bus trips in ct

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Overnight Tours

Showbus broadway, luncheon shows, ship shop cruises, your journey begins with friendship tours.

With each day comes a new sunrise and a new opportunity. When designing our logo several years ago, it was no accident that we picked a rising sun and an endless road. These are symbols of our optimism of the joys of travel you will experience as your journey begins with Friendship Tours.

Saratoga Races - Queensbury, NY

Jul 24, 2024 - Jul 25, 2024 2 day(s) | 2 meals

Escorted Mediterranean Cruise Roundtrip Italy aboard the Norwegian Pearl with Hotel stay in Venice & Trieste, Italy

Sep 4, 2024 - Sep 17, 2024 14 day(s)

Escorted Australia 2025

Mar 21, 2025 - Apr 5, 2025 16 day(s) | 24 meals

A day trip is a great way to visit New England and the metro areas’ must-dos as well as hidden gems. From harbor cruises to museums to historic landmarks, even lunch with a spectacular show, Friendship Tours offers an impressive variety of fun-filled Motorcoach Day Trips. And whether yours is a large group or just a small get together of friends, we can turn any day into an unforgettable day. Leave the driving, tour planning, and parking to us. Our experienced drivers and expert Tour Directors will be there to ensure a worry free day.

Day Trips depart from several convenient departure points throughout Connecticut & Massachusetts, including Manchester, Farmington, Waterbury, Danbury, and West Springfield, MA. The departures locations vary depending on each trip, please refer to the description in each trip listing for details.

Your motorcoach journey awaits… Motorcoach overnight tours offer unforgettable destinations to visit. Motorcoach overnight tours range from the Canadian Atlantic provinces in the north, south to the Carolina’s and as far west as Michigan. These tours feature deluxe motorcoaches, first-class hotels, exciting attractions, the best restaurants, and unique experiences with that special "Friendship" touch. Our experienced drivers and expert Tour Directors add to the journey while ensuring everything goes as planned.

Motorcoach Overnight Tours depart from several convenient departure points throughout Connecticut & Massachusetts, including Manchester, Farmington, Waterbury, Danbury, and West Springfield, MA. The departures locations vary depending on each trip, please refer to the description in each trip listing for details.

ShowBus is the most convenient, user-friendly way to travel into New York City. Hop aboard a comfortable, deluxe motorcoach from multiple departure locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Relax as Friendship Tours whisks you away to your exciting Broadway show adventure.

Enjoy a long-running musical favorite like THE LION KING or WICKED. Looking to take in the excitement of a new show, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE or MJ The MUSICAL might be what your looking for!

Inquire about ShowBus Dates & Show Availability by calling us: 860-243-1630 or email: [email protected]

2024 Pick up Locations

Manchester, CT - Farmington, CT - Waterbury, CT - Danbury, CT

Join ShowBus on any of our upcoming dates!

April 27, 2024

June 22, 2024

Call for reservations 860-243-1630

Entertainment, Food & Fun…

Join us for a fun day of entertainment and lunch at any of these daytime events. Drive on your own to the various beautiful venues throughout Connecticut & Massachusetts. Enjoy a delicious lunch followed by a wonderful musical performance.

We can provide motorcoach transportation for your group of 40 or more people; we can help to find a group for your smaller group to share transportation with; or you can Drive on your Own to the event!

Important: Reservations must be made in advance. We need to know that you are joining us! Call us at Friendship Tours 860-243-1630 so that we can assist with any questions.

The Ship Shop is ready to help you plan your next cruise vacation! Cruising is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. The ocean breeze and lapping waves are calling your name, and we’re here to make sure you answer the call in style.

Tropical destinations, Trans-Atlantic crossings, river cruises, and journeys to all of the continents are in your reach. We have a number of group departure options that you can join to take advantage of discounted group rates, as well as convenient transportation to your pier or airport. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, give us a call, and we would be happy to customize your own personalized cruise experience.

For world travelers and adventurous tour explorers, we have a number of fly tours that can take you to the global destination of your dreams.

Go a little further with a tour that takes you across the continental United States, journey to the National Parks, Europe and beyond. We can organize the perfect tour for you.

Discover the World of Friendship Tours/The Ship Shop

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THE 5 BEST Connecticut Bus Tours

Bus tours in connecticut.

