Itinerary help:Driving Boston MA to Mid Coast Maine
 

My wife and I are planning a trip from Boston Logan Airport to Mid Coast, Maine in December. I'd like any suggestions for a route and also places to visit. I can take about a day and a half to get to Camden ME. We'll then be staying in Camden for a while. It would be nice to hear of good places to eat and for an overnight stop. I'll be using a rental car which I'll pick up at Logan International Airport mid afternoon as I'm flying in from Europe. Living in the south of France, we appreciate that Maine will be very different in December to what we are used to. Many thanks for your help

Kennebunkport, Maine is about 1/3 of the way to Camden from Logan. They have many nice Christmas festivities that start at the Beginning of December. You can check out this website: http://kennebunkportmainelodging.com...masprelude.htm
It is a nice small town to spend an evening in. At that time of year, some restaurants and hotels will be closed, but if you are there during their annual "Christmas Prelude", you might enjoy it.

Portland, Maine is half way between Logan and Camden. There are several nice hotels and many great reastuarants in Portland.

If you don't need to be in Boston for anything, consider flying from Boston into Portland, Maine and then drive to Camden from Portland. Portland is a nice, eclectic city. You can spend your extra time there.

it is an oldish time to go, but that's what they said when we went to Provence in December. You go when you can.

It will be cold and bleak but interesting.

Assuming you are coming from CDG, perhaps starting at MRS or NCE, you will be quite tired when you arrive. It will be dark by 1630 in early December, so if you feel you must leave on arrival rather than spending the night, I would recommend the brief and not very scenic drive to Portsmouth, NH, a wonderful walking town -- about the size of an English County Town -- with good restaurants and especially brew pubs. It is all motorway to Portsmouth, and you should stay in the center, not along the outskirts .

You can then take the I 95 to Portland, ME, a larger but not dissimilar town. Brunswick, the next real town up the coast, is the home of Bowdoin College and. Good example of what American mean. When the speak of a "college town".

Now your dilemma begins. None of the scenery you want to see is along US 1. It is all on the many peninsulas that jut into Casco and Penobscot Bays. Orr's Island an Bailey's Island jut out from Brunswick. The town of Wiscasset has fine late Georgian sea captains' houses and is on the main rioute, but beyond that, and beyond Waldoboro, you will need to leave the highway for back roads to see the Coast. A satnav will be helpful as you seek out places like Friendship and Tennants Harbor. If you haven't got a satnav, the DeLorme Company sell a Maine Atlas that is as detailed as an OS map book in the UK.

Rockland is worth a stop both for a meal and to visit the Farnsworth Museum of Maine (mostly) art. Take the secondary road to Camden through Rockport (only a few minutes longer but with another iconic harbor) before arriving in Camden. Extensive views from the mountain in the state park just north of town. If you haven't got lodging, we have enjoyed staying at the Hartstone Inn in the Camden town center. the decor is a bit twee, but the owner is quite a good chef, and they do a lot to make a pleasant visit.

So this gets you there. You will have to do the return on your own!

A note on darkness: Maine really should be on Atlantic Time but is not owing to political barriers (just as Paris should be on GMT). It will be dark very early but it will also be light much earlier in the morning than Florida, which is in the same time zone but hundreds of miles west. You can get great light for photography and of course gorgeous dawns over the Atlantic.

Sorry, that's " oddish ". Apple interferes again!

Good advice from Ackislander, and do be aware that you may get snow in December. If you are not used to driving in snow/sleet/freezing rain then stay put until the hwy is cleared.

I vote for an overnight in Portland and visiting as many restaurants as you can. The Old Port Area is fun to explore. If walking is good (not snowy, icy) then you might want to try a foodie tour.

Sometimes we have warm and sunny day in December. If so, Portsmouth NH would be a nice stop and you might see people walking the beach if you go out to Hampton/Rye area. If you do, Petey's in Rye is small, very casual with good fried seafood. Servings are large so you could share a plate.

While you are staying in Camden, I would watch the local newspapers for news of any benefit suppers. We usually only visit in summer and have lucked into a couple. In New England, they might be just ham and beans but if there's good pie for dessert, it could be a fine meal and served sitting next to locals. Usually these are put on by churches, granges and volunteer fire depts. Usually on a saturday night or you might find a chowder lunch served during a craft fair at a local church.

