Day Trips from Boston - No Car

My wife and I (aged 58) are travelling to Boston in October for 4 full days, then moving on by Amtrak to Washington (2 days) and NY City for another 5 days

We won%26#39;t have a rental car so will be relying on public transport or bus tours.

We have a wish to go to Cape Cod, Is Pennsylvania within reach of Boston or what?

We just love the American scenary and tourist attractions, but relying on local knowledge. Not really in to museums, more tourist attractions as we hear Boston is a beautiful city and steeped in history

Any suggestions please?

Ian New Zealand

Day Trips from Boston - No Car

You%26#39;ll love Boston. Sounds like a perfect place for you.

I do have some comments on your itinerary. First, the order is not the most economical. Unless dictated by flights, it would make more sense to go from Boston to NYC and then to Washington. Pennsylvania, by the was way, is on the way between NYC and Washington. At least, Philadelphia is. That%26#39;s a six hour trip from here.

Cape Cod is not really easy to tour without a car. However, you take a ferry from Boston to Provincetown for a day trip or a couple of days. This way, you can at least experience a little bit of Cape Cod easily. The fast ferry only take 90 minutes.

Hope this helps.

AlanM

Day Trips from Boston - No Car

There are two fast ferry companies that service Provincetown from Boston. Both end service right around mid October.

I would suggest a full day doing the New England Seacoast tour. See places along Boston%26#39;s North Shore, New Hampshire and Maine. It%26#39;s a very popular tour and runs until October 25th. Here%26#39;s the link if your interested.

www.bostontours.us/tours/tourDetail.cfm…

When you are in Boston, definitely take one of the tour companies%26#39; tours. The Boston Duck Tours (amphibious, on land and in the water -- the Charles River) are super popular. They seem like fun. I don%26#39;t know if they will still run as late as October, but you could check their website. Old Towne Trolley Tours is also great (I%26#39;ve done that one). You buy a day pass, then you can get on and off the ';trolley'; (a trolley-shaped bus) wherever you want. The guide/driver does talk about the sights, but you can get off and look at them up close. I suggest you visit the U.S.S. Constitution, which is the very old U.S. Navy ship, moored in Charlestown. The trolley does go there. It%26#39;s very impressive, very historic, but still run by the U.s. Navy, and the little museum there is fascinating. There is also a W.W. II destroyer boat moored nearby, which you can explore. There are ferries from downtown Boston that go over to this part of Charlestown. The local ferries can also take you out towards the Atlantic and the outer edge of Boston Harbor, to George%26#39;s Island. Not sure how late in the fall they do this, but it%26#39;s a very interesting place to explore. The island is dominated by a very old granite, star-shaped fort, built maybe for the War of 1812, but certainly by that time. It also housed Civil War prisoners of war. There are great views from the top of the fort, and the ferry ride is kind of nice as it passes by many other islands.

If you can%26#39;t easily get very far outside of Boston to see sights like Concord and Lexington, then I suggest you spend 1/2 day in the Harvard Square area of Cambridge. Not only is Harvard University there, but there is some colonial or early Federal style architecture, especially if you head up Brattle Street (';Tory Row';) for a few blocks. Very beautiful, large, historic homes. Harvard Square is also a hot spot, with many cafes and restaurants both casual and fine. Go have a drink or dinner at ';Upstairs on the Square'; or at the cozy little bar at ';Harvest'; both of which are less student-y.

Oh cool Thank you so much that is so helpful Can%26#39;t wait to get started now

Regards

Ian

October is peak foliage season in New England, so you may want to consider taking a trip out to whatever part of the region is at its peak while you%26#39;re here. That%26#39;s easier to do with a car, but you should also be able to find some bus tours on some of the tourist sites.

If you take the train from Boston to DC, you will pass through Philadelphia in eastern Pennsylvania.

Thank you very much Tigerbait

Would late September be a better time to see Boston? We can be flexible by about 2 - 3 weeks The idea of seeing New England in Fall sounds attractive but is it getting a bit cooler then?

To see the foliage in the Boston Area, October is better. Mid to late October is about optimum. September is too early. The weather may have some crisp nights, but the weather is generally quite nice.

AlanM