Connecticut trip summer 2009; inns and B&Bs
 

Hello! We have two house exchanges organised for August and September 2009, the first one in Stamford, the second on Cape Cod. The third week in August, between exchanges, will be spent driving around Connecticut, staying in inns or B&Bs. Any help with suggestions for places to visit and not too expensive accomodation along the way would be greatly appreciated. We are a couple in our sixties, interested in seeing quaint small towns and villages, either along the coast from Stamford, or in the rural north east. We want to avoid driving in busy suburban areas - we live in rural France so I'm afraid we'd find driving in American cities very nerve-wracking! Thank you for your suggestions.

Definitely try to see/stay in Madison, CT, an absolutely adorable beach town. I don't know much about the various B&B's in the area, other than Tidewater Inn being lovely but pricey, if I recall.

Stamford itself is a small to mid-sized city -- although the northern reaches are suburban. Most of the nearby towns are also just suburban. I live in one and I'm afraid "quaint small town and village" doesn't describe it!

Madison, previously mentioned might fit the bill. It's about an hour up the coast on Rt 95. Stonington and Mystic, a little further on, would probably also appeal.

I don't know the rural northeast of the state, but the rural northwest, with such towns as Kent, Salisbury, Litchfield, etc would probably appeal to you. You are also not far from the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and even southern Vermont, where such towns as Newfane and Grafton would be just what you're looking for. My advice would be to visit the towns in CT during your stay in Stamford, then head up Rt 7 stopping a for a night or so in CT, MA and VT, then loop over to the Cape.

Simsbury Inn-Simsbury, CT
The Boulders-New Preston, CT
Homestead Inn, New Milford, Ct.
Madison Beach Hotel, Madison, CT
Alyce's Dunscroft-Harwichport, MA (Cape Cod)
Stonington Inn, Stonington, CT
Commodore Inn, _West Harwich, MA (Cape Cod)
google New Preston CT
Go to website litchfieldhills.com (rural northWEST Ct.)

Consider spending some time in Rhode Island, perhaps Newport. It is a larger town, but not a "city." Loads of charm and lots if inns to choose from. The suggestions to visit southern Vermont and/or the Berkshires in Massachusetts are also good ones.

Many thanks for your suggestions, which are all helpful. I meant rural north west, not north east, but I think the idea of visiting the Berkshires is one that we'll take up. Also to visit as much of Connecticut as we can during our stay in Stamford. The original idea was to hire a car, then travel from Stamford to Cape Cod, stopping off on the way, which is actually what I think we'll do, so now I've got to check drop off places for the hire car, as near to Cape Cod as possible. I've visited the B&B sites, so it's really your suggestions of places that is most useful, and yes, I realise that Stamford is definitely "quaint", which is just why we want to see the rest!

...and oh yes the Orchards in Williamstown,MA