<p>I am hoping to go on a trip to Vermont this summer. I’d love to also see the coast of Maine and possibly drive to Quebec which I have been to. I’m not sure if this is really practical from a driving standpoint. Also, I’m not sure where the best place to fly into would be (from the west coast.) and what would be the best route to take in terms of order of places. I would really appreciate any advice. I have about 16 days and am not looking to see any colleges.</p>
<p>Basin Harbor Club is great in Vermont. How long do you have? A week? Two? a month?</p>
<p>I have about 16 days. How much time do you think Vermont should have?</p>
<p>Consider an open jaw from Albany NY , drive into Vermont and New Hampshire, then to the coast of Maine and save lots of time for Arcadia. I bicycled up highway 1 along coast of Maine up to the top and then crossed over at Edmonton, went across a beautiful mountain range to the waterway and then into Quebec City.</p>
<p>What the heck is “an open jaw”?</p>
<p>If you have 16 days, I would say Vermont/Quebec/Maine is doable.</p>
<p>My own opinion is that Maine may not be worth the extra driving. Although the state has some picturesque spots, summer traffic is horrible and overall most places have that tourist trap feel.</p>
<p>If you fly into Albany, consider driving through Cambridge, NY and then up the shores of Lake Champlain to the Stowe, VT area. It is also pleasant to make your way up from north central Massachusetts along Route 91 to Route 89 – and the scenery is different, more low mountains and fewer cows and countryside.</p>
<p>Once you’ve spend time in Vermont, head north of Stowe through Johnson and up into Quebec’s Eastern Townships. These are perhaps only two hours from Stowe, but few Americans go there and it is very French:</p>
<p>[Quebec’s</a> Eastern Townships](<a href=“http://www.mestern.net/canada/quebec/easterntownships/index.php]Quebec’s”>Quebec's Eastern Townships)</p>
<p>From the Eastern Townships you are close to Montreal and Quebec City is about a three hour drive.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone. I’ll have to go over this more slowly later. I went to Montreal and Quebec a few years ago. I don’t feel a need to go back to Montreal but I think my son would love Quebec and maybe some of the very French towns. He is learning French now and would love to practice it and I’m conversant enough to get by. Thanks for the feedback about Maine. Food for thought.</p>
<p>Open Jaw ticket is one where you fly into one airport and back out of another. It usually costs a little more than round trip but the savings in time and cost returning to the first airport often balance it out. We did this a few years ago on a trip to Europe - flew into London and back out of Paris.</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanation. I never heard of it before. But then, I am somewhat sheltered. :o</p>
<p>If you decide to spend more time in Quebec, consider the Charlevoix region northeast of Quebec City along north shore of the St Lawrence River (where it gets wider and wider). Beautiful area and much more “Quebecois” in flavour than the Eastern Townships. A lot of painters frequent the area, lovely scenery. All the way up to La Malbaie, even Tadoussac. You will see beluga whales in the river too.
Here is a nice place I stayed a long time ago in La Malbaie area.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“lapinsonniere.com - This website is for sale! - LaPinsonnière La pinsonniere La Malbaie Charlevoix hébergement auberge restaurant tourisme chambres Resources and Information.”>lapinsonniere.com - This website is for sale! - LaPinsonnière La pinsonniere La Malbaie Charlevoix hébergement auberge restaurant tourisme chambres Resources and Information.]La</a> Pinsonni</p>
<p>I live in VT and it is wonderful, but my favorite summer place in ME is Monhegan Island. There is no prettier place anywhere on earth.</p>
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<p>As a resident of Maine I have to say that this paints a very inaccurate picture. Yes, there are places in Maine–just like there are places in every state–that have a “tourist trap” feel. Yes, if you insist upon driving along the coast on Rte 1 from tourist trap to tourist trap, you will indeed encounter lots of traffic and other tourists and businesses that cater strictly to tourists. </p>
<p>Ogunquit is very touristy (I have been there precisely once, and that was enough), as is Bar Harbor (although BH is a NICE tourist trap). But the majority of Mt. Desert Island, where Bar Harbor is located,is wonderful, especially Acadia National Park. (Not “Arcadia” people! 
