General Information

New England is composed of six states, each with its own character:
 
Connecticut, an easy day hop from New York, has exceedingly pretty villages with their central commons and steepled churches. It boasts cultural hot spots like art museums, Yale University in New Haven and the home of Mark Twain in Hartford. Plus lots of antique shops in the rolling Litchfield Hills of the Northwest.

Moving eastward, Rhode Island, the OceanState, offers spectacular sandy beaches; the mansions, vineyards, boating of Newport and the crackle of hip nightlife along the rivers that wind through Providence - the capital city.

Massachusetts extends from the magnificent sand bluffs and beaches of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket, through the metropolis of Boston – the birthplace of the American Revolution – to the blue-green mountains of the Berkshires, home of acclaimed music, dance, and art festivals.

Vermont, the Green Mountain State, is the place of forested mountains, great skiing & other winter activities and many small towns busy with traditional pursuits like dairy farming and maple syrup production. It is the only New England state without an ocean shoreline, but most of its western border is the historic and lovely Lake Champlain.

Like Vermont, New Hampshire, the Granite State, has dramatic mountains – including the imposing Mount Washington – skiing and snow sports, as well as lakes, beaches and lighthouses.

Lighthouses are scattered along the rocky, picturesque coast of Maine, the state with the longest coastline, due to it many coves, estuaries, bays and small islands. As with the other coastal states, whale watching is a major draw for visitors.

New England entertainment includes wonderful dining on regional specialities - from steamed lobster to clam chowder and Boston baked beans. Shopping is unparalleled: parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine are home to large outlets. Throughout the region, gift and craft shops offer local products from fine furniture to gourmet chocolate. Lodging businesses offer options for every taste from lavish resorts to family motels, inns, and intimate bed-and-breakfast establishments. People interested in Colonial history can start with Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts and view many places where the Revolutionary War was kindled. If it’s culture that visitors are after, the region brims with art, history, and speciality themed museums. The number of attractions and entertainment for children is staggering, from amusement parks to petting zoos. And don’t forget the luxury spas for road-weary adults. For more information on each New EnglandState please visit the State by State pages of our website.

To follow is some general information to make sure you have everything you need to enjoy your holiday of a lifetime to New England.

Time
All of New England is on Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-5). Between the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October, clocks are set ahead 1 hour for Daylight Saving.
 
Currency and Foreign Exchange
Currency: The monetary unit of the United States is the dollar ($), divided into 100 cents. Coins come in 1 cent (penny), 5 cents (nickel), 10 cents (dime), 25 cents (quarter), the very rare 50-cent pieces (half dollars) and one-dollar coins. Bills come in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and seldom-seen denominations higher than 100.
Exchange: The airport, banks and most large city hotels have facilities for changing foreign currencies and travellers’ cheques.
Cash withdrawals can be made at automatic teller machines throughout New England, but check with your bank for details of where your card is accepted and to find out if your personal identification number (PIN) is internationally valid.
Debit cards may be accepted at retail outlets that are validated for international access.
Credit cards are widely accepted – the most commonly accepted credit cards are MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Less common, but accepted by many establishments, are Discover, Diners Club and Carte Blanche.
 
National Holidays
Jan 1                             New Year’s Day
Third Mon Jan               Martin Luther King Day
Third Mon Feb               George Washington’s Birthday
Mar/Apr                          Easter
Last Mon May                Memorial Day
Jul 4                               Independence Day
First Mon Sep                Labor Day
Second Mon Oct            Columbus Day
Nov 11                           Veteran’s Day
Fourth Thu Nov             Thanksgiving
Dec 25                           Christmas Day
 
Massachusetts also celebrates Patriot’s Day on the third Monday in April. Banks, post offices and state offices are closed by law on national holiday.
 
