Stopping over in Boston

Boston is the gateway to New England and one of the most historic cities in America. It is a popular city for a stopover before heading up into Vermont or Maine to see the fall colours or as an alternative stop over to New York.

Things to see in Boston

There is definitely something for everyone in Boston. If you like history this is the place to visit and learn more about the place where the British settlers first landed. You can also walk the Freedom Trail which is a 2.5 mile walk around the city and takes you to 16 different historically significant sites relating to the rich history of the American Revolution.

There are plenty of museums in Boston and one of the best aquariums in the world. If you happen to be visiting on 17th March (St Patrick’s Day) you will see the Charles River turn bright green as each year they dye the river to celebrate the Irish holiday!

Boston has a beautiful harbour (from here you can take a trip out and do some whale watching), lovely parks and riverside restaurants. When I visited I did the old town trolley tour which is a hop on hop off tour using one of the city’s old trolley cars converted into a bus which takes you through all the main areas of Boston with an on-board guide and you can use it all day stopping at various places en route, this was inexpensive at $25 per adult.

Where to stay

I stayed at the Boxer hotel in the West End. It’s a really good, mid-range hotel, which is centrally located and walking distance to Beacon Hill and the Back Bay - and the hotel itself is in the historic Flatiron building.

If you prefer a luxury hotel then there are plenty of options including the 5* Taj Boston, Langham and the Westin on the Waterfront or my favourite the Four Seasons by the park.

There are also many 3* hotels and hostels if you are looking for a more budget friendly options such as the Midtown Hotel or the Holiday Inn Express – we’ve handpicked a few of our Boston hotel favourites here, but ask us for more recommendations.

Getting around

Boston is quite spread out and the Charles River splits the city in two, with many good transport options. I would not recommend hiring a car as the one way systems and Boston’s many tunnels and bridges make it very confusing for non-residents! Plus finding a parking space can be very difficult. The best way to get from the airport is to pre-book a transfer which costs from £35pp for a shared transfer and £60pp for a private transfer – I can arrange these for you.

Once in the city a good way to get around would be to get on to one of the hop on hop off tours otherwise there is an excellent bus system which is inexpensive.