trying to squeeze Newport in on Maine/NYC trip

We’re planning a trip to Boston, then driving up the coast of Maine to Bar Harbor for about a week, then south to Boston, and taking the train to NYC for a few days. In that time we%26#39;d like to squeeze in a day to Newport. Is this possible? If so, is it better to:

(a) drive down early morning to Newport from Boston, spend the day and stay overnight in Newport, then head north toward Kennebunkeport, B.Harbor, etc.

OR

(b) hit Newport en route to NYC from Boston (via amtrak and ferry/bus from Boston and Providence) the following Sunday after our week in Kennebunkport/Bar Harbor.

I%26#39;ve heard such fabulous things about both Newport and coastal Maine. I hate to cut short our trip in Maine (option a), but I also hate to possibly shortshrift Newport (option b). I%26#39;ve checked, and there are amtraks/ferries/buses that would get us in and out of Newport in a day, but it%26#39;d five us possibly only 6 hours there.

Is Newport doable in a day en route to NY, via train and ferry?

Or is it worth short-cutting time along the coast in Maine (Kennebunkport, etc)?

trying to squeeze Newport in on Maine/NYC trip

Of your two options, I think ';b'; is a better solution. If you try to drive down from Boston to Newport, you%26#39;re going to use close to 2 hours each way from your day. Plus Boston%26#39;s traffic is notorious, and if there are any accidents, construction (there%26#39;s always construction), etc, you may end up using more of your precious vacation time sitting on the highway.

You could get a flavor of Newport in 6 hours -- options: visiting a mansion, walking around/dining/shopping in the Thames Street area, driving along Ocean Drive, seeing the Tennis Hall of Fame. You could fit in a few of those in the time allotted. Go for it!

trying to squeeze Newport in on Maine/NYC trip

I agree the B option is better . I suggest you take the Breakers Mansion Tour , and then eat by the water off Thames . Try the Landings , Quohog company, or Red Parrot . You should be able to squeeze some shopping in .

I like you%26#39;re ambition a lot, but it is an immense amount of driving. Boston to Bar Harbor without traffic will take 5-6 hours. Going back into Boston could take 7-8 hours. How about York, ME and Kennebunk, ME as an alternative? Two scenic, coastal towns on Rte. 95. Also, before you hit Maine there%26#39;s Portsmouth, NH which is also a cool little town as well. Kennebunkport is around a 2 hour drive.

I would suggest keeping the car for the entire trip if it%26#39;s financially feasible. Boston to Newport will take an hour and a half. Newport to NYC might run you 4 hours. You%26#39;ll pay for parking but the train to NYC costs in the vicinity of $65. I agree with another poster--Newport is definitely doable in a day. Have fun.

Thanks all for your helpful advice. We%26#39;ve decided to just hit Newport on the way to NYC.

To the third reply, I appreciate your warning about the driving. However, we%26#39;re taking quite a bit of time to get to B.Harbor and breaking the driving up over several days, so I hope the driving doesn%26#39;t feel too bad. We%26#39;re taking a whole day to drive from Boston to Kennebunkport, spend time in Kenn, and stay overnight in Kennebunkport. Then taking a whole other day to get from Kennebunkport to Boothbay, stopping in Portland but staying over night in Boothbay (I understand KenntoPortland is about 45 minutes, and Portland to Boothbay about 1 1/2 hrs). Then we%26#39;re taking a third day to drive the remaining 3 hours to B.Harbor. Then we%26#39;ve got a full four days and four nights in B.Harbor and will take 95 back to Boston where we%26#39;ll spend one more night. We%26#39;ll (obviously) have a car the whole time we%26#39;re in Maine.

For the second leg of the trip down to NYC (and Newport for a day), after we return the car in Boston, we%26#39;ll begin with the train. Though, my husband is advocating taking the bus to NYC since it%26#39;s so much cheaper. From what I can tell, it is a lot cheaper and takes maybe an hour longer. But since we%26#39;re stopping off to take the ferry into Newport, whatever we take we%26#39;ll need it from Boston to Providence and Providence to NYC.

Thanks again. Can%26#39;t wait for our trip!

I live in RI and, this afternoon, came home from two weeks in Maine. I agree- Newport in 6 hours is fine. If you won%26#39;t have a car, please consider having a taxi give you a ride past all the mansions, not just drop you at the Breakers. They are jaw-droppers. And, yes, lunch along the wharf.

We have had a lot of rain in New England this summer (tho it is now hot and not raining.) Friends were in Bar Harbor for two days in mid-June and the view from the top of the mount was fogged in. But, on a good day, it will be one of the most spectacular things you%26#39;ve ever seen. Consider calling the tourism folks in Bar Harbor for some on-the-spot advice.

