Which town near Portland for budget stay to visit Maine and NH coast
 

Hi,
We, husband, 18month baby and I, are doing a 10 night new england road trip 19-28th June. The first part is touring Vermont and the White Mountains staying around Jackson NH. Then, we wish to drive to the coast and spend 3 nights in the driving vicinity of Portland ME, and spend the 3-4 days visiting coastal towns north and south of, and including Portland, focussing on lobster, seafood and seeing the wonderful little harbours/ports/capes/sea-towns and a tiny bit of shopping etc. Following these 3 nights 4 days we will then drive to Boston.

Our problem is- partly cause we are booking very late and also our budget there isnt anything available for under $300 in any coastal towns that we can find.
we need a good accommodation for under $160 USD. We value clean, good rooms, private bathroom, wifi and parking- but dont need extras like gym/pool/facilities etc

Which nearby towns are good to stay in which will serve as a good base for ME/NH coastal day trips?
One i came up with was Brunswick ME and this seems suitable, but im guessing there may be even better inland towns with easy access to the coastal villages. I am finding it hard to search for such inland villages as most searches come up with the actual towns people are interested in like portland which are just not affordable for us.

Since i am not familiar with Maine and NH, i am finding searching of such less popular towns difficult.

(similarly any advice on where we could lodge for a convenient 2 night stay in Boston with a car for under $250 USD a night much appreciated- happy to pay for in-city parking if we can find a short drive conventient hotel for around $200 USD a night)

Thanks in advance

Brunswick is an excellent base for exploring coastal Maine, not so much for NH. Coastal NH is not as interesting as Maine, so if Brunswick fits your budget, grab it.

Mark

I agree pretty strongly with Brunswick. You can do day trips as far as Boothbay Harbor in the north and Portsmouth, NH, to the south. Freeport and LL Bran are down the road, but Bailey's Island, Orr's Island, South Harpswell, and Cundy's Harbor are just a few miles out of town. Locals go to Portland for minor league baseball, so it is close enough for a day trip.

It is also a nice college town. Bowdoin has a nice art museum ( though the architects should have been fined rather than paid) and a collection of Peary's arctic exploration artifacts.

There are budget motels on the highway outside of town.

Keep looking - even in Portland (which would be my choice). There is a Doubletree which I checked for random June dates (mid-week) during your timeframe where you can get a 2 double bedded room with wifi for $150.

There are also outlying independent motels on the outskirts of some of the towns mentioned above - but I am not sure how you would find their names. I quickly checked on TripAdvisor and there are a few - much cheaper than Portland hotel above.

Portland is likely to be much more expensive for weekends, so if you can arrange your trip to be there mid-week, you can save some $.

(Have you even looked at Boston hotels - you may have a heart attack when you see summer prices for Boston)

First, north of Portland has mostly rocky beaches and the quaint villages you are looking for. South of Portland has sandy beaches but the famous towns are mostly tourist areas filled with expensive shops. Portland is a busy coastal city with a fun shopping area in the Old Port plus you can easily spend a day on an island or simply do the Casco Bay tour via the mailboat.

I agree with the towns Ackislander mentioned. Cundy's Harbor has one of my favorite lobster shacks. Plus you can get a map to the conservation areas for free hikes. There's a little public beach which is rarely crowded. The short hike along the cliffs is shorter and not as dramatic as the Marginal Way in Ogunquit but you won't run into hordes of other people. You are also close enough for a day trip to Rockland for an easy hike to Owls Head Light and your choice of a couple of lobster shacks with great views. We just discovered McLoon's last fall which has a more varied menu and working harbor view than our other favorite, Waterman's.

Should you decided to stay south of Portland, I just spent the weekend at Shorelands Cottages in Wells just past the Rachel Carson Refuge. I think it is in your price range. Nothing fancy but cute little children's play area, very clean, and a long walk to the beach. (check parking rules for beaches because free becomes very expensive in June or July). Although handy to Kennebunkport and dozens of restaurants I don't like the summer crowds and congestion.

I recently stayed at an Extended Stay America hotel which has a location in Scarborough just south of Portland. Think Motel 6 with a kitchenette. The free breakfast was barely edible but kitchenette might be worth it too you. When we traveled with a young child it was much easier to do something simple for dinner and that would include take-out and I still don't like wasting time and money at a restaurant breakfast. Much easier to do our own.

I like Brunswick and agree with budget hotel suggestion. Find something with a microwave and fridge. The Harpswells are so rural there are very few lodging choices. Friends have a favorite place to stay but it's very expensive.

We have had good luck so far with Air B&B so I would look at those options for the area of Maine you want to visit. We prefer something with a kitchenette. Another Fodorite gave a rave review to the place in Portland her family stayed at.

South of Portland in addition to Scarborough, look at Old Orchard Beach, Ocean Park, Saco, etc.

If you want an inexpensive base for exploring the maine and NH coast, i would reccommend staying somewhere like Wells, York, or Ogunquit. Route 1 in this area is lined with motels, some of which are within walking distance to the beach. Many are under $200 a night. Look at places like the Footbridge Beach Motel and Lafayettes. Also, there are several fairly inexpensive motels along route 1 just south of Portland. Old Orchard would be another option, but it's not my favorite.

Well if you want to stay in Portland there are certainly a lot of options for budget places. Motel 6 is really cheap ($70 in June), Comfort Inn just over $100, etc. These places are boring but generally fine. I have stayed in several of them. All the chain hotels are there. And you might want to go as cheap as you can in Maine to offset what you are going to find as really expensive in Boston.