) And Acadia is truly fabulous if you get out of your car and hike. It has great options for people at all levels of fitness. Also consider non-coastal beauties such as Mt. Katahdin and Mooselookmeguntic, Rangeley, Moosehead, and Kezar Lake–avoid Sebago–just to name a few. Maine has the most coastline of any state in the union. You do not need to confine yourself to the same 20 miles of it that caters to the lowest common denominator of tourists. Try Blue Hill instead of Ogunquit. And we haven’t even considered the islands. Consider Monhegan or Vinalhaven or Cranberry or any number of gorgeous places.</p>
<p>BTW, I would consider flying into Portland, which is worth a visit itself, and driving up into Maine, then to Quebec (close enough to drive from Portland to Quebec City in a day) and come down VT/NH. You could return to Portland or do the “open jaw” thing and fly out of Manchster NH or some place in VT.</p>
<p>I did notice that Jet Blue flies into Portland (via NY). I like Jet Blue when the prices are competitive which they are not always. I’m really being pulled towards Maine now. I’m wondering if Maine, VT and Quebec is overly ambitious. I would love to avoid touristy places and love to visit an island.</p>
<p>I do not think Maine, Quebec and Vermont is overly ambitious…16 days is a lot of time. no idea where you are coming from, but if Jet Blue works, then fly to Portland… day trip to Kennebunk…and also to Freeport and Boothbay Harbor…take a boat trip out to one of the islands, spend a solid day in the Old Port area…MANY great restaurants…then head north to Quebec…drive at night if need be…consider staying at the Chateau de Frontenac (spelling??) and make sure you go to the Plains/Plateau nearby which has wonderful rose gardens… Quebec also has great restaurants… then drive down to Vermont…there is Ben & Jerry’s headquarters near the border with Canada…Lake Champlain is beautiful, there is a resort nearby called The Tyler Place, you might be able to stay a night or two…or just do dinner there? normal stay is for a week, but they might have exceptions… you can stay at a farm B&B in VT… you can go to a retail store for Vermont Country Stores (not sure exact locations but they have a few, fun unique items for sale) … you can even cross over into NY and go to Saratoga Raceway for an afternoon or evening of fun, depending on when you are traveling thru… perhaps train back to NYC if that is where you are starting from.</p>
<p>It’s doable if you don’t mind long drives. Last summer we flew from LA to Boston, drove to Quebec City via New Hampshire, stayed 3 nights at the Hotel de Vieux Quebec, and then on to Rockland Maine for a wedding. We encountered torrential rain, narrowly missed being hit by a hydroplaning car, wondered if the road to Quebec would ever end, and had a thoroughly wonderful time. The walled city is delightful. We enjoyed the Musee D’Civilisation (please forgive my mangled French). On the way back to Maine (a long long drive) we experienced a spectacular thunderstorm, a yellow frog migration and a black bear sighting. I’ll put in a plug for Rockland, Maine. Attractions include the Farnsworth Art Museum, Belted Galloway Cows (“oreo cows”) and lobsters! We stayed at the Cedar Crest Inn in nearby Camden. Quebec City was definitely full of tourists, but Maine never felt overcrowded to me. </p>
<p>We did not go to Vermont on this trip, but have been there several times. If I had to choose, I’d pick Maine. (and for lobsters, I’d go to Young’s Lobster Pound just south of Acadia National Park)</p>
<p>By the way I’m pretty sure you will need passports for Canada, proof of car insurance, and a certificate from your car rental agency for driving in Canada.</p>
<p>I just wanted to mention re the “Eastern Townships” – although the name is English and the names of the little towns are English, they speak French there (and you will not hear English spoken).</p>
<p>Just to keep the debate going, Route 95 (the major highway into Maine) is not a particularly attractive drive. (On weekends, I have sat in traffic jams on this highway which have given me an opportunity to get a close view of the scenery.)</p>
<p>The driving routes through Vermont, however, are very scenic, even on the major highways. We never encounter heavy tourist traffic traveling the highways of Vermont.</p>
<p>So think of your driving time as well as your end destinations.</p>