• Sightseeing Tours
• Hop-On Hop-Off Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Walking Tours
• Ghost & Vampire Tours
• Private Tours
• Cultural Tours
• Multi-day Tours
• Self-Guided Tours & Rentals
• Beer Tastings & Tours
• Photography Tours
• Helicopter Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
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• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. New York City bus and boat tour

2. Boston, New Haven and Rhode Island 2-Day Tour from New York

3. 8-day Tour to Visit Nine Top Schools in the East Coast from NYC

4. 3-Day Tour: New Hampshire, White Mountain and Washington Mountain from New York

5. 4-Day Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Washington DC Tour from New York

Keep the fun going with other experiences in the area.

Groofy Greenport Scavenger Hunt

3 Hour Private Sightseeing Outdoor Escape Game in Springfield

Bridgehampton Bash, NY Scavenger Hunt

Montauk Mashup Scavenger Hunt

Fun City Scavenger Hunt in Springfield by Zombie Scavengers

Scavenger Hunt in Springfield by Operation City Quest

Springfield Showdown Scavenger Hunt

Mattituck New York Guided Farm and Wine Country Bike Tour

Nutty Northampton MA Scavenger Hunt

Sag Harbor Hustle Scavenger Hunt

Mattituck Bike Wine Country and Fruit Orchard Tour

Hudson Valley Craft Brewery Bike Tour

Private Guided Wine Country Bike Tour in Mattituck

Boat or Yacht Rental in Sag Harbor, The Hamptons, or Monatauk

Shelter Island Private Electric Bike Tour

Private Guided Wine Country Bike Tour For Two (Mattituck)

Stockbridge Showdown MA Scavenger Hunt

Setauket Scramble Scavenger Hunt

Southampton Shuffle Scavenger Hunt

Electric Bike Tour at Montauk Point

Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Worcester by Zombie Scavengers

1-Hour Axe Throwing in Worcester

Let’s Roam’s Worcester Scavenger Hunt: Wiggle Round Worcester!

Half-Day Private Sailing in Sag Harbor and Shelter Island

Adventures in New England

A local's guide to savoring the history, culture, food and nature of the Northeast USA

15 Fabulous Day Trips in Connecticut

Connecticut is in southwestern New England. It has a big city, fancy suburbs of New York City, a pretty coastline, and rural farmland. I did my residency in Hartford and lived just north of that area for about 5 years. Since Connecticut borders Rhode Island, I still visit often for day trips. Below are a few of my favorite Connecticut day trips.

Table of Contents

The historic boating town of Mystic has an aquarium, cool balancing bridge, colonial seaport, and quaint downtown.

Read on for more things to do in Mystic, Ct.

Hike to Hublein Tower, Simsbury

A 1.25-mile hike through Talcott Mountain’s woods brings you to this tower with sweeping views of Connecticut, including Hartford.

Talcott Mountain is one of my top ten New England family hikes.

West Hartford Center

If you are in the mood to spend a day shopping and eating, West Hartford is the place to be. Here you can find almost any store you can think of. My favorite Connecticut restaurant, Restaurant Bricco , is on LaSalle Road.

New Haven is the Ivy League school’s home, Yale, and the home of some delicious wood-fired pizza. There is some controversy about who has the best, but the original is at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. There are often long lines, so it is good to show up right when they open. One of their most popular pizza is the white clam. While in town, visit the museums of Yale, such as the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Southwestern Connecticut

If you want to explore Connecticut’s rural side, try a road trip around the southwest corner of the state where you can drive past farms, go antiquing, visit wineries, and hike to waterfalls.

Read more about spending a day in rural southwestern Connecticut.

Connecticut Wine Trail

You can see the whole state, as well as have an amazing day visiting Connecticut’s 40 wineries, but of course, you would need a designated driver and drink safely.

You can read about my day with the girls at Jonathan Edwards Vineyards.

A Day at Lavender Pond Farm, Killingworth

If you are in Connecticut in June or July, spend a peaceful day among the blooming, fragrant stems. The farm has chairs and games to play as well. This farm is on my list of the best flower fields around New England.

