Connecticut Destination Guide

Overview of Connecticut

Fall in Connecticut
Photo credit: Peter Rintels

Connecticut embodies quintessential New England, with a long history of patriotism, ingenuity, and industry. One of the original 13 colonies of the United States, Connecticut was established by English Puritans who left the Massachusetts colony in the 1630s. Today, their influence can still be seen in the colonial villages that dot the countryside, complete with town greens, picturesque white-steeple churches, and the well-preserved landmarks of the American Revolution.

But Connecticut is not without sophistication. Its proximity to New York City has led many to jokingly label it a suburb of that metropolis rather than a state in its own right. An ever-increasing number of people are abandoning the concrete jungle and its high taxes for family homes in upscale, idyllic Connecticut, although the mass daily commute into the city makes travelling by highway or train during rush hour rather undesirable for tourists.

For visitors, Connecticut is about enjoying a culture that places high value on the arts, fine dining, entertainment, and a thriving corporate life, while at the same time stressing those quaint features that differentiate it from the big city nearby.

Connecticut boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in New England. The serenity of the Connecticut River Valley, which divides the state in half, is difficult to match, particularly in the south, where the state's shipbuilding tradition is celebrated in countless museums, historic inns abound, and scull and crew teams train on the river at sunrise every day. The Mystic shoreline in the east offers a taste of seafaring history, with its restored seaport, and the United States Coast Guard Academy just down the coast in New London.

New Haven is the home of Yale University, one of the United States' most prestigious Ivy League institutions, with magnificent architecture dating back to the early 1700s. In the northwest, the rolling Litchfield Hills are full of hiking and biking trails, quaint towns, and antique shops. Visitors flock here from across the country in autumn to glimpse the legendary fall foliage.

Key Facts

Language:

English is the most common language spoken but Spanish is often heard in the south-western states.

Passport/Visa:

It is highly recommended that travellers' passports have at least six months' validity remaining after the intended date of departure from them travel destination. A visa is required for short visits unless travellers qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver Program.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables citizens of certain countries to travel to the US for a stay of up to 90 days without a visa. Visitors under the VWP need to register online three days before travel and have an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This allows the US government to screen all visitors before travel. Visitors entering the country under the VWP must have a machine-readable passport (MRP) that has a barcode on the photo page. Travellers under the VWP must have passports that include biometrics if they wish to enter the country without a visa, which means that passports must contain unique personal data such as fingerprints or iris details. All passports must contain a digital photo image in order to travel visa-free. All visitors to the USA have a photograph and two fingerprints taken by an inkless scanner on arrival, including those travelling visa-free under the VWP.

As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), all travellers travelling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States. If departing from the USA, a valid passport is required by immigration authorities. Immigration officials often apply different rules to those stated by travel agents and official sources.

Currency:

The official currency is the US Dollar (USD), which is divided into 100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are widespread and credit cards are widely accepted. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.

Electricity:

Electrical current is 120 volts, 60Hz. Plugs are mainly the type with two flat pins, though three-pin plugs (two flat parallel pins and a rounded pin) are also widely used. European appliances without dual-voltage capabilities will require an adapter.

Travel Advisories

Travel to Connecticut

Climate

The Connecticut climate is moderate with relatively mild winters (December to February) and warm summers (June to August). Along the coast the summers are cooler and winters warmer, and the northwestern highlands have longer, colder winters than the rest of the state, with heavy snowfall. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but summers are prone to thunderstorms. Coastal storms, or 'northeasters', are the most serious weather risk in the state, bringing strong wind and heavy rain, and snowstorms in winter. Spring has the lowest humidity and is a pleasant time to travel to Connecticut.

Health Notes when travelling to United States of America

There are no specific health risks associated with travel within the USA. Medical facilities are excellent, but expensive. Only emergencies are treated without prior payment and treatment can be refused without evidence of insurance or proof of funds. Good medical insurance is essential. Visitors must be fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to travel to the United States by plane if they are non-U.S. citizens.

