Travel in New England

The Wall Street Journal picked The Bermels' Guide to Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park as the top pick on the Internet to learn about the area. Although the site's developers, Larry and Michele Bermel, live in Chappaqua, NY we think the Journal made a wise pick. Included are great photographs, wonderful and varied "reviews" of things to do in the area and an unobtrusive but candid appeal for donations to support their work.

Transportation Security Administration has the complete list of things one may bring on a flight and more importantly, what are prohibited at airports and in aircraft. To speed things along for all air travelers, it's a good idea to double check the content of your travel gear.

Amtrak is implementing several new security measures. Guests will be required to produce valid photo identification when purchasing tickets or checking baggage. All guests, 18 years or older, should be sure to carry a driver's license, passport or other photo identification when making a purchase.

Valid ("in-force" or "current") photo identification includes the following:

State-issued photo driver's license
State-issued photo ID for non-drivers, or if ID does not carry a photo, it must identify the presenter by physical characteristics
Passport
Federal, state or county government issued employee photo ID
University, college or high school photo ID.

New England is a small place with a wealth of travel options. Aside from rush hour in some of our cities, New England is easy to explore and these travel sites and services can help in planning a journey and getting the most out of a visit.

New England Pictures is a collection of recent photographs by Vlad and Carol Kononov of Shelton, Connecticut. Their attention is directed principally to New England's southern shoreline and the beaches of Connecticut and Rhode Island, although there are photos of more inland State Parks in the region as well. The site include commentary on favorite locations that may prove valuable to visitors to the area.

The Heart of New England is a monthly online magazine that places emphasis on the distinct Yankee traditions we come to value and enjoy from the more rural and northern regions in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

BidjetCharter.com from Quincy, Massachusetts is a private air charter service with a unique, online service. Business travelers and others can plan where they want to go and how much they want to spend. The company then posts the requests to hundreds of private jet operators-from small private jets to Boeing 747�s- for a guaranteed low price. It's all done quickly on the Internet, using their extensive database. The service is good for travel in New England or worldwide.

Visiting New England .com is a travel directory on our six states, plus a little of New York, featuring travel and vacation tips from viewers. In the Best and Worst Restaurants in Massachusetts, they warn travelers that the worst subs-in New England we call them "grinders" are the pre-packaged monstrosities served up at Mobil gas stations.

Federal Aviation Administration New England Region is located in Burlington, Massachusetts and provides air traffic control and other aviation services within this six-state region. At the site they have information on educational services, events and visiting their information center.

That's Camping in the Northeast-Campground reviews and information on what people have to say about camp facilities in New England and New York. Conveniently listed by state, viewers can research what others had to say about a particular campground before they make the journey and all are invited to pass on their reviews to help others. A useful site for the experienced campers as well as those just starting out, the site includes a suggested packing list and things to consider about making a camping decision. Debbie and Mike, from Massachusetts, run the site that includes a good form for sending in a review.

Camping New England is a relatively new site started by Eric and Cathleen Bruni. Still in the building stage, they are developing a information source about outdoor activities in New England including campground directory, marketplace, product reviews and recreation links.

AlpineZone offers information about skiing and snowboarding in New England. offers information about skiing and snowboarding in New England. They also offer information on hiking and backpacking in Vermont and New Hampshire's Green and White Mountains, the Berkshires of Massachusetts and trails in Connecticut and Maine. The site has a message board, weather data and search program.

Northeast Campground Association represents over 700 of the finest campgrounds and RV resorts in the Northeastern United States. Find the perfect campground from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, New Jersey and beyond.

Berkshire / Folkstone Bed & Breakfast is a reservation service for homes and small inns in Western & Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Eastern New York State. They offer a range of accommodations, from restored Victorian houses to dairy and sheep farms

New England Stepps is an interesting guide service that provides personalized and informative tours of cities like Boston or entire regions in New England and elsewhere.

Amtrak lists all of its national trains, schedules, rates and the arrival status. Their New England system is large and growing.

The Ethan Allen Express offers a five hour ride from New York City to Rutland, VT.

The Vermonter starts from Washington and New York with destinations to Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Windsor-Mt. Ascutney, Waterbury-Stowe, Burlington, St. Albans. It also stops in New Haven, Hartford, or Windsor, CT, or continue by bus between St. Albans, VT and Montreal, Quebec.

Peter Pan Bus Lines serving New England down to Washington, DC. The rates and schedules are here.

The New England Ski Guide is a very good, state by state, directory of skiing facilities. They provide a brief review of each center, give prices and provide local links of interest.

New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide was submitted by email from Jeremy D'Entremont of Coastlore Productions in Winthrop, MA. A wonderful site with breath taking photographs.

Tye's Top Tour & Travel founded in 1992 in Merrimack, New Hampshire, the company is one of the largest full service tour operators in the state. Aside from innovative tours of New England, they also operate programs in the British Isles, France, Austria, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada and elsewhere in the United States. They are one of the few New England tour that employ certified Tour Planners. A suggested site we received by email.

New England Railfan is for the rail road fan who wants to see the trains move on the tracks. The site features detailed information on rail lines, scheduled trains and locations for viewing.