Opening Hours
Stores - Generally open between 9 and 6, Monday through Saturday (later on Thursday), some open Sunday afternoons. In Massachusetts and Connecticut, lliquor stores are closed on Sunday.
Banks - Most are open weekdays from 9 to 5, though many close as early as 3pm. Some banks open Saturday mornings as well.
Post Offices - Open from 9 to 5, Monday through Saturday and sometimes later.
Museums - Hours vary. Most are closed on Monday.
 
Electricity
The power supply is 110/120 volts AC, 60 cycles. Most sockets take two-pronged or three-pronged plugs. Visitors from Europe, or anywhere that uses 220/240 volt power will need to bring a converter and a plug adaptor.
 
Post
Post offices usually open Mon-Fri 9-5, though some larger branches are open longer. Vending machines sell stamps but at a 25 percent premium. You can buy post-card stamps at many hotels, or at local post offices.
 
Tips/Gratuities
Tipping is of course at your discretion but in the US many workers depend on this additional income and is expected for most services. As a general guide:
Restaurants                                          15-20%
Bar service                                            $1-$2
Tour guides                                           15%
Taxis                                                     15%
Chambermaids                                      $2-$5 per day
Porters                                                  $2-$5 per bag
 
The Best of New England Experiences:
 
*Eating lobster - Chances are, if you have one lobster dinner in New England, you are likely to have another one soon thereafter. Once you get a taste for lobster, you just have to have it again. Maine is where the best tasting lobsters are, but they’re not too shabby in coastal Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island either.
 
*Biking - The flat topography in New England’s beach towns makes them ideal for exploration on two wheels. Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Newport and the Maine coast are full of places that rent bikes, and you should take advantage of them. You will also save yourself traffic headaches.
 
*Leaf-peeping - The annual arrival of autumnal colours draws foliage fans from all over the world. They clog Vermont’s roads to a virtual stand-still, but why hurry?   If you want to get somewhere fast, take the highway.
 
*Eating ice cream - New Englanders are forever arguing (and holding contests) to determine who makes the best ice cream. They’re so crazy for the stuff that they continue their research long into winter when temperatures outside are colder than the cones they’re holding. You can get Ben & Jerry’s in most grocery and convenience stores, but there is no substitute for getting it freshly scooped at a local ice-cream parlour. Or take a drive up to Waterbury, Vermont, and tour the main factory where Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia are packed.
 
Best places to buy antiques
*Sheffield, in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, is home to more antiques dealers than you could possibly see in a day. Go with something specific in mind, otherwise the endless possibilities of places to peruse could be dizzying.
 
Best sporting event
*Boston’s Fenway Park is old and tiny, making it a cherished reminder of the days when the uniforms were wool and games were all played during the daytime. The Red Sox are pretty good these days, so get tickets in advance, they can sell out quickly - its an experience you will not want to miss during your stay in Boston.
 
Best thing to do at 2am
*if you are anywhere near Maine with nothing to do late at night, head up to Freeport and the LL Bean store – it never closes. The town may be quiet as a church mouse at this hour, but at Bean, you’ll find a surprising number of fellow shoppers, as well as extremely helpful salespeople.
 
Most romantic place to watch the sunset
*Madaket Beach, Nantucket. On North America’s eastern coast, there are precious few places where you can watch the sun melt into the ocean. Trees, hills or buildings usually mar the view, but Madaket is west-facing, with 30 miles (48 km) of open sea between it and the next landfall. Bring a bottle of wine and a blanket to complete the experience, it can get cool once the sun sinks.
 
Best place to watch the sunrise
*The top of Cadillac Mountain, in Maine’s Acadia National Park, is the first place in the US to greet the sun each day. You have to get up pretty early and drive up to the top of the mountain in the dark, but if you like sunrises, it’s worth it.
 
Best viewpoint
* "View Boston" at the Prudential Centre, Boston. View Boston is a 360 observation deck offering breathtaking and orienting views from high above the heart of Boston. The food here is as good as the view, and you’ll not soon forget the experience of sipping a drink while seeing Boston from the 52nd floor.