Overview

Mid-October is generally the peak of fall foliage season in New England. Visitors flock to the New Hampshire and Vermont mountains, the Berkshires in Massachusetts and the coast of Maine. Bus tours offer a variety of options. All-inclusive vacations cover lodging and meals. More bare-bones tours provide transportation and scheduled activities and passengers pay for hotels and food.

Caravan

Caravan’s eight-day itineraries begin and end in Boston and travel through eight New England states. Stops on the trip include Revolutionary War sites around Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, the estates of Newport, and the mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Lodging at upscale properties includes stays at a luxury hotel, mountain resorts in Vermont and New Hampshire, and an historic boutique hotel on the Maine coast. The tour price includes hotels, activities, airport transfers, most meals and tips to all of the employees except the tour director and the driver. Airfare to Boston is not included.

Caravan 401 North Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60611 800- 227-2826 caravan.com

Globus

Globus’ eight-day itinerary also begins and ends in Boston. Highlights of the tour include sightseeing in Boston, Hancock Shaker Village, the Ben & Jerry’s factory and a gondola ride to the summit of Wildcat Mountain in New Hampshire. Accommodations are at deluxe hotels and include the Boston Park Plaza, two mountain resorts and a luxury hotel in Maine. The tour price includes scheduled activities, breakfast each day, two lunches, two dinners including a farewell meal, tips and hotels. Airfare is not included.

Globus 5301 South Federal Circle Littleton, CO 80123 866-755-8581 globusjourneys.com

Greene Coach Tours

Greene Coach Tours depart from a number of locations in Tennessee. The nine-day New England Fall Colors tour makes its first stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for an overnight stay and tour of the battlefield. The tour proceeds to Albany, New York and Lake Placid before entering New England for leaf peeping. The bus motors the back roads of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and then proceeds to Boston. The trip back to Tennessee travels through New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Accommodations are selected on the basis of convenience and their proximity to dining neither of which is included in the tour price.

Greene Coach Tours 126 Bohannon Ave Greeneville, TN 37745 800-338-5469 greenecoach.com

Colette Vacations

Colette Vacations eight-day tour, beginning and ending in Boston, includes a two-night stay in Bar Harbor, Maine, a clambake and a harbor cruise. A visit to a huge working farm includes a tour of a creamery and a stop in Woodstock, Vermont leaves time for a tour of a New England Village. Breakfast is included each day and dinner is included on three days. Accommodations, provided at upscale properties, include the ski resort at Mount Snow. Colette provides transportation to and from the airport and travelers booking airline reservations through the company are guaranteed a flight, even if the tour dates change.

Colette Vacations 162 Middle St Pawtucket, RI 02860 800-340-5158 collettetours.com

About the Author

Meg Jernigan has been writing for more than 30 years. She specializes in travel, cooking and interior decorating. Her offline credits include copy editing full-length books and creating marketing copy for nonprofit organizations. Jernigan attended George Washington University, majoring in speech and drama.

Photo Credits

  • fall peak season foliage in new hampshire image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
SHARE