Ellie

Will be arriving in Buffalo on Dec 18. Will be picking up car rental there. The only part of our itinerary that is confirmed is the stay at Deer Run Village in Stamford NY in the Catskills from Dec 22 - Dec 26. Will have 3-4 days to drive around before heading for Stamford. Would like some suggestions and sample itineraries. Want to include Niagara Falls and Foxwoods Casino. Heard that New England is beautiful but where should we go? We are a 30 something couple, on a relatively tight budget, like scenery, shopping (how's North Conway?) and quaint villages rather than big cities. Also, what areas can we cover on daytrips from Stamford? If some areas can be done from there, we have less to squeeze into the 3 days.

Donna F

I don't think North Conway outlet shopping is worth the drive. You might visit Mystic CT and RI if Foxwoods is on your must-do list but if you want quaint, I think you would be better off exploring southern VT and western MA. Aim for Stockbridge MA.

Eileen

I'll respond more to this later, but just quickly -- to try to do Niagara Falls in the same 3 days as New England is extremely tight.

xxx

For three days, you're talking about a lot of driving around. Buffalo to Catskills is probably 5 hours give or take. Going to Vermont or Massachusetts or Connecticut 1st is going to cost almost a day of driving to get there from Buffalo. Also keep in mind the weather. Although in Buffalo we are having unusually nice weather for this time of year (50's and 60's) with no immediate chance of snow, it can change in a heartbeat. Driving across New York state during a snow storm is no picnic. Personally, I would spend 2 days at Niagara Falls (stay on Canadian side, but view the falls from both sides). It is beautiful in the winter (and there is a casino there). Christmas lights will be everywhere. Drive to Old Fort Niagara (American side) and tour it. It's been there since the French and Indian war and is in pristine condition. A fabulous piece of American History. As a matter of fact, they give nighttime candelite tours during the holidays. Then, spend a day driving through the the finger lakes on your way to the Catskills. Although the scenery this time of the year will not be as lovely as it is in the spring/summer/fall, I'm sure the wineries will still be open and there are beautiful, historic, old towns to check out along the way. Have fun!

Eileen

Another short jaunt from Niagara Falls is Niagara on the Lake. It's a beautiful small town (?) with a pretty Main Street area of shops.
I also strongly second the advice to stay on the Canadian side. It is far, far nicer. The dollar exchange is very favorable right now also for Americans.

Ellie

Thanks for the info! Hopefully more people will reply.........

Weff

I agree with most of the above due to distances. Three days is not enough and living in New Hampshire's White Mountains, I do not know too much about the Niagra area. As of today, we are "in-between" foliage and ski seasons so if you are to visit NH, this probably isnt the time (but we do love tourists!!). Snow is probably coming this weekend which will slow you down driving wise and maybe people from the Finger Lakes area of NH can tell you more. Come to New Hampshire in the late spring, summer and foliage seasons ands it will be one of the most beautiful places you have seen. I agree that North Conway with its alleged outlets is not a major point of my state (outlets in Tilton or Freeport, ME are better)but Franconia Notch, the Great North Woods, Mount Moosilauke in Benton, the Kancamagus Highway and even out seacoast are all excellent. Please feel free to e-mail me for any other infor that you might want.