Hotels in White River Junction and Norwich

Thanks to its location at the crossroads of two interstates, White River Junction has several chain hotels near the highways. Your best bet is to cruise along Route 5, reached by exit 11 off I-91, and comparison-shop. One choice is the Comfort Inn, 56 Ralph Lehman Dr. (tel. 800/628-7727 or 802/295-3051; www.comfortinnwrj.com), which offers 91 rooms with free continental breakfast, an outdoor pool, and a guest laundry room; doubles range from about $59 to $189 per night.

If you're craving a fine inn or bed-and-breakfast, you could also try Hanover, New Hampshire, 2 minutes across the Connecticut River bridge from Norwich. On the other end of the spectrum, a small clutch of affordable motels clusters around the little airport and strip malls in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.