Boston to Maine (Coastal Routes)

Motorcycle Route Author

By Guest (0 McR Points) on Aug 31, 2008

Rider Reviews

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Guest

April 7, 2009

definitely a good ride but take the seacoast…

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pottox

22 McR Points

June 13, 2020

Nice route

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Written Directions

Start in Boston, Take I-93N to the Tobin Bridge to join Route 1N. After a while, you can take 95N to save time (In Danvers MA) but you'll miss the smaller MA towns. Route 1 (or 95N) will take you to Portsmouth NH. From there, take 103E to route 1A, through York, and then to Ogunquit ME. You can continue on Route 1 to Saco ME and then take Route 9 to Old Orchard Beach if you have the time, or inclination.

Scenery

Everything from City Skylines to beach! As you get out of the city to smaller towns you'll see forests, fields and marshes. Once you cross into ME, you are met with Coastal Areas and Beaches, with roads like 103E and Rt 1A that hug the coast. If so inclined you can continue on Rt.1 through Kennebunkport to Rt. 9 up to Old Orchard Beach which also hugs the coast.

Note: bring along some warm clothing if you can. Even in Summer, the winds and temp can get a bit chilly since you'll be on the coast with lots of sea breezes blowing. It seems like as soon as you cross the ME state line, the temp seems to drop 10 degrees!! lol!

Drive Enjoyment

Route 1 initially is a bit hairy, out of Boston. Stay alert as there are many merging on-ramps. As you get to rural areas, these go away. When you get to Portsmouth, take 103E for a scenic coastal ride. Route 1A takes you by York Beach, and then pick up Rt. 1 through Ogunquit, a nice seaside town with shopping, restaurants and pubs. Parking can be tricky here so be warned. The roads are good but beware of grating on some of the bridges, and some mysterious speed bumps on the main roads that can make your front end bounce a little bit.

Tourism Opportunities

Plenty of places to fuel, eat, shop, and hang out. Added bonus: NH has TONS of Bike Dealers/Shops, so if you need something on the way (motorcycle-related), you should have no problem finding it! Portsmouth NH is very biker friendly and has areas for motorcycle parking exclusively. Great little Coffee shop there too. York is a touristy seaside town, as is Ogunquit, but the latter is a little more artsy, with some higher end shops/restaurants.