Clyde’s Cider Mill, Old Mystic

If you are visiting in the fall, be sure to join the party at Clyde’s Cider Mill, where you can see cider being pressed by a room-sized antique press and eat apple cider donuts. Right up the road, visit Whitehall Cemetery with graves dating back to the 1600s.

Sharpe Hill Winery, Pomfret

Start your day at the Lavender Hill Alpaca Farm in Voluntown. After getting your fill of these frilly-headed animals. Then take a hike around the Connecticut Audobon Society Bafflin Sanctuary. End your day with a wine tasting and dinner in Sharpe Hill’s beautiful old barn.

Lake Compounce

Read more about spending a day at Lake Compounce, the oldest continually running amusement park in the United States.

Devil’s Hopyard

Devil’s Hopyard is one of my favorite picnic spots in New England. On the two-mile hike, you can see a waterfall, covered bridge, and sweeping green views.

Explore the Connecticut River Valley

Take a boat ride on the river, explore Gillette Castle, take a train ride, or shop and eat in the charming town of Essex.

Read on for how to spend a day in this area.

Visit Old Saybrook

Get a spa treatment at the Saybrook Point Resort and Spa. Walk through the Monument Park. Enjoy lunch on Main Street. A few of my favorite restaurants are the Penny Lane Pub or Liv’s Oyster Bar. Finish your day with a walk by the ocean or a peek at the Lynde Point Lighthouse.

Spend a Day at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme

Around the turn of the twentieth century, Florence Griswold was running a boarding house on the Lieutenant River banks drawing painters to the area. This was the Lyme Artist Colony, the beginning and hub of American Impressionism. The house is open for touring, as well as a garden and a museum housing a large collection of impressionist paintings. Be sure to leave time for lunch on the veranda overlooking the river.

Mark Twain House

This gothic-style house in Hartford is where Samuel Clements raised his family. There are three buildings to tour, including the house.

I hope you enjoyed this list of day trips in Connecticut. I will continue to add to it as I think of more.

Did I miss any of your favorites? Please let me know in the comments.

Sharing is caring!

7 thoughts on “15 Fabulous Day Trips in Connecticut”

I live in Boston, these are some really great things to see in CT. I love Mystic, it’s one of my favorite towns in New England. I actually wasn’t aware if the Lavender Fields, I’m going to need to check those out some year.

Those are some great ideas for day trips. I think I should like to do them all – from the lavender to antique hunting to the wine trail. Mystic has always been intriguing to me, and those waterfalls in Devil’s Hopyard looks so scenic.

I have only done Mystic and its outdoor seaport museum in my only day in CT and I really do need to go back to the state to check out the natural beauty (or maybe the changing of the colours in the leaves in the fall). I am loving the waterfalls in Devil’s Hopyard and would defo want to check these out. One place I would like to go is Hartford for a bit of history, as the founder of the town is from a town very near to my home in Hertford, in the UK. 🙂 So there is a little bit of a connection for me, not much, but its enough for me to get myself into gear and visit CT again 🙂

That is cool that you live near our founder. I didn’t know the origin of the name Hartford.

I have never been to Connecticut and this post makes me want to spend a week just exploring the day trips. I would first explore Devil’s Hopyard. A two-mile hike isn’t too bad especially if you get views of a waterfall and bridge. I’ll have to see if it’s pet-friendly too. I’m sure my pup would enjoy this hike as well.

This is a part of the US I’d really like to explore more! I didn’t know that Connecticut had a winery scene but checking out some of them sounds like a lot of fun! Mystic also looks like an interesting little town. I checked out your other post and the drawbridge does look unique with those concrete slabs!

There is also. Harkness park in Waterford Connecticut. it’s a mansion that used to Belong to a rich family. there is Alot to see. it’s surrounded by the ocean. flower gardens . it’s beautiful. Look it up!

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The 10 Best Day Trips From Connecticut

October 23rd, 2021, the ten best day trips from connecticut.

Connecticut is the third smallest state in America that has the unique advantage of being within a two hour drive of a variety of day trips to neighboring states. Depending on where your departure point is in Connecticut, some of the best day trips to top surrounding destinations are only an hour away - or less!

New York City

Ellis island | statue of liberty | empire state building | central park | brooklyn, hudson river valley, the hamptons, providence  , block island , the berkshires, southern vermont.