New England Travel Planner

Welcome to the NEW NETP! A complete travel & visitors guide to the six states of America's New England region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, with information on New York City transportation.

British regulars defend themselves against a Minuteman attack on Patriots Day (April 19) in Concord MA.

Touring New England

If you're coming to New England from a distance, whether you're traveling by car, bus, train, plane or ship for business or pleasure, culture, dining (lobsters!), or outdoor activities,browse below for where to go and what to do on a self-guided tour.

If you prefer a professionally guided tour, consult one of our recommended travel & tour companies.

Massachusetts

The view from Boston Common toward the Back Bay.

Most populous state in New England (7 million), the Bay State also has many of the region's top places to visit: Boston, the cosmopolitan "capital" of New England; Lexington & Concord, cradle of the American Revolution and location of Thoreau's Walden Pond; Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II; the vacation destinations of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket; lobster dinners; art, music and dance in the Berkshire Hills. More...

Rhode Island

The Breakers mansion, Newport RI

Small but beautiful, the Ocean State boasts livable Providence with its universities, early American architecture and unique Waterfire pageant; the palatial Gilded Age mansions of Newport; charming Block Island; Watch Hill, the home (sometimes) of Taylor Swift; lots of lobsters and some of New England's best beaches. More...

Connecticut

Colonized in the 1620s, the Constitution State's beautiful Connecticut shoreline on Long Island Sound is crowded with fine old towns, long sand beaches, historic Mystic Seaport, lobster shacks, vineyards and wineries.

Mystic Seaport Museum

The capital city, Hartford, offers excellent museums. Connecticut's Litchfield County is quietly, beautifully rural, while the southeast rings to the Las Vegas-like sounds of the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun gambling casinos. More...

Vermont

Old First Church in Bennington, Vermont, where poet Robert Frost is buried.

The aptly-named Green Mountain State is famed for its purely New England towns and villages, winter skiing and snowboarding, scenic drives, hiking and camping, maple syrup and artisanal cheeses, but it also has some fine art museums and cultural surprises such as Circus Smirkus, the world's only traveling big-top youth circus. More...

New Hampshire

The Mount Washington Hotel, with Mount Washington behind.

The White Mountains, crowned by Mount Washington, highest point east of the Mississippi, are the Granite State's main feature, but New Hampshire also has Mount Monadnock, the most frequently-climbed mountain in the world; a short but busy seacoast; the cities of Manchester, Concord and historic Portsmouth; Dartmouth College; and grand Lake Winnipesaukee. More...

Maine

Maine windjammers under full sail on a perfect sailing day!

Largest in area of the six New England states, the Pine Tree State is famed for the lobsters harvested from its rugged, rocky 1000-mile (1609-km) coastline dotted with beautiful, historic seaside resort towns such as Ogunquit, the Kennebunks, Old Orchard Beach, the Yorks, Boothbay, Camden and many more; for the Gilded Age resort of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park; shopping at L. L. Bean and Kittery; Roosevelt-Campobello International Park; for some of the finest skiing in New England; and for the vast inland forest wilderness capped by Mount Katahdin, starting-point of the Appalachian Trail. More...

New England Outdoors

Beaches come first, and New England has plenty of them. Hiking, biking, sailing, camping, canoeing, skiing and snowboarding, cruising the Maine coast on a windjammer, climbing Mount Monadnock or Mount Washington (by cog railway or on foot)—you'll find plenty to do outdoors in nature. More...

Summit of Mount Monadnock, New Hampshire. You can climb it!

New England Transportation

Amtrak train & bus routes map of New England.

Boston is only 216 miles (346 km) northeast of New York City. Compared to the rest of the USA, New England is compact, and usually quick and easy to get around, whether by planes and airports, trains, buses, ships and ferries, car rentals, or your own vehicle. And there's plenty of frequent, fast transportation between Boston and New York City, and New York City and Cape Cod. More...

New York City Transportation

Amtrak trains monitor, Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, New York City

New York City is a major transportation nexus, with many routes leading to and from New England. Here's how to navigate New York City's complicated transportation network, whether you're coming to New England, or going away. More...

New England Maps

I've made over 100 Google maps for NewEnglandTravelPlanner.com. Here they are, with advice for finding paper maps, trail and topographical maps, nautical charts and more.

When to Go

You can enjoy a trip in New England any time of year if you prepare for the weather and are wary of the busy times such as Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), and Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November), when hotels, inns, restaurants, and transportation are filled to capacity.

There are also special local holidays such as Patriots Day (Monday closest to April 19th) in Massachusetts and Maine, Hallowe'en (last day of October) in Salem MA, and the holidays (December) in Newport RI.

Music room in The Breakers mansion in Newport RI, decorated for Christmas

Early summer (May-June) and early autumn (Septmber) are less crowded than high summer for a trip to New England. Autumn foliage season (late September through October) and Indian summer (early winter thaw) are New England's glory times, but winter has its own pleasures: skiing & snowboarding, concerts, First Night & more. Here's all you need to know.

Where to Stay

Everyone enjoys New England country inns, but the region has everything else, from camping and hostels through B&Bs and city hotels to lavish beach and mountain resorts. More...

Use this Hotel Map with Prices to locate the lodging you want, at a price you'd like in your favored location anywhere in New England:

Hotel Map with Prices

Prices, Costs & Saving Money

Let's face it: New England can be expensive, but it offers great value-for-money, and it's possible to save money by planning ahead. Here are estimated costs for budget travel, moderate travel, comfort class, and luxury. More...