New England in the Fall Self-Drive

Look forward to getting behind the wheel for an amazing 11-night self-drive adventure by car around the USA state of New England. Experience the state at its most beautiful in the fall; when the sugar maples burst into fiery colours from scarlet and gold through to bright orange. This thrilling road-trip begins and ends in Boston and lets you explore the amazing towns and cities and iconic sites and attractions throughout New England and also witness the colourful fall foliage and beautiful scenery in the White and Green Mountains.

Itinerary

Day One: Arrive in Boston

Fly into Boston in Maine where your New England in the Fall Self Drive gets underway when you pick up your car at the airport and drive to The Revolution Hotel Boston for a two-night stay. Perhaps you’ll have time to stroll around Boston Common’s Frog Pond and Public Garden and take a ride on one of the famous Swan Boats; enjoy New England Aquarium’s famous Whale Watch experience; or follow the HarborWalk along Boston's waterfront to visit the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Boston Tea Party Ship.

Day Two: Boston

Today you’ll be able to continue your exploration of Boston. Maybe pay a visit to Beacon Hill's Louisburg Square, Charles Street, and The Bull and Finch; inspiration for the 'Cheers' television programme. Or, why not indulge in retail therapy at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Copley Place, Prudential Center, and along Newbury Street? Perhaps take a leisurely walk along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail’s 16 historic sites and monuments including the State House, Old Granary and King's Chapel Burying Grounds, and Charlestown's USS Constitution frigate and Bunker Hill Monument.

Day Three: Boston to Salem to Portsmouth to Kennebunkport

Hit the open road towards Salem, famous for the 1692 Witchcraft Trials and home to Peabody Essex Museum, House of Seven Gables, and ‘Friendship of Salem’ replica tall-ship. Continue to New Hampshire’s Portsmouth on the Piscataqua River to visit Strawbery Banke Museum, 1855 North Church, and Prescott Park’s USS Albacore submarine. Next you’ll drive to Kennebunkport in Maine, famous for its Goose Rocks Beach, The Seashore Trolley Museum, St Ann’s Episcopal Church, and the 1883 Goat Island Lighthouse. Check into DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland for an overnight stay.

Day Four: Kennebunkport to Wiscasset to Bar Harbor

Get behind the wheel for your drive to Wiscasset set along the tidal water of the Sheepscot River estuary – perhaps tuck into a lobster roll on the waterfront and visit Lincoln County Museum and Old Jail, Castle Tucker, Nickels-Sortwell House, Fort Edgecomb, and Wiscasset Antique Center. Next up is the town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island along Maine’s Frenchman Bay; your gateway to Acadia National Park, Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond, and more. Your base for the next two nights is Hilton Garden Inn North Conway.

Day Five: Bar Harbor to Acadia National Park to Bar Harbor

Today is your chance to explore Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park. Perhaps take a road-trip on the 27-mile Park Loop Road around the east side of Mount Desert Island - connecting Acadia's lakes, mountains, and shoreline and with access to Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Otter Point, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Mountain. Visit Bass Harbor Head Light and feel the spray at the Thunder Hole. Stroll through 400+ plant species at the Wild Gardens of Acadia, board a whale-watching or puffin cruise from Bar Harbor, and take a walk along the 4.4-mile Ocean Path.

Day Six: Bar Harbor to White Mountains

Your journey continues with a drive into the rugged White Mountains, the ‘rooftop of New England’; which cover approximately a quarter of the state of New Hampshire. Experience towering peaks, stunning scenery, spectacular waterfalls, and tax-free shopping. Visit Franconia Notch and The Flume Gorge; ride Mount Washington Cog Railway, Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, and the Conway Scenic Railroad; have fun at Whale’s Tale Water Park, Santa’s Village, and Story Land; and meet marine life at Living Shores Aquarium. You’ll spend the night at Best Western White Mountain Inn Franconia.

Day Seven: White Mountains to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom to Stowe

Today sees you drive to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. This area is made up of Orleans, Caledonia, and Essex counties and is home to St Johnsbury with its Fairbanks Museum and St Johnsbury Athenaeum and also Lyndon – gateway to the Kingdom Trails, Lake Memphremagog, Jay Peak, Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, Mount Pisgah, Dog Mountain, and Great Vermont Corn Maze. Stowe is your final destination and leads to the Trapp Family Lodge, Moss Glen Falls, Gold Brook Covered Bridge, Ben & Jerry’s Factory, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Check into Sonesta ES Suites Burlington for tonight.

Day Eight: Stowe to Green Mountains to The Berkshires

Today starts with a journey into the Green Mountains - which split the state of Vermont down the middle and boast Mount Mansfield as their highest peak. The mountains are a haven for skiing, hiking trails, and paddling the waterways; they’re also home to Green Mountain Forest and dotted with quaint villages like Bennington and Jeffersonville. You’ll arrive in western Massachusetts’ The Berkshires in the rolling hills between New York and Boston and check into Hampton Inn & Suites Berkshires in Lenox.

Day Nine: The Berkshires to Lenox to The Berkshires

Explore Lenox today; home to Shakespeare & Company, Tanglewood (summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), author Edith Wharton’s former estate – The Mount, and Ventford Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum. Hike in Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and Kennedy Park, go on a train ride at the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, or step back in time at Lenox Historical Society. Hit the open road and head to Middletown on Rhode Island for a night at Sonesta Newport Middletown. Middletown is less than three miles from Newport Mansions, Naval War College Museum, The Cliff Walk, Bowen’s Wharf, International Tennis Hall of Fame, and Providence Place Mall.

Day Ten: Newport to Cape Cod

Today begins with a leisurely journey from Newport to Cape Cod; set on a hook-shaped peninsula in the south east corner of Massachusetts. Cape Cod is a popular summer holiday destination for residents of nearby Boston and New York who come to enjoy the peninsula’s lighthouses, windmills, sand dunes, beaches, gardens, historic homes, fascinating museums, and charming towns like Provincetown, Chatham, and Wellfleet. The ferry port of Hyannis is your home for the final two nights at Holiday Inn Cape Cod Hyannis.

Day Eleven: Cape Cod

Explore more of Cape Cod today. Stop by Hyannis’ Cape Cod Maritime Museum and John F Kennedy Museum. Venture to Cape Cod National Seashore with its beaches, woodlands, and hiking trails. Go whale-watching at Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary or take a ferry ride to the settlement of Nantucket. Visit Provincetown’s 252-foot-tall Pilgrim Monument and admire the artworks at Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Escape to the idyllic Martha’s Vineyard, take a walk to Race Point Lighthouse, or visit Chatham’s Atwood House and Chatham Marconi Maritime Center.

Day Twelve: Cape Cod to Boston Departure

Check out of your Cape Cod hotel and drive to Boston Airport in time for your flight back to the UK – hopefully with many happy memories to look back on of your New England in the Fall road-trip.