Boston travel guide
Boston Tourism | Boston Guide
You're Going to Love Boston
With a population of 617.594, Boston is the largest city in Massachusetts, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Boston deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Boston
Art & Performing Arts
Tours
Activities
Other activities
Where to Eat in Boston
South Boston is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Boston. These include popular favorites such as Moonshine 152 (152 Dorchester Ave), Mooo SEAPORT (49 Melcher St) and Row 34 - Boston (383 Congress Street). If you’re looking for affordable options, Maggiano's - Boston (4 Columbus Avenue) and Island Creek Oyster Bar - Boston (500 Commonwealth Avenue) are great picks. Families with children usually love to dine at Tony's Place (188 Baker St), while couples can enjoy the romantic atmosphere of Servia (126 State St), in South Boston. For delicious green meals, Cafeteria Boston (279a Newbury Street) and Moxies - Boston Seaport (899 Congress St) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Boston.
When to visit Boston
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Boston in July, when the average temperature is 73.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 82.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 23 °F, with an average temperature of 30.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 4″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Boston, with an average rainfall of 3.1″.
How to Get to Boston
Plane
Boston is served by 2 airports: Boston Harbor SPB (BNH) and Boston Logan Airport (BOS). The closest to downtown Boston is Boston Harbor SPB, which is located 1 km from the city center. Further away is Boston Logan Airport, 4 km from the center of Boston. Boston Logan Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest domestic flight to Boston departs from New York and takes around 1h 16m.
Train
Amtrak is the most popular train carrier serving Boston, followed by Acela. The train journey from Boston to Providence takes 0h 46m and costs around $6 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Portland, expect to pay about $26 for a 2h 32m trip. Located 2.0 km from the city center, Boston Back Bay is the busiest station in Boston. Another popular train station is Boston South Station, located 1.0 km from the center.
Car
Another option to get to Boston is to pick up a car rental from New York, which is about 302 km from Boston. You’ll find branches of Sixt and Kyte, among others, in New York.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Boston, including CoachRun, OurBus and Bus. The most popular bus station is Boston 39 Dalton Street, located 2.7 km from downtown Boston. Boston Allston is also a commonly used station, and is 6 km from the city center.
Airlines serving Boston
Where to stay in Boston
Average rates range from around $266 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $544 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Boston, with prices from $157 to $787 per night. Back Bay is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Boston are about 28% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Downtown - In Boston’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Four Seasons Hotel Boston, Canopy by Hilton Boston Downtown and W Boston.
Back Bay - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston, Newbury Guest House and The Eliot Hotel. The average nightly price for a double room in Back Bay is $201.
Fenway–Kenmore - Hotel Commonwealth, The Verb Hotel and Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Back Bay/Fenway have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Fenway–Kenmore will cost you about $258 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Boston
Most booked hotels in Boston
Renting a car in Boston
Renting a car in Boston costs $71 per day, on average, or $141 if you want to rent if for 2 days. National, Alamo and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Boston is the Sixt branch at 100 Tomahawk Dr, which is 2 km from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 6% cheaper than airport locations in Boston.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Boston (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. Compact (Hyundai Kona or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Boston, while also 75% cheaper than other types, on average.