New England with a College Budget

Hi, I'm a 20 year old college student trying to plan out a New England trip in August of next summer on a low budget. So far I've mapped it out like this:

Finger Lakes, NY
Chimney Bluffs State Park, NY
Watertown or Saratoga, NY
Burlington, VT
through Rt 112 Kancamagus Highway
Augusta or Waterville, ME
Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, ME
Portland, ME
Boston, MA
Cape Cod, MA
Mystic, CT

This trip would start and end in North Jersey. If anyone has any suggestions or advice about staying low-budget and safe, as well as places along this route worth stopping by or for the night, please let me know! Also, as a major note, I'll be sharing this trip with my girlfriend, so anything that sounds romantic is a great idea by me. We also love taking pictures, so the scenic routes are where it's at!

Thank you!!

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

A few years back, I collected up some of the best discussions of New England RoadTrips. That would be a great place to start looking at possible venues to visit. Unfortunately, other than in a few major urban areas, New England is not replete with examples of low-cost chain motels so it's hard to give specific advice without knowing precisely where you're going to bed down each night. The area does still have a number of smaller mom-and-pop type motels that won't gouge you, and in its northern areas you can still find some old cabin type motor hotels. August is not the highest of the high season, so you should generally be able to find vacancies as you travel with the possible exceptions of Acadia and Cape Cod where reservations are definitely in order.

AZBuck

Something else to look into for cheap lodging would be hostels. Hopefully Lifey will be around to advise you on those, but I believe I remember her saying that you should book directly with an individual hostel by phone rather than use an online service for best rates.

Unfortunately, this area of the US is not replete with hostels either, but there are a few.

Hostels vary greatly, but the best ones will have lots of information for young travellers in particular. Often have discount tickets to local attractions and give an opportunity to meet other travellers. These days many have co-ed dorms, and lots of hostels have private rooms as well. Sometimes with en suites, sometimes with shared facilities. Many will have a free breakfast, as well as coffee and tea all day long. Kitchen facilities will vary, but I have never been in a hostel where I could not prepare myself a meal - a great money saver.

Be wary of staying in hostels which do not have lockers. Carry a medium sized padlock for that reason. Lockers which are coin operated to remove the key are not secure. I would not use them. It is not wise to stay in hostels which allow sleeping bags. These are one of the main causes of bed bug infections. And make sure you always wear footwear in the shower. (This applies to all public showers, hotels and campgrounds, etc.)

As mentioned above, I have found that one can often get a discount (cheaper price) by contacting the hostel direct, rather than booking through the above link. Search for the website of the hostel, if it is not given, and contact the hostel direct. If nothing else, it will safe you the booking fee, significant when you are on a budget.

Lifey

If you decide on Watertown, NY, you can pick up Highway 3 and take it to Lake Saranac where you pick up Highway 86 in to Lake Placid. This drive through the Adirondacks is a beautiful drive. North of Lake Placid is Whiteface Mountain and the drive up the Whiteface Memorial Highway is a nice drive. It takes you to a point below the summit of the mountain and then you can either take an elevator or hike to the summit. You can then take Highway 86 east to US 9N. Pick up US 9 at Keesville. This will take you past Ausable Chasm which is a very unusual and interesting stop. You can then pick up Route 73 to Port Kent where you can catch a ferry to Burlington. This of course is somewhat costly and the alternative is to continue north on US 9 or I-87 to US 2 and take it on in to Burlington. A trip to Stowe, Vermont, a beautiful little New England town. A stop at Waterbury, Vermont lets you enjoy a visit to the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory. If you get anywhere around Mount Washington in New Hampshire, the drive to the summit it great. If you go, be sure you have a jacket. The highest wind speed ever recorded was measured at Mount Washington - 213 MPH.

According to the info supplied above by Lifemagician, there are hostels in Burlington and Killington, Vermont and the latter is a very scenic area.

You're heading for a beautiful part of the country and you should have a great time.

Oh! I would have to agree with Charlie. That trip from Watertown to Lake Placid passes through some lovely areas. But you are not going to find any budget lodgings in that area. Best you could do is invest in (or borrow) a sturdy tent and some sleeping bags and mats. There is no shortage of State camping grounds. Unfortunately they were all closed when I was there in September. The season ends last week of August.

Lifey

In July 2012, we were in the Acadia area. The closest we found to "budget" accommodations was at the Isleview Motel and Cabins. We opted for the slightly more expensive cabins, only because it was our anniversary when we were there. The cabin was small, and the bathroom smaller, but we liked it just because it was "cozy" (and the price was right). These were around $85/night.

Lifey suggested camping out, and that would be another option for most of your trip. When my husband and I were younger, we enjoyed camping for 3 nights or so, and then finding either a campground with shower facilities, or an inexpensive motel for another night. One time we rotated a 3-week trip that way -- 3 nights out, 1 night motel. We did the same when the kids came along, until we bought our pop-up tent trailer.

If you are a seafood fan, particularly shellfish, DO save for a nice dinner out when in either Portland or Bar Harbor. There is no shortage of places that serve good lobster. In several restaurants, lobster was not much more expensive than a good burger!

In Portland, BTW, be aware if you are there on a summer weekend. Get reservations for your hotel. Even a Super 8 was over $100, coupons (for $59) not accepted.




Donna

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

on a summer weekend. Get reservations for your hotel. Even a Super 8 was over $100, coupons (for $59) not accepted.

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It is common for discount coupons not to be accepted over weekends or at times of special events. Either that, or there is a surcharge on the coupons. Those are not budget friendly travel times.

Lifey