This has no doubt be trashed to death so you will have to forgive me. My wife and I are traveling from new zealand to Vancouver in Sept. We then will fly across to the east. Not sure what city.
We want to get from Canada to the east coast of USA and then onto Washington. Mainly we are doing this to see the leaves etc.
Has anyone any help to offer us. How do we best travel, by bus we think. Where should we leave from. Go by local bus or take a wee tour bus.
Any advice would be appreciated.
leaf tour
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How much time do you have? I would recommend you fly from Vancouver to your Eastern destination. For leaf colour you need Sugar Maple Trees - the hilly regions of Central Ontario, Quebec and Vermont would be best. Late September and, depending on the exact destination, early October, are often the most likely times for good leaf colour (although the timing is unfortunately rather variable depending on what the weather has been like in the weeks leading up to it - rainfall, temperatures, etc.).
I am not familiar with bus tours for "leaf peeping", maybe others are (or try googling?). Most people would tour by car - can you consider a rental?
Quebec, Vermont & New Hampshire would probably be your best bets for leaf peeping. Depending on where you are and the weather, the peak time might be anywhere from late September thru mid October. I would probably fly into Montreal (a great city to spend a few days), then possibly visit Quebec City if time permits. Rural Quebec is quite scenic and dotted with wineries and apple orchards. In the US, you may want to rent a car to explore while in Vermont & NH, as public transportation is very limited in these rural states. I do believe there are leaf watching bus trips from places like Boston, and possibly Montreal. Realize that this is a very popular time of year to visit, so even small inns in the countryside can be booked up. I live in rural New Hampshire, and even after 30+ years of seeing the foliage, I am still amazed by it. Bonjourquebec.com and Yankee Magazine are both good web site for lots of info.