Need to know

When to go

All the sites mentioned are open year-round. Visitor numbers are highest between mid-june and early September. The shoulder season months of April, May and October are great for visiting. Winters are fairly mild.

Getting there & around

British Airways (ba.com), Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com), Jetblue (jetblue.com), American Airlines (americanairlines.co.uk) and Delta (delta.com) all fly from London Heathrow to Boston, Massachusetts, from £420 return, taking from six hours. It’s a further 90-minute drive to Newport.

State capital Providence is a stop on the Amtrak rail service (around three hours from NYC). It also has an airport that receives limited internal flights. Car rental is your best bet for in-state travel.

Carbon offset

A return flight from London to Boston produces 565kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust. co.uk/sustainable-travel.

Where to stay

Located on Newport’s famed Cliff Walk, The Chanler (thechanler.com; from £470pn) has 20 distinct rooms decorated in various period styles. Over by Newport’s waterfront, the more budget-friendly Brenton Hotel (brentonhotel.com; from £300pn) has large rooms and fine views from its rooftop bar/restaurant. And in South County, Ocean House (oceanhouseri.com; from £470pn) is as memorable a stay as it gets, with lots of character, great service and an inviting beach.

Further information

Visitrhodeisland.com and discovernewport.org

The author travelled with on-the-ground support from Discover New England, Rhode Island Tourism Division, Discover Newport and South County Tourism Council.