You haven%26#39;t mentioned your particular interests or limits or whether you%26#39;re traveling with kids. Let us know a bit more.

My family has stayed in the Rockland area for 7 years. If you get off the main road and wander down the various peninsulas, you get a real sense of coastal life. There%26#39;s a mix of full-time residents, artists, families who have owned a summer place for generations, etc. For us, this is a truer Maine experience than the more popular southern coastal towns. And, the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland is one of my favorite small museums anywhere.

And, a bit of advice: the road in Wiscasset (a beautiful town) narrows to one lane in each direction. The wise arrange to pass through early in the day.

I ';ditto'; everybody on the B option. About bus vs train, since you%26#39;re under the gun for time, don%26#39;t mess around with the bus. Once at the Providence AMTRAK station, You can taxi (or walk down the hill!) to Kennedy Plaza where you can take RIPTA bus 60 to Newport, or, taxi from the station over to the ferry wharf a mile or so further and it to Newport (definitely my choice!) Everything lands at about the same place in Newport, from where you can take trolley / taxi around to the places others have suggested.

You%26#39;ll just need to be sure to coordinate your train schedule with the ferry schedule. (The ferry runs less frequently than the RIPTA bus to Newport. Travel time is about the same for each, just over an hour.) For details, check out www.ripta.com

PS- Be on guard driving through Boston. Do your best to steer clear of the I-93 / I-90 tunnels. In my opinion they are dangerous and will never be proven safe. Diverted traffic due to the I-90 tunnel roof collapse is now created major headaches in the downtown / airport area.

Thanks for the info.

In Boston we%26#39;ll only be driving twice - out of Bostonon a Sunday morning and into Boston to return the car on a Saturday night. Glad to know about the tunnel!!! We%26#39;ll definitely avoid that.

To the other poster, how far are Rockland and Wiscasset from Boothbay? They sound beautiful and we%26#39;d like to go through there if we have time. We%26#39;re staying Kennebunk on Sunday night and Boothbay on Monday night, then driving the rest of the way to Bar Harbor from Boothbay on Tuesday. So...we%26#39;ll have all day Monday between Kennebunk and Boothbay, and all day Tuesday between Boothbay and B.H. It%26#39;s hard to tell from the maps where everything is because of all the ins and outs of the coastline.

I%26#39;m considering cancelling our reservation in Kennebunk. Our reservation is at Waldo Emerson Inn...sounds nice from the website. But I%26#39;m afraid we won%26#39;t have enough time to ';enjoy'; an inn/B%26amp;B fully since we%26#39;re just there Sunday afternoon and Monday morning and will undoubtedly be out enjoying the town, not at the inn enjoying the tea they serve. Thinking we should just do a cheap motel and save the money.

Any thoughts on this anyone? Anyone been to this inn? Or to Five Gables Inn in Boothbay?

We just got back from Bar Harbor on Saturday, and are going back to newport this coming weekend, after having gone for the first time 2 weeks ago. We live in Boston.

I have to say, give yourself a treat- go to Newport for sure. It%26#39;s fantastic....and really you could do with just a day there.

Boston to Maine- not a bad drive- no traffic, we did it in just shy of 5 hrs. And, it%26#39;s a lovely drive. However, Maine down towards Boston, you will absolutely hit traffic. Keep that in mind- it%26#39;s unavoidable.

(on a side: eat at the Lobster Claw in B. Harbor- it%26#39;s a shack, incredible food and an unforgettable guy running the place.)

Have fun!

We just got back from Bar Harbor on Saturday, and are going back to newport this coming weekend, after having gone for the first time 2 weeks ago. We live in Boston.

I have to say, give yourself a treat- go to Newport for sure. It%26#39;s fantastic....and really you could do with just a day there.

Boston to Maine- not a bad drive- no traffic, we did it in just shy of 5 hrs. And, it%26#39;s a lovely drive. However, Maine down towards Boston, you will absolutely hit traffic. Keep that in mind- it%26#39;s unavoidable.

(on a side: eat at the Lobster Claw in B. Harbor- it%26#39;s a shack, incredible food and an unforgettable guy running the place.)

Have fun!

Hello, I%26#39;m from Npt and I%26#39;d just like to say that it is very bikeable city, on the weekends traffic can be quite jammed. Also, no one else has seemed to mention the I93 traffic nightmare in Boston because of the collapse. Since you are from KC you may not have heard. Try to avoid it by car. Also, if you can shave time off from Kennebunk, I would- Newport has more to offer.