Safety Notes when travelling to United States of America

Travel within the United States is generally trouble-free, though travellers should be aware that the US shares with the rest of the world, an increased threat from terrorist incidents. Security has been heightened, particularly at airports. Restrictions on hand luggage apply and travellers are advised to check on the latest situation with airlines in advance. Travellers should also be alert to the dangers of car and street crime in cities and should use common sense and take basic precautions. Hurricanes are common between June and November, putting the southern USA, including the Gulf Coast and the eastern US at risk. There is a risk of wildfires in many dry areas in the US, particularly on the West Coast from March to November.

Customs in United States of America

Laws vary from state to state, including speed limit, fines and punishment. The age at which alcohol may be legally bought and consumed is 21 years.

Duty Free in United States of America

Travellers to the United States who are returning residents of the country do not have to pay duty on articles purchased abroad to the value of $800 provided their stay was longer than 48 hours and their duty-free allowance was not used in the 30-day period prior. For passengers arriving from Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, a duty-free allowance of $1,600 is allowed. The following items are included in this: 50 cigarettes and 10 cigars and 150 millilitres (5 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages or 150 millilitres (5 fl. oz.) of perfume containing alcohol. Restrictions may apply to goods from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Burma (Myanmar), Angola, Liberia and Sudan. It is prohibited to import Cuban cigars from any country.

Travellers to the United States who are non-residents do not have to pay duty on the following items: 50 cigars or 200 cigarettes and gifts to the value of $100 provided their stay in the USA is not less than 72 hours and that the allowance has not been used in the preceding six-month period.

Prohibited items for residents and non-residents include meat or meat products, poultry, narcotics, absinthe, plants, seeds, vegetables, fruits, soil, live insects and other living plants or animal pests. Fish is prohibited unless it carries disease-free certification. Wildlife and animals or their by-products carry restrictions. Dairy products and eggs from specified countries are not allowed. Firearms and ammunition are not allowed without the necessary license and permit.

Doing Business in United States of America

In such a large country, filled with so many diverse groups, business practices may differ according to each state, however rarely to any large degree. The East Coast is traditionally more formal than the West Coast, though in states such as California, dress code and conservative appearance are as common as they would be in New York. Punctuality is important throughout the country and it is considered rude to be late for a meeting. Gift-giving is uncommon as it may be construed as bribery. Appropriate titles (Mr, Mrs, Ms) are used upon introduction and until otherwise stated. Americans favour politeness and greetings of 'Hello' and 'How are you?' are often expressed with sincerity. Business hours may vary in each state, but an 8am start and 5pm finish Monday to Friday is the most common with an hour over lunch.

Status and age are not necessarily indicative of seniority, nor do they carry much weight in themselves. Those doing business in the States should be mindful of this fact; foreigners should never make assumptions about someone's position or rank. Best practice is to be respectful to all parties. That said, the US upholds a hierarchal business structure, in which 'the boss' is the ultimate decision-maker. Senior leaders have the power of the last word, and can go against the grain just as easily as they can follow popular opinion. Foreigners should concentrate on winning over this individual, even if the greater group seems unsupportive. Americans value a direct style of communication. In this fast-paced, consumer culture 'time is money', and small-talk is viewed as unnecessary and wasteful. It's best for foreigners to get to the point quickly, speak about issues in a frank and open manner, and to avoid taking offence if someone questions or challenges them outright.

Communication in United States of America

The international country dialling code for the United States is +1. Mobile networks cover most of the country, especially all urban areas, and WiFi is widely available.

Tipping in United States of America

A 15 percent tip is expected by taxi drivers, bartenders, hairdressers and waiters, but travellers shouldn't tip in fast-food or self-service restaurants. In expensive restaurants or for large parties, the tip should be 20 percent of the bill. It is normal to tip staff such as valets and porters in hotels; this is discretionary, although a minimum of $5 is expected. Most services are customarily tipped if the service is good.

