East Coast Explorer - New York to Montreal

This trip explores the large Northeast cities of New York and Boston along with the smaller coastal cities and the Cape before heading back inland through green and rugged Vermont and into playful and chic Montreal.

Note: This route can be easily combined with the Montreal to Toronto and Toronto/Niagara Falls/NYC routes to create a loop from any starting point. You can also continue along the East Coast through Maine and into Canada's Newfoundland and Nova Scotia region. Bring a warm jacket, as even in summer months nights can get very chilly, especially in Canada.

Highlights 

Say cheers to cocktail hour in New York City with a Cosmopolitan! Visit the Museum of Modern Art and walk through a real Egyptian temple. Laze on Boston Commons in the middle of the city; this historic green space is now full of students, not livestock. Slurp New England clam chowder as you watch the seals come in with the tide, and then hop on a boat out into the blue for some up-close whale watching. Get the scoop at the home of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Relax in the crisp marine breeze at Newport Beach, Rhode Island, and crack into a lobster on Cape Cod. Enjoy on of the many music and art festivals of Montreal, the diverse and sophisticated Francophone city with a mischievous wink, and finish it off with the gravy-soaked fried delicacy that is poutine.

Suggested Route

Starting Point: New York

Ending Point: Montreal

Time Frame: 7-12+ days

From New York to Boston, the most direct route is I-95. Along the way, you can visit Mystic, Connecticut, take a side trip to Newport, Rhode Island, and/or pass through Providence (where you can head east on I-195 to Cape Cod for whale watching) before heading into Boston. From here, take I-93 north to I-89 through New Hampshire (stop in at Hanover on way) and Vermont (visit Burlington and the ski areas, Killington and Sugarbush). From Burlington, it’s only about 1.5-2 hours to Montreal. You can also go straight to Montreal from New York via 1-95 to I-91 to I-89, stopping in the Adirondacks and Burlington along the way.