Overview
New London is a city on the southeastern coast of Connecticut. It is most well-known for its rich maritime history and for being the location of the United States Coast Guard Academy and Connecticut College.
8 sights · 4 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 4 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about New London
Connecticut College Arboretum
Daily sunrise to sunset. Free guided tours on Su at 2PM from May to October. Price: Free unless taking a private tour. About: The Arboretum Plant collections are broken down into four areas: the Native Plant Collection, …
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The permanent collections include over 10,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts, with an emphasis on American art from the 18th through 20th centuries.
Monte Cristo Cottage
Playwright Eugene O'Neill's home and setting for two of his plays.
Garde Arts Center
Ticket prices vary with act. A restored Vaudeville/movie theatre with multiple arts programs.
The Coast Guard training tallship
She is the training ship for the future Coast Guard officers and is usually in port for part of the year and tours are available.
Ocean Beach Park
Beach, boardwalk, pool, splash pool, waterslide, arcade, playground, rides, mini-golf, nature walk and observation deck. Nightly entertainment. Bring around $100/day for a family of four.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Cold months (Jan) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Mar. (climate data from nearby Narragansett)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- WST Westerly State Airport, Westerly — 15 mi away. Directions
- HVN Tweed New Haven Airport, New Haven — 41 mi away. Directions
- PVD Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, Providence/Warwick — 43 mi away (major hub). Directions
Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 1 serve New London.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $60–$60 a night (typical $62), from 2 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $20 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$100, mid-range ~$140, comfortable ~$230.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Connecticut College Arboretum, Lyman Allyn Art Museum
- Lunch Tony D's
- Afternoon Custom House Maritime Museum, Custom House Museum Shop
- Dinner Captain Scott's Lobster Dock
- Evening Muddy Waters Cafe
Day 2
- Morning Monte Cristo Cottage, Ocean Beach Park
- Lunch The Yolk Café
- Afternoon Hempstead Houses, Thames River Greenery
- Dinner Recovery Room Restaurant
Day 3
- Morning Garde Arts Center, The United States Coast Guard Academy
- Afternoon The Coast Guard training tallship, Caruso Music
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 1 serve New London.
By bus
Greyhound and Peter Pan/Arrow Bus Lines have daily scheduled services to New London from nearby and out-of-state locations.
By train
New London is along the Northeast Corridor, the busiest railway in the US, with dozens of departures every day. Amtrak serves the city via its Northeast Regional trains between Washington, D.C. and Boston, via New York City and several other East Coast cities. Additionally, the regional Shore Line East run by CTRides from New Haven via smaller cities along the coast terminates here. New London Union Station is located at 27 Water St, with easy connections to buses and ferries.
By ferry
- From Central Long Island
Port Jefferson Ferry, Phone: +1 631-473-5138.
- From Orient Point, Long Island, New York
Cross Sound Ferry, Phone: +1 631-323-2525 or +1 860-443-5281.
By plane
- T.F. Green Airport (PVD), (Exit 13 off Interstate 95), Warwick (Rhode Island). About 1 hour away by car.
- Bradley International Airport BDL, Windsor Locks. About 1.5 hours away by car.
Regional Airport - No scheduled service - Only receive charter and private airplanes
Get around
Transportation
Due to New London's small size, traveling by car is the easiest way to get around. Taxis are a close second and very popular, but they can be costly.
- SEAT (Southeast Area Transit), 21 Rt. 12, Preston. Phone: +1 860-886-2631.
See
See Connecticut College Arboretum
Daily sunrise to sunset. Free guided tours on Su at 2PM from May to October. Price: Free unless taking a private tour. About: The Arboretum Plant collections are broken down into four areas: the Native Plant Collection, the Caroline Black Garden, the Connecticut College Campus, and the Greenhouse. They contain incredible diversity of plant life, from the epiphytes and orchids of the tropical greenhouse to the pitcher plants and red maples of the wetlands.
See Hempstead Houses
Open from mid-May through mid-October from noon-4PM. Colonial houses dating back as far as 1678.
See The Coast Guard training tallship (USCGC Eagle)
She is the training ship for the future Coast Guard officers and is usually in port for part of the year and tours are available.
Do
Do Custom House Museum Shop
Nautical gifts; new & vintage maritime books; whale bottle openers, cards, & coffee mugs.
Learn
- Connecticut College, Private liberal arts college located on the Thames River.
- Mitchell College, A liberal arts college that sits on the Thames River.
- United States Coast Guard Academy, The military academy for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Eat
Eat Tony D's
Italian and Continental.
Eat Captain Scott's Lobster Dock
Seafood.
Eat The Yolk Café
The no-longer-'broken' Yoke Cafe is a small counter service American Breakfast joint with picnic table dining outside during the summer. Be prepared for the chefs to bust out the marshmellow and squirt guns or to play board games with your new friends at the table next to you.
Eat Recovery Room Restaurant
Italian and Pizza.
Dessert
- Rita's Water Ice, 361 Coleman St, Phone: +1 860 444-1600. Craving frozen custard? There are a variety of flavors at Rita's!
- Michael's Dairy, 629 Montauk Ave (on Mitchell College campus), Phone: +1 860-443-2464. Enjoy some ice-cream or frozen yogurt in this ice-cream parlor-style restaurant.
Drink
Cafes
Sleep
Hotels in central New London can often be more expensive than those in Groton which lies just across the river. There is a group of hotels right across the river right at the other end of the Gold Star Bridge which will be closer to central New London than many of the cheaper hotels that are on the outskirts of the city proper. Central New London will be a 5-10 minute drive or a $10 cab ride from these Groton hotels.
Go next
- Mystic and the Rhode Island South County beaches are nearby. Foxwoods casino in Ledyard and Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville are close.
- Take the Cross Sound Ferry to Orient on Long Island's North Fork and then continue on to New York City.
Nearby
Waterford
City / town · 8 listings · 2 mi away
Groton
City / town · 7 listings · 4 mi away
East Lyme
City / town · 6 listings · 7 mi away
Mystic
City / town · 57 listings · 7 mi away
Ledyard
City / town · 12 listings · 7 mi away
Montville
City / town · 6 listings · 8 mi away
Stonington
City / town · 16 listings · 10 mi away
Old Lyme
City / town · 21 listings · 11 mi away
My experience
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