Passport/Visa Note

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for Canadians:: The most important requirement on entering the U.S. is providing proof of Canadian citizenship. A valid Canadian passport is the best document to prove Canadian citizenship and the right to return to Canada. However, several other documents can serve, depending on the mode of transport. Generally, Canadian citizens do not require visitor, business, transit or other visas to enter the United States from Canada, though there are some exceptions.
Entry requirements for UK nationals:: UK nationals require a passport valid for duration of stay. Most passport holders can get an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) through the Visa Waiver Programme, which allows travel to the US for up to 90 days. The VWP includes tourism, certain types of business visit and transit to another country.
Entry requirements for Australians:: Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay. If visiting the US for fewer than 90 days, Australian nationals may be eligible to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), and enter under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
Entry requirements for Irish nationals:: Passports must be valid for duration of stay. Irish nationals can get an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Programme for entry into the United States.
Entry requirements for New Zealanders:: Passports must be valid for duration of stay. New Zealand nationals can get an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) under the Visa Waiver Programme for entry into the United States.
Entry requirements for South Africans:: South Africans must hold a passport valid for duration of stay. A visa is required.

Currency

Exchange rate for 1 USD - U.S. Dollar
0.00 BMD Bermudan Dollar	0.93 EUR Euro	0.80 GBP U.K. Pound Sterling	152.99 JPY Japanese Yen	1.37 CAD Canadian Dollar	0.91 CHF Swiss Franc
1.52 AUD Australian Dollar	39.40 UAH Ukrainian Hryvnia	443.91 KZT Kazakhstani Tenge	93,075.00 LBP Lebanese Pound	4.86 LYD Libyan Dinar	6.86 BOB Bolivian Boliviano
0.00 NPR Nepalese Rupee	0.00 OMR Omani Rial	0.00 QAR Qatari Rial	1.35 SGD Singapore Dollar	10.82 SEK Swedish Krona	0.00 TTD Trinidad Tobago Dollar
0.00 VEF Venezuelan Bolivar	58.11 DOP Dominican Peso	0.00 HRK Croatian Kuna	16.95 MXN Mexican Peso	610.53 XOF West African CFA Franc	0.00 PGK Papua New Guinean kina
0.00 BSD Bahamian Dollar	0.00 FJD Fiji Dollar	0.00 HNL Honduran Lempira	133.87 DZD Algerian Dinar	0.00 MMK Myanma Kyat	0.00 BWP Botswana Pula
3.72 PEN Peruvian Nuevo Sol	938.44 CLP Chilean Peso	386.84 AMD Armenia Dram	23.29 CZK Czech Koruna	17.63 MDL Moldova Lei	139.89 ISK Icelandic Krona
12,582.40 UZS Uzbekistan Sum	3.72 ILS Israeli New Sheqel	0.71 JOD Jordanian Dinar	0.00 KWD Kuwaiti Dinar	38.15 UYU Uruguayan Peso	0.00 MUR Mauritian Rupee
0.00 NIO Nicaraguan Córdoba	10.88 NOK Norwegian Krone	4.03 PLN Polish Zloty	3.75 SAR Saudi Riyal	0.00 LKR Sri Lanka Rupee	36.79 THB Thai Baht
3.66 AED U.A.E Dirham	5.09 BRL Brazilian Real	4.63 RON Romanian New Leu	7.81 HKD Hong Kong Dollar	610.53 XAF Central African CFA Franc	25,405.70 VND Vietnamese Dong
878.36 ARS Argentine Peso	0.00 XCD East Caribbean Dollar	0.00 GTQ Guatemalan Quetzal	10.06 MAD Moroccan Dirham	0.00 BHD Bahrain Dinar	1.00 PAB Panamanian Balboa
1.70 AZN Azerbaijan Manat	3,920.00 COP Colombian Peso	88.42 KGS Kyrgyzstan Som	362.00 HUF Hungarian Forint	10.89 TJS Tajikistan Ruble	16,073.70 IDR Indonesian Rupiah
47.95 EGP Egyptian Pound	1,358.84 KRW South Korean Won	7,456.52 PYG Paraguayan Guaraní	4.74 MYR Malaysian Ringgit	508.31 CRC Costa Rican Colón	1.67 NZD New Zealand Dollar
277.87 PKR Pakistani Rupee	91.39 RUB Russian Rouble	18.51 ZAR South African Rand	3.13 TND Tunisian Dinar	0.00 BBD Barbadian Dollar	1.82 BGN Bulgarian Lev
32.33 TRY Turkish Lira	57.28 PHP Philippine Peso	32.31 TWD New Taiwan Dollar	1,164.84 NGN Nigerian Naira	0.00 XPF CFP Franc	0.00 GHS Ghanaian Cedi
0.00 JMD Jamaican Dollar	0.00 ANG Neth. Antillean Guilder	0.00 BND Brunei Dollar	108.90 RSD Serbian Dinar	7.24 CNY Chinese Yuan	6.94 DKK Danish Krone
3.49 TMT New Turkmenistan Manat	83.42 INR Indian Rupee

