Boston Holidays

Boston feels like someone’s scooped up a European city and dropped it right on American soil. It’s more charming the likes of New York and Los Angeles, thanks to its Continental flair and pretty seafront parks. Plus, it’s filled with twisting and turning streets, unlike its grid-like compatriots. Add a hatful of museums and a couple of peaceful beaches to the picture, and you’ve got a good idea of what to expect during a city break to Boston.

If you fancy a day beside the water, Boston delivers in spades. You can stroll along the shady banks of the Charles River, relax on sandy Carson Beach, or leave the harbour behind on a ferry trip to Georges Island – home to a huge fort with a war-torn history. In the Boston Public Garden, swan boats drift over the lake in summer, and ice skaters pirouette across the surface when it freezes in winter. Cross the bridge into Cambridge, and you can visit a couple of America’s top universities – Harvard and MIT.

Boston city breaks open the door to this cultural calling card. Follow the pavement markings, and you’ll check off all of Boston’s historic big-hitters. The Paul Revere House dates back to 1680, column-fronted Quincy Market looks like a Greek temple, and the Old State House is dressed in Georgian, redbrick style. Other sites on the trail include a ship from the 1700s, America’s oldest city park, and a National Historic Landmark – the Bunker Hill Monument.

Shopping and entertainment venues blend seamlessly into Boston’s classic street scene. Trendy boutiques and cafés fill the brownstone townhouses on Newbury Street, and the cobbled promenades of Faneuil Hall Marketplace are brimming with stores and restaurants. Head to South Boston – better known as Southie – and you’ll see the city’s cluster of glistening skyscrapers, and the super-modern Institute of Contemporary Art.