Self-Launched: New York, Montreal & New England (9 Days)
9 days · New York, Montreal & New England
G Adventures charges £2,059
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of G Adventures' 9-day "Best of New York, Montreal & New England" loop from New York to Boston. Instead of a private van and group hotels, you'll piece the route together yourself with Megabus/FlixBus, Amtrak's Adirondack and Downeaster trains, and a rented car (or shared shuttle) for the Acadia leg. You'll hit the same cities and parks — New York's Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park, Lake George in the Adirondacks, Montreal's Old Town and Mount Royal, sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia NP, and Boston's Freedom Trail — staying in hostels, budget motels and a Maine cabin instead of 2–3 star hotels. Costs are estimates for a solo backpacker in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive New York — Lower Manhattan & Brooklyn Bridge
New York City
Land at JFK and take the AirTrain + subway ($10.75, ~£8) to a hostel in Brooklyn or Long Island City rather than a $70 taxi. Drop bags, then walk the Brooklyn Bridge at golden hour — it's free and it's the best first look at Manhattan. Grab a slice of pizza in Dumbo (around $4) and an evening wander through Times Square if you've got the energy. Book your onward bus to Lake George tonight on Megabus or Greyhound to lock in the cheaper fare.
🚌AirTrain + subway from JFK ($10.75 / ~£8); walking and subway in the city ($2.90 per ride)
🛏HI New York City Hostel or a Brooklyn/Queens hostel dorm (£35–45)
- →Brooklyn Bridge walk
- →Dumbo & pizza slice
- →Times Square at night
New York → Lake George, Adirondacks
Lake George, NY
Morning in the city: Central Park is free and worth two hours, or the 9/11 Memorial Reflecting Pools (free) if you want something more sobering. In the afternoon take the Megabus/Greyhound from Port Authority up to Albany or Glens Falls (~£25–30, 4.5 hrs), then a local shuttle or short rideshare to Lake George. Check into a budget motel or the Adirondack hostel-style lodge and eat dinner on the main strip. Trade city streets for pine air, exactly like the group tour does.
🚌Megabus/Greyhound NYC–Albany or Glens Falls (~£28); local rideshare/shuttle to Lake George (~£8)
🛏Lake George budget motel or lodge cabin (£45–55 per room, split if sharing)
- →Central Park walk
- →9/11 Memorial pools
- →Lake George village evening stroll
Free morning in the Adirondacks → Montreal
Montreal, Quebec
Wake early for a self-guided hike up Prospect Mountain or along the Lake George shoreline trail — trailheads are free and local buses/taxis will drop you at the trailheads. After lunch, take a bus to Montreal: Trailways/Greyhound runs Lake George–Montreal directly (~£35–40, 5 hrs) or you can go via Albany and catch the Adirondack Amtrak line. Cross the Canadian border (passport handy) and arrive in Montreal evening. Check into a hostel in the Plateau or Old Montreal and do a self-guided orientation walk: Vieux-Montréal, the waterfront, and a $12 poutine for dinner.
🚌Bus Lake George–Montreal (~£38, ~5 hrs) or via Albany + Amtrak Adirondack (~£60)
🛏M Montreal or Auberge Saintlo hostel, Plateau/Mile End dorm (£28–38)
- →Prospect Mountain or Lake George shoreline hike
- →Self-guided Old Montreal walk
- →Poutine dinner
Montreal — Mount Royal & Old Town
Montreal, Quebec
Free day in the bilingual city. Walk up Mount Royal from Peel Street for the classic skyline viewpoint (free, ~1 hr round trip), then wander the Plateau's spiral staircases and bagel shops (St-Viateur Bagel, ~$2 for a bagel). Afternoon options: free entry to the Musée des Beaux-Arts' permanent collection, the Notre-Dame Basilica ($10 CAD), or La Ronde amusement park (~$65 CAD) if you're up for rides. Use the STM metro ($3.75 CAD per ride or a $11 day pass) — no group van needed.