Outdoor New England, edited by Marie Lillian Plasse of Massachusetts, provides original reports and stories on the life and times of New England's natural beauty. The site includes attractive reproductions for purchase, hints on camping, updates on things to do in New England and links other national and regional outdoor sites.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Rail service along Connecticut's shoreline and interior with connections to Amtrak service to all of New England. The site includes schedules, rates and ticket purchases online. Waterbury and New Haven are the line's terminals in New England with important connections at Stamford, Connecticut.

New London County Guide, is a travel, entertainment and retailing site about the county. Shoppers can help support a restoration project in Norwich, CT.

Bradley International Airport is growing into one of the best airports serving the region without many of the difficulties that travelers experience elsewhere.

Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Visitors Council is a regional organization, supported by private and public funding, that promotes and coordinates tourism in one of the region. The site has up-to-date information on events, points of interest and local attractions.

Andy and Amy Vaughn know about Deer Isle in Maine and about renting vacation property in the area. Need a Maine get-a-way? They can help. Their site Maine Vacation Rentals in Deer Isle, Maine includes great pictures, rates and what to expect on this wonderful sanctuary for the harried.

Looking for a Maine Getaway? Ogunquit Rentals specializes in renting well maintained cottages, houses, condos and apartments in the seaside village of Ogunquit, Maine. The site offers pictures, prices and rental information from a large inventory of vacation housing options. All are close to the ocean and but none in Ogunquit are directly on the beach.

The Beal & Bunker Mail Boat and Ferry Service is a family run business that serves Great Cranberry, Little Cranberry, and on request, Sutton's Island in Maine. They operate all year, as they have for over forty years, providing commuter, mail and freight service from Northeast Harbor. Special, off-shore excursions and private charters are available-the great views are free-but leave your car on the mainland. Bicycles are okay.

Ogunquit, Maine has an online community, ogunquitnet with local information, a message board and tips for travelers.

Bike Tours in Maine, a service of Maine's Office of Passenger Transportation, offers 21 bike tours in the state. With maps and travel tips, the site is run by the people in the Bike and Pedestrian section who are more than happy to answer specific questions from bicycle enthusiasts.

Go Scarborough! is a guide to Scarborough, Maine and Greater Portland. They offer up-to-date information on the area and is a good place to plan a visit. The site has plenty of local links.

Maine Travel Vacation Directory, part of the Maine Travel Net, is a web site from Deblois that offers web cams, links to a map service and other links to seven travel districts in the state. They also offer a Down East chat page.

In Town Reservations is a full service Real Estate & Travel Service company in Provincetown, Massachusetts. While they have an obvious interest in and knowledge of Provincetown and other Cap Cod communities, they are also members of an extensive network that can answer travel questions outside the area. As visitors to the city know, Provincetown has a wide variety of vacation accommodations- inns, B &B's, motels, condos, private homes-that the staff at In Town know well from their years of experience. And as a fully licensed real estate agency, they also serve people wanting to purchase residential or commercial property for investment, a new residence or weekend retreat. The Site includes pictures of listed properties, contact information and a good local events guide.

Harbor Express provides commuters with convenient ferry service to and from the Massachusetts South Shore to Logan Airport. They operate seven days a week.

The Two Blondes Restaurant Guide to the Monadnock Region in New Hampshire was first printed in November 2001. It is, according to authors Hillary Davis and Blandine Beaulieu (the "blondes"), the first ever restaurant guide to southern New Hampshire.

Both women bring years of international culinary experience to the the guide, in its fourth printing, that is available by mail, phone and at retailers in the area. The site, still being developed as of June 2002, includes links and listings of regional restaurants, driving directions and background information about the blondes.

New Hampshire Happenings, from Manchester, provides a broad range of information on events, attractions, amusements, lodging and recreation centers in the state. On the Internet since 1999, the attractive site offers searchable information for the entire state, or a specific region, and invites submissions with a handy and easy to use data form. As they say, "A web-site that has fun things to do in New Hampshire! Check it out then share it with a friend!"

Stonewall Farm a working New England farm in Keene, NH is a non-profit education center working to promote local agriculture and an understand of natural resources. Open year-round for picnicking, hiking on their Natural History Trail and visiting with farm animals.

New Hampshire Campground Owners Association represents 140 members Campgrounds and RV Parks in the state. The site includes a search program with links to scores of member sites and the latest on boating, fishing and camping in New Hampshire.

"Discover Bristol" is an online brochure full of things to see and do in this interesting city. Order a brochure online to make future plans.

Block Island Ferry leaves from Point Judith, Newport and New London for the island. The site has schedules, rates, vehicles information and directions to the respective port facilities.

New Englanders and many others tend to think of Vermont as the "just" the home of Green Mountains. But the southern-still hilly but less mountainous-parts of the state have a wealth of towns, cities, villages and things to do "year round" that should not be overlooked by those seeking the "real" Vermont.

Vermont Rail System is an affiliation of four Vermont Railways: the Green Mountain Railroad, the Clarendon and Pittsford Railroad, and the Washington County Railroad,