carol2791

4 senior Brits arrive at Boston on 29th November.
2 nights Boston.
2 nights Chatham
2 nights Newport
3 nights, weekend, in Stockbridge. This is all booked and confirmed.
The plan was then to spend
1 night Manchester
2 nights Woodstock
2nights Stowe and driving from there to Boston airport to fly home.
Are Woodstock & Stowe similar and should we be thinking of going to North Conway or even to coast Salem.
Thoughts please ?

dfnh

First off, you could hit some miserable weather but the good news it is the end of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Many communities have Christmas parades that weekend and since it's the biggest travel weekend of the year, it's good that you'll be in Boston. I'm not sure which Manchester you have picked, perhaps Manchester VT. I think Stowe and Woodstock are very different since Stowe is geared for toursits and skiing but Woodstock is much further south and (I think) more of a country weekend destination. I don't particularly care for Woodstock since it's not a typical Vermont town. I prefer the rural areas. Depending on what you are looking for a visit to the coast might be preferable. Southern Maine towns seemed to get very festive during the pre-Christmas weekends. Portsmouth NH is lively and you can expect different events going on between crafts fairs and holiday strolls at historic Strawbery Banke depending on your dates. North Conway would give you outlet shopping plus great mountain views but you could just make a loop thru the mountains on your way from VT. N Conway to Portland ME is probably not much more than an hour's drive. If you're looking for great seafood you'll find it all over New England but the best is probably at seacoast restaurants.
Our weather could be unseasonably warm or we could have snow. It's different every year. If you aren't used to winter driving conditions I would make sure to rent a car with front wheel drive. 4 wheel drive is not necessary but I feel front wheel drive handles very well on snowy or icy roads. The interstates are usually well taken care of once the roads crews have a chance to get out. OTH it could be sweater weather! Some years I've Christmas shopped in shirt sleeves.

djkbooks

I agree with the above. That's a lot of driving and you could have at least some less than favorable driving conditions due to weather.

I don't care much for Woodstock, either. Stowe is one of my favorite destinations in Vermont.

If you want to go the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the western side (Franconia, Littleton...) are just as scenic and a good base point for scenic drives.

If you plan to tour mansions in Newport, I'd recommend skipping Chatham so you'll have time to do more mansions in Newport. You really can't do more than one or two per day, and many are so worthwhile. Cape Cod is rather desolate in December, and seasonal restaurants/shops will be closed.

I think it is risky to plan on driving from such a distant place as Stowe to Logan in one day. Much better to spend the night ahead of your flight near the airport, or at least a lot closer.

Ackislander

You are very likely to have snow in the mountains at this time, whether Vermont or New Hampshire. The higher the mountains, the more snow. It may not be a lot of snow, but depending on where you come from in the UK, it may well be more than you are used to dealing with.

Thus I would join those who suggest spending the last days of the trip nearer the coast. You can choose your route to let you view snow or you can choose a route to avoid it if snow is actively falling.

djkbooks

Note that hazardous winter driving includes rain which can create slippery conditions after sunset. And, worst is "wintery mix" of rain, snow, sleet. It's not as likely in early December as later on, but still very possible.

Because you're planning to spend so few nights at each of many destinations, you should be prepared to adjust, if necessary, due to weather. The road crews are excellent most places with plowing and sanding. But, it's best to wait until the precip stops than drive during. And, driving from one place to another you could run into unexpected hazardous road conditions along the way.

Chances are you will not have wintery weather during your visit. But, you could.

taconictraveler

Carol2791: To those suggesting a final destination nearer Boston airport, (and I concur, though I'm a New Englander, I wouldn't go that far north in November.) I would add a suggestion as to place: Salem, which you mentioned, has the marvelous Peabody Museum, which is having an excellent Antiques Show the weekend you arrive in Boston, probably too late for you, but the museum is a great destination, and the town is certainly real.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire is also a great destination for a couple of days and for a last night's stay.

And, yes, Woodstock is a bit twee for those of us who love quiet New England villages. But nearby is the Queechee Gorge area, where the wonderful Simon Pearce restaurant and shop are.

It's a shame for you to miss the rockbound coast of Maine. We are in fact going up there for Thanksgiving, as our friends live on the shore in mid-coast Maine, and nearer the ocean, the weather is quite different than in the mountains.

Have a wonderful safe journey to a beautiful part of the world.

litefoot

I agree with the other posts, this is a pretty ambitious trip and in New England in December you'll need to be concerned about the weather.

Perhaps if you told us what you are interested in, what you would really like to see or why you wanted to stop in those particular destinations we could help critique your trip.

yipper

Hi,

I am one of those who loves Woodstock VT. It was all spruced up by the Rockefellers, but it is charming. Stowe is different than Woodstock. It really a ski resort and the home of the famous Ben and Jerry ice cream plant. Beautiful scenery, but not a lot to explore. Chatham is a lovely small town on Cape Cod, but you might want to take the ferry to Nantucket. Check to see when they have their Christmas walk. There is also a wonderful whaling museum. If there is no Christmas walk, you do not need to spend more than a day there, as a lot of shops will be closed. 3 nights in Stockbridge is a lot. You might add a day to Boston. When in Boston you can also see Cambridge. The Stockbridge old village is interesting and great to see, but there is not a lot besides that. I assume you mean Manchester
Vt. I love Manchester and there is the wonderful Lincoln house, whose name escapes me. It belonged to Lincoln’s sole surving son or grandson.

I must say the weather can be iffy. The trees will be bare. Hopefully if will not be snowing when you are driving in VT. But a nice snow fall during the night with a clear crisp blue sky in the morning is wonderful.

You might want to consider Portland Maine. It is a nice sea side town with wonderful restaruants, shops and vistas.

Enjoy, Yipper

nytraveler

You're kind of late for that part of the country - and winter weather (sleet or light snow ) is certainly possible, even though a LOT of snow isn't likely yet.

And all the leaves will be long gone - so the countryside will be quite dreary.

Have you checked in Newport to make sure that what you want to see isn't closed or on shorter hours for the off season?

Don't want to be discouraging - but not the time of year I would do New England.

bnbtraveler

Having grown up and lived in MA for over 30 years, November usually is very gray and dreary. A bright spot would be holiday decorations in areas like Boston, Newport and other historic places. I think I would skip Manchester, Woodstock & Stowe and instead head towards the coast. Porstmouth, NH is beautiful and will be all decorated in the historic Starwberry Banke area. That area would also be a great base to head a bit up the Maine coast to explore, depending on weather. It usually is dreary, but can also be crisp, clear and cold instead. There is nothing like walking the beach when it is that way! Portsmouth, or even the York, ME area would be convenient to Boston too. It is only 1 hour 15 minutes from York to Logan Airport, a little less from Portsmouth. Save Vermont for a summer or fall trip when you can go all around and drive safely, There is much to see and the roads could be very difficult if the weather isn't good. Just my thoughts and opinions!

bnbtraveler

Just read what I sent and I appologize for my spellings...not enough coffee yet! I meant Portsmouth, NH and Strawberry Banke. Sorry!