Hi folks,

I posted a little while ago about a trip in May next year. We've now booked our flights and will be looking at booking accommodation soon. Please could you have a look at this itinerary and let me know what you think of a) the proposed stops and b) the timings?

2nd May - arrive NYC (JFK) 18:45
8th May - Pick up car. Drive to Newport, RI
10th May - Leave to explore Cape Cod, staying in Chatham and Wellfleet
14th May - Head to Salem, then on to Boston
16th May - Flight home at 21:35

Do you think squeezing in a trip to Martha's Vineyard would be a good idea?

Thanks very much!

You don't have enough time in Boston and dour days on the Cape isn't very long either. No, skip MV this time. Maybe skip Salem too and give more days to Boston.

I'd wait and see what the weather is like to see if you want to take the day trip to MV. No need to make advance reservations.

Do make your Boston hotel reservations now. There are quite of few graduations in the 15-17 May time period in Boston. For a list of graduations see: http://www.bostonzest.com/2014/09/bo...ring-2015.html

Cannot agree too strongly with getting Boston reservations ASAP. We have a client in Boston and in May getting almost any hotel is a major challenge. We usually end up spending a fortune on the most expensive since those are the only options available on shorter notice.

I would not pick up a rental car in NYC to drive to Newport RI but YMMV.
I'd take a NE Regional train to Providence RI (24 miles from Newport) and rent a car there. After seeing Cape Cod etc. Return the car in Providence and take a NE Regional train into Boston South station. I don't think you need a car in Boston either.

you will have major drop off fees if you rent a car in NY and drop it off in another state. and the traffic on the way to Newport can be awful. you may want to consider taking a train and renting a car as suggested by tomfuller. you definitely wont need a car in Boston and parking can be expensive.

you can take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a day from the Cape (Hyannis). There are beaches and several communities, but it doesn't look at that different than Cape Cod for the most part.

I agree with tomfuller's and maxima's advice. The drive from New York to Newport is not pleasurable at best and can be miserable. I would do it only if I planned to stop off at the many places in between, but you really haven't got time to do that.

The Cape and Islands are cool and often foggy or rainy in May. The water is too cold to swim (mid 60's F) and the season does not begin until Memorial Day. For those of us who live there, it seems Spring will never come.

Finding a place in Boston should be a priority, then look at the rest of Cape Ann beyond Salem. Gloucester, Marblehead, Rockport. Northwest of Boston, Lexington and Concord are important to American history and pleasant to visit.

You could spend a week in Boston with day trips by train to These places and never have to rent a car. Your hotel will eat up your savings on the car, but your life will be more pleasant.

If you must go to Cape Cod, shorten that and lengthen Boston. Skip MV. Weather on the Cape and Islands in May is notoriously terrible - often 10-15 degrees cooler than Boston and wet. Hoping you will be lucky, though.

Joining the chorus - this is college commencement time in Boston. Hotels are expensive and scarce. Reserve now. Don't figure you will grab Priceline, but you could always try close to date. Be careful about refund policy and minimum stay requirements at booked hotels - they often change at peak times.

Yikes - Boston University is the 17th and Boston College the 18th. They gobble up most of the city hotel rooms. I know both dates are after you leave, but most parents arrive early and undergrads have parents who arrive earlier to help them move out.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I will get on Boston hotels asap, and look at trains rather than driving.

Cold, rainy weather is unlikely to bother us too much - we're Scottish!

I had heard that Boston was only worth 2 days or so, but I get the feeling that you may disagree? It's hard with the time we have available to see all we'd like to, but that's always the case I suppose!

Thanks also for the suggestions of other places to see. Anything more in that vein appreciated.

Thanks again, very much.

Boston is worth much more time than two days. It is a small city, walkable, with much to see, historic, and has great museums.

Phew! Managed to book Boston accommodation and have upped our time there.

Thanks again, everyone.

Agree that Boston is worth more than 2 days. Although small - only about 600K in the city but more than 4 million in the metro area - it's unique place in american history (birthplace of the revolution) and many museums/other activities make it a major attraction. i would allow 4 days if possible - and you won;t run out of things to see/do. Be sure to walk the Freedom Trail and visit suburban Lexington and Concord - where the first battles of the revolution were fought.