My Family Slept in a Caboose and It Was One of the Best Getaways Ever

Have you ever vacationed in an unusual place? A tiny house, remote campground, or rustic treehouse? When my family travels, we tend to favor unique rentals and out-of-the-ordinary spots over large chain hotels. In my opinion, accommodations should always be part of the adventure! Fortunately, my home state of New Hampshire has many interesting places to stay the night. Last month, my family and I booked an overnight on the Lil' Red Caboose train car in Lincoln, and it turned out to be one of the best getaways yet!

That’s right, we got to spend the night in an actual train caboose!

I found the Lil' Red Caboose while perusing Airbnb properties. The listing had hundreds of positive reviews, a “guest favorite” rating, and an affordable price. It looked like a great place to stay during our quick February getaway to visit the nearby New Hampshire Ice Castles.

While packing a family of four into a small train car might sound a little cramped, I have to tell you that the trip was an absolute blast!

We headed to the mountains around mid-morning. After a magical visit to the ice castles and a fun stop at Fadden's General Store in Woodstock, we headed over to the caboose. I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in person!

The owner had sent us detailed instructions about checking in. We were able to easily enter the train car and get settled inside.

Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the renovated caboose was completely furnished with everything we needed to spend a comfortable night here. The owner thought of absolutely everything!

We spent a lot of time exploring the train. We found the kitchen was stocked with dishes, mugs, and cutlery. A microwave, stovetop, coffee maker, and mini fridge were also available to use.

We opened a set of barn doors and discovered a modern bathroom with a good-sized shower. There was also a loft area and a bedroom with a queen-sized bed.

The caboose was warm, cozy, and had lots of fun little touches. There were several children’s train toys as well as a copy of “The Little Engine That Could” storybook. There was also a photo album with pictures of the caboose before it was renovated.

We headed out to grab some dinner and returned to the train for our overnight adventure.

After changing into our PJs, we settled in for a quiet night. I curled up with a book, my husband caught a show on one of the caboose’s two flat-screen TVs, and our kids hooked up to the WiFi to do a bit of gaming.

Then it was time for bed! I really appreciated that we all had our own spaces.

The adults took the back bedroom, and our son took the bed in the cupola loft area.

An oversized chair in the kitchen/dining area was convertible into a single bed for my daughter.

Although the quarters were tight, we did not feel overly cramped or claustrophobic. We all experienced a cozy, comfortable sleep.

We woke to clear weather and fresh fallen snow. Not wanting to leave our cozy spot, we decided to stay until check out.

We brewed up some complimentary beverages and my husband walked down to the local coffee shop and returned with some delicious pastries for us to share. The kids headed outside for a snowball fight on the front lawn.

As we packed up the car, we ran into the owner, Randy, who lives next door. We told him how much we enjoyed our stay and he patiently answered all of my questions about the caboose’s history.

We ended our visit by snapping a family picture on the steps of the train. The photo now sits framed in our living room and reminds us of one of our best vacations to date!

What is the most unique stay you've ever experienced? How was your experience? If you have never had the chance to do so, I highly recommend booking a stay on the Lil' Red Caboose through Airbnb. The train is located right next to Whale’s Tale Waterpark and is close to other popular local attractions such as the Flume Gorge and Loon Mountain ski resort.