A Maine Coast Day Trip From New Hampshire: Ogunquit, Kennebunkport or Portland in One Day

Your guests have seen Hampton Beach. They’ve walked around Portsmouth. Now someone wants lobster rolls and a lighthouse, and that means Maine. The good news for anyone living in southern New Hampshire is that a Maine coast day trip from New Hampshire is easy: Ogunquit is barely an hour from Derry, and Portland is under two.

What trips people up isn’t the drive. It’s the details on the other side of the bridge: a toll road that won’t send you a bill in the mail, beach lots that fill by late morning, and towns where parking rules change from one beach to the next. Here’s how to handle all of it in a rental car, with one town chosen and the evening drive home kept simple.

The route for a Maine coast day trip from New Hampshire

Almost every Maine coast trip from southern New Hampshire starts the same way. Take Route 101 east to Hampton and join I-95 north, where you’ll pay a New Hampshire toll at Hampton. Cross the Piscataqua River Bridge at Portsmouth into Kittery, and a few miles later you’re on the Maine Turnpike. From there, the exit depends on the town:

From Manchester, add a few minutes, or take Route 101 the whole way from Bedford. On a summer Saturday, Route 1 through York and Wells is slow, so stay on the turnpike as long as you can and use Route 1 only for the last stretch.

Paying Maine Turnpike tolls in a rental car

This is the part that worries people, and it’s simpler than it sounds. The Maine Turnpike Authority says it accepts only cash or E-ZPass, it isn’t a “pay by plate” road, and every one of its toll plazas accepts cash. Heading for the beaches, the first one you’ll meet is the York plaza.

For a Vorenza rental, that means:

• Ask about tolls when you book. Automated tolls on our cars are tracked and billed to you at the end of the month. Ask us whether the car you’re getting is set up for that before you count on the E-ZPass lane.
• If you’re not sure, use the cash lanes. Our own FAQ recommends cash at toll booths where you can, and Maine makes that easy. Keep some small bills in the console for both directions.
• Don’t forget New Hampshire. The Hampton toll on I-95 applies on the way out and on the way home.

Pick one town on your Maine coast day trip

Trying to do Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Portland in a day means three rounds of parking hunts and most of the day in the car. Pick one, and save the others for next time.

Ogunquit: the cliff walk and the beach

Ogunquit suits a group that wants sand and a walk. The Marginal Way follows the rocks from the village to Perkins Cove, and the beach is one of the best in southern Maine. The Town of Ogunquit runs paid lots at Main Beach, Footbridge Beach and Perkins Cove, paid at the meter or through a parking app, and Perkins Cove has a time limit. On good beach days the Main Beach lot fills by late morning. Park once, then use the seasonal trolley to move between the beach, the village and the cove.

Kennebunkport: the harbor and Dock Square

Kennebunkport is for browsing the shops around Dock Square, watching boats come in and eating by the water. If the plan includes Goose Rocks Beach, know the rules first: the town requires a parking permit there from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 AM to 5 PM. Day permits are sold at kiosks that don’t take cash, and you can only park in the posted spaces.

Portland: the Old Port and the lighthouse

Portland is the choice if your guests want a city: restaurants and shops in the Old Port and the working waterfront. Then drive out to Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth, for the classic photo. The park’s main lots use pay-and-display meters that take cards only, and there’s a free overflow lot.

Which rental car suits a coast day

Parking matters more than power on this trip. Lots in Ogunquit and streets in the Old Port are tight, so a compact or midsize sedan is the easiest car to live with. If you’re carrying beach chairs, an umbrella, a cooler and four people, a midsize SUV earns its space. Either way, shake the sand off at the car and keep a towel on the seats. You’ll thank yourself on the drive home.

Hosting more people than one car holds? Renting a second car is often simpler than squeezing everyone in, and drivers 18 and older can rent with us. See the current fleet, or read our guide to renting at 18 in New Hampshire if a younger family member is driving the second car.

Mileage, timing and getting the car

A round trip to Portland comes to roughly 200 miles, and Ogunquit is less. Most of our rentals include a daily mileage allowance, with extra miles at $0.50 to $1.50 or more per mile depending on the vehicle. Tell us the destination when you book and we can set up a custom mileage package if you need one.

For timing, leave by 8 AM on a summer weekend. Northbound I-95 gets busy as the day goes on, and the beach lots fill early. Plan to start home before the evening rush back across the bridge, especially on a Sunday.

To make the early start painless, have the car delivered the night before. We deliver across our local zone, including Derry, Londonderry, Salem, Windham and Manchester, with the delivery rate quoted when you book. You can also pick up at our Derry office on Central Street.

Your Maine day-trip checklist

1. Book the car and tell us the town, so the mileage fits.
2. Ask about tolls and keep small bills for the York plaza.
3. Choose one town and look up its parking rules.
4. Bring a card and a phone for meters, apps and permit kiosks.
5. Pack towels, sunscreen and a bag for sandy gear.
6. Leave early and head home before the evening traffic.
7. Save (603) 661-2672 in case anything comes up.

A Maine coast day trip from New Hampshire is one of the best things to do with summer guests, and it doesn’t need a hotel or an early flight. Choose one town, carry some cash, park early, and the only hard decision is where to get the lobster roll. If the group would rather stay on this side of the border, our Hampton Beach day trip guide covers the NH coast.