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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Boston
Give Boston 3 nights: walk the Freedom Trail, one museum, one harbor or Fenway evening. Add a Cambridge half-day; skip a car.
Boston is compact and walkable: most of the colonial core, the waterfront and the North End sit within about 3 miles (5 km). Three nights covers the Freedom Trail, one big museum and a neighborhood evening; four if you add Cambridge or a day trip. Costs run high for hotels, moderate for food and transit. Spring and fall are the best weather; summer is busy and humid, winter is cold with snow.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), Jan–Feb (cold, snow)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $140–230 excl. bed · High $230+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–6 |
| Quick lunch (sandwich, bowl) | $10–16 |
| Reasonable dinner | $25–40 |
| Beer, draught in a bar | $7–10 |
| Subway ride (single) | $2.40 (check) |
| Museum entry | $20–30 |
| Live music ticket | $25–50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BOS · Boston Logan International
- About 3 miles (5 km) from Downtown; Silver Line SL1 and Blue Line connect to the subway, taxi or rideshare about 15–25 min depending on traffic.About 3 miles (3.1 mi) from Downtown; Silver Line SL1 and Blue Line connect to the subway, taxi or rideshare about 15–25 min depending on traffic.
Typical fares
- Logan Airport → Downtown, Silver Line SL1
- About $2.40, 20–30 min (check)
- Taxi Logan Airport → Downtown
- $25–40, 15–25 min depending on traffic
- Amtrak Boston → New York
- About $60–150, 3.5–4 h (check)
Get around
The T (subway, bus, trolley and ferry) covers the centre and Cambridge; a Charlie Card or contactless tap is the standard way to pay. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile (4 km) walk and is the fastest way between the main sights. Driving and parking in the centre are expensive; use transit and walk.The T (subway, bus, trolley and ferry) covers the centre and Cambridge; a Charlie Card or contactless tap is the standard way to pay. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile (2.5 mi) walk and is the fastest way between the main sights. Driving and parking in the centre are expensive; use transit and walk.
See and do
Known for
- Freedom Trail
- Fenway Park and the Red Sox
- Harvard and MIT in Cambridge
- North End Italian food
- American Revolution history
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | Red Line to Harvard or Kendall/MIT | About 20–30 min |
| Salem | Commuter rail from North Station | About 45–60 min |
| Providence, RI | Amtrak or commuter rail from South Station | About 1 h |
| Cape Cod | Car or bus from South Station | 1.5–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Downtown and the Waterfront
- Closest to the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and the harbor; best for a first trip with no car.
- Back Bay
- Newbury Street shopping, Amtrak and commuter rail at Back Bay station; quieter streets, higher room rates.
- North End
- Italian restaurants and Old North Church; small hotels, some street noise at night.
- South End
- Restaurants and galleries along Tremont Street; 15–20 min walk or a short ride to Downtown.
- Seaport
- Newer hotels near the convention center; fewer historic sights, more chain options.
- Cambridge
- Harvard and MIT; Red Line to Downtown in about 15–20 min. Good value outside graduation and move-in weeks.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse meexcuse me |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| This one, please | This one, pleasethis one, please |
| How much is it? | How much is it?how much is it |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card?can I pay by card |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the restroom?where is the restroom |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Hotel prices spike during university graduation (May), move-in (late Aug–early Sep) and marathon weekend (April).
- Summer afternoons can be humid; carry water on the Freedom Trail.
- Winter storms can cancel flights and close attractions: check before you travel.
- Some bars and restaurants add a service or kitchen fee: read the bill before tipping.
Boston is generally safe in the tourist core; the main risks are pickpocketing in crowded areas, late-night bar districts and winter ice on sidewalks. Use normal city caution after dark and keep to lit, busy streets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Boston yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Freedom Trail
- Fenway Park and the Red Sox
- Harvard and MIT in Cambridge
- North End Italian food
- American Revolution history
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Boston, revision 5373664 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5373664
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Boston
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most countries have consulates or embassies in Washington, DC; check your country's nearest consulate in Boston for services.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/boston). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.