Boston makes the perfect entry point for your trip to the USA, especially if you´ve never been to the US before. The city itself feels very cosmopolitan with its big number of international students. The architecture will remind you of a nice English or European city. It´s less busy than New York City and less intimidating than other US cities.

Boston is the biggest city in New England which is the most northern part of the East Coast and is comprised of Massachusetts (Boston being it´s capital), Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. All of them are worth a visit and Boston is your perfect base to explore all of them. Besides being the biggest city, it is also home to the major sports team for New England: New England Patriots (American Football), Boston Celtics (Basketball), Bruins (Ice Hockey) and the Red Sox (Baseball).

Just across the Charles River you have Cambridge which is home to Harvard and the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

And obviously don´t forget the Cheers Bar (Bull and Finch Pub) - where everybody knows your name.

Travelling to Boston

Most visitors will arrive by plane and land in Boston Logan International Airport. Boston is very well connected to Europe and the Middle East with flights operated by every major European and Middle Eastern carrier. International passengers will arrive at Termin E, except if you fly in from Ireland as you will do the Immigration already in Ireland (very convenient and saves quite some time). For me Boston has one of the fastest immigration procedures, which again makes it an easy and convenient entry point.

All major domestic US airlines fly to Boston and it´s one of the transatlantic hubs for Delta. It´s also one of the hubs for Jetblue, next to New York City.

If you´re already on the East Coast (like New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington DC), the most convenient way is to take the Acela or the Northeastern Regional. I normally take them to travel between Boston and New York City. The trains to the south all depart from or arrive at Boston South Station. Which is also the major bus terminal to travel to destinations in New England or all the way down to NYC. If you want to go north you can take the Amtrak Do w neaster that goes to New Hampshire and Maine, with Portland, ME being the final stop.

What to do

Being one of the oldest cities in North America and relatively close to the first settlement of the Pilgrims (Plymouth, MA), you have plenty of historical sites in the city. The most iconic is a walkable route called the Freedom Trail. It´s a red-line route that starts at the Boston Common and Massachusetts State House. From there follow it along to see the Park Street Church, the Granary Burying Ground, the Kings Chapel & the Kings Chapel Burying Ground, the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall and Quincy market, the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church, the Copp´s Hill Burying Ground, the USS Constitution, and Bunker Hill Monument. It takes almost half a day if you walk fast or a full day if you take it easy. You can also split the route.

One of the neighbourhoods through which the Freedom Trail will guide you is Little Italy and as you can imagine there you find some great Italian restaurants, bakeries, grocery shops, and cafes.

Another interesting neighbourhood not to miss is Chinatown. It is also the area with the more affordable hotels and hostels. It starts right next to South Station.

Behind South Station you have the Seaport area which recently got redeveloped and now houses some of the hippest bars, restaurants, and breweries. From there you also have some of the best views on the skyline of Boston (Fan Pier Park).

The Back Bay area with Newbury Street and Boylston Street are perfect for shopping and meeting friends. In this neighbourhood you also have the famous Cheers Bar (actually called Bull and Finch Pub), the Prudential Center with an amazing viewing platform (View Boston) and the other skyscraper, the John Hancock Tower (it used to have a platform, but this one is closed now). Behind the Prudential Center you have a very particular square with a unique building and a huge reflective pool: Christian Science Plaza.

Crossing the Longfellow Bridge, you get into Cambridge with the main Universities of the city: Harvard and MIT. To Boston University you get if you follow Commonwealth Avenue from Back Bay. Right off Longfellow Bridge, before you get to Kendall, which is the home of MIT, you have the Memorial Drive. It runs along Charles River and provides some of the most magnificant views on the Back Bay area. Further down in Cambridge you have Harvard Square which as you can guess is home to the Harvard University. Don´t forget to rub the shoe of John Harvard for some luck and academic success. Opposite Wigglesworth Hall (one of the student houses in Harvard) you have the Harvard Bookstore. Whenever I am in Boston I stop there and check if they have some good deals. They have plenty of books for sale (fiction and non-fiction) and a big basement full of used books. If you like reading this is heaven.

