Late arrivals
At short notice, start with hotels by South Station if you’re on a train. For an early flight, try the Seaport or the Logan area.
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772 hotels compared
Boston fits colonial-era streets, universities and a working harbor into a small city you can cover on foot and by the T. Back Bay and Downtown are the easy first-visit bases. Pick the Seaport or Fenway when you have a reason to be there, like a convention or a game.
Walk the Freedom Trail from Boston Common through Downtown and the North End to Charlestown. Its stops include Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church and the USS Constitution. If the trail and the harbor ferries are your main plans, a Downtown hotel saves time.
Back Bay has Copley Square, the Boston Public Library and Newbury Street. Beacon Hill lies across the Common, with brick houses and shops along Charles Street. Both are good to walk, but Beacon Hill’s slopes and old sidewalks are hard work with a suitcase.
Across the Fort Point Channel, the Seaport has the convention center, waterfront paths and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Fenway has the ballpark and the Museum of Fine Arts. Cambridge, across the Charles River, has Harvard and MIT. It is a separate city, so if your sights are in Boston, look at the T route before you book there.
Summer days are warm and sometimes humid. Winter can be snowy, and windy by the harbor. Spring weather changes fast. The T links many central districts, and Logan Airport is just across the harbor. If you drive, ask about the hotel’s parking rate and expect narrow one-way streets.
Stay around Copley Square for the Boston Public Library, Newbury Street shops and the Green Line. Prudential Center and the Charles River Esplanade are nearby. This is a convenient first-visit base, though hotel rates often run high.
Around here: Copley Square, Boston Public Library, Newbury Street
The Freedom Trail passes Faneuil Hall, and the harbor ferries leave from Long Wharf, both close to the Financial District. South Station has Amtrak and the intercity buses. The streets around the office towers go quiet after work, but the North End is close by for dinner.
Around here: Faneuil Hall, Long Wharf, South Station
Charles Street runs past small shops and restaurants below the brick rowhouses of Beacon Hill. Boston Common, the State House and the Public Garden are close, but the steep side streets and cobblestones are awkward with heavy luggage.
Around here: Charles Street, Massachusetts State House, Boston Common
Choose the North End for Hanover Street restaurants and Freedom Trail stops such as the Old North Church and Paul Revere House. The narrow streets are good for walking, but rooms are fewer and parking is difficult.
Around here: Hanover Street, Old North Church, Paul Revere House
The Seaport has newer waterfront hotels near the Institute of Contemporary Art and Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Silver Line runs toward South Station and Logan. Reaching Back Bay or Beacon Hill usually means a transfer or a longer walk.
Around here: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Harborwalk
Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts and several colleges are west of Back Bay. Kenmore has Green Line service, but see which branch and stop is closest to your hotel. On baseball nights the streets fill up.
Around here: Fenway Park, Museum of Fine Arts, Kenmore Square
May and June are good walking months, before the hottest summer afternoons arrive. September and October are milder and bring the fall color. Winter is colder, with snow possible, and the harbor wind makes a day outside feel sharper. It rains year round.
Boston Logan International Airport is across the harbor from Downtown. The free Silver Line SL1 connects its terminals with South Station. An airport shuttle links the terminals with the Blue Line at Airport station. Amtrak stops at South Station and Back Bay.
3 mi from downtown
Take the Silver Line SL1 to South Station for Downtown connections. The airport shuttle goes to Airport station on the Blue Line. For other routes, use a taxi, a rideshare or water transport.
South Station and Downtown. Check the walk or MBTA trip from the station to the hotel, especially if you arrive with luggage.
Yes. Logan is across the harbor from Downtown, and the Silver Line runs to South Station. If you land late, check that it’s still running.
Not reliably. Baseball games, conventions and university events can fill the city. Look at the total for the whole trip.
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