Hi, we are pre planning a trip for fall 2019. We are from UK and will have already spent 2 weeks on the West Coast when we arrive in Boston (flying in) on a Monday evening. We then fly out from Toronto back to UK on the Saturday evening so this gives us approx 4.5 days in the area. We intend hiring a car from Boston Logan and then dropping it off in Buffalo on the Friday. We have previously done the Maine coastline and Boston itself so would like to drive a scenic route to Buffalo but also fit in a day in Boston and maybe a a day in Toronto too if possible. Would really appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks

I think you're a couple of days short of being able to spend time in Boston and Toronto. A straight shot drive is around 9+ hours (Boston to Toronto).

Day 1 - Boston
Day 2 - Boston to Western Mass.
Day 3 - Western Mass to Finger Lakes region in NY
Day 4 - Finger Lakes region to Buffalo.
Day 5 - Toronto

(Missing Niagara Falls)

OR

Move everything up a day and spend one day in Niagara Falls. Still very tight.

Day 1 - Boston to Western Mass
Day 2 - Western Mass to Finger Lakes
Day 3 - Finger Lakes to Buffalo/Niagara Falls
Day 4 - Niagara Falls/Toronto
Day 5 - Toronto/home

Or just drive straight through and see nothing on the way

Day 1 - Boston
Day 2 - Boston to Buffalo
Day 3 - Niagara Falls
Day 4 - Niagara Falls/Toronto
Day 5 - Toronto/home
Day 4 -

OK, thanks, we don't really want to miss out Boston but may give Toronto a miss and just fly back from there.. Where would you suggest we stay enroute to Niagara? TIA

Why not fly from the west coast to Buffalo NY or Toronto? One way to do the trip from Boston via Niagara Falls to Toronto would be to take the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Rochester NY.
Spend the night in Rochester and take the Amtrak Maple Leaf from Rochester to Niagara Falls (NY or Ontario) the next afternoon.

When in the fall will you be in that area?
What is it that you like to do? Our answers will be different if your desire is to spend a hiking in the mountains versus antique shopping vs wineries vs whatever.

If Toronto is not critical, and you have not bought your tickets yet, you could look at flying home from Montreal (non-stop) with a car drop (I think it’s possible) in Burlington, Vermont. Beautiful and shorter drive. Of course you’d miss Niagara Falls but I can’t tell how important that is.

Burlington to Montreal ( YUL ) Shuttle Service - BTV airport Shuttle - 24/7

I would do -
Boston
Boston to Niagara
*Canadian side to Niagara on the Lake
Wineries and exploring the area between Niagara and Toronto
Toronto and home.

Not sure about taking a rental car over and returning it in Canada. But I REALLY liked Niagara on the Lake and the countryside between there and Toronto.

Hi, thanks for all the help so far. It will be the last week in September when we are there so hoping to see some of the beautiful scenery on the journey from Boston. We definitely want to see Niagara and our flight back to the UK is out of Toronto so that is fixed.
Was thinking about the following br /> Monday Boston (we arrive mid afternoon )
Tuesday Boston
Wednesday Drive up to Woodstock VT and then down to Saratoga Springs, staying overnight. (I appreciate its a bit of an indirect route but I don't mind driving and wondered if it would be more scenic)
Thursday Drive to Buffalo Airport and drop car off, get a taxi/shuttle into Niagara and stop overnight.
Friday Travel to Toronto mid afternoon by shuttle and have remainder of day there.
Saturday Day in Toronto until we fly home in the evening.
Thoughts appreciated please?

Woodstock VT is not my favorite place in VT but tourists love it. It's a 2+ drive from Boston to Woodstock so I would aim for a good restaurant for lunch. Simon Pearce in nearby Quechee would be my first choice but haven't been in several years. Be first in line when they open for lunch and get a table overlooking the river. It's an elegant lunch. The drive from Boston north on I93 is going to be very commercial/industrial until you get into NH. I would opt to take the I293 detour because you drive along the Merrimack River with a view of the old mill buildings on the east side of the river. I293 reconnects with I93 before you get to the Hooksett toll booth. Then you'll take I89 to VT (follow google maps) which is actually pretty scenic for an interstate. If you wanted to stop for coffee and muffin in a local restaurant, Foothills in Warner would be a good choice and it's a charming little town. Easy off and on I89 and the gas stations just before you get back on I89 at exit 9 are a good place for a fill up. There should be some color the last week of September but it will be before peak.

I'm a tourist and I love it!

Not terrible, but won't leave you much time to see anything AT Niagara Falls.

Last week in September is a good time to visit the Saratoga area. There will be some early fall colors in VT/MA/NY area - especially some of the early Sugar Maples, Sumacs, and other 1st to change trees. Still a lot of green, but a good time to visit with plenty of daylight hours before the October chill & evening darkness sets in. Hotel rates in Saratoga will have dropped significantly after horse racing season as well.

If you do decide to visit Saratoga Springs, be sure to post back here as the trip gets closer and I can give you more details about our fair little city.

