How crowded is Newport in mid-August?
 

My friends and I are interested in visiting Newport on the weekend of 8/11/2006. I know it happens to be the weekend the Jazz Festival is taking place - how crowded will be Newport be? Is it crowded to a point where a visit would not be relaxing one?

Also, we plan on staying in Providence; I'd sincerely appreciate it if people could let me know the expected drive time from Providence to Newport given the traffic.

Thank you very much in advance for your replies.

Warren

The drive time on a weekend in the dead of summer from the city of Providence would be roughly 45 minutes. If it's a hot, nice day, then it will be longer because folks will be heading towards the beach. If you leave Providence early in the day, you should be able to move right through. Is your destination the Jazz festival itself or just to see Newport?

Hi Emily,

Thanks so much for your reply! My friends and I are going just to see Newport- the Jazz Festival isn't the particular reason we're going.

The trip to Newport will be our annual get-together; with most of us based in NJ and a couple based in Boston, we though Newport would be a great middle ground to meet. I just wanted to make sure that Newport isn't so crowded that it'd be a less than relaxing experience (i.e. if there were rather long lines for restaurants, to see the mansions, for a potential cruise along the shore, etc.).

Thanks again!
Warren

Newport is pretty crowded that weekend.

Not so much the sights and water, but the restaurants, roads and parking lots.

Having said that, don't be deterred - just be prepared for a lot of happy people, eat early and have fun!

You can avoid the drive by taking the Providence - Newport ferry if that interests you and your group.

Definitely don't be scared off by the crowds...there's plenty of room for everyone. The Jazz Fest is held over at Fort Adams (Across the harbor) so the crowds during the day are not bad at all...If you are staying in Providence, I'd definitely suggest taking the Ferry

http://www.ripta.com/schedules/ferry.php

If you're staying in Providence because you think that hotels are too expensive, keep an eye out for last minute deals.....I've seen that weekend, as well as 4th of July, on Hotwire for around $100....but Providence is nice too...

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your replies - I sincerely appreciate them!

Milemarker, we are indeed staying in Providence because of low availability and high prices of hotel rooms in Newport. But I will definitely keep an eye out for last-minute deals.

Thanks again,
Warren

Also, if you DO drive, park at the Gateway visitor's center and use the Public Trolley to get to/from the mansions and other atractions, and you can park all day for $2...

Hi Milemarker,

Thanks so much for the parking tip! I hope you had a great weekend.

-Warren

Be sure while you are in PVD & Newport to visit "only in rhode island". It's a great little store that sells things made only in rhode island! It's in the wharf, around from Panera. I visit Newport once a year and always visit!

Thanks for the tip! I have a feeling that all of these great suggestions will make for a fantastic weekend! Thanks again.

There is a Holiday Inn in South Kingstown, RI that has availability for that weekend. IMHO this would be a better choice than staying in the city. It puts you much closer to Newport, and the more rural location will also give you accessability to other parts of southern RI that may interest you.
Another potential choice could be the Hamilton Village Inn outside of the town of Wickford in North Kingstown. While Providence is nice, there isn't much charm in the middle of August!

Hi EmilyC,

Thanks for the tip on the Holiday Inn. I did a quick search on kayak.com and it looks like it'll cost a chunk of change too! Right now, we think we might end up at the Providence Marriott or Westin Providence (I can use points for the latter). I'm surprised that there are no Starwood properties in Newport!

If you decide to use Marriott in Providence, stay at the newer and better located Courtyard. Not the Marriott.

Also, I don't know what your budget is, but about 20 minutes north of Newport, there's the Bristol Harbor Inn in Bristol, RI. It's not going to be cheap for a summer weekend (~$200), but it may be of interest to you. www.bristolharborinn.com

Hi Rkkwan,

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll definitely look into the Bristol Harbor Inn.

One of the travelers in our party is slightly more budget sensitive. With a corporate code, I can get the Providence Marriott for $145 (and the hotel is running a free parking special.) Without the code, the rate would be $169-179/per night.

Unfortunately, the corporate code doesn't work for the Courtyard Marriott, which is currently showing up at $169 (and parking is $19/day).

If we stayed at the Westin Providence, I have enough points to get 2-3 rooms (good for one night with our party), and the regular room rates are $199 (I missed the $169 special they had two weeks ago, but reservations under that special were subject to a 100% cancellation penalty).

But it sounds like the Courtyard Marriott could be worth spending the extra $. It's interesting that the Courtyard is held in higher esteem than the Marriott.

If budget is the # 1 driving issue, then I would choose a Marriott property or a Starwood outside of the city. There is a nice Residence Inn near the airport, as well as a Sheraton.
If you want downtown, then pick the Courtyard. It's newer and in a far better location than the older Marriott, which is somewhat removed (and seedy) from the main part of the city. The bonus to staying downtown is that there is a waterfire on Aug 12 and it would be steps away from the Courtyard.

Hi EmilyC,

Thanks for the heads-up on where the Marriott is located. I spoke with a couple of my travel partners and it looks like we're leaning towards the Courtyard. How does the Courtyard compare to the Westin (in terms of location), if you know? Thanks!

They are just across the street from each other. (Westin and the Courtyard)

Thanks, Milemarker!

We booked late last year for an August weekend in Newport. Like you, we had trouble finding available/affordable accommodations. We ended up at the Thames Street Guest house. It's a little 4 or 5 bedroom B&B. The hosts were really terrific, and accommodations perfect. We were also walking distance to the downtown area. Here's their # just in case you're interested. 401.846.8471

The town was busy, but not so crowded we couldn't enjoy it. I think it was Jazz weekend when we were there also. We were able to visit the mansions, eat out etc., no problem.