I am planning to visit RI for 2-3days for relaxing mini-vacation with my mother next week. I'm podering whether I should visit Newport or Providence. I look for great walking, shopping and dining. Can anyone advise on what kind of places are out there (including rodging) in Newport or Providence to help me decide which town to visit???
Thanks!

It's a short 40 minute drive to Newport from Providence, so no reason you can't see both. Newport has a much greater wow factor with the cliff walk, mansions, ocean views etc along with several great restaurants. Providence offers some wonderful history, an enjoyable and compact downtown, good restaurants and some decent shopping. I'd choose one to stay in and visit the other as a day trip.

On one trip to Providence we parked in a residential area near one of the colleges to walk around. Beautiful homes. Downtown Providence has a lovely canal running thru with sidewalks both at street level and water level. It's right across from the downtown mall Providence Place. Right next door is the Westin (skywalk to the mall). Nearby is also a Holiday Inn, the Biltmore and a Marriot Courtyard. My sister hated the beds at the Marriot compared to the Heavenly beds at the Westin. I stayed at the Biltmore once and liked the rooms, it's an older hotel but refurbished. You have an amazing variety of restaurants in Providence to choose from. The ones at street level/mall are mid-priced. Nearby is Hemenway's, Cafe Nuvo (very trendy), the Grill and a short walk to Federal Hill with great Italian places.

Definitely Newport!
Providence is fine but i don't consider it a vacation destination. Newport is beautiful, historic, shopping, restaurants. THey have some great B&Bs, like the Adele Turner Inn. If you want more of a hotel, the Vanderbilt Hotel is great, each room is uniquely decorated. you can go visit the huge mansions of the Vanderbilts, Astors, etc. And if you feel like it, you can drive to Providence to check it out, but stay in Newport. Hopefully you will have good weather. Eat at "Scales and Shells" in Newport for fantastic seafood at a reasonable price in a relaxed atmosphere. I had the scrod and it was out of this world.

Newport would be my choice. Providence is okay but Newport is special. Asterix and Oblisk is my fave restaurant. Hyatt Goat Island is pretty nice.

I used to live in RI, and would say Newport is a MUCH better choice than Providence, much more to do and see. There's plenty of walking and shopping and dining.

Definitely see both. Stay in Newport and then spend an evening in Providence. They are so close to one another, you'd really miss out if you didn't see Providence.

Hands down Newport, Providence is not really a vacation destination. Perhaps a good place for a phamcutical convention, but not a vacation. Newport has so much to offer it will take up all of your time. You can visit some of the most magnificent mansions and the Jackie Onasis house.
I forget the name but there is a great seafood restaurant on the pier and it is great. Has a magnificent wine by the glass menu including various Opus 1 vintages. I remeber that the matches are dark blue, if that helps.
Great boutiques are everywhere, history abounds and if you get bored at night most hotels provide transpotation to the Indian casinos here in Connecticut.
The Hyatt on Goat Island can run you about 400.00 a night , The marriot on the center of town is much less and great location within walking distance of all.

Hi,

We were in Newport for 4 days last November and wanted to take a ride to Providence for the day. Everyone told us the same thing, "if you have only 4 days, spend them in Newport". They were right.....we loved Newport and wish we had 4 more days! Can't wait to go back!

Further to my earlier reply, I spent this last Sunday in Newport and discovered a few things that I hadn't seen before - specifically a state park on the ocean with great rocks to climb on with the waves splashing up around you and a field to picnic in and another to fly kites. My daughters loved it!

The recent renaissance of downtown Providence has made it a much better destination but for your relaxing 3 days Newport is the better choice. There are many mansions that you can visit, stroll along beautiful Bellevue Avenue, a nice long walk on the Cliff Walk a drive around Ocean Drive. Brenton Reef State Park is located on both sides of part of Ocean Drive and it is open to the public for parking, fishing, diving and siteseeing. There are some great beaches, but it still is too nippy for that. There are also boat tours, fishing, and having fun shopping on Thames Street. You can literally go fly a kite at Fort Adams or just relax and watch the boats go by! There are several large hotels - Hyatt, Marriott and the Viking and there are many smaller Inns and B@B's.
If Mom is paying ( just kidding!) stay at the beautiful Castle Hill Inn. Or, at least eat there....fabulous food with a fantastic view.
Hammersmith Farm, the family estate of Jacqueline Kennedy, was purchased privately several years ago and you can no longer visit it.
You'll find lots of info and great maps at "gonewport.com"
Good luck!

Hi
Thank you all for your reply.
I have visited both Providence and Newport and they're both great. (Weather could've been nicer though! It was chilly, cloudy and rainy all week!).
I must agree with you all that I liked Newport better than Providence. I'm sure I'll go back there soon, hopefully on a better weather days!