Rhode Island

Introduction

Jetty, Newport, Rhode Island

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Rhode Island is a small U.S. state in New England, in the northeast of the country.

Geography

Rhode Island covers an area of approximately 3,140 km2 and is bordered on the north and east by Massachusetts, on the west by Connecticut, and on the south by Rhode Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a narrow maritime border with New York State between Block Island and Long Island. Nicknamed the Ocean State, Rhode Island has a number of oceanfront beaches. It is mostly flat with no real mountains, and the state's highest natural point is Jerimoth Hill, at 247 metres above sea level.
Located within the New England province of the Appalachian Region, Rhode Island has two distinct natural regions. Eastern Rhode Island contains the lowlands of the Narragansett Bay, while Western Rhode Island forms part of the New England Upland. Rhode Island's forests are part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion. Narragansett Bay is a major feature of the state's topography. Block Island lies approximately 20 kilometres off the southern coast of the mainland. Within the Bay, there are over 30 islands. The largest is Aquidneck Island, shared by the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth. The second-largest island is Conanicut; the third-largest is Prudence.

Cities

• Providence is the state's capital and largest city

Weather

Rhode Island is an example of a humid continental climate with warm, rainy summers and chilly winters. Summers last from June to September and are nice and warm, between and 30 °C during the day and between 15 °C and 20 °C at night. The highest temperature recorded in Rhode Island was 40 °C, recorded on August 2, 1975, in Providence.Winters last from December to March with average daytime temperatures mostly around zero or slightly above. Nights are well below zero during this time. The lowest recorded temperature in Rhode Island was -31 °C, on February 5, 1996, in Greene. Precipitation is quite evenly distributed throughout the year, with sometimes very heavy snowfall in winter. During summer, heavy showers can occur, especially after periods of hot weather.

Getting There

By Plane

T.F. Green Airport (PVD) is located about 10 kilometres from Providence. It has flights to/from Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Atlanta, Toronto, Minneapolis, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Tampa, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, West Palm Beach, Cleveland, Newark, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Philadelphia.

By Train

Two Amtrak trains stop in a number of places in Rhode Island:

• The Acela Express travels between Boston and New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia.
• The Northeast Regional travels between Newport News and Boston.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Rhode Island has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include:

• Motel 6
• Super 8
• Days Inn
• Quality Inn
• Red Roof Inn
• Howard Johnson
• Best Western
• La Quinta Inns and Suites
• Holiday Inn
• Econo Lodge
• Travelodge
• Hilton
• Choice Hotels
• Ramada
• Radisson
• Starwood Hotels
• Marriott Hotels

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website