New York, Calgary, Quebec, Halifax Nova Scotia, Boston or Toronto? Which is best for teenage boys?

[Teeh]

Could possibly fly in to one and out the other. I have selected these as they all fly from Edinburgh so are easy travel for us. We won’t have a car . Boys are quite outdoorsy and won’t want to be entirely a city break. Somewhere quieter too, maybe a beach or a whale watching trip. Would anyone have any help for me to decide?

Nova Scotia is a brilliant place to explore but you will definitely need a car. The others are all cities - Boston is very walkable - you can do the Freedom Trail and book an excursion to Martha's Vineyard.

Halifax is a small city, Nova Scotia is lovely but I think it really needs a car. There is a lot to see in Nova Scotia but the roads are pretty awful so it takes a long time to get from A to B. It’s ideal for a road trip.
Plenty to do in Boston, in the city and things like whale watching, a trip to the harbour islands and days out by train to Salem, Concord and Rockport.

Thanks so much for the replies. Boston sounds manageable then. I need to look in to the train trips you mention. Perhaps Nova Scotia is too much for us. I do drive but don’t think I would be confident if roads aren’t great.

I really like the look of Quebec in photos I see online the city looks lovely. But not sure what we would do there

https://www.viator.com/Boston-tourism/d678-r18115563851-s110445011?m=64813&supag=96370377349&supsc=kwd-514153988&supai=421205611864&supdv=m&supnt=g&suplp=9046648&supli=&supti=kwd-514153988&tsem=true&supci=kwd-514153988&supap1=&supap2=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-gbd5vFPHFZ-ItHt6cv7QbaMlFw&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6Ou5BhCrARIsAPoTxrD8Jl70Qm7_Ofxc_sYPvS2zx1EvQ22bC5VxxoSvcjvZphLPGoxRR5saAvFpEALw_wcB

I recommend Viator for booking day trips. Quebec is a lovely city (we live further south in Montreal) but probably less appealing to teenagers

We did Nova Scotia and the CanadianEastern seaboard. It was lovely very interesting history, geography and wild life, but a lot of miles along roads with nothing but pine trees, pine trees, pine trees…………..
Boston on the other hand is great!

When DT’s were little they called it the Christmas tree country!

How long do you plan to stay?

We did Boston with 16 year old DD and loved it but we are history nerds. We did one day Salem, a short train ride (50 minutes) away.

But I think you would be stretched to do more than 1 week.

Nova Scotia is very easy to drive around - empty, wide roads other than in Halifax itself. If you like trees and beaches and lighthouses then it's great.

I wouldn't bother with Toronto but I'm just not a big fan - I've only been once so you could ignore my opinion for sure. I prefer Montreal and Quebec City and they are both very walkable. Quebec City is quite small and very historic. Not an enormous amount of stuff to do - I'd go for a few days but not a full week, personally. Calgary - you'd want a car, but it would open up tons of outdoor stuff to you.

Boston is great, loads to do, lots of day trips, very walkable. You could rent a car for a few days and drive up the Maine coast.

NYC would be fun with teen boys as long as they are OK with crowds. Mine wasn't a big fan.

Maybe I should consider Nova Scotia. Beaches and the great outdoors do go down well with the dc

I was thinking going for 10 days .

Yes to the pine trees, we did a “scenic ocean drive” without seeing the sea once, just trees. I would agree that the driving is very easy. Certainly easier by about 1000000% than Boston which is insane.

@Teeh We went to Nova Scotia in late August and into Sept. After schools go back, it’s very quiet. So if you want school holidays, it’s a great destination, There are unspoilt beaches galore! Outdoors activities everywhere.

Our only disappointment was a lack of whales . Other than right in the south of Digby off Briar Island. I think they had gone south so Boston would be a better bet for whales and we saw lots when we went to Boston in August previously,

We did a lot of driving and the roads are good. Not much different to standard uk towns really. Yes, there are conifers but there’s glorious coastline too. I think the Cabot Trail is a must and we really liked the Fundy Trail parkway is exceptional. You would need to plan very carefully for 10 days though. If you aren’t driving - it’s impossible!