I might recommend driving to Portland if they weren't coming off an international flight with a six hour time difference.

It will take an hour at Logan to get through immigration, baggage etc and find the van to the rental car. Then they will get dumped out onto I-95 at the beginning of rush hour, and after dark to boot. I don't think the extra time to Portland is worth it. They can stop at Portland and do what you suggest on the way back to Boston.

Thanks to everyone for some great advice.

On the question of timings, I deliberately started this thread before I booked flights so that I could get a better idea of what to do. In fact, our trip is more convoluted as we'll be in the UK before flying across the Atlantic so I'm looking at various possibilities from London England. United have a flight that gets in about 1pm.

I do agree, however, that after an 8 hour flight plus "hanging around time" I'll not be wanting to drive too far although I'm hoping to get out of Boston before the rush hour really grabs. At least now I'm living in France I'm used to driving on the right side of the road, unlike when I lived in the the UK. I'm likely flying mid week, Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thanks to Scarboroughmom for the Kennebunkport suggestion, and thanks to Ackislander for some great advice and consideration. I've stayed at the Hartstone Inn on a previous trip and it was a great hotel

Jaya, Thanks for your advice too. Flying into Portland is a possibility and I might get a flight from the UK to Portland without touching Boston.

dfrostnh, Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to be in Camden through the end of Jamuary, staying with family.. Weather permitting, I'm hoping to get a side trip to Portland for a weekend or so

Ackislander, as I said, I'll be in Camden through the end of January and I suspect that by the time I come to make the return trip I'll be happy just to grab the Concord Coach!!!

Thanks again to you all.

Ackislander, good point about driving after a long flight. Happy travels Englishmaninfrance, I love bus to Logan.

Driving in and out of Logan Airport after dark (that will be around 4pm in December) is not going be fun or easy unless you already kind of know the area. Monday to Friday rush hour from Boston into New Hampshire can start as early as 3pm and go until about 7pm - there is no predicting it.

If you land at one you should be able to make it to Portsmouth by dark, even figuring minor delays and traffic. I do second the idea to spend that first night in Porstmouth.

But the following day rather just taking the highway I would take the coastal route and stop in York, Ogunquit and Kennebunkport which are all between Porstmouth NH and Portland ME. If you are going to be spending a whole month in Camden then you'll have plenty of time to explore the area between there and Portland, you are really talking day trips. So you might as well see the area south of Portland.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed. This is the first time I've used Fodor's forums and I'm really impressed.

I'm certainly taking on board everyone's concerns about driving after the long flight, although, of course, as I'm used to the much higher speed limits in Europe (90mph on our motorways in France and unrestricted in Germany) it'll not be such a challenge. The hardest part of driving will be keeping down to the speed limits.

I'm tending towards going with Isabel's suggestion that I'll get to Portsmouth NH before dark. Thank you Isabel.

There is another personal reason for stopping in Portsmouth... I will actually be travelling from Portsmouth England on that day and just like the idea of spending a whole day travelling from one Portsmouth to another.

As you suggested, Isabel, I will spend most of the next day visiting the towns south of Portland.

Would anyone care to recommend hotels, restaurants etc in Portsmouth NH?

Many thanks again.

<i>I'm certainly taking on board everyone's concerns about driving after the long flight, although, of course, as I'm used to the much higher speed limits in Europe (90mph on our motorways in France and unrestricted in Germany) it'll not be such a challenge. The hardest part of driving will be keeping down to the speed limits. </i>

Minimize the challenge of driving in the Boston area at your own peril. This won't be wide-open highways. You are driving on a major commuting route during rush hour in a region of close to 8 million people. You will be lucky to come close to hitting the speed limit for much of the trip to Portsmouth, much less exceeding it. Oh, and Boston drivers might be the worst in the country - they are both incompetent and ill-tempered. If the weather is dodgy, driving will be brutal.

And make sure you have cash for the tolls in New Hampshire.

<i>Would anyone care to recommend hotels, restaurants etc in Portsmouth NH?</i>

I've never stayed at a hotel in Portsmouth, but from surveying the options the Sheraton, Residence Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn look to be in decent locations and all are good, reliable chains.

