elizabeth0133

My husband and I have decided to stay in Boothbay Harbor, Belfast and/or Camden, and Bar Harbor for our trip to Maine in early October 2011. I just need suggestions on how many days to stay in each area. We are probably going on Sunday - Saturday and will spend Friday night in Portland since we will fly out early Saturday.

I was thinking 2 days in the Belfast/Camden area and 2 days in Bar Harbor and 1 day in Boothbay. Does that seem like enough or too much time in each?

djkbooks

It's usually most convenient to start as far north as you plan to go and work your way south to the airport. That gets most of the driving out of the way at the beginning, so the rest of your stay can be more leisurely. It's probably best to have overnight reservations you can change because you never know about the weather in early October, or in the more northern seaport towns - the fog. Bar Harbor can be totally fogged in for days at a time, so much so that you cannot see the trees along the side of the road. Fog almost always lessens as you go south. Temps could be quite chilly, or you could get lucky with a spell of Indian Summer.

You'd also want to check restaurant/shop/attraction/lobster pound openings if you have specific ones in mind as things tend to slow down after Labor Day. Most years, most places are open through Columbus Day weekend, but sometimes not if the tourist travel is less than usual.

All in all, especially that time of year, you'd want to be as flexible as possible, as once there, you may determine which places are more appealing and worth more/less time.

"Explorer's Guide Maine" (Christina Tree) is an outstanding resource for planning your travels in Maine. This is an incredibly comprehensive guide.

dfrostnh

I agree to start in the north. I think it depends on how often you like to change hotels and what specific activities you want to do. Camden is beautiful but it's ok with us if we just spend a few hours on top of Mt Battie and move on. DH hates shopping but loves watching Camden Harbor with binoculars.
Between Bar Harbor and Camden we would plan to have lunch at Just Barb's in Stockton Springs/Rt 1 and stop at the Chicken Coop to browse for used books.
Since we usually visit in summer, Boothbay is too busy for us. It's beautiful with nice restaurants and we like the drive but we wouldn't stay there mostly because it's a long way back to Rt 1. Maine Coastal Gardens near Boothbay may still offer great place to walk. We generally stay (camp) in Wiscasset which makes travel north to Rockland and Camden very easy since we like Owls Head Light and Owls Head Transportation Museum. It's also convenient for travel south to Bath/Brunswick and expeditions out to the lobster places east of there. Wiscasset is close to Boothbay so staying in Boothbay would be convenient except you are planning on just one night. I would be tempted to make a quick visit to Camden on my way to Boothbay and spend 3 nights in one place instead of splitting between 2 places.It all depends on what you are planning to do.

djkbooks

Usually, I would agree with staying several nights at a time, but if you're traveling in one direction and not staying in locations suitable for exploring in all directions (such as along the coast), one or two nights is plenty and allows you more time in more places, as they are not that distant from one another.

Getting a map of the lighthouses (most of which you can drive right up to) is definitely a good idea. All are unique, beautifully situated, and well worth the trip.

Boothbay Harbor and vicinity is one of our favorite places along the coast, and certainly worth the drive from Route 1.

clarkgriswold

Are you planning to travel inland (lakes regions etc) for the fall foliage, or just sticking to the coast for the entire 5 days?

elizabeth0133

I think we will stay two nights in Boothbay and two nights either in Camden or Bar Harbor. Thanks for all the info. We plan on sticking to the coast--not real interested in the fall foliage (see it most years in NC). Thanks.

irishswampyankee

Camden isn't a long drive from Boothbay Harbor. Bar Harbor is quite a distance and will take some time, esp if you stick to Rt. 1. You could stop for an hour or so in Camden on your way to Bar Harbor which has a much different feel than the other 2 given Acadia NP.You could return to Portland via the interstate - boring but quicker. Just be aware that Rt. 1 "the coastal rt" really isn't on the water for the most part so you have to go down dead end peninsulas to see the coastal towns. However, it does go right thru Camden. I guess it depends on how much driving you want to do whether you go up to Bar Harbor or not.