Exchange Rate for
Euro to U.S. Dollar

1 EUR = 1.07 USD

Exchange Rate for
Canadian Dollar to U.S. Dollar

1 CAD = 0.73 USD

Exchange Rate for
U.K. Pound Sterling to U.S. Dollar

1 GBP = 1.26 USD

Exchange Rate for
Australian Dollar to U.S. Dollar

1 AUD = 0.66 USD

Exchange Rate for
New Zealand Dollar to U.S. Dollar

1 NZD = 0.60 USD

Exchange Rate for
South African Rand to U.S. Dollar

1 ZAR = 0.05 USD

Airports in Connecticut

Bradley Airport (BDL)
Bradley International Airport
http://www.bradleyairport.com

Location: Hartford The airport is located 15 miles (24km) north of Hartford.

Time: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from mid-March to the first Sunday in November).

Contacts: Tel: +1 860 292 2000.

Getting to the city: The Bradley Flyer offers an hourly bus service to downtown Hartford, seven days a week. Rental cars and taxis are available. App-based taxi services, like Uber, are also available.

Car rental: Car hire services at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, Dollar, Thrifty and National.

Airport Taxis: Taxis are available at the airport and the average taxi fare for the journey into Hartford is about $45.

Facilities: Facilities at Bradley International Airport include restaurants, bars, shops, free WiFi, ATMs, baby-care facilities, business lounges, and a shoe-shine service. An information booth is also located in the terminal.

Parking: There is short-term parking within easy walking distance of the terminal. Fees are $3.25 for half an hour, $5.50 for an hour, and $7.25 for up to 90 minutes. The long-term Economy Lot 4 is the cheapest option for a long stay, and is connected to the terminal by a free shuttle bus, with a daily maximum of $6 and a weekly maximum of $36.

Hartford

Hartford, the state capital of Connecticut, is often overshadowed by its more prominent neighbours, New York and Boston, or by the more touristy destinations of New England, but the city does attract multitudes of business travellers.

It sits at the end of the navigable portion of the Connecticut River, and this waterway has shaped the city's evolution into the 'insurance capital of the world'. Historically, its location made Hartford an important trading centre, and when groups of merchants began to share risks, the Hartford Insurance Company was born. It still operates in Hartford today, along with many of the nation's largest insurance corporations.

Despite this reputation for business, Hartford does have a lot to offer those visitors with leisure in mind. Greater Hartford is home to more than 200 cultural, arts, and heritage organisations. Hartford Stage, one of many venues for live musical and theatrical productions, has been recognized by the Tony Awards and the OBIEs.

During the warm summer months, many outdoor concerts are staged downtown, and various festivals, sporting events, and performances are held at the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza throughout the year. The Riverfront has a pristine shoreline and encompasses 148 acres of park grounds with walkways, biking trails, and water activities on offer. The state-of-the-art Connecticut Convention Center is also located here.