For restaurants, you might try the Black Trumpet.

Frankly, I find Portsmouth to be pretty underwhelming and think that the better course of action would be to bunker down in Boston for the night, where you will have better dining options and don't have to deal with the drive while tired.

Then (knowing that you will still be on European time) just wake up early and head out of Boston in the morning. Leaving by 7 would put you in Portsmouth by 8:30 or so, even with a bit of traffic and you can go about your day as you planned.

<i>I'm tending towards going with Isabel's suggestion that I'll get to Portsmouth NH before dark. Thank you Isabel.</i>

The sun sets before 16:30 during December. Depending upon what you define as mid-afternoon, it may be simply impossible to get in before dark. Doing so would require taking one of the early flights out of LHR.

<i>Flying into Portland is a possibility and I might get a flight from the UK to Portland without touching Boston. </i>

I don't see a lot of compelling ways to do that. There are no flights from Boston to Portland, leaving the closest port of entry where you can easily connect being Newark (using United). You could also try Philadelphia (using US Air). Honestly, I would count on flying into Boston.

Thanks for your comments travelgourmet.

I've been looking at getting a flight that gets into Logan at 12:40pm. I figured on taking about an hour to get through the airport which should get me on the road by about 2pm and in Portsmouth by about 4pm. I was hoping that leaving Logan around 2:00 would avoid the worst of the rush hour traffic. 4pm will still only be the equivalent of 9pm in my European time.

I do, however, like your suggestion of staying in Boston and moving on the next day. That would allow me to get a later flight, giving myself more time to get to London Heathrow, although that still leaves me picking my way across Boston in the rush hour....

Thanks for the comment about cash, I hadn't thought about that and I'll need to check the kind of money involved for tolls to make sure I have enough.

I think that flying into Portland is, indeed, a non starter. As you say, there doesn't seem to be any advantage in that course of action.

Thanks again for your very helpful comments. Planning this leg of my trip is proving harder than I expected.

<i>I do, however, like your suggestion of staying in Boston and moving on the next day. That would allow me to get a later flight, giving myself more time to get to London Heathrow, although that still leaves me picking my way across Boston in the rush hour....</i>

Traveling within Boston shouldn't be too terrible, even at rush hour. It won't be fun, but I would think it would be no more than 30 minutes to pretty much any hotel in the city limits.

<i>Thanks for the comment about cash, I hadn't thought about that and I'll need to check the kind of money involved for tolls to make sure I have enough.</i>

You will also need to pay a toll leaving the airport. The airport toll is something like $7 and the NH toll is $2.

Spending the first night in Boston could pay for itself in car rental savings. I have been pricing Hertz rentals lately, 10 day rental costs were...
Pick up/drop off at Logan Airport $896
Pick up/drop off at Boston Sheraton $743
Pick up/drop off at Boston South Station $665
Big savings possible. Stay overnight and pick up your car downtown the next morning.
It's easy to get to downtown Boston from Logan Airport using public transport.

The toll for the Sumner Tunnel to Boston is $3.50.

There are ways to get into Boston and to head north toward New Hampshire from the airport without using the tunnel, but they might be more complicated that you would want to deal with at that point.

Thanks again to everyone for all the advice.

Hi wallaby, I'm looking at a 7 day one way car rental from Boston to Mid Coast Maine. Budget are quoting me $225 for the 7 days including a return in Camden ME. It's the same whether I pick up at the airport or downtown. Strangely, dropping the rental period by a day makes no difference either. Maybe as I'm booking in France I get better rates?

Hi Cranachin, thanks for the toll information.

And once again, thanks to you, travelgourmet for yet more excellent advice.

Would you consider bus to Portsmouth NH? The bus driver puts your luggage underneath. Pickup is at the airport. Then rent a car in Portsmouth.

<i>The toll for the Sumner Tunnel to Boston is $3.50.</i>

That's all? For some reason I thought it was more than that. Maybe $7 is the cab surcharge? With EZPass, I guess I never see the price for the tolls.

If connections are available, flying into Manchester, NH is really close, and not so difficult.

