Hotels Boston, USA - Hotel Booking

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Local time

Distance

Las Vegas: 2373 miles
Washington: 394 miles
New York: 188 miles
Los Angeles: 2591 miles
Seattle: 2486 miles
Chicago: 848 miles
Atlanta: 936 miles

Weather of Boston

Boston has what may basically be described as something between a humid continental climate and a humid subtropical climate, such as is very common in coastal southern New England. Summers are typically warm and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Prevailing wind patterns that blow offshore affect Boston, minimizing the influence of the Atlantic Ocean.

Spring in Boston can be warm, with temperatures as high as the 90s when winds are offshore, although it is just as possible for a day in late May to remain in the lower 40s because of cool ocean waters. The hottest month is July, with an average high of 82 °F (28 °C) and an average low of 66 °F (18 °C), with conditions usually humid. The coldest month is January, with an average high of 36 °F (2 °C) and an average low of 22 °F (−6 °C). Periods exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) in summer and below 10 °F (−12 °C) in winter are not uncommon but are rarely prolonged. The record high temperature is 104 °F (40 °C), recorded on July 4, 1911. The record low temperature is −18 °F (−28 °C), recorded on February 9, 1934. February in Boston has seen 70 °F (21 °C) only once in recorded history, on February 24, 1985. The highest temperature recorded in March was 89 °F (31 °C), on March 31, 1998.

Boston's coastal location on the North Atlantic, although it moderates temperatures, also makes the city very prone to Nor'easter weather systems that can produce much snow and rain.[58] The city averages about 43 in (108 cm) of precipitation a year, with 40.9 in (104 cm) of snowfall a year. Snowfall increases dramatically as one goes inland away from the city (Especially north and west of the city)—away from the warming influence of the ocean.[60] Most snowfall occurs from December through March. There is usually little or no snow in April and November, and snow is rare in May and October. Fog is prevalent, particularly in spring and early summer, and the occasional tropical storm or hurricane can threaten the region, especially in early autumn. Due to its situation along the North Atlantic, the city is often subjected to sea breeze, especially in the late spring, when water temperatures are still quite cold and temperatures at the coast can be ten to twenty degrees colder than a few miles inland, sometimes dropping by that amount near midday.

Tourism Office of Boston
Convention and Visitors Bureau
Two Copley Place, Suite 105
02116 Boston, MA
Etats-Unis

Get in Boston

By plane: Logan International Airport (IATA: BOS). Boston Logan International Airport is the main gateway to Boston and New England. It is in East Boston a few kilometers from downtown. All major U.S. carriers serve Boston Logan with extensive direct connections nationwide.

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (IATA: MHT), is in Manchester, NH, approximately 50 miles north of Boston. A shuttle bus is available from the airport to the Sullivan Square T stop in Charlestown, with a stop at the Anderson Regional Transit Center in Woburn for connections to the commuter rail. If you do not wish to or cannot take the shuttle, the only way to get into Boston, aside from renting a car, is a bus that runs every few hours or a very expensive cab ride. Note that this airport should not be confused with Manchester International Airport in Manchester, England. (Yes, it has happened before.) MHT serves NH and the northern suburbs of Boston.
T.F. Green Airport (IATA: PVD) is in Warwick, RI, approximately 60 miles south of Boston. PVD tends to serve Providence/Newport and Boston's southern suburbs. For the moment, the best way to get into Boston by public transportation is to take a local bus or taxi to the train station downtown, and board an MBTA commuter train to Boston. If you do this, make sure to check the bus and train schedules in advance of your visit, as service can be very limited at times (especially on weekends and late at night). There are plans to build a new commuter rail station at the airport, but this is not expected to be completed until 2009.
General Aviation traffic is mostly served by Hanscom Field (ICAO: KBED) off Route 128/I-95 near Bedford, Lexington and Burlington, northwest of Boston.

