Rail Explorers is a unique, family-friendly attraction located just outside of Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to the Rhode Island based tour, Rail Explorers has locations in Las Vegas and the Catskills of New York. Rail Explorers provides exercise as well as adventure for your family. Ride the rails and take in the beautiful scenery on a pedal-powered car with your entire family!
My husband grew up in Newport, Rhode Island so we have visited off and on since our son was a baby. Because we have visited for years, I am always looking for something new and exciting to do while visiting Rhode Island. I would highly recommend adding Rail Explorers to your must do attraction list when visiting Newport, Rhode Island.
What is Rail Explorers?
Pedal-powered vehicles date back to the 1800’s when railroad maintenance workers used them to transport crew and materials along the tracks for inspections and repairs. Rail Explorers is a technologically savvy version of the original pedal vehicle where you and your family can explorer amazing scenery while everyone participates in pedaling your vehicle along the tracks.
There is an the option for a Quad Explorer with four seats or a Tandem Explorer with two seats. VIP Seats can be added to the rail explorer cars for odd-numbered groups.
Rhode Island Division of Rail Explorers Tour Options
There are two options for tours. The website states:
- Northern Ramble
Enjoy a leisurely 6 mile expedition along spectacular Narragansett Bay with views only visible from the unique perspective of the railroad.
The Northern Ramble traverses private waterfront estates, 2 golf courses, the Newport Preservation Society Topiary Gardens and the Audubon Society Nature Preserve.
One way tour and shuttle bus. Please allow up to 2 hours for this tour.
Tour duration: 2 hours.
- Southern Circuit
The Southern Circuit is a 6 mile round trip (3 miles out, 3 miles back) starting at Portsmouth Grove Station and heading south to Bayside Station, our exclusive waterfront picnic area. Enjoy incredible water views over Narragansett Bay.
Bring a snack to enjoy by the fire (weather permitting) as you watch the boats go by on the bay, before riding back to the station.
Please allow up to 2 hours for this tour.
Tour duration: 2 hours.
In addition they are doing a Sunday Brunch tour and Fireside Tour.
Rail Explorers, Rhode Island
We arrived at the office for Rail Explorers. It is a cute little outdoor area with seating as well as cornhole and games for your kids to play while you wait for the tour. We chose the Northern Ramble.
An air conditioned bus took us to a location about 15 minutes from the office where we boarded our pedal-powered car. We reserved a Quad Explorer as there were three of us and this was the only option available at the time of reservation.
The Quad Explorer was comfortable. There were handles to hold on to while pedaling. They provide each car with two umbrellas should you wish shade. This was a life saver as the day we went it was a bit warm.
There were guides positioned along the route to stop traffic at busy intersections. They would make sure the Explorers were spaced far enough apart and took photos should you wish one in front of a bridge.
The Scenery along the railway
The scenery was lovely. We traveled through golf courses and along the ocean. We lucked out because the weather was sunny on the day we did the tour.
The Quad Explorer is easy to pedal. My eleven year old son was able to move the car at a good pace pedaling just by himself. It was great exercise but definitely did not take a whole lot of stamina. Many times, one of us would just chill while the others pedaled.
The tour took about two hours total. We felt it was the perfect amount of time.
Check out this video of our excursion.
Have you done Rail Explorers? Drop us a comment and let me know your thoughts.
Are you looking for other attractions in Newport, Rhode Island? Check out the following links for more information:
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Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation or a reduced fare from Rail Explorers USA for this review. I paid the same price as you will should you decide to go. The opinions presented in this review are honest and real.
This post includes affiliate links and ads. At no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission and/or points/incentives should you click on a link and make a purchase or sign up for a free service. This blog is independently owned and the reviews of any product and/or travel destination here are my opinion.
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