Hi all,
dfrostnh, I've looked into your suggestion of bus to Portsmouth. Because of the length of my stay in Maine, 7 weeks, I need to make a one way car rental that I can return in Maine. Sadly, I've been unable to find one in Portsmouth. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Hi jeterray, Thanks for the suggestion. I've looked into it and, sadly, Manchester doesn't handle any international flights. It would mean flying to a hub in the USA and then getting a connecting f;ight to Manchester. I'm not sure that the benefits brought are worth the extra time and cost. Thanks again though

Travelgourmet, I don't think cash for the tolls is a problem, but it wouldn't be the first time I've found myself at a toll booth with the currency I need securely packed away in my baggage!!! Is the Sumner Tunnel the toll you mentioned I needed to pay leaving the airport, or is that another $7.

Here in France, all our toll areas accept bank cards (visa Amex, etc) and it takes away the worry about tolls. Our equivalent to EZPass is ok, but there is a hefty charge for using it so it's not very popular.

I'm increasingly moving towards staying overnight in Boston. I think I'll use the free hotel shuttle to get to the hotel and then, the following morning, return to Logan by shuttle and pick up my hire car as soon as the desk opens.

That will give me a full day to drive up to Camden.

Thanks again to everyone who helped.

Yes, UK and Aussie citizens get much better rates for car rentals, especially one-ways.

However, there is no Budget Car Rental office in Camden Maine so this is quite puzzling. Unless perhaps they are planning to open an office sometime between now and your date of arrival.

<i>Is the Sumner Tunnel the toll you mentioned I needed to pay leaving the airport, or is that another $7.</i>

Yes, the Sumner is the tunnel leaving the airport. There is a second one (Ted Williams), but for going either north or into the city, the Sumner is best.

<i>Here in France, all our toll areas accept bank cards (visa Amex, etc) and it takes away the worry about tolls.</i>

Yeah, but a) our tolls are a lot lower, b) less common, and c) they really want you to use EZPass. EZPass is actually free, but there is a $20 minimum and you can't buy them at the airport, so not overly useful to you.

<i>I'm increasingly moving towards staying overnight in Boston. I think I'll use the free hotel shuttle to get to the hotel and then, the following morning, return to Logan by shuttle and pick up my hire car as soon as the desk opens.</i>

Are you just staying at the airport hotel? If so, you might consider staying in the city proper since you will probably want to go into the city for dinner anyway, so the same amount of transit costs. If you do stay at the airport, the only good place for dinner nearby is Santarpio's (which is genuinely excellent - get the sausage): http://www.santarpiospizza.com/

<i>If connections are available, flying into Manchester, NH is really close, and not so difficult.</i>

You have the same problem as with Portland. You have to enter the US in Newark or Philly, which is a lot of backtracking.

Hi and thanks for your help everyone.

clarkgriswold. Budget are offering a one way rental to Knox County Regional Airport, which is in Rockland, just a few minutes drive from Camden.

Hi travelgourmet, Having now chosen this route I'm starting to look at hotels. I'll not be staying on the airport but will choose a hotel that offers a free shuttle. The first I have found is Four Points by Sheraton , which is in Revere. I now need to look at what other hotels are available in my budget area. I have occasionally stayed at hotels on an airport, but there have to be pretty serious reasons!

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

All the places you are contemplating have good art museums, several with new appendages.

If you have time in Boston, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has a marvelous new wing by Norman Foster, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner has a new wing, actually much better than I expected, by Renzo Piano. If you should have the time or inclination, maybe on the way back to Logan.

And I'd hate to think of you missing the new addition to the Bowdoin College Art Gallery, which I think is stunning.
Ackislander is correct that this is a very good town, with many good restaurants also.

Portland's Art Museum has some good American stuff.

And while I'm at it, might as well suggest you stop in Damariscotta for some non-pareils at the marvelous Weatherbird. Best chocolates in town! plus other good food!

I'm sending along this extraneous advice (you've already gotten good basic stuff from several others) since you will be in Maine for quite a while.

I love Maine in the winter. It's quieter with simply gorgeous clear weather (from time to time!)

Do not stay in Revere. Drive to New Hampshire before you stay in Revere. The only reason to ever go to Revere is to go to the original Kelly's. Don't be tempted by the "airport hotels" in Chelsea either.

