If you're on a tight budget or just want a cheap vacation cottage or cabin so you can splurge on other things, Maine offers a number of great low-cost options. Even in the most popular areas, like Bar Harbor and the coastal region, inexpensive cottages can be found that will fit any budget. The following destinations offer rentals in three diverse regions of Maine, each with a distinct character. For the best deals on rentals, visit before mid-June or after Labor Day, if possible, when prices are even lower.
Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are popular summer destinations and, as a result, cheap cottages are hard to come by. Rose Eden Cottages is a welcome exception, providing small and very affordable budget accommodations. The location is near enough to Bar Harbor to keep shoppers happy, and to Acadia National Park, where there are options for outdoor activities year round. The best deal at Rose Eden is Cottage 1 which sleeps two for $480 a week (in 2010) during peak season. For slightly more money, there are several cottages with kitchenettes that sleep two to three for $685/week during peak season. Rose Eden opens in mid-May and closes in mid-October. The cottages are also pet-friendly.
Rose Eden Cottages
864 State Highway 3
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
(207) 288-3038
roseeden.com
The mid-coast of Maine is a string of beautiful and historic coastal towns and villages. Sea Acres Motel and Cottages in Pemaquid offers very affordable accommodations in a quiet and lovely area near the widely-photographed lighthouse at Pemaquid Point. A cottage with two double beds can be had for $525 per week. The property has a pool and access to a river for swimming. Sea Acres closes for the winter, opening around Memorial Day and shutting down for the season after Labor Day.
Sea Acres Motel & Cottages
Steve & Beverly Lord
23 Bradley Hill Road
Pemaquid, Maine 04558
(207) 677-2693 (spring and summer)
(877) 677-2693 (fall and winter)
seaacrescottages.com
The Moosehead Lake region of Maine offers extraordinary natural beauty in a quiet and secluded environment, highlighted by the 40-by-10 mile lake itself. The largest town on the lake, Greenville, provides some dining and shopping opportunities, but the area is largely undeveloped and ideal for a wilderness getaway. Northwoods Camp Rentals ("camp" is a Maine term for cottage or cabin) has five cottages that sleep four to six people for under $750/week. The cottages are on or very near to the lake, with more amenities than you would expect for the price, including cable/satellite TV. Winter rentals are available at greatly reduced prices.
Northwoods Camp Rentals
14 Lakeview Street
P.O. Box 825
Greenville, Maine 04441
(800) 251-8042
mooseheadrentals.com
