East Coast Road Trip: 10 Days From Boston to Washington, DC

Plan 10 days for an East Coast road trip from Boston to Washington, DC. Spend two days in Boston, a night in Newport, Rhode Island, a stop in Mystic, Connecticut, two or three days in New York City, two in Philadelphia, an afternoon in Baltimore and two in DC. The route covers about 650 miles. Go in May, June, September or October. And here is the honest part: return the car before New York, or park it outside the city. Driving in Manhattan is expensive and pointless.

The Northeast Corridor is the most densely packed stretch of history and culture in the United States. In one week and a bit, you can walk the Freedom Trail where the American Revolution began, see the Liberty Bell and the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed, stand on the National Mall and climb to the top of a Manhattan skyscraper. You can also eat lobster rolls, cheesesteaks, crab cakes and New York pizza on the same trip. In 2026, the year the country marks its 250th anniversary, this route carries extra meaning.

• 10 daysBoston to Washington, DC
• ≈650 miIncluding the coastal detours
• 5Major cities on one route
• E-ZPassThe toll system you will use daily

Should you even drive?

Let’s be blunt. If you only want to see the big cities, a car is a burden. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains connect Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, with frequent departures and stations right downtown. The Acela takes about 3.5 to 4 hours from Boston to New York and less than 1.5 hours from New York to Philadelphia. City parking costs $30 to $70 a night or more, and traffic on Interstate 95 can be miserable.

So why drive? Because the best parts of the East Coast are between the cities. Newport’s mansions and cliff walk. Mystic’s seaport. Cape Cod beaches. The Brandywine Valley’s gardens. The Amish farms of Lancaster County. Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive. You can’t reach those easily by train. Our recommendation is a hybrid: drive the New England stretch, drop the car before New York, take the train through the cities, and rent again in DC if you want to add Shenandoah.

The route at a glance

Days 1–2: Boston

Walk the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile red line through downtown linking 16 historic sites, including the Massachusetts State House, the Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church. End in Charlestown at the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat. Eat cannoli in the North End. On day two, visit Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, walk through the Public Garden and Beacon Hill, and cross the river to Harvard Square. Our Boston weekend itinerary has the details.

Pick up your car on the morning you leave, not on arrival. You won’t need it in Boston.

Day 3: Newport, Rhode Island

Newport was the summer playground of America’s Gilded Age elite, who built mansions they called “cottages” along Bellevue Avenue. Tour The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family’s 70-room Italian Renaissance palace finished in 1895, or Marble House. Then walk the Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile path between the mansions’ lawns and the rocky Atlantic shore. Some sections are rough and have been damaged by storms, so check which parts are open. Drive Ocean Drive at sunset and eat fresh seafood on the wharf. Stay the night if you can. Newport after the day-trippers leave is a quieter town, and the harbor at dusk is lovely.

Day 4: Mystic and on to New York

In Mystic, Connecticut, visit Mystic Seaport Museum, a recreated 19th-century maritime village with historic ships, including the Charles W. Morgan, the last surviving wooden whaling ship. The town has a drawbridge, ice cream shops and the pizza place that inspired a 1980s movie.

Then drive to New York. Our advice: drop the car at a rental office in Stamford, New Haven or near an airport, and take the Metro-North train into Grand Central. Since January 2025, cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street have paid a congestion pricing toll, and hotel parking is very expensive. If you keep the car, park it in a garage outside Manhattan and use the subway.

Days 5–6: New York City

Two days only scratches the surface, but it’s enough for a first taste. Walk the High Line, see the 9/11 Memorial, ride the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty for free, walk the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, and spend a morning in Central Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Our New York City itinerary plans four days if you can stay longer, and our NYC on a budget guide keeps costs down.

Days 7–8: Philadelphia

Take Amtrak or NJ Transit and SEPTA to Philadelphia, or rent a car again if you plan to explore the countryside. Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation. See the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed. Independence Hall requires timed tickets for much of the year. Eat at Reading Terminal Market, run up the “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and tour Eastern State Penitentiary, a haunting 1829 prison. In 2026, Philadelphia is at the heart of the country’s 250th anniversary events, so book early. Our Philadelphia weekend guide has more.

With a car, spend a day in Lancaster County, home to one of the largest Amish communities in the country, or the Brandywine Valley, with Longwood Gardens and Winterthur.

