Base for 2 full days in Maine
 

I'm slowly assembling a NE jaunt,got a few places sorted.

So Far: 22nd June -3st July
First 3 days:- Nothing booked yet.
Arrive Boston 13:00 from UK.

Day 4
Have a base in Boston Metro West - Framingham 4 days. Intend to visit nearby Boston and places East\South

Day 8
One overnight in Cape Cod Hyannis Harbour.

Day 9
Last three days plan to go back to Boston (Airport) and dump the car, see the rest of Boston on foot.


Question:
Those first few days:
I had in my mind to explore the Maine coast with a base at Portland bidding on priceline for a hotel.

No luck with bidding so far, so should I venture further North (don't mind the 3hr drive + jet lag )

or should I base myself in Peabody\Danvers and head north from there??

I'm looking for a basic PL hotel, that's good value (Residence inns etc)

Thanks

Boston is circle by two major highways - Rt 95/128 and Rt 495. Within Rt 95/128 which includes Peabody there is a lot of traffic and industrial sprawl. It starts to thin out between Rt 95 and Rt 495. During commuting hours, traffic will be extremely heavy, certainly nothing a vacationer should want to deal with. The Maine coast is divided into three areas. The southern section has some beautiful towns and ocean views but there's still a lot of traffic. Portland is a big city. The Old Port section is wonderful for walking and dining options but the area by the shopping mall is very busy and looks like any other shopping sprawl. It would certainly be worth it to give you a base for exploring further north on the Maine coast esp towns like Bath, Camden, Boothbay. I consider Camden one of the most beautiful towns on the East coast. It has a wonderful harbor where windjammers are based to take people on sailing vacations. Keep in mind that Rt 1 in the Peabody/Danvers area was built many years ago and can be a traffic nightmare. You might look in the Portsmouth NH area to avoid the long drive. There's a nice privately owned hotel called the Hampshire Inn in Seabrook NH which offers a good continental breakfast and rooms with a frig and sitting area. It's right off Rt 95 but it's also near the toll booth which causes traffic backups on Friday nights. But, for a real nice base in Maine I would head as far north as you can.

A few suggestions - for the first three days, I assume you are going to have a car. Do you want to be in a city (Portland), a scenic rockbound harbor town (Camden, Boothbay), or a beachy resort town (Ogunquit, Kennebunkport). I personally would stay in Kennebunkport, which is not too far a drive, is very charming, and has some wonderful beaches. Most small new England towns do not have large chain hotels, but instead privately owned motels, inns, & b&b's. If you search by town you will see lots of interesting accomodations.
Also, you might want to consider 2 nights on the Cape. There are lots of beaches, lighthouses, biking trails, etc to see. One night might be frustrating, especially if you hit traffic getting there.

I hope you have a reason for staying out here in Framingham. Don't get me wrong, I work here its okay...but its not exactly a tourist haven.

In any case, if you need restaurant recommendations, or help with commuter rail into Boston or anything, feel free to ask!

If you don't mind the longer drive, then Camden or Boothbay in Maine are great suggestions. Portsmouth NH would also be a nice base for exploring the coast, and has some great historical sights as well.

Don't restrict yourself to priceline hotels, you could ruin your trip ending up in lots of places that you don't really want to be in.

Check out wellsmoodymotel.com; nerbeachmotel.com; ogunquitmotel.com, or usainn in Wells maine.........there are few if any "good value chain" motels in the area but plenty of decent mom-and-pop places. Deal$ if any are few though in Maine in summer.

I also think one overnight at Cape Cod is not enough. It may be a long drive out there this time of year and it really is worth the visit. At least you will be going in the right direction, driving to Hyannis on Sunday, right? Peabody/Danvers isn't worth it. Go farther north, Portland Maine maybe. South of Portland is more sandy beach type coastline and north of Portland is more rocky coastline. Boston is a wonderful city, but I don't if I would spend 4 days there. Hope this helps.

Thanks for all the replies, sorry about the delay in my reply.

Finally got a PL hotel, Residence Inn at Scarborough Portland, which should be fine.

I'll post a review on betterbidding.

Not sure what I want in Cape Cod so only going for the one night.I expect to leave early on the Wednesday hoping that midweek traffic should be reasonable.

Framingham was a choice for cheaper hotel costs, free parking and access to Boston by rail.

China Cat
Any tips on cheap restaurants would be appreciated also any tips re the Metro\rail?

Got the last 2 full days Friday\Saturday in Boston to explore.

Thanks again for all the replies.