I believe that New England is the best place in the country, but that may be biased by being a New Englander my entire life. I have put together a list of the best places to visit in the area to hopefully inspire others to find the beauty in my favorite section of the country.
Portland, Maine
This is hands down my favorite vacation spot in New England, throughout all four seasons. There are plenty of spots for shopping and eating, and it’s easy to get lost in the charm of the city.
A highlight of Portland is Old Port, the historic area of the city that is almost directly on the water. In my opinion, the best eats and shopping are in this area. Highlights include the Flatbread Company for fantastic pizza and a view overlooking the waterfront, and Via Vecchia for delicious Italian food and great service.
Further into the city, you can find cool thrift stores, including Find and Little Ghost. Find is my personal favorite, and I have found some of my favorite pieces of clothing there.
The Book Barn–East Lyme, Connecticut
If you’re a big reader and want to get literally lost in books for a day, The Book Barn is the spot for you! It is a collection of three used book stores–The Book Barn, Book Barn Downtown, and Chapter Three–filled with every book you could imagine.
My favorite of the three stores is the main Book Barn, which is a collection of book-filled sheds all outside. It is a great way to grow your library for cheap, and a very fun adventure.
You may even run into one of the store cats that live at the different locations if you’re lucky. I’ve only managed to see them once, but it made the experience even better.
Cape Cod Playhouse–Dennis, Massachusetts
Some of the best shows I’ve seen are at the Cape Cod Playhouse, a small professional theater on the Cape. The theater was converted from an abandoned meetinghouse in the 1920s, so not only are you experiencing great performances, but you also get to be part of history!
The especially exciting part about this theater is that you can see Broadway stars for a relatively affordable price. Since the playhouse began its operations, it has been where actors go to vacation. You are guaranteed to see fantastic acting and singing with these professional actors.
Two things to note about the playhouse are that it does not have the most comfortable seating, so be prepared for awkwardly shifting in your seat, and the playhouse season is only from June to mid-September.
Newport, Rhode Island
Most people in New England know Newport for its beautiful Victorian and Golden Age mansions, but there are so many things the city has to offer outside of these.
One of my favorite areas is Thames Street, a strip of cute boutiques and cafes to stop in. This is where the viral Nitro Bar cafe is located, so if you want a trendy coffee, make sure to stop in!
In the summer, to ease transportation, the city offers free hop-on-hop-off trolleys. This greatly increases the experience of visiting and makes it so much easier to get around. The only thing to think about is that on the weekends, the trolleys are packed, so be prepared for a tight fit on the journey.
If you do want to visit the mansions, which is definitely fun, my tip is to pay attention to any free entry days they may have. It can be pricey visiting Newport, and sometimes the mansions will offer free entry to a specific mansion, which is always a perk.
I wish you luck on your travels through New England.
–April 7, 2026–
