Best route from Conway, NH

We will be visiting VT, NH, and Maine in early Oct. We will tour VT, then White Mountains of NH and leave from Conway on our way to Bar Harbor to tour Arcadia National Park, etc. Which is the best route to take? Thanks

Best route from Conway, NH

CeCe --

By ';best route'; do you mean quickest and fastest so you can see more of the Bar Harbor/Acadia area when you get there, or are you willing to spend a few extra hours travel time so see more of Maine%26#39;s scenery and a few unique sights/attractions along the way? Knowing that will help us give you better route advice.

Best route from Conway, NH

Probably the fastest route so we can see Bar Harbor and Arcadia National Park. We will then go down the coast to Kennebunkport, ogunquit and Portsmouth before flying out of Manchester. Thanks

CeCe -- If the object of the day is to just get from North Conway to Bar Harbor as quickly as possible to give you more time there, I%26#39;d strongly recommend the following:

-- US Rt 302 south from North Conway toward Bridgton and Portland Maine....Go about 48 miles to Maine Rt 115 in North Windham

-- Turn left on Maine Rt 115. Follow it for 3 miles to US Route 4.

-- Turn left on US Rt 4. Go 3 miles to I-95/Maine Turnpike (this is a toll road but is definitely the quickest way to your destination)

-- Take I-95 North toward Lewiston, Augusta and Bangor. Go 120 miles to Exit 182A for I-395 East in Bangor.

-- Take I-395 East for 4.5 miles to Exit 6A for Coastal Route/US 1A/Ellsworth.

-- Take US 1A East for 22 miles to US 1/Maine Rt 3 in Ellsworth.

-- Take Maine Rt 3 (US 1 branches off to the east so stay on Rt 3) for 18 miles to Bar Harbor.

Total distance is about 220 miles with an estimated travel time of about four and one-half hours.

There are other routes that get you closer to the coast, and some of them may be shorter travel distance, but because of local traffic and road conditions, they%26#39;re also slower and will take you longer. The only real alternative I%26#39;d suggest you might want to consider would be to follow the above until you%26#39;re northbound on I-95....then get off I-95 at Exit 113 in Augusta and follow Maine Rt 3 to Belfast (on the coast), north through Bucksport and on to Ellsworth and Bar Harbor. That route is only 205 miles, but because there%26#39;s less divided-highway, interstate-type travel, the estimated time is about four and three-quarters hours. However, if you do decide to go this way, you should also build in an extra 45 minutes or so for a stop at the Penobscot Narrrows Bridge Observation Tower...just off Route 3 just south of Bucksport....follow Rt 173 for 1 mile to Fort Knox State Park, pay a very reasonable fee, and ride the elevator to the Observation Deck built into the top of one of the bridge towers -- great 360 degree view of that part of the Maine coast -- including the mountains of Acadia National Park off in the distance to the East. Really worth a stop if you decide to go that way.

Hope this helps -- Mainer