Thank you for all the help so far. Wondered also whether anyone can advise a good place to stop outside Central Boston that's easy to get public transport from into the centre. We will flying into Logan so prefer someone not too far from the airport or at least the North or West of Boston.
TIA

Thanks, good suggestions there. Can I just ask, you mention I293 but I can't see this on Google maps. Is it 3A?

We recently stayed at an air b&b 2 bedroom apartment outside Boston. Uber ride was slightly more than $20 depending on where we went in Boston. One day it was to South End for food tour and another day it was to Chinatown where we then walked the Greenway to Quincy Marketplace. I did a trip report. I think we were in Brighton west of Boston. We had directions to walk to public transportation but we didn't want to add to the amount of walking we did and later talked with someone who lived there. She said it could take her 50 minutes on public transportation to get into the city for work. Since there are only 2 of you, hotel closer in is probably best.

As for I293, tell google maps you want to go to Granite State College on MacGregor Street in Manchester. The text doesn't tell you much but the map will show you that I293 splits off to the west from I93 (I think you might have to go on I101 west for a couple of miles). (You don't want to actually get off at Granite Street exit, it just a location I could think of to force google maps to show I293). North of that area you can see the two yellow routes merging before you get to Hooksett where there's a toll booth. It is not Rt 3A which is a state highway that runs along the Merrimack River. Not especially scenic plus it goes thru some congested areas.

Hi, we have managed to add an extra day onto our trip so now we will arrive in Boston on the Sunday and have the remainder of Sunday and all day Monday in Boston, it's not long but we have been before. On Tuesday we will start our drive to arrive in Niagara Falls sometime on Thursday so would like any suggestions for the route we take there from Boston that's the most scenic and a couple of places to stay en-route. TIA

I've been away and just seen this post so here's some input...

after your full Monday in Boston, get up Tuesday and head for Woodstock, VT for lunch and a visit... then get yourself to Saratoga Springs for dinner and overnight stay. Next AM, breakfast and on the road headed for NY Rt 20... this road travels across the state through villages, farms, and history...
Starting near Albany, the route has been awarded as an "American Scenic Highway".
You have several choices along the route with side trips along the Finger Lakes, Wineries, the American Baseball Hall of Fame, Geneva, Seneca Falls, and Letchworth State Park (known as the Grand Canyon of the East)... the route is full of festivals, farm stands, and scenery... it continues through to East Aurora in Western New York, birthplace of the Roycroft Movement.

then head north along route 400, I90 to Niagara Falls... keep your rental to explore the area, and consider lodging at Niagara on the Lake, just 20 minutes from the Falls, the Village offers the Shaw Festival daily performances, quaint shops, wineries, and the best dining... you can drive to see the Falls, tourist all day, and spoil yourself in the Village.

after your stay in Niagara, turn in the rental and take the Train to Toronto for your last stay... there are stations on both the US and Canadian sides. The train station in Toronto is right downtown with several fine hotels within walking distance .

the final challenge is transport to the airport... see your hotel concierge. ..

enjoy your stay

Thank you so much for those suggestions, I will get my map out and start some planning. I am wondering about the car hire situation because I have read about the high drop off fees and also charges for taking across border. Was thinking about dropping the car off on the US side at Niagara (near Niagara IAG) and then getting a taxi across to the Canadian side. We will probably want to stop at one of the hotels with a view of the falls I think. Then I was planning on hiring a car on the Canadian side for a couple of days so that we can see Niagara on the lake and also drive to Toronto. There are 4 of us (all adults) so thought this would work out cheaper by being able to drop car off at Toronto Pearson.

A rental from Boston and dropped at IAG runs about $100/day US... there will be no hassle crossing the Falls border with a rental because it is very common for tourists. Your best bet is to use your boston car until ready to depart for Toronto, then rent the new car in Canada and have your friends follow you back to the US falls drop off... it will cost you far less than a taxi ride... hope this logic makes sense...
ps... there is no great benefit to "Fallsview rooms"... the Falls drops 187 ft. below ground level so the higher you are in a hotel, the further away you are from the power of the Falls... to really feel it, ride the Maid of the Mist, or even better, the Cave of the Winds on the US side. ... the best panorama of the Falls is standing at street level across from the Falls. ..

Thoughts and suggestions on the following please? Drive from Boston on the Tuesday up the coast to see York lighthouse.
Then drive towards Concord, stopping somewhere Tuesday night near Wilmington or Brattlebro.
​​​​​​This would mean missing out Woodstock but would still enable us to drive in I20 towards our next stop. TIA

The quick route from Boston to York would be I95 but you'll be missing Portsmouth. York Beach to Concord is about 1 1/4 hrs. Google maps recommends Rt 101 which is a boring limited access highway but it saves you 4 minutes over scenic Rt 4. But should you decide to go Rt 101 you are already southerly and maybe should consider going Rt 101 all the way to Brattleboro VT. There will be a lot of traffic around Manchester and then upscale commercial in Bedford and Amherst eventually turning into a nice scenic ride past Dublin's Yankee Magazine offices and eventually funky Brattleboro. If you go to Concord you could do the slow scenic route out of town thru nice towns of Hopkinton (see Gould Hill Orchard) and then getting on Rt 202 then to 9. It's very rural until you get near Keene and that's a pretty college town with some good restaurants.