For history buffs, Hartford lives up to its reputation as one of the oldest cities in the nation. At the State Library, visitors can view the Fundamental Orders adopted in Hartford in 1639, the first document in history to establish government by the consent of the people.

A few blocks away, the entertainment district begins west of Main Street, offering visitors no end of dining, pub, and club options. Sports fans can revel in University of Connecticut basketball; year after year, the UConn Huskies are contenders in both the National and Big East Championships.

Getting around in Hartford

Walking around the downtown area is possible and pleasant in Hartford, although visitors also have the option of taking the Dash Shuttle, a free shuttle service that loops the central business district, making stops near hotels and major attractions. It operates Monday through Friday, 7am to 7pm. CTfastrak is Hartford's newest transportation option, and the buses have free WiFi. CT Transit bus services also operate regularly. Many visitors choose to hire cars, especially if they plan to travel outside of the city. A number of car hire options are available and driving is relatively stress-free in Hartford and the surrounding region. App-based taxi services, such as Uber, are available.

Climate in Hartford

Hartford has a humid continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Spring in New England tends to be fleeting, arriving in early May and soon giving way to summer, which is hot and humid. Autumn is chilly, but the landscape is at its most colourful and beautiful. Winters are quite cold, and snow is common. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Temperatures in summer average between 61F (16C) and 90F (32C), while winter temperatures average between 0F (-18C) and 39F (4C), making the temperature range in Hartford quite extreme. While summer is a lovely time to visit, the autumn foliage of the nearby countryside also draws many visitors in September and October.

Sightseeing in Hartford

Known as an enjoyable city to live, work, and play, Hartford offers the vibrancy of a big-city arts and entertainment scene paired with easy access to New England's colonial history, charm, and natural beauty.

Hartford provides business travellers many lively options for relaxing after their meetings and it serves as the perfect gateway for holidaymakers wishing to explore New England's charms without giving up the excitement of the city.

The Mark Twain House and Museum is a worthy pilgrimage site for book lovers, as is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center; the Old State House provides a taste of the city's proud democratic history; the Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public museum in the country; and the Hartford Stage is a celebrated, award-winning theatre venue.

Riverfront Recapture is a non-profit organisation working to reconnect metropolitan Hartford with the Connecticut River and it has established a network of several beautiful parks and public recreational facilities along the shoreline. Here, free events are staged year-round, and visitors can walk, run, bike, picnic, enjoy boating and rowing activities, fish, or set sail on a river cruise. The Mystic Seaport, only a short drive out of the city, is also a joy for tourists as it genuinely still has a classic old New England feel.

Hartford Attractions

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, and famously boasts the largest collection of paintings of the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century American landscape art movement influenced by Romanticism. These fine paintings, originally obtained by Daniel Wadsworth, are now considered American masterpieces. The Wadsworth Atheneum now houses over 50,000 works of art ranging from the ancient to the contemporary, and the building itself is fascinating. The museum also hosts excellent temporary exhibitions and special events such as lectures and seminars.

Address: 600 Main Street

Telephone: (860) 278 2670

Website: http://www.thewadsworth.org/

Old State House

The Old State House was built in 1796. It is one of the oldest state houses in the country and has been named a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can tour the magnificently restored rooms, listen to the audio tour and visit the education centre and museum shop. Celebrated as the site where Connecticut's democracy was born, the Old State House is an interesting monument to the state's proud history and contains some quirky and fun artefacts as well as more sombre, historic ones. The museum hosts frequent events and exhibitions and is open to the public year-round. A visit should entertain and educate the whole family.

Address: 206 Washington Street

Telephone: +1 203 850 7671

Website: http://www.ctvisit.com/listings/connecticuts-old-state-house

Email Address: ct.travelinfo@ct.gov

Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport, just under an hour's drive from Hartford and a popular excursion from the city, allows visitors to experience a classic New England seafaring community. Its four sections include a restored 19th-century village, comprising more than 30 shops and businesses; the waterfront, featuring tall ships and other historic vessels that visitors can climb aboard and explore; the preservation shipyard, where antique vessels are restored using traditional methods and tools; and a collection of galleries and exhibits. Mystic Seaport, which describes itself as 'The Museum of America and the Sea', is the perfect family destination, with several restaurants, boating activities and programmes for children.

