As the profusion of nicknames it has received illustrates, Boston is a city with many facets. If it was for a long time associated - and continues to be - with the pious and rigorous founding fathers of the nation, as the sobriquet " The Puritan City" suggests, that of " The Athens of America" still fits like a glove. Progressive, intellectual and steeped in history, Boston illuminates the entire New England region with its lights and ideas of social tolerance, hence the term The Cradle of Liberty. Art and culture are part of the city's DNA and there are countless museums and historical sites, something that has not escaped the attention of the Boston travel guide. In the spring, the snow gives way to blooming trees and life takes over, while in the fall a cameo of yellow, orange and red covers the city... Culture (the Museum of Fine Arts is not to be missed!), gastronomy, strolling, Boston is not lacking in attractions and will surprise more than one traveler who is already accustomed to the American East Coast.

When to go Boston ?

When to go to Boston? The best seasons to visit Boston and New England are spring, late summer and fall. The Indian summer is beautiful and the fall colors of red, yellow and orange are vibrant. With the exception of Boston and other major New England cities, most seaside towns fall asleep between November and April. Not all stores and hotels are closed, but most of them operate on reduced hours. For mainly seaside destinations (beaches, islands), really avoid the months of January and February - cold and deserted. Of course, this doesn't apply to destinations that operate summer and winter, namely the mountain resorts of Vermont and New Hampshire. The same goes for the national parks, which are usually closed in winter due to bad weather. You should also know that between June and September, it is the high season for New England. City dwellers flock to their second homes and small towns become jammed and crowded. So when should you go to Boston? Ideally between April and June or between September and early November.

Weather at the moment

Loading...

Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners

How to go Boston

Use the map to see the lowest prices at a glance:
See prices on map

How to go alone

The average price of a France-Boston flight: 650 €. It should be noted that the price variation depends on the company borrowed but, above all, on the time required to book. To obtain attractive rates, it is essential to do so well in advance. Remember to buy your tickets several months before departure!

How to go on a tour

The U.S. East Coast is a rather well-known area for French-speaking tour operators, and Boston is part of many larger tours in the region. It is easy to find packages combining flight and accommodation at interesting rates, which will suit very well a stay with family or friends, a romantic escapade (even a honeymoon) or even a solo trip.

How to get around

With more than 120 subway stations, Boston is a city that is easy to explore. You can also take the city's buses, use the services of cabs and other VTCs, ride a bicycle, or even walk in the most central areas of the city.

Featured articles Boston

Organize your trip with our partners Boston
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Discover Boston

New England is a region of art and culture, made up of seven states that share a common heritage and a strong identity. It is one of the most culturally and historically rich regions in the country. The history of the American nation cannot be told without recounting the adventures of the Pilgrim Fathers, English religious dissenters who landed in Plymouth in 1609 after crossing the Atlantic on the Mayflower. A stay in Massachusetts is also an opportunity to relive some of the country's founding events, particularly those leading up to the War of Independence. With its architecture, its museums, its past and its personalities, such as the Kennedys who embody a kind of American royal family, Boston is an exciting city, pleasant to walk from one neighborhood to another, and which has the advantage of being in the heart of a magnificent region.

Pictures and images Boston

L'Institute of Contemporary Art. shutterstock -Wangkun Jia
Réplique du Mayflower, Plymouth. shutterstock -PRILL
Baie de Boston. ELENATHEWISE - FOTOLIA
Ted Kennedy et Caroline Kennedy lors d'une convention démocrate en 2000. shutterstock -Joseph Sohm

The 12 keywords Boston

1. #Boston Red Sox #

It's Boston's beloved sports team! Founded in 1893, the city's baseball team has won six titles. Fenway Park, its stadium built in 1912, seats over 38,000 spectators. During the season, the stadium transforms itself into a den of fans, who wear team T-shirts, caps and other items bearing the team's effigy.

