our trips are date and time specific, we may be able to transfer tickets to another date and time, subject to availability.
Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE, unless your request is made at least 48 hours prior to your reservation. A fee of $5 per ticket will be charged to ALL requested booking changes and $10 per person for all cancellations.
Within 48 hours of your reservation, NO refund will be available, unless you choose to add trip protection to your purchase.
With trip protection, you are allowed cancellations and rebooking up to 2 hrs. prior with no additional fee.
Disclaimer: Schedules are adhered to as closely as possible. However, the Railroad reserves the right to alter schedules and itineraries, and substitute equipment as conditions demand.