Thread: Portland Maine to Nova Scotia

DO NOT GO TO PORTLAND, ME DURING AUGUST WITHOUT A HOTEL RESERVATION!! Portland is a big summer tourist destination for the northeast and you will probably be disappointed with where you wind up staying unless you get a reservation in advance. I was stationed near Portland and travel back to Maine every summer. My airline layover is at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, downtown. I highly recommend staying somewhere downtown near or in the Old Port area. The Old Port is very walkable with lots of shops and good restaraunts. Boat rides and tours of the bay area are available within a short walk. A cheap and fun boat ride can be found on the mail boat which serves the islands in Casco bay. If you stay near the old port a rental car is not a necessity. For planning purposes, I would say, one full day is plenty of time to explore Portland. I can't recommend seeing any of Portland except for the Old Port area.

If you are interested in driving up the coast of Maine, be sure and stop at the visitors center located at the first exit into Freeport. We have gotten plenty of info on B&B's (recommended) and coastal events there.

Enjoy coastal Maine. August certainly is the time of the year to go.