NYC/Cape Cod/Boston
 

Hi all,

I've seen a somewhat similar post from 4 years ago, but to make it more relevant to me, here is my info:

- Traveling mid-April to NYC for 14 days with my partner
- Hoping to stay in NYC for at least 7 days and up to 9 or 10
- Leaves about 4-5 days to travel out
- Already plan a 1 day family visit around Hamptons
- Would like to visit P.Town and Boston, maybe 1 day each

How do you think I should plan my visit and which routes I should take (loving the scenic routes)? Is it even reasonable enough to squeeze them all to 4-5 days?

Thanks again,
Daniel

Forgot to mention I'd be looking to rent a car and that my flight arrives to and departs from JFK.

Boston and Provincetown for only one day each are hardly worth the drive.
Try for Mystic and/or Newport.

A weekday in late April in P-Town?

Better two days in Boston.

Daniel,

If you visit the family in the Hamptons after your NYC stay, you could then take the ferry from Orient Point, NY to New London, CT then up 95 to Boston and eliminate a lot of driving. Check if you could drop the car in the Hamptons. The train station is very close to the ferry landing and you wouldn't need or want a car in Boston. In the summer there is a high speed ferry from Boston to Ptown and also flights or check out renting a car from Boston for a long day trip to Ptown.

An alternative would be to go to Boston from NYC either on the train or by car and go to Ptown then get the ferry from New London to Orient Point, visit the family in the Hamptons and fly home.

The Orient Point ferry really eliminates a drive all the way back Long Island to the bridge and then back up the horror of I-95. It's also is a pretty ride.

April is not really the time for P Town and making that LOOOONG drive for a day in Boston amd a day in P'town sounds a waste of time and money. I would go to Boston from NYC by train, spend whatever time you want there, rent a car in Boston, drive to the Hamptons ( the ferries save driving but not time) and drop the car at JFK on departure.

I would travel from NYC to Boston by train, rent a car, drive to Provincetown, then drive to the Hamptons before flying out.

You don't need a car in Boston and it would be expensive to park. Check hotel prices in Boston to help you decide on a schedule. I'd stay two nights in Boston and at least one in P-town.

Wow, thanks everyone for the quick replies! :)

So, I guess I didn't explain properly- our base is NYC/Manhattan- but will be visiting our family in E.Hampton (probaby for a bout 24h). Instead of using the Jitney bus service, I thought about renting a car- that way I could also visit other destinations I have yet to discover).

Also- I meant about 24h in each (Boston or PTown, not a short day).

Anyway- if you think there are other better destinations in the Hamptons area for mid-late April I would love your comments too.

Thanks,
Daniel

Cape Cod, especially at the end (Provincetown) can be beautiful in mid-Spring. Or it can be cold, rainy and miserable. Some good restaurants are open, some closed.

Mid-April - if that includes 3rd Monday in April for Boston, that is Patriots Day - a uniquely MA (and ME) holiday but also the date of the Boston Marathon. Keep that in mind with planning - hotels are expensive and limited in availability. Great spectator sport day. Poor idea to even think of driving into Boston that Sunday/Monday.

There are reasons why the P-Town Ferry doesn't start running until May 16.

Would you recommend other destinations for mid-late April then if going to E.Hamptons anyway?

Could simply stay extra days in NYC.

24h, one day, one short day.....however you want to phrase or time it, not enough to warrant the time getting there.
If you want to see Boston, give yourself at least a few days to do more than a drive through.
The Cape and Provincetown are notable principally for the barren magnificence of the National Seashore beaches and trails at that time of year. Provincetown reverts to a small village in off season (as do most towns on the Cape), with many summer businesses closed and the frenetic summer tourist crowds at low ebb, an advantage or not, according to your expectations.

Ok thanks for the responses again. I guess less crowds is a big plus, but having many businesses out is not so much. By the way, Boston was never a must, and Ptown seemed like a great village-type of destination, but with most feedbacks I got I believe this wouldn't really be the best time to visit.

I think it's also hard to tell what the weather will be like.

Well, Provincetown may not be the most practical place to visit for your schedule but like many other resort towns, the season is extended every year. This recent post (14) on TA, talks about visiting yesterday.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...achusetts.html

Spring is early this year and by the end of April I suspect that Provincetown will look anything but barren in the gardens and homes in the charming residential area. You could also consider visiting Newport, RI.

You don't make it clear whether you know the Hamptons well. If not, you could easily spend 4 days there exploring the various villages, out to Montauk even Shelter Island and the North Fork. If you know the area well, you could head to the Berkshires via the Port Jefferson ferry. I just can't see driving all the way to Boston and P'town at that time of year for a day here or there.

Hmm. Interesting.. I actually don't know the Hamptons at all.

Ptown will be a 10-hour drive from the Hamptons unless you take a ferry (and even then while it saves you distance, I'm not sure it saves you that much time). Plus, car rentals in NYC are very expensive, but I have a couple of thoughts.

I also don't think it's worthwhile to go just to Boston or Ptown in late April for 24 hours. I'd pick one or the other, but I would certainly go if it interests you. While a lot of stuff in Provincetown will be closed, there are still some good restaurants that are open almost year-round. Some shops won't be open, and the bigger entertainment in Provincetown won't be on, but it's still a nice place to be if the weather isn't too cold and wet, which can be the case in April.

However, I tend to agree that Newport might be a more convenient choice. There's not a lot going on in the Hamptons in April either.

What are you really interested in seeing and doing?

Newport, if you have any interest in the historical homes in that area, is spectacular. But not if that era isn't of interest to you.

Boston is a great city for enjoying a historical tour, watching a baseball game, and going to a museum or two. Depending on your interest level in any of the above, Philadelphia gives you similar options at a closer distance.

I don't recommend Cape Cod during that time of year. It's still cold so no beach/water excursions, and most restaurants are still closed.

When you decide where you want to go strongly consider the train. It's taken me 4 hours to drive to NYC...and 7 hours. The traffic in CT area can be very painful, while the train takes you right to Boston, Philly, or Providence RI. Rent a car after you've arrived in one of those spots if you truly need one.