Getting There -- Take I-95 to exit 84 (New London), exit 86 (Groton), exit 90 (Mystic), or exit 91 (Stonington). If driving from the New York City area, you can avoid the heavy truck and commercial traffic of the western segment of I-95 by taking the Hutchinson River Parkway, which becomes the Merritt Parkway (Rte. 15) and merges with the Wilbur Cross Parkway. Continue to exit 54, connecting with I-95 for the rest of the trip. From Boston, take I-95 straight down.
The Cross Sound Ferry (tel. 860/443-5281; www.longislandferry.com) provides year-round service for cars between New London and Orient Point on Long Island. The one-way voyage takes about an hour and 20 minutes. One-way fares are $46 for a car and driver, $14 for additional adults, and $6.30 for children. Make reservations in advance when taking a car.
Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) runs several trains on its Acela Express and Regional routes between New York, Providence, and Boston, with intermediate stops at New London and Mystic.
The regional bus company SEAT (tel. 860/886-2631; www.seatbus.com) connects many of the towns of the district as well as the casinos.
Visitor Information -- A terrifically helpful source of information is Mystic Country (www.mysticcountry.com), which lists, for instance, 83 inn and bed-and-breakfast options and continually updated listings of getaway package specials. They'll also mail out a free Mystic Country Vacation Kit.