From Boston you can drive out to Cape Cod for beach time or up the coast where there’s plenty to see. Look into trains going north maybe? Again we drove and it’s easy.

Flying to Calgary takes longer. Not sure about trips out from there without a car but I would think there’s a railway or two. We don’t get coaches so never look at them. Lots of the cities will be very busy in August though.

From Boston you can get a ferry to Provincetown in Cape Cod which is fun. (Do NOT take this ferry if it is very windy). There is lots to do there, I would recommend the dunes tour, for example.

You can also get the train north from Boston to Portland, Maine, which is a great little town for a few days. There is an amazing food scene. There are probably other stops on that train that are worth visiting as well.

We really enjoyed Nova Scotia, there was more than enough to do for 10 days, if you’re willing to drive.

Why not a few days in New York and then Boston and surrounds?
Not Toronto. I used to live there and it's very pleasant but a bit dull IMO.

Yes I am considering New York for a few days then Boston. But wasn’t sure how good the journey in between would be. Are trains ok? For taking a family with luggage? Or would flight actually be better?

Trains are a bit hit or miss as I recall. Fly if you can,

Or make a road trip of it

@Teeh Ive done that journey - it’s fine! It’s not hit and miss at all. From memory, we got the slower train and it was over 4 hours but didn’t feel like it. I think there’s an express train but it’s a lot more expensive. I believe it departs/arrives in Penn St, New York. We thought it was better than flying and no issue with getting to and from airports!! Big advantage. It’s probably quicker overall and definitely less stressful. Yes, Americans fly everywhere but you don’t have to. We have used other trains in USA successfully. Philadelphia to Washington is another good link of two great cities.

I love Boston, so much to see and do. It feels very safe as well. NYC is an expensive dump!

We did the Canadian Rockies by flying into Calgary and using the Brewster and local buses to get around, basing ourselves in Banff, though Canmore is an option. Lots of outdoors stuff to do and wildlife but it was expensive and 10 days would be too much I think. Can’t comment on Calgary itself as we only drove through. We split it with time in Toronto which we loved - DS was 19 at the time so maybe slightly older but he really enjoyed the baseball games and hockey museum and we did a day trip to Niagara Falls from there.

The train between New York and Boston is absolutely fine. Even the “fast” train is quite slow compared to the U.K. and probably not worth the extra. There is plenty of space for luggage. When I took it you couldn’t book seats but I think that might have changed. If I recall correctly they only sell tickets for the number of seats so there is no standing and you are guaranteed to get a seat somewhere on the train.
The views on the seaward side going between New York and Boston are lovely. There is food available on the trains, it’s nicer than on U.K. trains. The stations at both ends are in the city centres, much more convenient than the airports, especially in New York and much less hassle. You will need to book ahead, it’s a well used service.

Ah that’s great. I wasn’t sure if trains could feel a bit “dodgy” like an extension of the New York underground

@Teeh Inter city trains are not remotely dodgy. We found many people working on them and everyone was friendly and helpful. I agree with @Chemenger about the coastal views, but you need to get the right seats. We did Boston to NY. On balance I think this is easier.

NY has amazing things to see. It’s expensive but has world class museums and it’s iconic. Walking around is free and fantastic - eg walk back to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge! Walk along the High Line. Lots of things don’t have to cost $$$ but meals will!

Trains are definitely not dodgy. It’s more expensive to take the train than to fly. The underground (The T) in Boston is also absolutely fine, very safe and very well used by everyone in Boston. I never thought twice about using it by myself right up to late evening. I've never taken the subway in New York, I’ve always stayed in Manhattan and either walked of used Uber/Lyft (I’ve usually been in work trips or just a very short trip).

We did the train between Boston and New York last year. It was the ‘fast’ train and we did book. Travelled with one case each and it was fine. If you take into account having to arrive at the airport in advance of flight etc then train is faster. We did opt for 1st class which was pretty pricey (it was a trip for DD’s 21st so we were splashing out) but even the ‘normal’ seats are good.
There are good whale watching tours from Boston. Ferry from Boston to Provincetown on Cape Cod for the beaches. We usually stay at the other end of the Cape but I think the Provincetown end is also good for beaches, dune trips etc.
There are usually companies on the Cape offering kayak tours which are good fun.