New Jersey - Bar Harbor How many days do I need?
 

How many days do I need? How long do you think it will take me to get to Bar Harbor from New Jersey. Can you recommend any hotels in Bar Harbor? Thanks! Kathy:)

Trip can be anywhere from 425 miles to 550 miles - depends on where you will be leaving from in NJ. Figure anywhere from 8 to 11 hours. An important factor in the time will depend on how long it takes to get out of NJ.

My husband and I live in Southern NJ and we have been camping in Bar Harbor for ten years. It all depends on where in NJ you live.....but we live around exit 58 on the GSP and it takes us 7 hours to get to the Maine state line and another 3-4 hours to get to Bar Harbor, depending on what route you take (scenic vs. interstate). I will be able to recommend hotels based on sight alone since we always camp, but let me know what you are looking for (romantic B&B, family hotel, etc...). We stayed in a B&B in Southwest Harbor one year when the black flies were too bad to camp and that was wonderful--it was on the "quiet side" of the island--away from the overwhelming crowds in Bar Harbor, but close enough to drive into town for dinner. I have literally TONS of advice and info for you so if you're interested e-mail me anytime. I can also give you detailed driving directions that will cut your driving time and stress significantly!

Thanks for your advice. I live 123 off the GSP. Were going as a family. two children 3 and 7 year old. Looking for a hotel with an indoor pool. How many days do you think I need. Thanks for your help.

Kathy: your request for an indoor pool makes me wonder what time of year you're planning on? What are you planning on doing while in Maine? Bar Harbor really isn't an indoor pool hotel kind of place. Don't know that it doesn't exist, though.

Whenever you are planning on going there will be PLENTY to do. And I think an indoor pool is a good choice since even in August the water at Sand Beach and Echo Lake is too cold for long swims. Either that or an outdoor heated pool. Hotels with indoor pools: <BR>Bar Harbor Hotel-Bluenose Inn (it might not be called the Bluenose Inn anymore) but it's a very nice place. Atlantic Oakes by the Sea--by the looks of the pics in the guidebook, this place looks a bit outdated, but it does have an indoor pool. Those are the only two in the guidebook that mentioned an indoor pool. But there are many other nice hotels that are worth checking into. Call the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce and ask them to mail you their guidebook. It has all accomodations and also attractions and resturants listed. As far as time, I could give yourself a week up there. We usually leave EARLY on Saturday morning and come home the following Sunday. There is SO much to do up there. ESPECIALLY if you and your family like the outdoors. There are hundreds of well-maintained hiking trails for people of all levels, whale-watching, tours, museums, and there are many things to do in the surrounding areas (Baxter State Park is three hours north of Bar Harbor and worth the day trip for some moose watching at Sandy Stream Pond). If you have any other questions or would like more info. feel free to e-mail me.

I too live off of the GSP in NJ (doesn't everyone?) near exit 123... and I too am planning a trip to Maine with two kids this summer - with a final destination likely in Bar Harbor/Arcadia. <BR> <BR>Would appreciate any guidance on routing to avoid too much congestion... I've heard it's better to drive all the way to Bar Harbor and then work your way south along the coast... I don't want to skip Rt. 1 so I don't think I can avoid the traffic entirely... Is it much better to try to not return on Sundays? <BR>Anyway, thanks for your time and thoughts... <BR> <BR>

We have been to Bar Harbor a number of times, we love it. We live just west of Philadelphia, and use the Garden State Parkway, Rt. 287, and the Tappen Zee Bridge to get around N.Y. city. It’s usually not too bad on Sat., our usual day to start up. Actually the worst part is always the Maine border. You would think everybody on the east coast is heading to Maine. We like to stop in Portland (a great little city), then stop at L.L.Bean the next morning before heading up to Bar Harbor. We don’t usually make too many other stops, as we would rather spend our time hiking, biking, etc. in Acadia. When our son was younger we often stopped at Dinosaur State Park near Hartford CT. I highly recommend it if you have any interest in dinosaurs at all.

It takes us 9 1/2 hours from nj turnpike exit 4 in South jerey. We usually leave at 4:00am and drive through.We reach there around check -in time enjoy dinner and rest for full days of exploring Acadia. <BR> We once stayed at the Golden Anchor right on the water.It was foggy for three days and we didn't even know that an island was in front of us until the day we checked out on a sunny day!So much for waterview! Big mistake_Expensive , torn carpets , holes in the walls, and no air conditioning in all of the rooms(they brought us a swivel fan!) <BR> On a second trip, we stayed at the Bar Harbor Motel. It was clean, family-run, heated pool, and had buses to the shops and restaurants every 15 minutes. I'm sure that you'll like it. <BR> We spent 3 days in Bar Harbor. We also visited Camden, Boothbay, took a daytrip to Monhegan island ,stopped at the outlets at Freeport, and the Trenton Lobster pound, whale watched,hiked ,enjoyed a day at sand beach(not for the chilly water), and drove the loop and stopped at all the vantage points to soak up the beautiful views of Acadia. . Hope this helps. <BR> We didn't like staying off of the costal route 1. It really wasn't that bad traffic wise and who wants to keep driving through pine trees on the interstate-you'll feel like you're in Jersey Pine barrens.