The Best Day Trips from Boston

One of the best things about Boston is how easily it opens onto the rest of New England. After nine years there, these are the day trips (and overnights) I would build into a visit.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is the classic escape: sandy beaches, lighthouses, lobster shacks, and quaint seaside towns. Lovely as a long day, even better as an overnight in summer.

Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard, reached by ferry, is the quintessential island getaway, gingerbread cottages, harbor towns, and beaches, and a wonderful overnight.

Provincetown

Out at the very tip of the Cape, Provincetown (P-town) is artsy, vibrant, and famously welcoming, one of the most fun towns in the region, especially in summer.

Salem

Salem brings the witch-trial history to life, and it is at its spectacular, spooky best in October around Halloween. A great, easy day trip year-round.

Plymouth (a caveat)

I will be honest about Plymouth: the history is interesting, but if all you want is to see Plymouth Rock, it is not worth the trip on its own. Pair it with more, or skip it.

The part that quietly makes or breaks these. In summer the island ferries book up and the walk-on line can run an hour or more without the right timing, Salem in October draws crowds that need reserving well ahead, and deciding which trips are a day and which are an overnight changes everything about the route. None of it is hard once it is planned, and all of it goes sideways when it is not, which is where I come in.

Why plan with me

The ferries, timing, and where to overnight make these trips flow. I fold the right ones into your Boston stay, see my Boston travel guide for the city itself. In English or Español.