Boston also offers some of the best museums in the US (for me only Washington DC and New York City have a better selection). Definitely worth a visit is the Museum of Science, the USS Constitution Museum (part of the Freedom Trail) and for art lovers the Museum of Fine Arts. During rainy or snowy days, they offer a great escape.

If you´re in Boston for some time and you want to get out of the city (even though Boston is very chilled), you can easily explore Cape Code (in the summer you have a ferry to Providence), Nantucket and Martha´s Vineyard. If you drive to Cape Cod, make sure you stop by in Plymouth, the original settlement of the Pilgrims. To the north towards New Hampshire, you have Salem, famous for its Witch Trials. A lot of fun, especially for kids.

Where to stay

I am lucky enough to have friends in and around Boston, as there are not too many hotels (in my humble opinion). Along Atlantic Avenue close to the South Station you have some of the bigger hotel chains. Some good decently priced hotels you will find around the universities, especially in Cambridge. Other good areas are the Seaport District (recently developed) and Chinatown, both close to South Station.

Food & Drinks

In such a big and cosmopolitan city, you can easily find some great restaurants. Check Little Italy for some excellent Italian food and Chinatown if you are graving some Asian food.

For me the best restaurants you´ll find around Harvard Square and Davis Square. Close to the Harvard Bookstore you have Mr. Bartley´s Burger Cottage. Hands down one of the best burger places in town. And if you like Ramen, just around the corner you have Hokkaido Ramen Santouka. Closer to Davis Square you have Dakzen, which serves some great Thai food. At Central Square in Cambridge, you have Roxy´s Grilled Cheese (hidden in the back behind a “secret” door, you have some great Arcade Games). Also, at Central Square you have Life Alive, which is perfect for Brunch and some healthy food.

As the US is the birthplace of craft beer, it´s no wonder you find some great beers and breweries in and around Boston. Keep in mind there´s a reason why it´s called the New England IPA.

You can´t and shouldn´t miss the Bull and Finch Pub as it´s the iconic Cheers Bar. It´s close to Beacon Hill, next to Boston Common and Public Garden.

For me Aeronaut Brewing Company (in Somerville), Night Shift Brewing (in Everett) and Castle Island Brewing (in South Boston) are the best for beer tasting (they all have Beer flights to try the different beers) and a great atmosphere to hang out with friends and have fun. In the Seaport area you have Trillium (Fort Point; in an old factory building with a great rooftop) and Harpoon Brewery (with its Beer Hall).

Lamplighter Brewing (in Cambridge) and The Burren (close to Davies Square) are some great alternatives if the others above are not to your liking. A bit further out of town, but with some of the best beers you have Mighty Squirrel Brewing.

As you can see there are plenty of options to taste some great beers in and around Boston.

If you like chocolate and want to learn more about it, check Taza Chocolate Factory in Somerville. They also have a great factory shop and they let you try some of the sweet deliciousness.

Travelling around Boston

Even though Boston is a walkable city (Freedom Trail), the easiest way to get around is by metro (called T). It is an great system, which unfortunately is a bit worn and old. It can also be a bit confusing as some lines have different destinations (especially the Green line). The Silver Line (SL1) runs between Boston Logan Airport and South Station. From there you can connect to other parts of the town.

Boston has as well an extensive network of buses. Going by car can be time consuming especially during rush hours.

Best Photography Spots in Boston

For me Boston is one of the most scenic cities in the US, next to NYC and Washington DC. You have plenty of great spots to take some photos. Obviously, along the Freedom Trail you´ll visit all the significant sights. If you want to take some great photos of the skyline head to Piers Park. Close to South Station you have Fan Pier Park, which has some superb views on the skyline.

For the Back Bay skyline head over to the Riverwalk along Memorial Drive in Cambridge (start at Cambridge side of the Longfellow Bridge). In Cambridge as well you have Harvard University and Graffiti Alley.

For a bit more unique photo opportunities head out to Forest Hills Cemetery. There you´ll find some impressive tombstones and crypts.

I hope all the above helps with planning your next trip to Boston.

Here a link to my Boston site which hopefully gives you some ideas of what to expect.

Boston - the capital of New England