If you give your budget and timeframe, I'm sure some of us could help narrow down to a good choice.

I would offer two other options (other than staying at one of the real airport hotels - Hyatt, Hilton, Embassy Suites)...

1) Book a room in one of the hotels in the "South Boston Waterfront" if you can get a decent deal. The Silver Line (basically a long bus with some dedicated lanes) offers free service from the airport to the area. The area is "emerging" but that largely means sparse development, nothing dangerous. There are a couple of decent bars in the area - Whiskey Priest, Atlantic Beer Garden, The Barking Crab, maybe even Remy's. For dinner within walking distance of the hotels, I actually think Legal Harborside is great for a chain (it is the flagship for a very successful, moderately upscale seafood chain - I like the first floor). For lobster in the raw, the Barking Crab manages to not screw it up. There is also a major lobster retailer that serves food in the front of the shop, but can't remember the name.

2) Eat the cost of the cab or the T (subway system) and stay in Boston proper or Kendall Square in Cambridge. Getting in at 4 would let you walk around and see a bit of your neighborhood on the way to dinner some place. If you bid on Priceline, you should be able to get a decent enough room for $85 or so. Bid for a 4* in any of the following neighborhoods - Quincy Market, Copley Square/Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Boston Harbor Front, or Cambridge East. You could drop down to 3.5* in any of those neighborhoods and you won't end up in a fleabag, but might end up in a smaller room at an unrenovated hotel (esp. the Park Plaza, which is partially redeemed by an awesome location).

Getting into the city from the airport via Public Transit is a bit of a hassle, but not terrible. You either take the Silver Line from your terminal and (if needed) transfer at South Station. Or you can take the airport bus to the Blue Line (a real subway) and transfer at State or Gov't Center.

I just typed a long reply that disappeared so will try again; apologies if both post...

Englishman, I commute often from the Portsmouth NH area to Boston. Public transportation in Boston is good, but no fun on vacation. If it were me, arriving mid-afternoon in December, I would get my rental car at Logan and hightail it out of Boston. You are not likely to hit bad traffic unless you arrive on a Friday when we have just had our first significant snow of the season, causing everyone to head north for a ski weekend. And even then, the worst traffic will be the local roads out of the city, for about 15 miles, until you hit 95 North. So maybe what should take 30 minutes might take 60. Once you hit 95 north, you shouldn't find much traffic thereafer.

Once north, I would drive to Portmouth, stay at one of the downtown hotels, and eat at one one of Portsmouth's many excellent restaurants. Off the top of my head, I would recommend Surf, Martingale Wharf, the Portsmouth Brewery or Agave. If you're not afraid of a driving another ten miles, head north on 95 to Kittery and enjoy an excellent meal at Robert's Maine Grille on Route 1.

Hope you have a great trip

I'm not following the updates too well I guess, I thought you were booking a car and driving northward but now you need a hotel with an airport shuttle?

Anyway, wanted to note that Beverly Garden Suites is a nice spot to spend a night if you are looking for something close to the airport but still out of the city rush in the morning. It is about 15 miles further north past Revere.
Portsmouth would only be about 40 miles further than Beverly however.

Hi everyone, thanks for your contributions.

taconictraveler. Thanks for all you suggestions. I'm not sure I'll have time to visit all the places you mention before going up to Camden. However, I am hoping to have a few days during my stay to visit all these places. Portland is easy to do as a day trip from Camden and therefore places like Damariscotta and Portland will get visited.

travelgourmet: Thanks again. I'll avoid Revere then. Much appreciate the advice. I'm only staying for one night and was hoping to get a double room for between $80 and $120.

I'll finalise my travel plans and then bid on priceline.

Don't go to Barking Crab as tg suggests, and the term is 'lobster in the rough' not ' lobster in the raw'

<i>Don't go to Barking Crab as tg suggests</i>

I stand by the Crab. It is a dump, but a lovable dump. I've enjoyed a lot of great after-work drinks there, It is better in the summer, but it is a good dive bar.