Address: 75 Greenmanville Avenue

Telephone: (860) 572 0711

Website: http://www.mysticseaport.org

Mark Twain House and Museum

Mark Twain, one of America's most celebrated writers, lived in a stately house on Farmington Avenue between 1874 and 1891. This elegant, 19-room mansion, built in a Victorian Gothic style, was where Twain wrote many of his most famous and successful works (including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), and has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. Visitors to the Mark Twain Museum Centre can anticipate a fascinating Ken Burns documentary detailing Twain's life and work, and state-of-the-art exhibition facilities. William Faulkner once called Mark Twain 'the father of American literature', and anyone with even a passing interest in American culture, would be ill-advised to pass up a visit to this significant, and memorable museum.

Address: 351 Farmington Ave

Telephone: (860) 247 0998

Website: http://www.marktwainhouse.org

Airports in Hartford

Bradley Airport (BDL)
Bradley International Airport
http://www.bradleyairport.com

Location: Hartford The airport is located 15 miles (24km) north of Hartford.

Time: GMT -5 (GMT -4 from mid-March to the first Sunday in November).

Contacts: Tel: +1 860 292 2000.

Car rental: Car hire services at the airport include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, Dollar, Thrifty and National.

Airport Taxis: Taxis are available at the airport and the average taxi fare for the journey into Hartford is about $45.

New Haven

New Haven is not a big city, but its distinguished reputation is well-known across the country. For Americans, 'New Haven' connotes intellectual brilliance, historic tradition, and sometimes controversy.

It is the home of prestigious Yale University, the charter for which was granted in 1701. Having suffered a decline in population and the economy from the 1960s until the late 1990s, the recent revitalisation of downtown New Haven owes its success to the initiatives of both the local government and Yale's own property management programme, despite historic disputes between 'town and gown'.

Today, New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut, but it remains steeped in history and elegance and retains the atmosphere of a much smaller town. It has more National Historic Landmarks than anywhere else in Connecticut. Walking along tree-lined Wooster Square, historic New Haven Green and the many leafy downtown streets, it is easy to understand how the 'Elm City' got its nickname.

After visitors have taken in the beautiful vista of Long Island Sound and enjoyed hiking, biking, and canoeing in the public parklands surrounding the city, New Haven's abundance of theatres, museums, music venues, restaurants, shops, and nightlife options await.

The Chapel Street Historic District buzzes with galleries, boutiques, and bistros, and the newly redeveloped Broadway area is a shopper's heaven. The Shubert, Long Wharf, and Yale Repertory Theaters are renowned for ground-breaking performances, and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra is the fourth oldest in the country.

Getting around in New Haven

Exploring New Haven by foot is enjoyable, particularly in the area surrounding the university. Various walking tours start from the Yale Visitor Center. The downtown area is serviced by a free electric trolley system, operating Monday to Saturday, and departing every 15 minutes or so between late morning and early evening. CTTRANSIT bus service is also available and the network covers most of the city. New Haven has been working to make parking more convenient and there are various off-street lots and garages. A Parcxmart card can be used to pay for metered on-street parking and is very useful for anybody hiring a car to get around New Haven and surrounding areas.

Climate in New Haven

New Haven enjoys something in between a humid continental and a humid subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. New Haven's situation on Long Island Sound means that winters are milder, with less snow accumulation than inland, and summers are typically hot and humid.

The coldest month is January, with temperatures averaging between 22F (-5C) and 37F (3C), while summer temperatures frequently exceed 90F (32C), although they usually average more comfortably around 77F (25C). Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.

The best times to visit New Haven are summer, when the New Haven Green comes alive in the evenings with the Music on the Green concert series, and autumn, when 'foliage season' in New England, complete with fresh apple cider, pumpkins, and cranberries at the farm stands, attracts many visitors to the region.

