Boston fly-drives by season

New York is the wisecracking younger brother of bookish Boston. Both cities are magical in spring time, and you can drive between them in half a day. Start in Boston, where you can stroll on the pleasant campus of Harvard in Cambridge or enjoy the sunny pathways of Boston Common. If you fancy shopping in the city, you can buy a whole wardrobe’s worth of clothes in the shops at Back Bay: perfect if you fancy rocking up to New York in a brand-new outfit.

After dropping your hire car off in New York, saunter through Central Park on foot for cherry blossom and sprawling lawns. In spring you can enjoy the St Patrick’s Day parade, the start of baseball season and walking through the elevated urban gardens of New York’s High Line.

Stay at: You might be in the big city now, but there’s no need to choose an impersonal hotel experience once you arrive in New York. Hotel Indigo NYC is quirky and urban, with its own rooftop bar and swimming pool.

In summer, Boston’s walkable streets become spaces for outdoor living – whether you attend a festival at Seaport, summer concerts at the Memorial Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, or simply sit outside on the terraces at Faneuil Hall. After you’ve made the most of this boutique city, it’s time to head coast-wards to Cape Cod. En-route, stop for a naval history lesson in Plymouth – this is where pilgrims bravely disembarked the Mayflower and started lives in America.

Heading onwards to Cape Cod, you’ll find miles and miles of America’s best beaches. All along the shore sit charming clapboard buildings: modest sea captains’ houses, stout lighthouses, and general stores where you can buy yourself an avalanche of ice cream. Save room for the region’s special lobster rolls – and then burn off your East Coast feast by cycling along the rail trail – a track that takes you through fragrant pine tree woods and six Cape Cod towns. If you want to explore further, you can easily take a day trip to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard – tiny islands where the well-to-do have their holiday homes.

Stay at: Picture a Cape Cod holiday and you might picture Sea Crest Beach Hotel, a classic, clapboard construction right on the beach that’s great for budget-conscious travellers.

In Autumn, you’ll need to leave Boston to see the best sight of the season: New England’s famous fall foliage. It starts in September in the northernmost mountains of Vermont. Visitors flock to follow the changing foliage as it spreads like wildfire down through the red, black and sugar maples of the White Mountains. As the trees change, the harvest comes in and townspeople celebrate with cranberry, grape and apple festivals.

Just 17 miles from Boston, visit Salem for tales of witchcraft that will disturb even the quietest mind, especially around October, when tourists gather in droves for the month-long Haunted Happenings festival. You can watch live re-enactments of the witch trials and fall for phoney tarot readings. Witchy business indeed.

Drive north to Portsmouth, which has a perfectly recreated 17th century village, Strawberry Banke, where you can play Puritan for a little while and then explore the USS Albacore, a naval submarine. Next, head inland to the White Mountains. The dramatic peaks of New Hampshire are lined with walking trails. You can take a scenic drive from North Conway towards Chocorua Lake, where the pointy peak of Mt. Chocorua rises above the red trees. Follow the wild river at Flume Gorge’s short walking trail and keep your eyes peeled for wild moose, black bear and photo opportunities when you pass under the iconic covered bridges on the woodland roads.

Stay at: The trendy Yotel Boston is full of fun modern gimmicks: there’s a robot at reception and mood lighting and a monsoon shower in your room.

In winter, Boston’s streets are banked with snow and there’s nothing more tempting than a cosy Irish pub, followed by shopping the sales at Downtown Crossing and skating on Boston Common’s Frog Pond. Then, make your getaway to the mountains of Vermont. The town of Stowe sits below the slopes of Vermont’s highest mountain. The ski slopes are six miles away, so having your car is useful to reach Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. There are 13 lifts to whisk you up the slopes, and over half the trails in the area are perfect for intermediate skiers. Cruise along Perry Merril, a long, gentle blue run named after the state official who pioneered skiing in Vermont. You’ll be rewarded with stunning views whilst you schuss.

Fifteen minutes from Stowe is Waterbury, and the home of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. The famous factory runs tours for a couple of dollars – even in winter, so diehard fans can still sample a scoop in the snow. Don’t miss the funny ‘graveyard’ of discontinued flavours (featuring monuments to the forgotten delights of ‘Aloha Macadamia’ and ‘Holy Cannoli’.)

Stay at: Spruce Peak – formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge is actually based in Stowe’s alpine village, so it’s right on the slopes. It’s a large hotel with multiple bars and restaurants, and the ski valet – who guards your winter gear when you clock in for après-ski – is a lovely touch.