Now having lived in Upstate New York for a few years, I’ve gotten a chance to explore far more of New England than I ever have before. New England is such a picturesque part of the country, with tons of historic buildings pre-dating the country itself, beautiful coastlines, and some of the best beer I’ve ever had. My explorations through New England inspired me to put together a ten day New England road trip itinerary to share with all of you!
Table of Contents
Day 1: Start Your New England Road Trip in Boston, MA
If you are looking to fly into New England, Boston is the obvious choice to start your road trip as it has the largest airport in the area. Pick up your car at Logan International Airport and make your way downtown to check out everything Boston has to offer. If you have a few hours, spend your time following some or all of the Freedom Trail through the historic sites of Boston or check out my one day Boston itinerary for some other options in the Seaport District and Little Italy including food and drink. Boston is a very walkable city so I recommend dropping the car at your hotel when you can and making your way to most sites on foot. Plus you’ll get to stretch your legs before being stuck in a car for large portions of the day.
Day 2: Boston, MA to Newport, RI
Drive Time: 2.5-3 Hours
Wake up early and drive down to Newport, Rhode Island. You can either take a direct route, or take the more scenic route along the waterfront down towards Cape Cod. If you are visiting in the summer, you may want to avoid Cape Cod due to the amount of traffic from the beaches. Once in Newport you can check out the Newport Mansions, walk the Cliff Walk along the coast, and take a ride down Ocean Drive to the Castle Hill Lighthouse and Fort Adams. See more on the best options if you only have one day in Newport.
Day 3: Newport, RI to Mystic, CT
Drive Time: 1 Hour
Mystic is only a short drive away from Newport, which will give you plenty of time to grab brunch in either city, go check out the Mystic Seaport Museum and/or Mystic Aquarium and grab a slice at Mystic Pizza (yes the one from the movie). I recommend ending the day with Argia Mystic Cruises’ sunset cruise. Check out more about Mystic with my weekend getaway guide to visiting Mystic, CT.
Day 4: Mystic, CT to Manchester, VT
Drive Time: 3.5 Hours
Once you leave Mystic you’ll be heading north through western Massachusetts. You can make a quick pit-stop in the Connecticut capital, Hartford or Springfield, MA on your way to Manchester, VT. Explore the outlets in Manchester, visit the Lincoln family home, Hildene, or spend some time hiking in the Green Mountains. One of our favorite hikes was Mount Bromley, but there are tons of options in the area for hikes. If you happen to be visiting in the fall, this is a spectacular way to see the fall foliage Vermont is known for.
Day 5: Manchester, VT to Burlington, VT
Drive Time: 2.5 Hours
Day 5 brings you from Manchester in southern Vermont to Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, on the coast of Lake Champlain. Burlington is home to a ton of breweries, and since you aren’t planning to make it any farther on your road trip today, you might as well have a few beers at the local spots. Check out some of our recommendations for breweries and cideries in Burlington to see which one may have your perfect brew. You can visit everything from large establishments like Magic Hat to smaller boutique breweries like Foam Brewers right along the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. Spend the rest of your night exploring pretty Church Street and the surrounding area, but call it an early night since you’ll be driving all the way to Maine in the morning.
Day 6: Burlington, VT to Bar Harbor, ME
Drive Time: 6.5 Hours
This stretch is one of the longest drives of the road trip. While there is a more direct route, I suggest making your way through the beautiful White Mountains past Mt. Washington on Route 2. Mt. Washington is the tallest mountain in New England and driving through the mountains is incredibly scenic. To break up the trip, feel free making a stop in the Vermont capital Montpelier, or in Waterbury, VT at Ben and Jerry’s for an ice cream factory tour before heading on your way to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. If you’re feeling ambitious, you may even want to try hiking Mt. Washington, but make sure to come prepared! The mountain peak is known for its unpredictable weather!
Day 7 & 8: Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is the only U.S. National Park in New England. I recommend spending at least two days here to get a chance to explore and do some solid hiking. Be sure to check out the Ocean Path to see spots like Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs. Spend a few days exploring beautiful Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor area before starting to make your way back to Boston. In addition to hiking, you can also try sea kayaking and biking through the carriage roads. For some more ideas check out my Acadia National Park 3 day itinerary.
Day 9: Acadia National Park to Portland, ME
Drive Time: 3 Hours
While in Portland, check out some of the incredible lighthouses New England is known for (Portland alone has 6!) and grab an Allagash White at Allagash Brewing Company, one of my favorite New England beers. You can also stroll through the Old Port historic district and grab some seafood at one of the nearby restaurants. My favorite dish in New England has to be New England Clam Chowder, although in Maine you really can’t go wrong with lobster!
Day 10: Portland, ME to Boston, MA
Drive Time: 2 Hours
Day 10 and you’ve just completed your trip! Make your way back to Boston in a short 2 hour trip to return your rental car and catch your flight home! You can now cross 6 states off your 50 states list, along with Acadia National Park and multiple national historic landmarks. If you need help planning your trip, be sure to check out my guide on how to plan epic itineraries, with a free trip planning Excel workbook.
Road Trip Alternatives
Looking for other suggestions? You could alter this itinerary to:
- Make a stop in New Hampshire to climb Mt. Washington.
- Spend an extra day in Acadia and wrap Mystic and Newport into the same day.
- Substitute Portsmouth, NH for Portland, ME or do both in the same day.
- Extend your trip to 2 full weeks for more time in any of the locations or to add in stops like Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard.
- Tack on Salem, MA before heading back to Boston depending on when your flight departs.
- Take some detours to visit some of the other National Parks Service sites and get some stamps listed on my America the Beautiful page.
New England Road Trip Map
Check out my suggested route with this Google Map!
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