Back to New England Hotel Vacation Guide Main Page

New England Hotel Family Vacations...and Just Mom and Dad Vacations

Read about wonderful family-oriented New England communities, search for hotels and make online reservations

Short Sands Beach, York Beach, Maine (photo by Eric H.)

By Eric H., lifelong New England resident

Whether it be the rugged Maine coastline, gentle Vermont green rolling mountains, craggy New Hampshire peaks or the sweet ocean breeze of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, we make it easy to find the perfect New England family vacation destination. Generations of our New England family and friends have taken so many New England roads well-traveled and less taken that is has become second nature to us where to go on vacation. Soon, we hope those family travel destinations will become second-nature to you en route to a great New England vacation.

Our top five family-friendly New England vacation communities:

York Beach, Maine  A virtual summer playground with two fine ocean beaches (Long Sands and Short Sands Beaches), York Beach is our number one family vacation destination. York Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park will keep you busy all day with its surprisingly good zoo and many amusement rides. The downtown is full of gift shops and restaurants, while the Cape Neddick area offers beautiful Nubble Lighthouse, some spectacular scenes of coastal rocky Maine and some wonderful homemade ice cream at Brown's Old-fashioned Ice Cream stand (try the blueberry flavor)! Find York Beach, area, hotels

Old Orchard Beach, Maine  Several miles of beach, arcade games, amusement rides, plenty of comfort foods, and many fine seafood restaurants make Old Orchard Beach a favorite family summer destination. The oceanside Pier is a fun destination with its oceanside shops and restaurants. Find Old Orchard Beach hotels

The White Mountains, New Hampshire Scenic, full of high peaks and enough year-round attractions to fill a family vacation, the White Mountains are best known for its skiing in the winter, fall foliage tours in autumn (especially the Kancamagus Scenic Byway), hiking opportunities, and famous family attractions like Storyland, Santa's Village, Conway Scenic Railway, and Echo Lake Beach (Franconia State Park). We recommend staying in either North Coneway or Lincoln -- the former for its charming small-town appeal (and plenty to do) and the latter for its proximity to so many attractions. Find White Mountains hotels

Hyannis, Cape Cod, MA As Cape Cod's commercial center and part of the Town of Barnstable, you'll find just about every type of lodging here and a busy downtown that seems to go on forever -- complete with gift shops and dining. At times, the bustle of Route 28 outside the town center can seem like a bit much, but the chance to have a wonderful Cape Cod vacation is always there with 11 area beaches, 18-hole golf at the public Hyannis Golf Course, miniature golf, plenty of soft serve ice cream, summer musical entertainment at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, motels and resorts with indoor pools, local Cape Cod League Baseball games (free!) and plenty of fishing and boating opportunities. Off the beaten track, you'll find scenery as good as any on Cape Cod -- check out the beaches first, especially the family-friendly Craigville Beach (the largest beach on the Cape).  Famous as the home of the Kennedy family,  Hyannis features the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum (397 Main St., Tel 508-790-3077) that highlights his life through myriad exhibits. Find Hyannis hotels

Newport, RI  Newport might have a reputation as an exclusive community, but it's quite family-friendly with great ocean beaches like Easton's Beach, attractions like the Cliff Walk, and, of course, the spectacular mansions. There's lot of shopping here, too, and virtually every kind of restaurant imaginable. Read more about Newport | Find Newport, RI, hotels

Book Your New England Fall Vacation Today!

Plan ahead -- avoid "no vacancy" signs by reserving a room online

When it comes to booking your New England fall family vacation, we strongly recommend you make your travel plans early. Fall foliage is a heavy tourist season and rooms can fill up quickly. Additionally, some New England communities offer more fall ambiance for the traveler -- apple picking, cider tasting, scenic drives, spectacular views and lots of color. Tap into our lifelong New England staff to know the best places to visit during your New England fall foliage family vacation. New England fall foliage hotel guide and search

(Back to top of page)

To learn more about New England's great vacation and travel destinations and tourist attractions, we also recommend you browsing our New England travel library to find valuable trip resources, ideas, articles and featured destinations and attractions before making hotel reservations.