Hi everyone,
alley: Thanks for your contribution. I'm planning on travelling mid week, prpbably a Tuesday. I admit I'm vascillating a bit . My original intention was to do exactly as you suggest, pick up my rental car and head north straightaway, stopping for an overnight in NH somewhere.

However...

clarkgriswold: There has been a lot of talk about driving out of Boston immediately after the long flight. Although it would be mid afternoon, my body clock will still be 6 hours ahead and I will have travelled for about 14 hours, given the flight duration, time to travel to London Heathrow and then the "hanging around" time at both ends. This has led me to consider staying overnight in Boston. The advantage of the hotel with shuttle option is twofold. It allows me to catch a later flight out of London Heathrow giving me an easier morning, and secondly, the shuttle/taxi means I'm not driving until I've had a night's sleep.

If you don't want to pick up your rental at the airport and drive to Beverly or Portsmouth, then consider Holiday Inn Express in Saugus. The reviews are good and the advantage is that you could book your Budget pickup from the Sears Auto Center in Saugus. If you arrange with them ahead of time, Budget will even come and pick you up in the morning at the hotel. No backtracking to the airport to pick up a car.

...and the Residence Inn in Chelsea is a brand new hotel, like the Holiday Express it has airport shuttle and is within pickup distance from Budget CAr in Saugus.

<i>...and the Residence Inn in Chelsea is a brand new hotel</i>

That happens to be in Chelsea...

There is nothing in Chelsea to see, do, or eat. I would only do it if you literally were planning to do nothing other than going to the hotel, going immediately to sleep, waking up, and immediately leaving. If you wanted to even grab dinner, you are looking at a cab ride somewhere. So why not stay somewhere nicer than Chelsea to begin with?

It is the same logic as to why I wouldn't stay in Revere, though even Revere is miles better than Chelsea.

You could use Priceline for a hotel downtown. I've gotten hotels between $99 and $129 in the Copley Square area. If it were me though, I'd drive to Portsmouth.

Re Chelsea/Revere....if they're now taking a later flight, with two meals and a snack and lots of wine served onboard, and supposedly arriving too tired to even drive to Beverly, why wouldn't one assume that they are just going to shuttle to the hotel and get some much-needed shuteye?

Not sure what's wrong with pointing out various options other than trekking into the city on public transportation, going out to dinner with your eyes closed and hassling with the in-city rental car pickup in the morning, but apparently one would have to have SOME GALL not to follow travelgourmet's instructions!

<i>but apparently one would have to have SOME GALL not to follow travelgourmet's instructions!</i>

I merely offered a dissenting opinion. You seem to be upset that your opinion is not met with universal agreement.

I'm sorry, but I'll repeat it - Chelsea is a dump. The city motto might as well be "at least we aren't Lawrence!" As I noted, if you have no interest in doing anything other than sleeping in the hotel, then go for it, but the city is an absolute dump and the particular location of the hotel is a no-mans land stuck between the highway and industrial land. If for some strange reason you didn't find the airplane food particularly satisfying, you would have to get in a cab to go anywhere to eat and unless you want it to be fast food, you will likely have to leave Chelsea to find it.

And to what end? Plugging in a random night in December (the 18th), the Residence Inn (which seems like a nice hotel, save for the location) comes in at $199. The Hilton at the airport (you can walk from the terminal) is only $140, the Westin on the Waterfront is $179, the Revere on Charles Street South is $140, the Park Plaza is $101 (admittedly an older hotel, but that location...), the Hilton in the Back Bay is $146, etc. My personal choice, though, would be a splurge on a room at the Eliot Hotel for $195 where you can stumble down to the bar at Clio (my choice for best restaurant in Boston) and get the best cocktails in Boston to wash down bites from the bar menu.

I would also note that you overstate the hassle aspect. Staying in some place like the South Boston Waterfront would entail no more hassle than dealing with a shuttle and would offer free transport to/from the airport as well. Plus you get a better neighborhood, easier access to Boston should you have enough energy, and the option of walking out your door to buy some food. Heck, the distance to most hotels in Boston is either shorter (Waterfront) or comparable (Back Bay) to the hotels in Revere or Chelsea. And, depending upon where you stay in Boston, the "hassle" of renting your car in the city might be as minimal as walking across the street from the Revere or Park Plaza and into the Hertz office.