🚌STM metro day pass (~£6.50); walking
🛏Same hostel, Montreal (£28–38)
- →Mount Royal viewpoint
- →Plateau & St-Viateur Bagel
- →Notre-Dame Basilica ($10 CAD)
- →Optional: La Ronde (~$65 CAD)
Montreal → Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, ME
Long travel day — be realistic. The cleanest DIY route is Montreal to Boston on the Greyhound/Megabus (~£50, 6–7 hrs), overnight in Boston, then an early Amtrak Downeaster to Portland/Bangor and a shared shuttle to Bar Harbor. If you'd rather compress it, rent a car in Montreal and drive the 6 hrs through Maine (splitting a rental ~£55/day plus fuel between 2–3 travellers is cheaper than the buses). Arrive in Bar Harbor, check into a hostel or cabin and eat a lobster roll on the waterfront (~$22).
🚌Montreal–Boston bus (~£50) + Downeaster train to Portland (~£18) + shared shuttle to Bar Harbor (~£20); or shared car rental
🛏Bar Harbor hostel (e.g. Hostel-style cottage) or rustic cabin (£50–65, cheaper shared)
- →Drive through Maine
- →Bar Harbor waterfront
- →Lobster roll dinner
Acadia National Park — Cadillac Mountain Sunrise
Bar Harbor, ME
Set an alarm — Cadillac Mountain sunrise is the thing you came for, and the summit road pass is ~$6 (it's part of a $35 per-vehicle park pass, so split it). If you don't have a car, the free Island Explorer shuttle runs from Bar Harbor to the park from late June to mid-October, and ranger-led sunrise shuttles sometimes run too. After sunrise, hike the Ocean Path to Thunder Hole and Sand Beach (free), or rent a bike from Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop (~$30) to ride the carriage roads. Optional sea kayaking with one of Bar Harbor's local outfitters is ~£40–50 — book direct rather than through an aggregator.
🚌Island Explorer free shuttle (seasonal) or shared rental car; Acadia entrance $35/vehicle (~£7 pp shared)
🛏Same cabin/hostel, Bar Harbor (£50–65)
- →Cadillac Mountain sunrise
- →Ocean Path hike (Thunder Hole, Sand Beach)
- →Carriage-road cycling ($30)
- →Optional: sea kayaking (~£45)
Bar Harbor → Boston
Boston, MA
Leave Maine behind. The cheap route is the shared Bar Harbor–Bangor shuttle, then the Concord Coach Lines bus to Boston (~£55 total, 6 hrs). The Downeaster train is scenic if you can hook into Portland but is longer overall. Arrive in Boston late afternoon, check into a hostel in Fenway/Back Bay, and take a free evening walk along the Rose Kennedy Greenway and into the North End for a cheap cannoli ($4) and pasta dinner ($18).
🚌Shared shuttle Bar Harbor–Bangor (~£12) + Concord Coach Lines to Boston (~£42)
🛏HI Boston hostel, Chinatown/Back Bay dorm (£32–42)
- →Rose Kennedy Greenway walk
- →North End cannoli
- →Chinatown food stop
Boston — Freedom Trail & Museums
Boston, MA
Do the Freedom Trail yourself — it's a 2.5-mile red-brick line from Boston Common to Charlestown, free to follow and easy to self-guide with the NPS app. Detour to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ($20) which the group tour name-checks, or the ICA. If it's baseball season, Fenway Park bleacher tickets can be found from ~$20 on resale. Finish with New England clam chowder at a counter spot in Faneuil Hall (~$10). All walkable — the T ($2.40 per ride) covers anything further out.
🚌Walking; MBTA subway ($2.40 per ride, ~£2)
🛏Same hostel, Boston (£32–42)
- →Self-guided Freedom Trail
- →Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ($20)
- →Optional: Fenway Park (~$20+)
- →Clam chowder in Faneuil Hall
Depart Boston
Boston, MA
Check out and head to Logan Airport on the MBTA Blue Line or Silver Line ($2.40, ~£2) — far cheaper than a taxi at $45. If your flight is later, use the morning for a walk along the Charles River Esplanade or a final coffee in Beacon Hill. Trip ends.
🚌MBTA Blue/Silver Line to Logan Airport (~£2)
🛏—
- →Charles River Esplanade walk
- →Beacon Hill coffee
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,059 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £879 per person (43%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
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 Self-Launched: New York, Montreal & New England (9 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 9 days in New York, Montreal & New England. 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,059 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £879 (43%) per person.
How long is the New York, Montreal & New England trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through New York, Montreal & New England.
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 city-breaks, backpacker, budget trip through New York, Montreal & New England, 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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