Tourist help from MA Locals

My wife and I are thinking of taking a trip to Boston in late September. The idea is to fly into Boston on a Thursday and take the commuter train to Salem, to spend a night there. It seems that the commuter train runs fairly regulary, is this something we'd need to get a ticket in advance or can we just buy a ticket for the next train? Also, any recommendations of places to stay in Salem. I was thinking just a simple B&B or Inn, but we don't any hole in the wall place and we'd prefer to be able to walk to the museums, etc. We'd already have a hotel in Boston, we'd just need to determine what to do for the weekend.

TIA

Commuter Rail tickets can be purchased at any station. "T" Stations that service commuter rail as well (South Station, for example) will typically have the commuter rail ticket desk. I've never heard of anyone buying a ticket before hand, ever.

Salem will have tons of places to stay near the downtown area. Unfortunately I don't have any recommendations, but you should be able to find a bunch of tourist info online or from other members.

My wife and I are thinking of taking a trip to Boston in late September. The idea is to fly into Boston on a Thursday and take the commuter train to Salem, to spend a night there. It seems that the commuter train runs fairly regulary, is this something we'd need to get a ticket in advance or can we just buy a ticket for the next train? Also, any recommendations of places to stay in Salem. I was thinking just a simple B&B or Inn, but we don't any hole in the wall place and we'd prefer to be able to walk to the museums, etc. We'd already have a hotel in Boston, we'd just need to determine what to do for the weekend.

TIA

Do yourself a favor and take the train another 4 stops to Ipswich. Stay at the Ipswich Inn. http://www.ipswichbedbreakfast.com/ the Place is dynamite. Make your way to the Clam Box for great fried clams and if you can, make your way up to the Neck for a nice view.

Ipswich is a sea town famous for its Clams and small New Engalnd envrionment. I know cause that's where I am from.

You can buy the Commuter rail tickets on the train...I tihnk it is now $9.50 from North Station to Ipswich. Let us know how you do.

http://www.mbta.com

Halfway down the page you can see "Rider Tools." Enter a start and end point, and it will figure out itineraries for you. Pretty convenient if you're not familiar with the area.

Ipswich is nice (Newburyport would be another option too), but Salem is probably better for a first time tourist.

This is the best place to stay in Salem:

http://www.salemwaterfronthotel.com/

It's a bit too far to walk from the train station with luggage, but you can get a cab.

Thanks for the input everyone, its much appreciated. This is a trip we've been wanting to do for a while and we are finally getting around to planning it; so we want to make sure we properly prepare and get the most out of our short time there. Salem Waterfront is currently on my list of possible places.

While in Boston we will be car-less, is it easy to catch a taxi; especially at night? I know in DC it can be difficult to find a taxi, and when we were in Pittsburgh we had to call the cab company, and they would send someone 30 minutes later; which was a pain after coming out of a club at 2am.

Nah, you'll be fine... If you are hanging around in the Government Center/Quincy Market aka Faneuil Hall area, you'll have fun just walking around and checking out the restaurants, shops, bars, and comedy clubs. There will be plenty of cabs in that area at night... last T usually leaves it's origin at 12:30am, and there are "night owl" buses that will get you around until 2am (IIRC).

All clubs close at 1am, also IIRC, so you won't have the problem of late late night transportation unless you guys end up walking around after the bar...

http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/

Awesome!!

Now, being that a majority of my city experience involves D.C.; not the safest place in the world. Are there any areas we should avoid, as far as being unsafe.

Awesome!!

Now, being that a majority of my city experience involves D.C.; not the safest place in the world. Are there any areas we should avoid, as far as being unsafe.

haha..yes Mattapan, W. Roxbury and Dorchester...also Weston, Manchester and Lincoln.

Weston? Unsafe?

heh, maybe they're glare at you for not being old money.

Hotwire.com has pretty cheap rentals out of Logan Airport, if you rather drive...

Just another alternative!

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

Weston? Unsafe?

 

heh, maybe they're glare at you for not being old money.

Hey they're mean there....they'll beat you w/ their squash raquets!

Just an FYI, Boston considers itself a "walking city" so if the weather is nice, get yourself a decent street map. Trendy shops on Newbury Street to the North End (Italian section and generally the best restaurants - now, everyone will argue that this or that restaurant not in the North End is better and, they all can make good arguements) take all of about 20 minutes to walk. Which is just about the longest stretch of walking you'd ever do. I'll guess 10 minutes by cab depending on traffic....

The subway system (commonly called the "T") isn't too complicated and unlike many major cities it's generally safe to use. Fair warning, you can meet (or at least watch) all sorts of characters on the T, but again for the most part, they are harmless. Biggest isssues with the T are pickpockets and "gropers" but, I would never hesitate to use the system - the crime incidents are just too low to worry about.

That said, you can end up in some neighborhoods that you don't need to go to unless you live there. Those sections of town are easy to avoid, just about every place a tourist might want to go, don't come close to those neighborhoods nor do any of the stops along the way.

So, open up the debate and ask us for our favorite / best restaurants! We can also add in quite a few on the North Shore where Salem, Gloucester and Ipswich are (hint, I'm partial to those cities for food)...

W. Roxbury unsafe? I think you mean Roxbury.

It's all the same..like Compton vs. W. Compton....NOT like Marblehead vs. W. Marblehead....

Having lived in Marblehead for a long time before moving to Boston, I'd have to ask - what do you want to do or see in Salem? It's pretty tacky and there are only a few legitimate historical sites, which are crowded on weekends. The most interesting place - the Peabody Essex museum - is left out by most visitors. It attracts a lot of overweight witch wannabees - think WalMart in black. It's a trip at Halloween, though.

