Fall Colours of New England — Self-Launched
10 days · New England, USA
Costsaver charges £2,530
No-markup version: ~£1,210 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of Costsaver's coach tour through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire in peak foliage season — Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Newport's mansions, the Green Mountains, the Kancamagus Highway and Mount Washington — done with buses, regional trains and a shared rental car instead of a 40-52 person coach. Costs are approximate and assume hostel/budget motel stays, self-catering plus diners, and booking foliage-season beds a few months ahead. Note: road transport in rural Vermont/New Hampshire is the weak link without a car — a 3-4 day shared car rental (split between 2-4 travellers) is the cheapest realistic way to link Killington, Montpelier, North Conway and Mount Washington.
Day-by-day
Arrive Boston — Seaport & Freedom Trail teaser
Boston, MA
Fly into Boston Logan (book flights separately — not included in either the tour or this estimate). Take the MBTA Silver Line bus from the airport to South Station (~£1.80, no need for a taxi). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the Back Bay / South End area. Wander the Seaport District waterfront for a self-guided look at the harbour, then grab cheap seafood — a lobster roll at a takeaway counter is ~£15, or a clam chowder in a pub ~£8. Walk a first stretch of the Freedom Trail before dark.
🚌MBTA Silver Line from Logan Airport ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Boston (Back Bay/South End)
- →Seaport District waterfront walk
- →Freedom Trail evening stroll
- →Casual seafood dinner
Boston to Plymouth — Freedom Trail & Plimoth Patuxet
Plymouth, MA
Do the Freedom Trail yourself with a free map from the visitor centre (or a £12-15 GetYourGuide small-group walking tour if you want narration) — Quincy Market, Massachusetts State Capitol, Boston Common, Granary Burying Ground, all free to walk. Then take the MBTA Commuter Rail from South Station to Kingston/Plymouth (~£10-11, ~1 hour), with a short local bus or 15-minute walk to your lodging. Afternoon at Plimoth Patuxet Museums — buy the combined ticket online (~£24) covering the 17th-century English village, Wampanoag Homesite and the Mayflower II reproduction. Stay in Plymouth rather than the tour's Hyannis hotel to keep costs down.
🚌MBTA Commuter Rail Boston–Kingston ~£11
🛏Budget motel or Airbnb room, Plymouth
- →Self-guided Freedom Trail
- →Plimoth Patuxet Museums
- →Mayflower II
- →Plymouth waterfront
Cape Cod and Provincetown
Provincetown / Hyannis, MA
Take the Plymouth & Brockton bus or CapeFlyer/CCRTA connections down Cape Cod (~£12-15, ~2.5 hours to Hyannis or Provincetown depending on routing). Start at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Cape Cod National Seashore (free entry, free ranger maps), then ride the CCRTA Flex/Provincetown shuttle to Provincetown for galleries, cafes and Commercial Street. Instead of Truro Vineyards' paid tasting, drop into the tasting room directly (~£12 for a flight) or skip it. For the harbour/lighthouse experience, take a Provincetown or Hyannis whale-watch/harbour cruise (~£28-35, bookable on GetYourGuide/Viator) — far better value than a coach harbour cruise.
🚌Plymouth & Brockton bus + CCRTA local shuttle ~£16
🛏Hostel or budget motel, Hyannis or Provincetown
- →Cape Cod National Seashore & Salt Pond Visitor Center
- →Provincetown galleries and Commercial Street
- →Truro Vineyards tasting (direct)
- →Harbour cruise or whale watch
Cranberry bog, Newport mansions, on to Providence
Newport / Providence, RI
Morning cranberry bog stop — in season (late Sept–early Nov) several Cape bogs run free or donation-based harvest visits; ask your hostel or check local farm listings (e.g. near Carver/Middleborough). Bus or train toward Providence (~£12), drop bags, then take RIPTA bus 60 to Newport (~£1.80, 1 hour). Walk or rent a bike (£12) along the 10-Mile Ocean Drive, then buy a single mansion ticket for The Breakers (~£27 online) rather than the multi-mansion pass. Evening RIPTA back to Providence; stroll Brown University's campus and College Hill for free. Sleep in Providence — much cheaper than Newport.
🚌Bus/train to Providence + RIPTA bus 60 to Newport ~£15
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Providence
- →Cranberry bog visit
- →Ocean Drive walk or bike
- →The Breakers mansion
- →Brown University & College Hill
Providence to Killington — diner breakfast & Bridge of Flowers
Killington, VT
Eat breakfast at a family-run Rhode Island diner (Francesca's or any local equivalent, ~£10). The tour's private coach day becomes a combination: Peter Pan/Greyhound to White River Junction or Green River VT (~£30-40), then a local connection or, more practically, pick up a shared rental car here with 1-3 other travellers (~£30-40/day split). Drive to Shelburne Falls to see the free Bridge of Flowers, then on to Killington (~£0 extra once the car is split). Afternoon hike on Killington's free trails — Ram's Head or the Long Trail section — or pay ~£22 for the gondola to the summit for foliage views.
🚌Intercity bus ~£35 + shared rental car pickup
🛏Budget motel or mountain lodge dorm/room, Killington
- →Iconic diner breakfast
- →Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls
- →Killington hike or gondola
Vermont's Green Mountains — Montpelier & maple sugarworks
Killington / Montpelier, VT
Self-drive (or ride the occasional Green Mountain Transit route) north to Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the US — the gold-domed State House is free to tour. Free wander round the independent shops and the co-op for lunch (~£9). Then to Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks near Montpelier: free to visit, sugar-on-snow and tastings cost a few pounds, and the maple creemees are mandatory (~£5). Optional photo stop in Stowe on the way back — the drive through Smugglers' Notch is spectacular in foliage. Back to Killington for the night.
🚌Shared rental car, ~£35 split
🛏Budget motel or mountain lodge, Killington
- →Montpelier State House
- →Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks & sugar on snow
- →Stowe & Smugglers' Notch drive
Killington to North Conway via the Kancamagus Highway
North Conway, NH
The highlight drive: cross into New Hampshire and take the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) east from Lincoln to Conway — 34 miles of free scenic overlooks (Sabbaday Falls, Rocky Gorge, Lincoln Woods). It's the single best self-drive foliage road in New England. Fuel up in Lincoln (~£30 tank, split). Arrive North Conway: cheap motel or hostel bed, and the outlet shops and Settlers' Green are free to browse. If you don't have a car, this day is genuinely hard — the nearest realistic option is Amtrak's Downeaster to Portland plus a costly local transfer, another reason to keep the rental for days 5-8.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel ~£45 split
🛏Budget motel, North Conway
- →Kancamagus Highway scenic drive
- →Sabbaday Falls
- →Rocky Gorge
- →North Conway village
Crawford Notch and Mount Washington
North Conway, NH
Drive Route 302 through Crawford Notch State Park — free, and Silver Cascade Falls is a roadside stop with no entry fee. For Mount Washington you have two self-bookable options: the Mount Washington Auto Road (drive yourself, ~£35/car, weather permitting) or the Cog Railway (~£55-70 per person — book direct, pricey but unforgettable). Check the summit forecast; it snows up there in October. Alternatively hike a lower Crawford Notch trail (Arethusa Falls, ~3 hours, free). Evening back in North Conway — pizza and a brew ~£15.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel ~£30 split
🛏Budget motel, North Conway
- →Crawford Notch State Park
- →Silver Cascade Falls
- →Mount Washington Auto Road or Cog Railway
- →Arethusa Falls hike
Coastal Maine & New Hampshire — Kennebunkport, Portsmouth, Boston
Boston, MA
Drive south via Kennebunkport for a free walk round the harbour and Dock Square, then stop in Portsmouth, NH — 18th-century streets, Strawbery Banke's exterior lanes free to wander (interior ticket ~£20 if you want it), and good cheap lobster rolls. Drop the rental car at Boston Logan or downtown (~£0 if same-city drop). Overnight in Boston — arrive by late afternoon as the coach tour does, giving you the evening free in the North End for a £10 slice-and-cannoli crawl.
🚌Shared rental car + fuel ~£40 split, car drop-off
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Boston
- →Kennebunkport harbour
- →Portsmouth historic district
- →North End food wander
Depart Boston
Boston, MA
Silver Line back to Logan for your flight (~£2). If time allows, a morning at the free Boston Public Library or a final walk along the Charles River Esplanade before heading out. Flights home not included in either the tour price or this estimate.
🚌MBTA Silver Line to Logan ~£2
🛏None (departure day)
- →Boston Public Library
- →Charles River Esplanade walk
Self-launched vs. Costsaver
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Costsaver | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,210 | £2,530 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,320 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Costsaver-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,210
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Fall Colours of New England — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,210 per person for 10 days in New England, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Costsaver?+
Yes — Costsaver charges around £2,530 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,210 — a saving of roughly £1,320 (52%) per person.
How long is the New England, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through New England, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a road-trip, culture, hiking trip through New England, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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