6 best day trips from Boston

Day trips compared

The day trips

25 km · About 30 minutes by train

1.Salem

Known for the witch trials of 1692, Salem has the Witch Trials Memorial, the House of the Seven Gables that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne, a historic maritime waterfront and the Peabody Essex Museum, one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the US. October brings huge Halloween crowds.

Getting there

Commuter rail from North Station; seasonal ferry from Long Wharf

Best for

Culture, Families

30 km · About 40 minutes by car

2.Lexington and Concord

The first battles of the American Revolution were fought here on 19 April 1775. Minute Man National Historical Park includes the Old North Bridge and the Battle Road, and Concord also has Walden Pond and the homes of Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Getting there

Car, or commuter rail from North Station to Concord

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays, Families

80 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by fast ferry (seasonal)

3.Provincetown, Cape Cod

At the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown has a lively main street of galleries and seafood restaurants, the Pilgrim Monument, long dune beaches in the Cape Cod National Seashore and whale-watching trips. It is one of the best-known LGBTQ+ resort towns in the US.

Getting there

Seasonal fast ferry from the Boston waterfront

Best for

Couples, Beach, Nightlife

65 km · About 1 hour by car

4.Plymouth

Where the Mayflower Pilgrims settled in 1620. See Plymouth Rock, the full-size replica Mayflower II and the living-history village at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, which also tells the story of the Wampanoag people.

Getting there

Car, or commuter rail from South Station plus a local bus

Best for

Families, Culture

115 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by car

5.Newport, Rhode Island

The Gilded Age summer resort of America's richest families, with mansions such as The Breakers open for tours, the 5.6-km Cliff Walk between the mansions and the ocean, and a sailing harbour full of seafood restaurants.

Getting there

Car or bus

Best for

Couples, Luxury, Culture

60 km · About 1 hour 10 minutes by train

6.Rockport and Cape Ann

Rockport is an artists' fishing village on Cape Ann, with the red fishing shack known as Motif No. 1, the galleries and lobster shacks of Bearskin Neck and rocky coastal walks; neighbouring Gloucester is one of the oldest fishing ports in the country.

Getting there

Commuter rail from North Station to Rockport

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Food lovers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• The Silver Line connects South Station with the Seaport and Logan Airport, and MBTA buses cover the gaps between subway lines.
• MBTA commuter rail leaves from North Station for Salem, Rockport and Concord and from South Station for Plymouth and Providence.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask