Coaches from Portsmouth to Portland

Once a bustling seaport and now a popular summer holiday destination, Portsmouth, New Hampshire is well worth visiting. Just an hour and a half north of Boston, Portsmouth offers an exciting mix of unique history and contemporary experience.

Discover Portsmouth's history at the Strawbery Banke Museum and enjoy 10 acres worth of outdoor exhibits, consisting of tours of historic houses and buildings on their original foundations. Costumed actors will regale you with stories about each location.

For those interested in naval history, Portsmouth offers tours of the USS Albacore, a retired U.S. Navy submarine, as well as a gift shop for all your souvenir needs. Portsmouth is also home to hundreds of restaurants and cafes where you can taste local delicacies or world cuisine to refuel after a day of exploring.

Portsmouth is easily accessible by air, rail, road, and coach. Portsmouth International Airport offers several direct flights from various airports, while Boston's Logan Airport is only an hour south of the town. Amtrak's Downeaster travels to Portsmouth, with a gorgeous route during leaf-peeping season. C&J Bus Lines provide regular stops from Logan Airport and other cities.

Portland is Maine's largest city and, because of that, the main transportation hub in the state. From Portland, travelers can easily reach destinations such as Boston, Albany, and even Gainesville, Texas, by a combination of buses, trains, and ferries. And there’s plenty to do in the city, even if you’re traveling solo.

Since its foundation in 1786, Portland has recovered from no less than four major fires, creating a fascinating blend of old and new. The dedicated Arts District around upper Congress Street has a smattering of important museum collections, including the Portland Museum of Art, the state's oldest public art institution.

The West End hosts the majority of Portland's historic buildings, creating an olde worlde feel. However, the presence of several well-regarded schools and colleges ensures Portland remains one of the most vibrant small cities in the U.S.

After several years of hardship, the Old Port district has once again become the center of the action. Its attractive cobblestone streets and 19th-century red-brick warehouses now contain a selection of on-trend cafes, bars, and boutique stores. At the same time, it's still possible to watch the time-honored tradition of fishermen unloading their lobster pots onto the foreshore.

East of the downtown area, you'll find Munjoy Hill. It's a district with strong Irish and Italian roots, making it one of the best places in Portland to enjoy the authentic cuisine of Italy. It’s no wonder we named Portland one of our top vacation destinations in Maine.