Day 9: Baltimore

Baltimore deserves more than a drive-by. Visit Fort McHenry, where the 1814 bombardment inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the national anthem. Walk the Inner Harbor and the brick streets of Fells Point. Eat steamed blue crabs, cracked with a mallet on a paper-covered table and dusted with Old Bay seasoning. The National Aquarium is one of the best in the country.

Day 10: Washington, DC

End on the National Mall, where almost every museum is free. The Smithsonian Institution runs most of them, including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol in the evening, when the monuments are lit. Washington Monument tickets are timed. Our Washington, DC itinerary covers three days, and you will want them.

Extend it

Cape Cod: two days of beaches, lighthouses and seafood shacks, east of Boston. The Cape Cod National Seashore is one of the best beach areas in the Northeast.

Shenandoah National Park: 75 miles west of DC. Skyline Drive runs 105 miles along the Blue Ridge, connecting to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our Blue Ridge Parkway road trip picks up where Skyline Drive ends.

The Hudson Valley: north of New York City, with historic estates, farms and art at Dia Beacon.

Maine: start further north in Portland or Acadia. See our Acadia guide.

Tolls, parking and traffic

Interstate 95 and its bridges and tunnels carry heavy tolls. Many toll plazas are now cashless, billing by license plate. If you rent a car, the rental company will charge you tolls plus an administrative fee, which can add up quickly. Check whether your rental includes a toll pass, or bring your own E-ZPass transponder if you have one. E-ZPass works across most states on this route.

Traffic is worst on weekday rush hours and Friday afternoons around New York and DC. Avoid driving through New York City or around the Washington Beltway at those times. Plan driving days for mid-morning on weekdays.

City parking is expensive. Book garage spots in advance through parking apps for a discount, or choose hotels outside the center near a train station.

When to go

Late spring, May and June, and fall, September and October, are ideal, with mild temperatures and long days. Fall brings foliage to New England and the Hudson Valley. Summer is hot and humid in New York, Philadelphia and DC, and New England beach towns are busy and expensive. Winter can be cold and snowy, but city attractions are uncrowded and hotels are cheaper. DC’s cherry blossoms usually peak in late March or early April.

What it costs

This is an expensive region. City hotels often cost $250 to $450 a night, more in Manhattan. Parking, tolls and gas add up if you drive the whole way. Museums in DC are free, which helps. A 10-day trip for two, mid-range, can easily total $5,000 to $7,000 before flights. Taking the train between cities and staying in neighborhoods outside the center can cut that significantly.

Common mistakes

Driving in Manhattan. Just don’t.

Ignoring rental toll fees. Read the policy before you drive away.

Treating DC as one day. It deserves at least two.

Skipping the coast. Newport and Mystic are what make a road trip better than a train trip.

Eat your way down I-95

Each stop on this route has a food it is proud of, and arguing about who does it best is a regional sport. In Boston, have clam chowder and a lobster roll, then cannoli from the North End. In Rhode Island, try stuffies, baked stuffed quahog clams, and coffee milk, the official state drink. In New Haven, just off the route, line up for coal-fired pizza at one of the famous old pizzerias on Wooster Street. In New York, eat a bagel with lox, a slice of thin-crust pizza and a pastrami sandwich. In Philadelphia, order a cheesesteak, though many locals swear the roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe is better. In Baltimore, it is steamed blue crabs and crab cakes. And in DC, try a half-smoke, a spicy sausage that is the city’s signature dish. Our guide to famous foods by state has more.

With kids

This route is full of history that works for kids if you keep it hands-on. Climb aboard the USS Constitution in Boston. Explore the ships and village at Mystic Seaport. Ride the Staten Island Ferry and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. See the Liberty Bell up close. And in DC, the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum, with its giant dinosaur hall and Hope Diamond, are free. Mix museums with parks and playgrounds, and build in rest afternoons. City days with kids go best when you plan fewer stops.

Packing list

• Comfortable walking shoes. You will walk miles each day in the cities.
• An E-ZPass transponder if you have one.
• A light rain jacket and layers for changeable weather.
• A small daypack that meets museum bag-size rules.
• Transit apps for the MBTA, the MTA, SEPTA and Metro.

Frequently asked questions

Plan it now

1. Decide where the car fits: New England only, or the whole way.
2. Book city hotels near transit, especially in New York and Philadelphia for 2026.
3. Reserve timed tickets for Independence Hall and the Washington Monument.
4. Sort out tolls with your rental company before pickup.