New England in the Fall: Trip of a Lifetime This annual phenomenon has its own language: "leaf peepers" arrive to see "the color" in "the foliage season." The spectacle is such an attraction that the US Forest Service website (fs.fed.us/fallcolors) devotes pages to it. In September and October, days are sunny and warm, but nights turn chilly. This drop in temperature triggers the change in leaves. A cold snap can alter the landscape almost overnight. Chlorophyll production grinds to a halt, allowing the natural anthocyanins (reds and purples) and carotenoids (oranges and lemons) to show through the leaves. Predicting the autumnal peak is nigh impossible Up in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, the transformation starts in mid-September, then moves south through the New England states. Mother Nature disdains timetables, so forecasting the "peak" is impossible. But even in years rated disappointing by locals, first-timers are usually impressed. And finding the best spots is easy: radio and TV provide regular news; the provinces and states post daily updates on websites and telephone hotlines. The temptation is to drive through a region, searching for the perfect leafy vista. Aficionados prefer to find a base and take time to include other autumnal traditions: country fairs and harvest festivals, pumpkin-carving contests and excursions aboard old-fashioned trains (foliagetrains.com). Be warned: this is high season, with prices to match. Do not leave hotel and rental car bookings to chance; both should be made well in advance, particularly for weekends. Even then, many small inns and b & bs insist on a minimum two- or three-night stay. So, a package holiday saves time and worry. Specialist UK tour operators also offer informed advice and tailor-made itineraries, plus also financial protection. New England's best-known scenic byways (byways.org) are very busy at weekends. Head, instead, for the backroads of the heavily wooded but lightly populated Northeast Kingdom (travelthekingdom.com), near St Johnsbury in north-eastern Vermont. From Gorham, New Hampshire, follow Route 16 north into the Great North Woods (gorhamnew hampshire.com) for grand mountain views and the occasional moose. In western Massachusetts, drive south along the Connecticut River from Greenfield to Amherst, stopping in beautifully conserved Deerfield (historic-deerfield.org). For a panorama over the broad valley, take the road to the summit in Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation. Another way to escape the crowds is to ride a cable car to the top of a ski resort, where there are often easy strolls with majestic panoramas. Near the Victorian village of Bethel, for example, ride the Chondola cable car at Sunday River resort (sundayriver.com) for vistas of the Mahoosuc Mountains. In Vermont, take the Super Bravo Express Quad at Sugarbush Resort (sugarbush.com) to the 3,150ft (960m) summit of Gadd Peak. Walk back down, or enjoy more gorgeous views on the return ride. New Hampshire has 75 state parks, so, even near popular villages you can be on your own. From North Conway, for example, head into Echo Lake State Park (nhstateparks.org) and hike up to Cathedral Ledge, with its 700ft (213m) drop. For a squirrel's view of forest life, interspersed with Tarzan-like rides between the boughs, sign up for a soft adventure on one of the now-numerous canopy or zip line tours in the Green Mountains of Vermont (vermontvacation.com), the White Mountains of New Hampshire (visitwhitemountains.com) or Maine's Carrabassett Valley (mainelakesandmountains.com). The White Mountains of New Hampshire In New Hampshire (visitnh.gov) water provides a mirror for the tree and often clear, blue skies. So rent a sea kayak or canoe; go sailing on a windjammer/schooner among the rocky islets on the Maine coast (sailmainecoast.com); or cruise down Vermont's 120-mile (193km) Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III (soea.com), with views of the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Serious trail-baggers can follow part of the Appalachian Trail (appalachiantrail.org), featured in Bill Bryson's book, A Walk in the Woods. Or look at Vermont's Long Trail, running along the ridge of the Green Mountains. Based in Brandon, Vermont, Country Inns Along the Trail (001 802 247 3300; inntoinn.com) offers self-guided inn-to-inn packages to suit all abilities. Travelling by rail in this region is surprisingly affordable. Amtrak's (0800 033 7810; amtraktraintickets.co.uk) New England routes link some of the region's prettiest destinations. A single fare, for example, from Boston to Portland, Maine, costs $20/£12.40. If you are flying into New York, the fare to St Albans, Vermont is $50/£31. Or, board the Maple Leaf train to Toronto. The run of 550 miles (885km) follows the lovely