Getting There -- North Conway and the Mount Washington Valley are on Route 16 and Route 302. Route 16 connects to the Spaulding Turnpike, which intersects with I-95 outside of Portsmouth, N.H. Route 302 begins in Portland, Maine. Concord Trailways (tel. 800/639-3317; www.concordtrailways.com) provides service from points south, including Boston.
Traffic can be vexing in the Mount Washington Valley on holiday weekends in summer and foliage weekends in fall, when backups of several miles are common. Try valiantly to plan around these busy times to preserve your own sanity.
Visitor Information -- Contact the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce (tel. 800/367-3364 or 603/356-3171; www.mtwashingtonvalley.org), which operates a seasonal information booth opposite the village green. Staff can help arrange local accommodations. It's open in summer daily from 9am to 6pm, in winter Saturday and Sunday only. The chamber's main office is at 2617 Main St.
The state of New Hampshire also operates an information booth with restrooms and phones at a vista with fine views of Mount Washington on Routes 16 and 302 north of North Conway.
Riding the Rails--The Conway Scenic Railroad (tel. 800/232-5251 or 603/356-5251; www.conwayscenic.com) offers mountain excursions in comfortable rail cars (including a dome car) pulled by either steam or early diesel engines. Trips depart from a distinctive 1874 train station, off the village green, recalling an era when tourists arrived from Boston and New York to enjoy the country air for a month or 2 each summer. The 1-hour excursion heads south to Conway; you're better off signing up for the more picturesque 1 3/4-hour trip northward to the village of Bartlett. For the best show, select the 5 1/2-hour excursion through dramatic Crawford Notch, with stupendous views of the mountains from high along this beautiful glacial valley. Ask also about the railway's dining excursions.
The train runs from mid-April to mid-December, with more frequent trips scheduled daily in midsummer. Coach and first-class fares are available; first-class passengers sit in "Gertrude Emma," an 1898 parlor car with wicker and rattan chairs, mahogany woodwork, and an observation platform. Tickets are $10 to $21 for adults ($36-$56 for the Crawford Notch trip), $7.50 to $15 for children ages 4 to 12 ($20-$34 for Crawford Notch). Kids under 4 ride free in coach on the two shorter trips, but there's a charge of $6 to $24 for toddlers who take the Crawford Notch trip. Reservations are accepted for the dining car and the Crawford Notch train.