By train: Amtrak arrives at South Station, which intersects with the MBTA's Red Line and the waterfront branches of the Silver Line. You can take the Amtrak Northeast Corridor or Acela Express from South Station all the way to Washington D.C. and beyond. Average Acela time from Boston to New York City is 3 1/2 hours, while a trip to Philadelphia takes about 5 hours. Another popular Amtrak train is the Lake Shore Limited service between Boston and Chicago (requiring a layover in Albany). This isn't as high quality or high speed as the Acela, but at around $75, the price is right (note that in order to get the low-low fare, you have to purchase your ticket a few weeks in advance). All Amtrak, and most commuter, trains to South Station also stop at Back Bay Station, which is much smaller, but more convenient to Back Bay, Beacon Hill and the South End. It is on the Orange Line on the subway. 
Amtrak also uses North Station at the TD Banknorth Garden (previously called the Fleet Center) for its Downeaster service via Haverhill to New Hampshire and Maine, with the final stop in Portland.  

By bus: Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus serve many cities from South Station but are generally much more expensive than the Chinatown buses, with Greyhound and PPB. However, eSaver fares available online make the Greyhound fare between Boston & NYC as low as $15 each way. The Chinatown buses (AKA Dragon Buses) now use South Station also and serve Hartford, Connecticut and New York City. Fares are competitive, but not as low as they once were .
It should be noted that Fung Wah Transportation has recently been in the headlines for several accidents involving its buses. It has an extremely poor reputation around the city.

By car: If you are driving in, you may seriously want to consider dropping your car at a lot and taking the "T" in. If you're heading downtown for the touristy sites, you will consider having a car a curse rather than a blessing. Parking at MBTA commuter rail and terminal subway locations is dirt cheap. In particular, the Riverside (Grove Street) stop at the end of the Green D line is right off I-95, and is $3.75 to park ALL DAY. You can even park overnight for something like a dollar more. Commuter rail stations are even cheaper. See the Public Transit section in the "Get around" section below.
Boston has two major highways entering it, I-93 and I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike, or "Mass Pike", or "Pike"; locals do not call it "I-90"). I-93 enters the city from the north and the south; the section running from Boston southward is referred to as the "Southeast Expressway" but the northern section is just "93 North". There are minor roads, of course, that enter Boston as well, including Route 9 (Old Worcester Turnpike), Route 2, and US 1. Another major highway, I-95 (also known as Route 128) encircles the Boston area.
There are many car rental places around Boston, but one of the most unique is Zipcar, an hourly car rental service. If you don't plan to do much driving, this may be an economical alternative to owning a car. If you want to use Zipcar, you should try signing up in advance (students of universities in Boston may be able to get a discount). Rental fees and taxes differ between Boston and Cambridge, but the rental agencies at Logan Airport (in East Boston) are still usually less expensive and have a greater fleet of cars available.
In addition to the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), the Sumner Tunnel is a toll road (coming from the airport only), along with the Ted Williams Tunnel (from airport only), and the Tobin Bridge (southbound/from the North Shore only).
If driving on a major highway during rush hour, do not be surprised to see cars driving in the breakdown lane on the shoulder. This is permitted in certain areas, at certain times, as indicated by signs along the road.
As a general rule, especially as a tourist unfamiliar with the city, alternatives are favored over driving - even when just getting in or out of the city. Boston is one of the densest major cities in the U.S. - perfect for walking, biking, or using the collection of mass transit systems known as the T. Driving can be confusing and dangerous with numerous one way streets, narrow roads, and continuous road construction. Driving conditions have improved after the completion of the infamous Big Dig, but it is still not recommended to those unfamiliar with the area.

By boat: MBTA ferries from Hingham, Hull, and Quincy.
Cruise ships dock at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, One Black Falcon Av.. The MBTA Silver Line bus serves the port.

Get around Boston

The most pleasant to travel to Boston is walking. The relatively small size of the center can reach all interesting places within a few tens of minutes. Only the Museum of Fine Arts is a little eccentric.

The network of underground and suburban trains ([MBTAle "T"]) is simple and well structured. The logo "T" to identify the stations in the city. It may be a train or a tram along the lines. The lines are identified by colors. All lines intersect in the center (the station is called Downtown Crossing). We need to buy Metro cards (equivalent to our subway tickets) at the entrance. The branches are always indicated: "inbound" to go to the center, "outbound" to go away.

There is also a network of buses and routes that are operated by the organization that manages the subway (the MBTA). These shipping lines serving the islands of the bay and allow Palestinians to cross the port (for example, a line runs from the Aquarium of the Charlestown Navy Yard for the price of a subway token). There is also a shuttle service that connects the center (the "waterfront" near the Boston Harbor Hotel) at the airport.