Hi fellow Fodor's travelers:
We are planning a driving trip next fall through New England to see the Fall Foliage and other sights.
We are allowing 12-14 days, we'd like to start in Boston and end up in New York City to see the sights and fly home from there.
We have an idea of which towns we'd like to visit, but I need your help in planning the best route
and estimating drive times. Here's what we'd like to include:
1. Boston
2. Plymouth MA
3. Hyannis MA and Martha's Vineyard
4.Lake Placid NY
5. Stowe VT
6. North Conway NH
7. Kennebunkport ME
8. Mystic CT
9. New York City
Are we trying to see too much? And any idea what the best routing would be?
Thanks so much for any help you can provide...

You can find actual distances, estimated driving times and suggested routes between those locations on Google Maps or Mapquest. Google Maps also has a "click & drag" feature which easily allows you to choose alternate routes (such as taking secondary roads rather than Interstates). It's really an excellent tool for mapping out travel routes.

I think you are making a bit of a mistake trying to visit 9 different places in 12 to 14 days you are barely giving yourself enough time to "visit" any of your destinations. Unlike a Viking River cruise, you'll be spending more time getting there and less time being there". However, if you are content to stop briefly in 2 or 3 of those places then it's a workable plan.

To avoid "backtracking" I would do them in this order:

Boston, Kennebunkport, North Conway, Stowe, Lake Placid, Plymouth, Hyannis, Martha's Vineyard,. NYC. That's total of about 1,050 miles and about 22 hours total drive time . The longest leg is between Lake Placid and Plymouth (about 350 miles - 7 hours drive time). All other legs are relatively short drives of under 3 hours.

A few years ago there was a poster who had an ambitious itinerary and really did accomplish it but do you really like changing hotels almost every night? You would probably spend most of your time on boring interstates.
Boston deserves at least two or three nights, Plymouth was a little disappointing but we enjoyed a tour of some cranberry bogs. We followed our tour guide in our car. I have only been to Martha's Vineyard. You'll spend a full day in Martha's Vineyard so plan a day to visit Hyannis and maybe some other places. My friend insisted we visit the Edward Gorey house and it was kind of fun.
Unless you have a good reason to visit Lake Placid, I would eliminate it from the list because of the number of miles to get there. If you drive up Rt 100 in VT to Stowe, I hope it is mid-week because it's one of the most popular routes. Then you'll be skirting the top of the White Mountains to get to North Conway, the most traffic congested town in New England during foliage season. Get an early start so you can find a parking place for breakfast. From there you can head cross country to Maine but you've basically missed the White Mountains and didn't see a spec of Lake Winnipesaukee. Hopefully you don't hit Kennebunkport on a weekend. It should be clear sailing/driving to Mystic. If you didn't have time for any lobster in Maine and it's still open for the season, Abbott's has some good take-out seafood and a nice view of the ocean.

I would spend 2-3 nights in Boston, then stop off in Plymouth on the way to Hyannis, then a day trip to MV (or did you want an overnight?). You can also stay in Falmouth. You probably don't have time to explore the Cape Cod National Seashore with a trip to MV.

Then head to Maine, NH, VT, Lake Placid, and NYC. I can't think of a good way to fit in Mystic. But if it is important then I'd go there after the Cape.

Timing of the trip is important because Columbus Day weekend in Massachusetts always has lots of traffic going north.

Going in a big circle would be easier, and arriving and leaving from NY or Boston but it has the downside of paying for parking in one of those cities. But not paying for a one-way car rental might save money there.

Really think you are trying to do too many places. You need a minimum of 3 nights in Boston and 4 in NYC - so 7 out of 12 leaves you only 5 more nights. No way to see all of those other places. If you really want to see fall colors I would drop NYC so you have time to see the other places.

If you really want to see NYC you will have to drop several other places.

Also be aware that the colors are MUCH later in NYC (early Nov) than they are in New England - esp the mountains and central areas.

You are in for a tremendous amount of driving, with very little time to actually experience these destinations. It almost seems like a scavenger hunt! I would eliminate Plymouth and lake Placid. Yes they are both nice places, but Plymouth is not as special as Cape Cod, better to relax on the Cape an extra day. Like Placid is a scenic mountain village, not too different from Stowe and North Conway. As for the actual towns - although Hyannis is one of the places to depart for MV, it is probably the least desirable town to stay in. You can also get a ferry in Woods Hole or Falmouth, which are less commercialized and busy than Hyannis. North Conway is a scenic, but it's the most crowded and touristy town in the White Mountains - the same is true for Stowe in the Green Mountains.

I would sort of have to imagine he is not seeing "fall foliage" in NYC.
I'm not sure where the OP is coming from, but if outside the US, I would add something like Old Sturbridge Village to a foliage tour.
The hills of Vermaont turn bright red from the maples and are simply spectacular.
I am not as sure this is foliage as much as "New England in the fall and maybe we'll see some color". Be aware that tat this time of year, reservations for the night are a must.
And yes, it is 'way 'way too much ground to cover in the time allotted--distance and destinations.

I like Cape Cod in the fall with the empty beaches and crisp cool nights, but if your goal is seeing color, it's not your destination.

So I'd do Boston to Kennebunkport, then NH and Vermont. Make your Kennebunkport reservation something with a 24 hr cancellation policy so that you can watch the foliage reports and cut Kennebunkport if colors are peaking in Stowe and Conway.