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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Boston Day Trips

36 replies

Whycanineverever · 18/12/2022 08:47

Planning ahead we have 5 nights in Boston late October next year. We are planning a day trip to Salem but also wondering about another day.

Is it worth going to Martha's Vineyard / Cape Cod etc at that time of year (being so familiar with them from books etc would love to see them) . Or somewhere on the Maine Coast.

Are these worth it at this time of year and can you recommend anywhere. 2 teens so while I will like scenery them possible not so much.

OP posts:
bookish83 · 18/12/2022 11:38

33goingon64 · 18/12/2022 09:00

Provincetown in Cape Cod is a fun place to spend a day - lots of little galleries, boutiques and cafés and you can go whale watching. There are also beaches nearby.

This!

You can also go to Nantucket but might be a bit much for 5 days

Definitely agree with a Harvard visit too.

BackToWhereItAllBegan · 19/12/2022 12:25

The whale watching trip was fantastic but we did it in July on a hot sunny day and it was still freezing out at sea, I think late October might be unbearable.
Loved the Freedom Trail, we did it with a tour guide and it was really interesting. About 2 1/2 hours long and it ended in North End so we went to one of the many fabulous Italian restaurants for lunch.

Honeyroar · 19/12/2022 18:18

Whycanineverever · 18/12/2022 09:59

@Honeyroar we are in NY for Halloween itself - arrive 28th. I assume that's the Greenwich village one? (I think that's right place anyway....?)

Yes that’s the one. Perfect!

nuttymut · 05/01/2023 19:01

We had 4-5 days in Boston as part of a New England road trip . We went late September/early October. We did Harvard and MIT in one day . Also recommend the freedom trail and the hop on hop off buses . It’s a very walkable city and the metro is easy to use . Salem was fun at that time of year . We stayed in Portsmouth for a few days as part of our trip . Cape Cod is better with a car . Although there is a ferry to Provincetown which at the top of cape cod .

twotoedsloth · 14/01/2023 00:06

I wouldn't bother with Cape Cod that time of the year, but it is prime foliage season so it would be a missed opportunity to not get out of the city to see the leaves. Concord/Walden pond area would be good if you don't want to go too far. Alternatively the White Mountains of New Hampshire are amazing and are beautiful during foliage season. You will probably be a couple of weeks too late for the peak of the season there, though it is still amazing.

pinkhousesarebest · 14/01/2023 00:21

We were inBoston at Halloween and went to Salem with young teens. It was packed and a bit tacky but they loved it. We also went to Martha’s Vineyard for the day and had it all to ourselves ( apart from Emily Blunt and her gorgeous husband). We also drove to Cape Anne, which was beautiful. Best holiday ever- amazing fall computs and the Boston houses all decked out for Halloween.

Original poster
Whycanineverever · 14/01/2023 12:38

twotoedsloth · 14/01/2023 00:06

I wouldn't bother with Cape Cod that time of the year, but it is prime foliage season so it would be a missed opportunity to not get out of the city to see the leaves. Concord/Walden pond area would be good if you don't want to go too far. Alternatively the White Mountains of New Hampshire are amazing and are beautiful during foliage season. You will probably be a couple of weeks too late for the peak of the season there, though it is still amazing.

I would like to see some of the fall foliage I saw there is a trip you can do but that would be too boring for my kids I think. Are we likely to see much from the train Boston - NYC?I am not sure what the route is like.

OP posts:
Chemenger · 14/01/2023 15:05

The train from Boston to NYC is mostly coastal, sit on the sea side (left from Boston) for the best views.

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 24/06/2023 14:46

We've just returned from Boston and will give some of our highlights. It's a beautiful city.

  • The Harbour walk as good for getting our bearings and we were able to admire the fancy apartments.
  • The Boston Tea Party boat - was expensive but probably worth doing as it outlined in simple terms start of the revolution. It was all very 'pantomime' but we enjoyed it.
  • My DD downloaded a Freedom Walk talk which used GPS and gave us a running commentary as we did the trail. It was only about $6 so was great value and meant we could do the walk at our pace and stop and start when we liked. It was American history but the British were of course involved!
  • The Harvard tour was good and interesting.
  • We went to Fan pier park at sundown for DD's Instagramable photos !
  • Ferry to Provincetown for a day trip was our best investment. It was very expensive but we had a great time. October will of course be cooler but it's a pleasant town whatever the weather.
  • We had a day in Salem. It was a bit disappointing. It will be much better in October as it'll be decorated for Halloween. It was really just a town with a bit of history and shops that cashed in on this. We went to a 'museum' here but it wasn't up to much.
  • We enjoyed the residential housing round Beacon Hill and South Boston, the Tatte bakery (we ended up going to 3 different ones) and the ease of walking or using the subway.
christmastreefarm · 24/06/2023 16:03

@ItsReallyOnlyMe

Thank you - could you let me know the app for the freedom trail. Was planning on doing a self guided one.

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 24/06/2023 23:25

@christmastreefarm

It was Walk n Tours here : www.walkntours.com/our-tours/the-classic-freedom-trail

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