It might be the smallest state in the US, but Rhode Island is packed full of personality. With more than 400 miles of beach and coastline, it’s no wonder people continue to book flights to Rhode Island every year. While Rhode Island is full of beach homes and mansions, it also holds a significant place in American history. The American Revolution started when Rhode Island declared independence from British rule.
Outside of its capital city Providence – the urban centre of Rhode Island and home to many fine restaurants, bars and shopping districts – Rhode Island is made up of little towns and quaint villages. The centre of it all is Newport, a notoriously wealthy community surrounded by beaches and now a major resort for summer holidaymakers. Newport Beach is the reason travellers book flights to Rhode Island – if the summer rental homes and resorts don’t entice you, the yachting and boating will.
Newport is one of America’s most highly coveted sailing ports. Winning the America's Cup turned the town into an epicentre of sports and culture for visitors. Hop a ferry boat one hour and land on Block Island, a more remote resort destination where Rhode Island visitors can relax in peace amid the background of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Rhode Island has four seasons but a milder climate than the rest of New England. January temperatures are about minus six to zero degrees (Celsius). June temperatures reach the 20s, and July and August can climb into the high-20s. Mid-September is cooler and October sees the mid-teens. There is about 17cm (seven inches) of snow; most of it falls in February but does not last for long. Coastal Rhode Island is more moderate than the rest of the state.
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Peak Season:
Rhode Island has two peak tourist seasons: summer and winter. On Memorial Day weekend the crowds start coming to the coast for water sports, shopping, and sightseeing. Newport is hectic and crowded and reservations are an absolute must. Many smaller museums and attractions throughout the state are open only from Memorial Day to mid-October.
Charming in the winter, Rhode Island becomes a Winter Wonderland, and Newport's holiday season is particularly stunning.
Off Season:
Spring rates are typically lower and there are fewer crowds. Autumn also has moderate prices, but make reservations because places fill up with foliage followers.
Newport in the off season is charming, prices are lower, parking is often free, and the stores have end-of-season sales.
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The smallest state, Rhode Island is just 48 miles long by 37 miles wide so getting around is easy. Public transportation and ferries run between Providence and Newport, and there are ferries to Block Island. New England Airlines flies scheduled flights from Westerly State Airport to and from Block Island.
There is bus service around Providence provided by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), and it is a pleasant city to see on foot. Traffic is reasonable so driving is a viable option, but parking can be an issue. Finding a space on the street during the day is difficult and overnight parking on the street is not allowed.
Newport is easy to walk around and RIPTA buses run from the town to the beaches. In the summer free shuttle buses connect the main sights and shopping area.
Biking is another popular way to get to the beaches. Cars are not recommended on Block Island and considering the cost of taking a car on the ferry, it is best to rent a bike or moped when you get there. If you need to take a car, make your ferry reservations a couple of months in advance.
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- Rhode Island has 400 miles of coastline as well as Narragansett Bay so there is great variety in water sports including sailing, boating, fishing, kayaking, cruising, swimming and seal watching.
- The state is steeped in history. It claims to have one of the nation’s largest concentrations of historic landmarks. Newport has the country's oldest tavern building (The White Horse Tavern, 1673) and the country’s oldest carousel in the resort town of Watch Hill as well as the mansions - the fabulous Gilded Age “palaces” - built by America’s millionaires. Nearly a dozen of the "summer cottages" are open to the public. They include Rosecliff, which was modelled on the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat at Versailles Palace and the Breakers, built by the Vanderbilt family.
- Smith's Castle, north of Wickford, with its grounds and exhibits allows visitors to experience almost four centuries of history and the interactive Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, with its exhibits, illuminates the story of the French Canadians who left Quebec to work in the factories of New England.
- Providence, the sophisticated capital of Rhode Island, has bags of old world charm and lots of things for tourists to do including gondola trips down the Providence River and ice-skating at the Bank of America skating centre.
- In August WaterFire is a must-see event. The installation of more than 100 bonfires on the three rivers in downtown Providence has won awards.
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Content Manager at Cheapflights whose travel life can be best summed up as BC (before children) and PC (post children). We only travel during the school holidays so short-haul trips and staycations are our specialities!