<p>I agree–Maine is fantastic and it’s well worth the trip. There’s nothing like Maine. My personal preference is for the area between BoothBay and just north of Acadia. Camden (touristy but quaint), Acadia, etc., all good choices. Lots of charming little towns. No way does it get too crowded by most people’s standards. You want to have SOME people there, for heaven’s sake. One somewhat pricy but completely magical experience is taking a windjammer for a trip (I think there are three day trips). On a windjammer you sail among the vast archipelago of granite islands, each topped with spikey fur trees. You have a lobster bake. You visit quaint towns on islands and peninsulas. It is authentic, it supports the restoration of these gorgeous old boats, and it gives a very concentrated dose of the best of Maine. Quebec is gorgeous as well. I know there are some nice things to see in VT and NH as well, (Shelburne Museum)? Another nice area is the lake district in southern Ontario, though I think I would put more time into Maine and say, VT.</p>
<p>I agree that both Maine and Vermont with a bit of Canada thrown in are very doable in the time frame you’ve allowed. If I were doing the trip I think I would fly to Portland and enjoy mid-coast Maine(skip the very congested Ogunquit area, but consider the Castine/Blue Hill peninsulas if you have time fore the drive). Then drive across new Hampshire to Vermont, ending up in Burlington after your various explorations crisscrossing that very compact state. I would not necessarily do straight lines in any of the three New England states; I would suggest drawing a sort of loop on a map so that Burlington is your last major destination in Vermont because it is an easy drive from Burlington to Montreal. Montreal will make a nice contrast with the rest of the trip because it is so French and in parts so urbane as well as urban. </p>
<p>Regarding New England specifics: follow Consolation’s excellent advice for Maine. Highlights of our various trips there include Acadia and Camden and Portland and ferries to some of the islands (even if you don’t spend the night, you can do a nice bike ride). (You can take a ferry round trip from Rockport or Lincolnville Beach among other places to close-in islands). From coastal Maine you need to devise a route to Vermont–don’t entirely disregard New Hampshire, which you have to get through in order to reach Vermont. On a northerly route you might stop for a night or two in a place like the Balsams way up north in Dixville Notch for good food and some hiking. Or head farther south in Connecticut Valley to Hanover to see Dartmouth and the Hood Museum (bot to see a college per se but because it is beautiful). The St Gaudens Historic Site in Cornish is also a wonderful destination on a summer day.</p>
<p>In Vermont, the Shelburne Museum just south of Burlington is excellent but won’t be your first stop if you follow my suggestion to drive north ending up in Burlington for the final leg to Canada. Much of Vermont’s appeal is little towns (Chelsea, Randolph, Brookfield) and two-lane highways (110, 12, 14) but there are more formal attrations too. Montpelier is an intriguing little state capital with good bookstores, good restaurants run by the New England Culinary Institute, and a good state historical museum–also a great farmer’s market across from the state capitol building. Woodstock is polished and perfect; Billings Museum on its outskirts gives you a good sense of both history and agriculture–across the road from the farm museum there’s a wonderful historic site too, a former Rockefeller summer home. And then there are smaller attractions, like the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Pllymouth Notch, with a beautiful little church and nostalgia-producing farmhouse, and the Morrill Homestead in Strafford.</p>
<p>Any good guidebook wil tell you where to stay and where to eat and where to drive; personal favorites will vary. Remember that NewEnalnd is a summer paradise and you will need to make lodging reservations in advance. You have a wonderful trip ahead of you.</p>
<p>Here’s a trip I did with my family a number of years ago in about a week, starting in Connecticut.
- Drove to Vermont, stayed on night. Essentially, we skipped Vermont.
- Drove to Quebec and stayed 2 or 3 nights.
- Drove from Quebec to Tadoussac. Great drive. Tadoussac is very interesting with excellent whale watching.
- Took a boat across to Maine and stayed near Baxter State Park. A georgous and wild park that is very uncrowed. We did a marvelous hike.
- Drove to the coast and stayed near Machias. From there, drove back to Connecticut.</p>