jershaw03

This post is just like a similar one I posted yesterday in regard to traveling out west for cheap. It's basically edited to suit another part of the country we are considering...

My girlfriend and I love travelling and recently came across some extra money that we plan on using for a trip in March. We are from Charleston, SC, and we want to head to the Northeast, preferably New England. The money will cover our flight and not much more, so we will be saving until we leave.

We really like smaller, walking cities like Charleston. At the same time, we really want to experience the beautiful scenery of the mountains and the coast and possibly do some hiking, bike riding, etc. We aren't avid hikers or bikers, so we aren't looking for anything extreme, just a different way to experience the outdoors.

We won't have a car so we would like to find a destination that is fairly easy to navigate with a lot to do in a small area.

So to sum it all up, we're looking for an affordable, easily navigable destination with beautiful scenery and many activities around it.

We are both 23 years old, so we like to visit the bars (no crazy screaming drunks or Spring Break scenes). We really enjoy wine and good food so that would be enjoyable also.

As far as lodging goes, we will probably try to find something on VRBO unless we can find a great hotel rate. I would be fine staying at the Budget Inn, but my accompanying party demands nicer.

OK, so we sound pretty difficult now, but I wanted to give as much info as possible about our trip. I appreciate any and all help and thank you in advance!

NewPlaces

Northeast in mid-March is great for skiing. Saratoga Springs, NY is a small walkable town but in mid-March usually it is still winter. Boston can be nice but cold, the same goes for NYC. Plenty to do in NYC and you can walk in Central Park, take a bus and go for an easy or more challenging hike in Harriman Park. Take a train from Grand Central Station to Cold Spring. So many options.

bnbtraveler

New England can be pretty darn nasty in March, weather-wise. It can also be beautiful but fridgid. New England is so wonderful, I would wait for a nicer weather time to go there. I lived there over 35 years, and that is why I am in Florida now in the winter!

wyatt92

March is really not the best time to come to NE. If you could wait until at least May it would be much better.

I think you'd enjoy Newport RI, Portsmouth NH and Kennebunkport ME. Cute, walkable towns. Newport is the largest and has the most to do of the 3.

gail

I have read each of your posts of budget travel to various locations. I have having a hard time imagining any place that meets you criteria - inexpensive, small-city or natural beauty with public transportation since you will not have a car, good food and wine, mountains and coast, pleasant in March, nicer accomdations but inexpensive and close to the above.

The ease of public transportation plus diversity of city/nature plus cost seem almost impossible to get in one place.

For example, I am from New England and parts of this are meet some of your criteria, but public transportation is not going to get you what you want. Boston is wonderful, trains go some places, but it is certainly not inexpensive and has rotten weather in March.

I also think you might want to try Lonely Planet boards since there seem to be a greater concentration of younger more budget-minded travelers.

jershaw03

I definitely understand that I'm probably asking for too much from one area. I didn't really expect any one area to meet all the criteria. The main thing we're looking for is cheap. We won't have a lot of money to be throwing around. Because of that, we're trying to avoid cabs since they can eat up a big chunk of money pretty quickly.

We are probably going to postpone the trip until May in order to have better weather and save a little more money as well. Thanks for the replies, everyone.

Jaya

I live in New Hampshire.

To go from city to mountains in these parts you must have a car. Even if you take a bus (there is some bus service around New England) you'll have to call for a taxi to take you to your final destination (not going to be cheap).

The areas of interest that you want can be quite spread out up here. Although very worthwhile to see, I'm at loss to know how you will get around without a car.

nytraveler

March is still winter. In northern NE you will have snow and farther south you may have snow and/or mud. Not a great time for either hiking or biking.

Also - if you're staying in a city biking and hiking is limited to nearby areas - unless you rent a car.

I think you need to be realistic about weather (the blizzard of 88 - over 30" in NYC) was at the end of March.

If you want spring your have to wait for it to arrive - or stay much farther south.

irishswampyankee

May in Boston can be very expensive because of all the college graduations so hotels are full at top rates.