Visit Boston, The Berkshires, The Green Mountains, Stowe, The White Mountains, Jackson, Acadia NP, Coastal Maine, Kennebunkport, Cape Ann & Salem.
Driving through New England in Autumn is a magical experience, best enjoyed in late September and early October. Red and gold leaves combine with winding roads, stunning scenery and charming New England towns. This “Autumn in New England” road trip is specifically designed to give you the best possible chance of seeing the leaves at their most glorious point. Visit gorgeous destinations like Boston, Stowe and Acadia National Park during the area’s very best time of year. So, Happy leaf-peeping!
Key road trip highlights:
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We’ll suggest properties to match your preferred budget, be it low-cost, mid-range or high-end luxury that you’re looking for. We can also mix it up so you’ll experience a range of standards and experiences along your road trip.
All of our American road trips can be tailored to meet your requirements. Do you have more or less than 12 days for your road trip? No problem, we can bolt on extra nights to allow more time to explore or shorten the number of destinations as required.
If seeing New England’s autumn colour at its peak is your plan, then you should aim to take this road trip in late September and early October. Catching the leaves turn every shade of red and gold can be a tricky business. So, we’ve designed this particular New England route to pass through the best leaf-peeping areas along varying altitudes. Our carefully designed route will give you the best chance of seeing New England’s fall foliage at its optimum time. After touching down in New England, grab a cab and head into Boston for 3 nights and 2 days of exploring this historic city on foot.
Boston Public Gardens and neighbouring Boston Common will give you your first glimpse of New England’s fall colour as you stroll past the park’s trees. From here, you can pick up Boston’s famous Freedom Trail. This 2.5-mile history walking route takes around 90 minutes to half a day, depending on how many stops you make. At the end of the Trail lies the Bunker Hill Monument and the nearby USS Constitution Museum.
Boston’s remaining highlights include shopping in Back Bay, walking the cobbled streets of upscale Beacon Hill, and visiting The New England Aquarium. If timing allows, try to visit the home of the Red Sox – Fenway Park. Lastly, after two full days of sightseeing, fans of the classic sitcom “Cheers” might want to swing by the original bar to say hello to Sam and the guys.
Your first drive will take you clean across the state to the far west corner of Massachusetts. Here, you’ll find “The Berkshires” area, known for its gigantic “summer cottages”, built by wealthy Bostonians and New Yorkers looking to escape the summer heat. Many of these former mansions have now been converted to charming B&Bs, welcoming leaf-peepers from around the world. From your base in The Berkshires, you’ll be able to explore the area’s quaint small towns like Lenox, Stockbridge and Lee, to name just three. I wonder which will be your favourite?
Discover more of New England’s autumn colour by heading north through the Green Mountains of Vermont on your way to adorable Stowe. During the Autumn, the Green Mountains change to a spectacular mix of reds and gold. Be sure to follow the route described in your Road Trip Pack to enjoy the very best scenery and stopping points along the way. Once you’ve reached the pretty town of Stowe, we highly recommend a rewarding dinner at The Whip restaurant, which is located on Main Street.
A full day to enjoy the charms of this lovely Vermont village. Read a book by an open fire, shop for trinkets in the General Store or cruise around looking for pumpkin patches or even a fun maize maze. Feeling energetic? Then head over to Stowe’s ski area on Mountain Road and take the gondola up the mountain for some epic fall colour views before hiking back down the hill.
You’ll leave the Green Mountains of Vermont for the White Mountains of New Hampshire today, and we highly recommend that you take a slight detour along the super scenic Kancamagus Highway on your way to your New Hampshire hotel. This 36-mile stretch of scenic road is considered one of New England’s best places to see autumn colour.
Jackson, New Hampshire, is peppered with quintessential New England “Covered Bridges.” These bridges with roofs are cleverly designed so winter snow doesn’t damage the bridge below it. Nearby, Mt. Washington is the highest State Park in New England, while Mt. Washington dominates the area. Consider cruising up Mt. Washington Auto Road for staggering views from the 6288 ft summit.
Today, you’ll leave New Hampshire and enter Maine en route to the East Coast’s foremost National Park – Acadia. Today’s drive is the longest part of the trip; however, half the miles are spent on speedy (but super scenic) Interstates, so it should only take 4 to 5 hours to complete. Take your time, and be sure to explore as you go. Should you want an additional overnight stop to split the drive or an extra day in Acadia, then be sure to let us know, and we’ll adjust your quotation.
Travellers have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine for many years. Awed by its rugged beauty and diverse landscapes, early 20th-century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. Today, visitors come to Acadia to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery. End your time in Acadia National Park by watching the sunset from the top of Cadillac Mountain. This is the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard. You’ll witness an impressive sunset over autumnal New England below.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before heading south along Maine’s coastline to find cute Kennebunkport. Along the way, you can visit some of the New England towns that dot the Atlantic coast. These include Camden, Boothbay, and the state capital, Portland. Once in Kennebunkport, why not enjoy a delicious crab dinner, which this town is rightly renowned for.
We’ve saved one of the best days until last, Cape Ann isn’t as famous as Boston or Acadia. However, today’s drive will take you through exquisite New England towns and landscapes. Highlights include Crane Beach, Essex and Rockport at the tip of Cape Ann. You’ll finish your Autumn in New England road trip with a spooky overnight stop in Salem. This lovely small town was made famous by the Witch Trials of 1692. Today, Salem’s historical past makes for an enjoyable last night, especially as Halloween is just around the corner. The following day, you’ll complete this 964-mile leaf-peeping road trip with a short drive to Boston Airport.
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You’ll find answers to most of your questions right here. If you still need assistance, Feel free to get in touch, and we’ll be sure to get back to you promptly!
Not a problem. If you are lucky enough to have extra time to explore more places or add more rest days, then just let us know and we’ll adjust your trip to match your preferred timescale.
We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance for your holiday to cover you against medical expenses, theft and other financial costs. Should you need to cancel before travelling, some insurance policies may pay out for any loss of funds that have been paid to us and which cannot be refunded under our cancellation policy.
Many of our trips have a different end destination than the starting point, so this is not a problem. Please note a fee sometimes applies for one-way rentals between other regions or states, which will be paid to the supplier directly when collecting the vehicle. We’ll endeavour to inform you of this charge within your quote.
No, far from it. We work with a range of properties from 3* to 5*, so we can adapt the trip to match most budgets. We have access to rooms in more than 800 hotels, motels, lodges and B&Bs across North America.
The minimum age to rent a car is 21 in the United States or Canada, although, in addition, any drivers under 25 years of age will generally incur a surcharge.
Please use the form below to request a quote from our team. Fields marked with an * are mandatory. Please note that we currently only serve customers based in the UK & The EU.
Not quite what you’re looking for? Get in touch to discuss your Bespoke Road Trip plans, or check out these similar road trip itineraries…
ARTCo customers can be confident that we only work with the very best service providers, such as Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Alamo. Any payments made to us are fully protected via the government’s ATOL scheme (Flight packages) or Financial Failure Insurance (Non-Flight Packages).