2. #Cape Cod

iStock-1201284612.jpg

Located in southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Peninsula is famous for its beautiful coastline, wild dunes and numerous white sand beaches. It is one of the favorite vacation spots for affluent Bostonians. The Cape Cod National Seashore is a concentrate of the region's beauty. This is where the Mayflower arrived in 1620

3. #Clam Chowder

shutterstock_238551661.jpg

You won't be able to make a trip to New England without trying the delicious clam fondue native to the region. This soup is a great way to get through the winter cold! The main ingredient is freshly harvested clams, but also potatoes, milk and fresh cream

4. #Indian summer

shutterstock_647718427.jpg

We can't say it often enough: visiting Boston and New England in the fall is an absolute must. It's the ideal season (although very touristy) to endlessly criss-cross the roads of New Hampshire and Vermont, because of the red, yellow and orange hues of the forests during the Indian summer.

5. #Halloween

Boston and all the New England cities are having a blast celebrating Halloween: carved pumpkins, scary costumes, a parade of children who come knocking on doors to claim their candy... Of course, it is in Salem, the city of the witch trials, that the Halloween party is the most terrifying!

6. #Harvard #

The oldest and most prestigious university in the country is located in Cambridge, in the northern suburbs of Boston. The competition to join it is fierce, with an admission rate of 5%. You can visit its campus and follow in the footsteps of Mark Zuckerberg, Michelle and Barack Obama or Theodore Roosevelt, who attended it.

7. #Kennedy

The Kennedy family, which has fascinated and intrigued the world for decades, is originally from Massachusetts. JFK, the nation's 35th president, was born in Brookline, a suburb of Boston. The Kennedys have been vacationing in Cape Cod for generations. Their homes are located near the harbor at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis.

8. #LGBT+

shutterstock_1786413809.jpg

Massachusetts is a progressive state that legalized same-sex marriage as early as 2004, 11 years before the law was passed at the federal level. The city of Provincetown, in Cape Cod, is home to one of the largest gay and lesbian communities in the country. On the facades, flags in the colours of the rainbow fly all year round!

9. #Preppy

This is the style of dress of the upper-class inhabitants of Boston and New England, especially the men. Halfway between preppy and sportswear, the preppy style is one of the social markers of the East Coast elite, with a large reinforcement of pastel-colored Chinese pants, moccasins and polo shirts in the color of a university sports team.

10. #Revolution

Boston is the cradle of the American revolution! In 1773, the Sons of Liberty rebelled against the taxes imposed by the British crown by dumping 45 tons of tea in Boston harbor. The event, called the Boston Tea Party, became the symbol of the rebellion against Great Britain and the prelude to the country's independence.

11. #Thanksgiving

The first Thanksgiving was in Plymouth. After landing on the Mayflower in 1620, the pilgrims were able to survive their first harsh winter thanks to the help of the local Amerindians, the Wampanoags. To thank them, they invited them to a large meal the following fall, where turkey, berries and squash were shared.

12. #WASP

The acronym White Anglo-Saxon Protestant refers to the white American elite. They are the descendants of Protestants who immigrated to the New World after leaving Europe. Their ideas forged the nation, and although their influence declined, they still hold most of the political and financial power today.

You are from here, if...

Just open your mouth to let people know that you were born in Boston: you have a very pronounced accent, which is gently mocked by other East Coast Americans.

You proudly wear your Red Sox jersey or cap and your dog is named after a Celtics player

Nevertheless, your darlings are the New England Patriots, the Boston football team which, you don't miss an opportunity to remember, won the Super Bowl final 6 times (a record!).

You know a lot about beer, and feel free to travel to and from Maine to discover a new brewery.

New England Clam Chowder has no secrets for you, and you know all the places in Boston where it can be tasted.

In the summer, to escape the heat of the city, you escape to Cape Cod ("down the Cape" in the local jargon) or to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Card Boston

Send a reply