Day Trips from Boston: Salem, Concord, Cape Cod and Plymouth

New England's history and coastline start just beyond the city limits, and several of the classic trips work without a car. The commuter rail and summer ferries do most of the work.

Salem

About half an hour by commuter rail from North Station, or under an hour by ferry from Long Wharf in the warmer months. Salem is famous for the witch trials of 1692, and the Witch Trials Memorial is a sober reminder of the twenty people executed. Beyond that, the Peabody Essex Museum is one of the best in New England, with a whole Chinese house reassembled inside it, and the old sea captains' houses on Chestnut Street recall the town's days as a global trading port.

In October, Salem becomes a month-long Halloween festival and draws huge crowds. Go by train, not by car, and avoid October weekends.

Lexington and Concord

Where the Revolution began, on 19 April 1775. In Lexington, stand on the green where the first shots were fired. In Concord, walk to the North Bridge in Minute Man National Historical Park, then visit the homes of Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Walden Pond, where Thoreau lived in his cabin. Concord is on the commuter rail, but a car or tour makes it easier to combine both towns.

Provincetown and Cape Cod

In summer and early autumn, fast ferries from the Seaport reach Provincetown, at the far tip of Cape Cod, in about an hour and a half. It's an artists' town with a long, lively main street, a historic gay scene, dunes and beaches, and the monument to the Pilgrims, who landed here before Plymouth. Book the ferry ahead on summer weekends. Whale-watching trips leave from both Boston and Provincetown.

Plymouth

About an hour south, where the Mayflower passengers settled in 1620. The replica ship Mayflower II and the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, which tell the story from both the English and the Wampanoag side, are the draws. Plymouth Rock itself is small and underwhelming. Commuter rail stops at Kingston, a local bus ride short of Plymouth, so this is the one trip where a car saves real time.

For shoes and layers, see our what to wear guide. Our best time to visit guide explains why October is the busiest month for these trips.