Hudson River Valley, then cuts past the vineyards of New York state and Ontario, with a stop at Niagara Falls; it costs $115/£71, but takes a leisurely 12 hours. If you prefer a package, Holidays by Rail (0800 033 7960; holidaysbyrail.com) has an annual Fall Colours & Scenic Trains 10-day escorted tour, including excursions on tourist railways in Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire. Great Rail Journeys (01904 521936; greatrail.com) offers autumn rail trips (10 days from £1,795) where colours and mountain scenery come together on America's east coast, including stays in Falmouth, Boston and the White Mountains. Also featured are Martha's Vineyard, a Downeaster railway journey, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, the North Conway Scenic Railway, Mount Washington Valley, whale watching and a tour of Boston. Unlike most of North America, New England is well-suited to those who prefer not to drive. Growing fast in popularity are cruises along the Atlantic coast. Bridge & Wickers (020 7386 4615; bridgeandwickers.co.uk) has an attractive Holland America Line trip from Boston to Montreal, with views of the foliage along the rugged shoreline. Titan (0800 988 5823; titantravel.co.uk) regularly features a Discover New England itinerary as one of its escorted coach holidays. Virgin Holidays (0844 557 4321; virginholidays.co.uk) also offers train and coach tours of the area. You can go it alone, finding a flight, car and accommodation online. For example, American Airlines (0844 499 7300; americanairlines.co.uk) has deals on flights to Boston, the gateway to New England; Netflights (0844 692 6792; netflights.com) offers attractive prices for car hire; while specialist accommodation website Four Seasons in New England (01837 840900; holidayinnewengland.com) has a choice of recommended, inspected places to stay. America As You Like It (020 8742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) finds that many regulars like two-centre holidays, based, for example, in the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As well as offering access to nearby peaks and lakes, there are back roads and cycle trails, country stores and Colonial-era taverns. Canadian Affair (020 7616 9933; canadianaffair.com) has an array of itineraries in Atlantic Canada, where there are fewer visitors. Fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and follow their Maritime Magic Treasures tour, with grand scenery along the Bay of Fundy, on Prince Edward Island and on Cape Breton Island. The drive around the Cabot Trail and Bras d'Or Lake - actually an inland sea - is genuinely spectacular. Bon Voyage (0800 316 3012; bon-voyage.co.uk) has luxury log cabins, complete with hot tubs, in the Great Smoky Mountains, 900 miles (1,500km) southwest of Boston. On the North Carolina/Tennessee border, the display arrives in late October/early November. Based on four sharing, seven nights cost from £985 per person, including flights, car hire and accommodation. One way to hedge your bets on where to see the "best" foliage is on a tour that includes both sides of the border. Complete North America (0115 961 0590; completenorthamerica.co.uk) has a 15-day New England and Canada Fly Drive that starts in Boston and finishes in Toronto. Other US and Canada specialists include Frontier Canada (020 8776 8709; frontier-canada.co.uk) and North America Travel Service (0113 243 0000; northamericatravelservice.co.uk). For detailed information and suggested driving tours, check out the official tourism websites for New England (discovernewengland.co.uk) and Atlantic Canada (atlanticcanadaholiday.co.uk). Get in the mood with America's favourite poet, Robert Frost. Tree at my Window was inspired by a maple at his farm in Derry, New Hampshire; Maple is a classic example of his dry wit. Although autumn days are delightful, temperatures drop considerably at dusk. Take the usual layers, with sweaters, fleeces and a wind and waterproof jacket. If you intend to walk, take sensible footwear for the forest paths and mountain trails. Yankee Magazine (yankeemagazine.com) is devoted largely to New England travel and its Leaf Peepr [sic] app (yankeefoliage.com) keeps you up to date with the hot spots in the US. Individual states, such as New Hampshire (visitnh.gov), also have free fall foliage apps. And if you take a photo of a leaf, LeafSnap, a free app, cleverly identifies the tree. Avoid the best-known roads on weekends, such as Route 100 (in Vermont), the Kancamagus Highway (New Hampshire) and the Mohawk Trail (Massachusetts). Columbus Day Weekend. On the second Monday of October, this popular three-day holiday in the US is synonymous with crowds of peepers. Finding a quiet lunch spot can be difficult. Take sandwiches; buy apples from road-side stands; picnic in the woods on a back road.