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The most useful things to know before visiting Boston are practical: the center is small enough to walk, so skip the rental car and use the T, where a tap of your bank card pays a $2.40 subway fare; the trains stop around 1 a.m.; Harvard and MIT are in Cambridge, a separate city; restaurant bills carry a 7% meals tax; Massachusetts bans happy-hour drink discounts; and many sights are seasonal or close one weekday. Pack for real seasons, too: Logan Airport averages a 37°F high in January and an 82°F high in July.
None of this needs much planning, but each one changes a day if you do not know it. Here are the details.
Boston is a walking city
The Freedom Trail links 16 historic sites in 2.5 miles, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, and that walk crosses most of the old city. Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the North End and downtown sit next to each other, so many visitors cover a full day on foot and use the T to get back. Bring comfortable shoes.
You do not need a car
Driving and parking are the expensive part of a Boston trip. Hotel valet rates run high (the Omni Parker House, for example, charges $72 a night), and the Red Sox urge fans to arrive by T rather than by car. Rent a car for a day trip if you need one, not for the city.
Pay for the T with a tap
The MBTA runs the subway, buses, Commuter Rail and ferries. Tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate: $2.40 for the subway, $1.70 for the bus, free transfers within two hours on the same card, and children 11 and under ride free. Most service runs from about 5 a.m. to about 1 a.m., with no overnight trains, so plan the ride home after a late night. Our guide to public transportation in Boston covers lines and passes.
The airport is close
Logan sits in East Boston, across the harbor from downtown. The Silver Line SL1 bus runs from every terminal to South Station and is free from the airport, and a free shuttle connects the terminals to the Blue Line.
Cambridge is not Boston
Harvard University, MIT and Harvard Square are in Cambridge, across the Charles River, a city with its own government. The Red Line connects the two, but if a hotel or restaurant says Cambridge, it is not in Boston, so check the city in the address when you book.
What the weather is like through the year
| Month | Average high | Average low | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 23°F | About 14 inches |
| April | 56°F | 41°F | About 2 inches |
| July | 82°F | 66°F | None |
| October | 62°F | 48°F | Trace |
These are NOAA's 1991–2020 averages for Logan Airport; a normal year brings about 49 inches of snow, almost all of it from December to March. Pack layers in spring and fall, and waterproof boots in winter. For month-by-month advice, see the best time to go to Boston.
Dates that fill the city
- Boston Marathon: Monday, April 19, 2027, on Patriots' Day. Roads close along the route, hotels fill, and the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum close for the holiday.
- Head of the Charles Regatta: October 16 to 18, 2026, on the Charles River.
- Boston Calling: the music festival skips 2026 and returns June 4 to 6, 2027.
Museums close on different days
The Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum close on Tuesdays, and the Institute of Contemporary Art closes on Mondays. The Gardner and the New England Aquarium use timed tickets, and weekend slots sell out, so book those two before you arrive. Tours of Fenway Park go on sale up to 180 days ahead.
Some favorites are seasonal
The Swan Boats in the Public Garden run from mid-April to early September, the Boston Harbor Islands ferries from mid-May to mid-October, and the New England Aquarium whale watch from May through November. Boston Duck Tours runs from late March into November. Indoor sights such as the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the museums and the aquarium itself stay open all year.
Eating and drinking: the tax and the happy-hour rule
Restaurant meals in Boston carry a 7% tax: the state's 6.25% sales tax on meals plus the city's 0.75% local option. Hotel bills add state and local room taxes on top of the nightly rate. Massachusetts regulations bar bars and restaurants from selling drinks below their regular price for the week, so there is no happy-hour drink discount anywhere in the state; when a Boston bar advertises a deal, such as Lucky's Lounge's Lucky Hour, it is on food.
The food to try
Boston cream pie was created at the Omni Parker House, which still serves it, and it is the official Massachusetts state dessert. Chowder and oysters are the order at Union Oyster House, which has served them on Union Street since 1826. For a first itinerary, start with a first visit to Boston, neighborhood by neighborhood or the top 10 things to do in Boston.
Sources: Freedom Trail Foundation; MBTA visitor guide; MBTA: Logan Airport; NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Logan; B.A.A.; Head of the Charles; Boston Calling; Mass. DOR: sales tax on meals; 204 CMR 4.00; MFA; Gardner Museum; ICA. Checked October 1, 2026.