New England

Newport

Admire the posh yachts in the harbour and enjoy a cocktail in one of the waterfront bars and restaurants. There are also more rustic bars, Irish pubs and places with live blues and jazz, and there's much history to discover. Newport became a colony in 1639 and grew rapidly as a port, famous for privateering and the infamous 'triangle trade' of slaves, molasses and rum.

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Mystic

Built up around the mouth of the Mystic River, the town was once a highly profitable whaling and fishing community. Learn more about its fascinating history at the Mystic Seaport Museum, where costumed guides talk about their crafts and trades.

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Berkshires

The historic mansions of 19th-century millionaires from Boston and New York are now museums, inns and performing venues. Chesterwood, with its beautiful gardens, and The Mount, where the novelist Edith Wharton designed wonderful interiors, are 2 of the best to visit. The Berkshires are also a haven for culture.

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Sturbridge

Walk around the 200 acres of pretty grounds with their ponds, rolling fields and mature trees, and you'll get a real feel for what life was like around 1830 in New England. Spookily convincing actors in period costumes greet you and tell you about their lives, while demonstrating their crafts, cooking and farming methods.

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Plymouth

Explore Mayflower II, a faithful recreation of their ship, and chat with the 'pilgrims' (a rather convincing and knowledgeable group of actors) on board. Just out of town, you can visit another faithful replica, Plimoth Plantation where more brave adventurers, together with their friends the Indians, offer a fascinating glimpse of what life was like for settlers and Native Americans alike.

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Salem

Indeed, the Salem Witch Museum is one of its most popular attractions, but apart from that, it's a beautiful coastal town with plenty of charm, only 20 miles north of Boston. Various museums showcase early colonial life and for local and international art and culture, the recently expanded Peabody Essex Museum is a must.

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Rockport

Once a major granite shipper, the depression closed the quarries and today people come to sunbathe on the rocks and beaches, walk along the shore or in the honeysuckle woods, and whale watch.

Sights to see include Thatcher Island with its twin lighthouses and Halibut Point State Park. A shopper's paradise, there are art galleries galore and quaint one-of-a-kind shops.

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Cape Cod

Once a major shipbuilding and whaling centre, Falmouth is now a typical Cape town - picturesque and charming. Wander down the lovely Main Street to soak up the delightful atmosphere and enjoy the countless shops and restaurants. Falmouth is the perfect base to take a day trip to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, as the ferry terminal is here at the harbour.

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Vermont

Autumn is justly celebrated for the vivid colours of the foliage, but summer's deep green, and the multitudes of wild flowers in spring, are just as alluring. In our Virgin Snow brochure you'll find details of the copious winter thrills. The inns of Vermont are famous in their own right, and tucked away restaurants provide romantic candlelit dinners at the end of a day's explorations.

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New Hampshire

At the western end of the spectacular Kancamagus Highway is Lincoln, neighbour to breathtaking Franconia Notch and its powerful waterfalls. At the eastern end you'll find North Conway, as famous today for its designer clothing outlets as its scenic pleasures. At 6,288ft, Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeastern US.

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Maine

Bordering Canada in the north and the Atlantic nearly everywhere else, the glorious coastline, for which it is justifiably renowned, is so craggy that if you stretched it out straight it would run for 3,000 miles! Many of the best beaches can be found in the southern coastal towns, the most famous of which is the 7-mile stretch of sand at Old Orchard Beach.

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