Getaway: A Tiny House for Rent in a Secret Location

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up

Would you book a getaway not knowing anything about the destination beyond the fact that it will be within a two hours’ drive from your city?

I like surprises and nature but I hate camping, so when Getaway and Buick reached out to me offering to put me up for the night in a secret tiny house (and loan this city-dweller a Buick Encore to get there), I couldn’t refuse.

Getaway: A Tiny House for Rent in a Secret Location

Getaway is designed to be the antidote to modern, urban life. The cabins are all set in serene locations away from civilization, and are based around the concept of unplugging and getting back to nature. You certainly won’t find Wi-Fi here, and you likely won’t have cell service either. Each cabin comes equipped with a “cell phone lock box” which encourages you to put away your phone during your stay.

So how does this adventure work? You simply book a tiny house through Getaway (there are two-person and four-person cabins available), select one that’s near New York or Boston, and then you wait. About a week before your adventure begins, Getaway will send you the address of your tiny house. I’m sworn to secrecy as to the location, but the Getaway site does disclose that the Boston-area houses are in the forests of New Hampshire, and I can confirm that it’s in a peaceful location that’s great for hiking.

When the address popped up in my inbox, I was excited—it was to a spot that I had never heard of before, even though it wasn’t that far from where I live. I was glad to have the Buick Encore to get me there, as the car has built-in Wi-Fi and OnStar, which means I wasn’t totally off the grid and didn’t get lost trying to find the cabin, thanks to the handy in-car navigation. T-Mobile users can sympathize: Every time I leave a major metropolitan area, I’m usually forced off the grid, so having the ability to still make calls, text, and look up directions gave me great peace of mind.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up

The Getaway House

After an easy drive from Boston, I turned down a dirt road and found a compact house that was perfect for the weekend. The tiny cabin’s site had everything needed for a night’s stay in the woods—a picnic table, a fire ring, wood, fire starters, snacks (like s’mores!), and trees perfectly spaced for rigging up a hammock. Stepping inside the tiny cabin, I was impressed by the set-up—not an inch of space was wasted in this clever design. Large picture windows let nature in, while the screen door kept the undesirable parts of nature (bugs) outside.

As someone who leans more towards “glamping” than camping, I was excited to find a cozy double bed, running water and a stovetop, electricity, heat, and a bathroom with a toilet and a shower.

It was a perfect night to spend in the wilderness, with just a hint of fall crispness in the air that made us appreciate our roaring fire. We relaxed in the hammock and gazed up at the stars, unobstructed by city lights, before cooking our own dinner over the fire, which made it taste immeasurably better than any restaurant dinner—especially the s’mores. In the morning, we woke up naturally as the light streamed through the windows and the birds started singing, rather than by a harsh phone alarm. Instead of immediately checking our phones, we put on our hiking boots and set off for the trails, bringing Getaway’s helpful “guide to returning to the real world,” a notecard offering tips for maintaining that vacation zen feel after leaving, with us for when we were ready for re-entry.

More from SmarterTravel:

• What It’s Really Like to Live and Travel in a Tiny House
• 10 Totally Unique Ways to Travel
• 15 Awesome Cargo Structures Around the World

[viator_tour destination=”22223″]

Caroline Morse was hosted by Getaway and Buick. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline to see photos from her travels around the world.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sign Up