Many tourist destinations celebrate their peak seasons in the summer when the weather is the nicest; not so in New England. Peak travel here is in the fall, particularly in late September and October when the foliage is at its most dramatic and students are pouring into area colleges. Many hotels jack up their prices by a factor of two or even three during this brief crowded season. The same can be said, on a smaller scale for ski season, especially around February vacation, when rates in some locations in Northern New England can reach a peak higher than their nearby ski mountains. If leaf-peeping and skiing aren’t your thing, you can save a lot of money by traveling in late August or early September when the summer humidity has dissipated, but hotel prices haven’t yet skyrocketed. Of course, the opposite holds true for beach destinations. New Englanders make the most of their brief period of heat between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Do yourself a favor and schedule your beach vacation on either side of these magical dates, when you’ll beat both the crowds and high prices—and the weather is often just as nice (of course, you are gambling that New England’s mercurial climate will cooperate).

Along with the rest of the country, New England has seen a steady rise in the price of accommodations at all levels, making it difficult to find any bargains among the major-name hotels. Bed-and-breakfasts, especially in more rural areas, can be an attractive alternative; often run by couples or families, they can offer dirt-cheap prices without sacrificing amenities or hominess. Those who prefer the anonymity of a motel will find more bargains (though less consistency) in independent operations. Gone are the days when a Super 8 or Motel 6 offers a $39 double—$139 is more like it. By contrast, you can still find a room in the $60–80 range at places like the Minuteman or Lamplighter. If in doubt, don’t be shy about asking to see a room before committing.

For families, New England abounds in large country inns that serve as an economical alternative to the big-name hotels. Often historic properties that have seen slightly better days, they make up in charm what they lack in polish. Beware, however, of properties in high-traffic tourist destinations that have not been renovated since the Revolution. And don’t immediately rush to the inn that shares the name of the town—that fact alone can boost prices by 20 percent or more.