You guys sound fun! I hope you figure something out that you enjoy. April’s indeed a tough time of year up here and the public transportation situation is abysmal.

Amtrak does have three stops in the state, all on the Seacoast: Exeter, Durham, and Dover. Unfortunately, none of these feature any place within biking distance that will astound you with natural beauty or spectacular stargazing.

You’re going to want to drive and you’ll want to head north, maybe somewhere like Lincoln or North Conway - both small mountain towns that offer some good dining, natural beauty, and dark skies. A drive along the Kancamagus (the route through the mountains connecting these two towns) at night will offer a number of pull-off locations to park and look up.

Keep in mind road shoulders could still be clogged with snow, sand, and other wintry debris. I personally wouldn’t be keen on biking in these areas at that time of year but I’m sure people do.

Great response. Yea take the concord bus to Lincoln and stargaze and cycle away on the Kanc.

OP, your best bet is going to be to drive all the way to North Conway, ride bikes around town, and the town has a scenic railway that has like 1,3 and 5 hour rides if you want some good scenery.

I used to do these types of trips when I lived in the DMV, but here, sadly, a train > bike transfer isn't quite feasible for the types of destinations you're after. You'll want to rent a vehicle, whether at your origin or your train station stop.

I have been able to take bikes on Concord Coach busses, so that would probably be the best bet. Take the bus up to Conway or Gorham and bike around there.

Just FYI, Amtrak actually has four stops in NH. The Vermonter route stops in Claremont.

You’re right! I have heard about that stop, too.

Do yourself a favor and forget the train and bicycles. Drive. It's going to be April. It rains a lot in April. It's cold. It's windy.

If it doesn't rain, it'll probably snow.

You probably won't be star gazing too much because of the rain/snow clouds.

and the other Southern Vermont stations are right on the border

Waterville Valley has a dark skies ordinance and is surrounded by national forest. Bike paths might still be snow covered. Road bikers love route 49 down to Campton.
Mud season will mean cheap lodging but most restaurants closed. Weather could be anything and everything all in one day.

Ha! Thank you — we go after as much fun as life allows :) And thanks for the awesome info! I had a feeling trying to nix driving in favor of a train and bikes was going to be tricky, but the Kancamagus is 10/10, so that sounds like the move. Time to check out Lincoln and North Conway!

This is awesome insight for Conway — thank you so much!

This is what I'm fearing — I know it's a total luck of the draw for April. Guess we'll just have to enjoy the early spring scenery and come back ;)

If you are looking for additional train insight for future trips, take the Amtrak to the Northern Terminus in Brunswick Maine, get a coffee at Dog Bar Jim, and then take the train they are running North up the coast this summer to some of Maine’s premier waterfront destinations, with bikes. 👍🏽

Ooh — thank you for the Campton and Waterville insight! I'm prepared for the toss-up that the weather might be — we're no strangers to sky surprises.

Good to know — thank you!

Definitely and always looking for train tips — thank you so much! We were hoping for a Maine-train this winter but it didn't line up. Sounds like summer's the time!

Depending on how much you like people, sure. Freeport is a worthwhile winter hang, as is Portland.

Ahh — forgot about that, yeah. We're both thoroughly extroverted, but it sounds like it gets pretty packed during vacation season 😅

As far north as you can. We have a camp up in Errol and it is the most perfect place in NH for stargazing.