Lindabeth

Althought my husband is from Virginia things have changed in 40 years. We are thinking of a late April trip along eastern shore and then the mountains. We enjoy out of the way places, arboretums, markets, anatiquing, good food, relaxing scenic drives. Would also drive into WV and maybe Pennsylvania. Please offer ideas for B&Bs, cabins, pretty towns. Will fly in and rent a car. Suggestions for good cheap airport.

Gretchen

The airport probably depends on where you are flying from and the major carrier. It would probably be DC for most.

tomfuller

The times that I have checked over the years, BWI has been cheaper than Dulles or National. Sometimes the rental cars are a little cheaper as well.
How about the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway for your mtns?

jrjcolllins

On car rental prices, many times where you pick up your car makes a huge difference. We recently reserved a rental car, hoping to pick it up in Washington DC and drop it off at the Knoxville, Tennessee airport in May, 17 days later. We researched many sites. We found that if we picked the car up in Washington DC, we would have to pay around $1,100. But if we took a taxi to the city of Annapolis and picked it up there, the price was less than $500. We couldn't believe there was so much difference. Don't know if it works for your days or not but we got the best rate by "googling" the Enterprise rental car office in Alexandria and going through them instead of going through Enterprise's general website.

Ackislander

JetBlue flies very cheaply to Richmond from Boston, NY, and Florida.

Virginia is gorgeous in April, warm but not hot, and so much in bloom that you will want to start allergy pills a couple of weeks before you come if you have any problems at all.

Williamsburg, the James River Plantations, Richmond (fabulous art museum, historical museums galore, Ginter Botanical Gardens) and Charlottesville for Monticello would make a nice week mid-April, though Charlottesville will be less advanced botanically.

ronkala

I have to agree with Ackislander. IMO there is nothing as beautiful as the areas he mentioned in Virginia in April.

Birdie

Also take a look at Norfolk (ORF). Southwest flies into it. Then you could drive up the Eastern Shore, come back down and then up to Williamsburg or on up to Annapolis. Newport News (PHF) is also a possibility but there are less choices of carriers.