A new year and I have the travel bug. I have booked a trip for May to fly into Portland and fly out of Boston - one week. This is our first trip to New England and I am very excited. I have reviewed some of the posts, but wanted some advise on possible itineraries. We would like to make this a driving tour, staying somewhere new every night, with a two or three days in the Boston area. Can we go up to Bar Harbor then re-trace our steps to Boston or is this too ambitious?

The trip to Bahhabbah is really pretty long, but you're certainly closer in Portland than you would be from Boston. You pretty much have to want to go there as a top priority to justify the trip -- and that's a legit priority-it's a great destination, just know it'll cut at least a full day, and maybe 2, from everything else you do.

You can do a lot moseying along the mid-Maine coast north of Portland -- the towns are nice (May will still be chilly, though).

Looking at the maps with DH, it looks like we can do a day and a half in Portland, go up the coast to Bar Harbor, stay overnight, travel down to Portsmouth and stay a night, then plan to stay in Boston for 3 nights, maybe take a day trip from there to Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod. Does that sound doable? We don't mind the traveling, we enjoy car trips. Last fall we drove across Montana staying somewhere new every night and had a great time.

I really don't see how you really can experience a place spending all your time driving in the car. Maine is huge and lots to see. I wouldn't go further than mid-coast Maine. Save Bar Harbor for another trip and go further north from there that time. Spend a couple days mid coast then down to Southern Maine. We have a place in York Harbor and it is a beautiful area. Southern Maine is where the more sandy beaches are. We always fly in and out of Boston and that area of Maine is only 1 hour and 15 minutes from there. Portsmouth NH is worth a look see too, pretty little historic area. May can be quite cool still or not. Last year I went in mid-April. First of trip snow and less than 2 weeks later 80 degrees! After I left, cold again.

What time in May are you considering? If it is around Memorial Day, be aware that any "day trip" to Cape Cod and the islands will involve a lot of traffic(even with the famous new fix the state did to minimize traffic, it still gets backed up). From inside Boston, it is a 1 to 1 1/2 hour trip to the Cape. To the islands, add another hour. And add another hour if it's Memorial Day.

But if you don't mind driving, and you are not going around Memorial Day, your idea is fine. We live around Boston and we've made plenty of day trips to Portsmouth, where we have other family.

But you might want to work in a little more time in Bar Harbor -- the travel time from Portland, and then to Portsmouth, is not really that bad, but you aren't giving yourself time to enjoy Bar Harbor, which is really a lovely place. Traveling up on one day and leaving the next seems like all driving with no visit time.

FYI, we vacation near (ish) Bar Harbor, driving up from just south of Boston, and we often stay just a few days. It is a manageable trip -- I'd just be wary of trying to move to too many places in the span of a few days, is all. I'd personally skip Portsmouth, stay in Bar Harbor the extra day, and then suck up a 5 hour drive to Boston. Or I'd extend the trip a day to allow more time.

Based on your recommendation we have decided not to visit Bar Harbor this trip. We will be traveling March 10-17 - tickets are purchased, so we can't change that. We fly into Portland on Sat. We plan to stay one night in Portsmouth, 3 nights in Boston. Our biggest decision will be to stay Sunday night in Portland and see the surrounding area, or give ourselves an extra night in Boston and maybe take a day trip to Newport from there. Any ideas?