The water ferry may still be running then - much more fun trip although more expensive. You can take it one way. You'll be able to get a commuter rail ticket easily at North Station just about any time you want.

But there's 10X more to do in Boston, and it's easy to get around on the MBTA. Take the Silver Line or MBTA (depending where you are staying and the time of day) from the airport rather than a cab, slower but much less expensive. The cabs in the city will know how to get from point a to point b - the airport cabbies suck. Boston is not a huge city - population is half a million.

You can take a harbor tour or "Duck Tour," visit the various historical sites, museums, eateries, etc. And the eateries and clubs are open a lot later. The shopping is only a bargain if you live in Europe but there is plenty of it and walking down Newbury street is always interesting. A hand-held GPS is hepful, regardless.

We have an apartment we rent out via VRBO and many of the visitors are from Europe. They usually hang around Boston 3-5 days, and if they go elsewhere it's almost always Cape Cod. Great time of year to visit the Cape.

//. But for touring pleasure, we had a great (and free) time touring the battleships (not sure of the names) the WWII destroyer was incredible. Grab a bite to eat in the 'North End' eye-talian section and you are good for a half day. Spend the remainder walking Quincy Market, etc. You will want to move here.

To tour a battleship you have to head down to Fall River to see the USS Massachusetts. It was the flagship for the Torch invasion in 1942 and had a gun battle with the Vichy French battleship Jean Bart. There are PT boats, a sub, and an East German destroyer there as well. I think the website is battleshipcove.com.

We've always wanted to go up to Salem to see what its all about. We watch the Discovery Channel and History Channel alot and we see Salem featured every once in a while. I think the one thing we definitely want to do is a night latern tour. I thought about the Essex, but we have tons of art museums here in D.C. and we take yearly trips. We've also wanted to go Boston and my wife won a raffle for two night hotel stay in Boston, so we figured we might as well take the extra day b/c Salem is so close and we are flying up there anyway. I love New England Clam Chowder and fried clams, so I definitely will be finding some of that.

Funny that you bring up the handheld GPS, I've been looking into getting a Garmin Venture HC, but not sure if it will be detailed enough to be useful; but I figured it could double as a moutain bike GPS/trip computer for when we get back. It has a basemap, with major highways and interstates, but nothing like a turn by turn city GPS. My wife has a city GPS for driving, but not sure if I'll want to bring that.

I have a Vista - it's handy for hiking or boating although I want to get the HCX . But even the least expensive Nuvi is much more useful for walking around. I've made a bicycle mount for a Nuvi as well. A fellow at work is using one on his motorcycle as its half the price of a Zumo.

The subway in Boston is called the MBTA. The MBTA also runs the commuter rail lines out of Boston. You take the trains to Salem from North Station. You can take a train back to Boston as late as 10pm so there's no need to stay in Salem unless you want to.

The Peabody Essex museum will astound you. Very near the train station and not to be missed.

Not really sure. I think it was a WW2 "Destroyer" accross from the Consitution. Apologies for the misnomers and incorrect terminology. It was a lousy day and the park rep gave myself and my family a personal hour long tour. Sit and turn guns and everything. Pretty cool.

We came right home and I made my family watch "The Enemy Below" with Robert Mitchum. (dating myslef at this point).

Having lived in Marblehead for a long time before moving to Boston, I'd have to ask - what do you want to do or see in Salem? It's pretty tacky and there are only a few legitimate historical sites, which are crowded on weekends. The most interesting place - the Peabody Essex museum - is left out by most visitors. It attracts a lot of overweight witch wannabees - think WalMart in black. It's a trip at Halloween, though.

 

The water ferry may still be running then - much more fun trip although more expensive. You can take it one way. You'll be able to get a commuter rail ticket easily at North Station just about any time you want.

 

But there's 10X more to do in Boston, and it's easy to get around on the MBTA. Take the Silver Line or MBTA (depending where you are staying and the time of day) from the airport rather than a cab, slower but much less expensive. The cabs in the city will know how to get from point a to point b - the airport cabbies suck. Boston is not a huge city - population is half a million.

 

You can take a harbor tour or "Duck Tour," visit the various historical sites, museums, eateries, etc. And the eateries and clubs are open a lot later. The shopping is only a bargain if you live in Europe but there is plenty of it and walking down Newbury street is always interesting. A hand-held GPS is hepful, regardless.

 

We have an apartment we rent out via VRBO and many of the visitors are from Europe. They usually hang around Boston 3-5 days, and if they go elsewhere it's almost always Cape Cod. Great time of year to visit the Cape.

 

You mean the USS Constitution and the USS Cassian Young? The Constitution is interesting to almost anyone.

 

To tour a battleship you have to head down to Fall River to see the USS Massachusetts. It was the flagship for the Torch invasion in 1942 and had a gun battle with the Vichy French battleship Jean Bart. There are PT boats, a sub, and an East German destroyer there as well. I think the website is battleshipcove.com.

I have a Vista - it's handy for hiking or boating although I want to get the HCX . But even the least expensive Nuvi is much more useful for walking around. I've made a bicycle mount for a Nuvi as well. A fellow at work is using one on his motorcycle as its half the price of a Zumo.

I thought about getting a bottom of the barrell, Nuvi 200. It would be better for walking around town, and it seems that it would work as a trip computer on my bike; but I dont think it will be compatible with a topo map, which is what I'm need for the trails. Eitherway getting the map would be an added expense plus I'd lose the waterproof aspect.