Sightseeing in New Haven

New Haven is a vibrant mixture of lofty academia, natural beauty, historic charm, and fun student life. Its music and arts scene packs in more diversity and greater quality than perhaps any other city of its size in the US.

Young visitors to New Haven will love the lively student culture: they can dance until dawn in the Crown Street club district and relax the next day at one of the city's many coffeehouses. Less adventurous visitors can enjoy upscale shopping and fine dining, watch a free performance of the Elm Shakespeare Company in Edgerton Park, or visit the Peabody Museum of Natural History.

For a taste of New England's seafaring history, visit the famous Freedom Schooner Amistad, which docks at Long Wharf Pier when it isn't voyaging around the world. Exploring the Yale University campus is an absolute must as the grounds encompass so much of the best architecture and scenery of the city, as well as enshrining much of its history.

The birthplace of American pizza, no visit to New Haven would be complete without sampling what consider its most enjoyable traditional product. Age-old contenders Sally's and Pepe's pizzerias, each with an army of fiercely loyal New Havenites, have been battling for the 'best pie' title for more than 60 years.

New Haven Attractions

Yale University

Yale, a member of the Ivy League, is one of the oldest universities in the country and one of the most distinguished in the world. Its beautiful campus is home to a wealth of stunning architectural achievements as well as multiple museums, exhibition spaces and theatres. Visitors might browse the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library or take in a performance of the Yale Glee Club. The Mead Visitor Center, located at 149 Elm Street, welcomes visitors from all over the world and is a good starting point. The centre offers free guided tours led by undergraduate students, but groups of 10 or more will need to book a private tour in advance.

Website: http://www.yale.edu

Freedom Schooner Amistad

Long Wharf Pier in New Haven is the homeport of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a faithful recreation of the schooner involved in the 1839 Amistad Incident, in which a group of Africans being transported to the Caribbean as slaves revolted and took over the ship. The Amistad was seized by the US government, and the Africans eventually won their freedom in a landmark case before the US Supreme Court. Some will know the ship's story from Steven Spielberg's powerful 1997 film of the same name. Today, the replica ship sails the world on peace missions, but it is open to the public when it is in port at New Haven and gives visitors a chance to have a hands-on experience of history.

Website: http://www.amistadcommitteeinc.org

Peabody Museum of Natural History

The Peabody Museum
Photo credit: Ragesoss

The stunning exhibitions of the Peabody Museum of Natural History are sure to amaze visitors of all ages. In addition to the Great Hall of Dinosaurs, visitors can discover Egyptian mummies, sabre-toothed cats, and Native American artefacts. Although the museum has all the old-fashioned staples of a natural history museum, efforts have been made to keep it modern and entertaining for children and there are a number of interactive stations in the Peabody. Multiple youth programmes are held during the summer and there are some temporary exhibitions and special events at the museum.

Telephone: (203) 432 8987

Website: http://www.yale.edu/peabody

Connecticut Attractions

Overview

Connecticut, like most of picturesque New England, is best known for its historical tourist attractions, museums, and charming old towns and homesteads. Traces of the puritans who settled in Connecticut in the 1600s are still widespread, the history of trade and shipping is fascinatingly documented in hubs such as the Mystic Seaport, and the impressive academic pedigree of the state ensures both a wealth of high-quality museums and a lively student population. For those less taken by the state's historic highlights, Connecticut offers plenty to do from extreme sports and a range of fun family activities, to unique culinary experiences and luxurious retreats.

Remarkably, about three quarters of the state is rural, and another major Connecticut attraction is the glorious fall foliage which enlivens the tree-rich country landscape in the autumn months, peaking in September and October. Although the cities of New Haven and Hartford are pleasant tourist destinations with varied cultural sightseeing offerings, the main order of the day for many travellers in Connecticut is the leisurely exploration of vineyards, orchards, lakes, forests and rolling meadows. The Connecticut River Valley is a particularly attractive area, with numerous well-maintained hiking and biking trails to be enjoyed.