...although to drive from northern Maine to the Connecticut shoreline (550 miles/885 km, 9+ hours) would be a long day.

Never mind. You won't be spending long days driving. Usually, you'll drive only an hour or two from one destination to the next.

Suffice it to say that you can see a lot of New England in a week's travel. Ten days is better, of course, and two weeks gives you time to go into some depth of the cultural offerings of Boston or the Berkshires, spend some time hiking and camping in the White Mountains, spend a few days sailing the Maine coast in a windjammer, or get into serious beach mode on Cape Cod.

If you'd rather have someone else do the planning, logistics and reservations for you, take a guided tour. Many tour companies operate guided tours that include New England, often along with New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC. A few companies have some tours that concentrate on New England exclusively.

The most popular tours are, of course fall foliage tours. Every major tour operator seems to have at least one.

Here's a list of companies providing guided tours of New England.

If you'd like to tour on your own, here are some suggested itineraries:

4-Day Boston & Vicinity Itinerary
You can see a surprising amount of New England in four days from a base in Boston by spending some time in the city and taking excursions by car, bus or train into the hinterland. More...

6- to 10-Day Northern New England Itinerary
This itinerary through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont is particularly well suited for outdoor activities, but is also fine just for scenic drives. The tour can be split into two mini-tours: a 4-day trip along the Maine coast to Bar Habor, and a 6-day trip through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont. More...

7- to 10-Day Southern New England Itinerary
Start this tour in Boston, New York City, or indeed anywhere along its route to get a good introduction to the Pioneer Valley, the Berkshire Hills, northwestern Connecticut, the Connecticut shoreline, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island, and the South Shore of Massachusetts Bay. More...

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Where to Go in New England Highlights of New England 4-Day Boston & Vicinity Tour 6- to 10-Day North NE Tour 7- to 10-Day South NE Tour Guided Tours