jefflefler9213

Flying into Burlington VT, late August , one or 2 nights in Vermont. Driving through New Hampshire for one night. Driving to the Maine coast and then driving north up the coast to Bar Harbor / Acadia. We will then fly out of Bangor airport. We like to keep moving but want to see as much as we can. This is a 7 day trip to hit 3 states we have not seen, 9 more to go after this trip. Just looking for any input on plans , crowds , must see , ect. Thanks Jeff

clarkgriswold

For any summer travel in 2021 you'll want to book your rental car a.s.a.p, especially for a one-way drop like you're planning. Don't even book your air tickets until you're sure you can secure a car.

Route 1 up through Maine is not really a "coastal drive", you must detour off route 1 and down peninsulas (think 20 minutes down then 20 minutes back up) to see towns/villages and ocean. It could be quite trafficky in August and you don't have much time. Acadia will also be very crowded so you might just want to take the quickest freeway route possible from NH to Acadia, and give yourselves some time to actually enjoy the national park and Bar Harbor.

Michael

Given the limited time in Vermont I would consider driving VT 100 south and then US4 est to Woodstock and Quechee Gorge before going into New Hampshire.

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tomfuller

If you find that flights to or rental cars are too expensive in Burlington VT, you could fly to Portland ME and go from there. I always favor returning rental cars where you rent them to save a lot on one way fees.
The great highway across New Hampshire IMO is the Kancamagus Highway west of Conway.
If you want to fly to/from a big airport you could fly into Boston Logan and then take the Amtrak Downeaster from Boston North station to Portland or maybe Freeport. The Freeport station is within walking distance of the L.L. Bean flagship store.
Between Burlington and Montpelier VT, be sure to visit Ben & Jerry's.
In 2017, my wife and I found geocaches in all 6 NE states in 3 days. We started in upstate NY and found a cache in VT before noon. We found a cache in New Hampshire in the late afternoon and spent the night in a hotel in York ME. The next day we found our Maine caches and then headed south back through NH and into MA for a couple more caches. We found a cache in Rhode Island before driving into CT. We spent the night in New London and went to see the submarine museum before going to find a cache in CT to finish the six states.
We stayed in western CT and then went to Wellsboro PA to attend my 50th high school reunion.

Macross

We are staying at the Norwich Inn end of July. Visiting King Arthur if you are into baking. We are going to visit Woodstock and Quechee. SimonPearce.com is there also. I love Bristol and Middlebury also. Both great places to visit.

dfrostnh

Some good ideas. Another thought about car rental would be to fly in and out of Manchester NH. The interstates are actually a pleasant drive from Manchester to VT. Out of the airport I recommend opting for I293 which takes you along the west coast of the Merrimack river across from the beautiful old mill buildings that are now different businesses, restaurants, etc. I293 connects to I93 and then just south of Concord NH you can head northwest to VT via I89. Burlington is a beautiful city on a beautiful lake so you probably still want to get there. Excellent restaurants, too. Norwich and Woodstock would be an early detour from I89 if you wanted to visit King Arthur Flour and perhaps lunch at Simon Pierce. If you stay at the Norwich Inn because of timing the restaurant across the street is very good and you wouldn't have to get in your car again. Pick up any necessities at Dan and Whit's. It depends on when your flight gets in and how fast you want to drive - only 3 hours from the airport to Burlington if it's not a Friday afternoon.

From Burlington VT to Meredith NH is about 3 hours if you opt for the route that lets you take I93 south. The Flume is probably going to be over populated with tourists but the visitors center is worth a stop and browse. I chose Meredith NH because you would be in a beautiful town on Lake Winnipesaukee. Depending on where you stayed you might be able to walk to a restaurant. An evening walk along the water would be nice. Should you enjoy wineries, Hermit Woods is a fun spot. You can do some shopping. The League of NH Crafts has a shop in Meredith for upscale handmade things. Although the recommended Kancamagus Hwy is a beautiful drive it's not my favorite. My favorite would be to go from Meredith to Moultonbourough and up to Center Sandwich, over to Tamworth and on to Conway and Maine. If you are interested in strong spirits the Tamworth Distillery is fascinating and has a tasting. Beautiful building and equipment. Center Sandwich is a sweet little town that makes you wonder how people could have settled it so long ago and why. BTW if summer theater returns, Meredith is a good choice for some evening entertainment. You could also do a boat tour of Lake Winnipesaukee or just visit Weirs Beach to the south for a look see.

It will be 4-5 hours from Meredith to Bar Harbor depending on choice of route and, unfortunately, I95 is pretty boring. We prefer to vacation in the mid-coast area which would give you some nice scenery and places to stop after you leave Bar Harbor. Rt 1 is worth it although you won't see any coast. You don't want to miss Camden and the view of Bath Iron Works as you cross the bridge heading south. Get back on I95 in Brunswick with a possible stop in Portland for great restaurants, Casco Bay cruise, Old Port Shopping, etc.

You could make it from Bar Harbor back to Manchester NH airport in a grueling/boring 4 1/2 hour drive should you want to skip seeing the best parts of the mid-coast area. Depending on your return flight it would be possible to spend your last night in Portsmouth NH. Easy connection to the airport via I101 but be warned you might not want to travel it during commuting hours.

BTW Bristol VT was mentioned by another poster. Should you visit that area, there's a great swimming hole with small waterfall just east of town. You can't see it but you will probably notice parked cars. We enjoyed watching people jump off the ledges into the deep pool. Nice place to picnic since you can sit in the shade.

Macross

dfrostnh, what a treasure of info you are. I spelled Pierce wrong, no wonder the link didn't work. I am going to go look at the map.

jefflefler9213

Thanks so much for the information , looks like we will change some plans about driving up the Maine coast but will start in VT and fly out of Maine. Rental car is secured (thanks ) anything else appreciated and thanks again. Great information- jeff

Tonyr4

The nicest town in VT is Stowe, Woodstock is a close 2nd. I would spend my time in Stowe, it's 45 minutes east of the airport. (I've been all over that state) North Conway is the coolest town In all of NH and is where I'd stop over on my way to Maine, should be fun!

dfrostnh

If you'll be in Norwich on a Saturday, the Norwich Farmers Market is wonderful and just down the road from KA Flour. You could enjoy some mid-morning snacks or even lunch from the food vendors. I haven't been to Simon Pierce for lunch in ages but when we went we got to lunch early to get a table overlooking the river. St Gaudens in NH is across the river, interesting house tour and gardens of famous sculptor.