Why go à BOSTON?

Most of Boston's attractions and museums are open every day of the week, generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., all year round, with the exception of certain holidays, notably December 25, January¹ and Thanksgiving. Smaller structures may close one or two days a week, often on Mondays and/or Tuesdays, and sometimes on Sundays. Boston is particularly busy from May to October, but the city remains lively all year round.

Generally speaking, you don't need to book your tours far in advance. However, if you'd like to take part in a guided tour of the city, it's a good idea to book your tickets online a week or two before you arrive. Tours are given in small groups, and some slots can fill up quickly.

Museums are unfortunately rather expensive in Boston and the rest of the USA. The Museum of Fine Arts, for example, costs US$27, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum US$20. Even institutions that don't enjoy any kind of renown often charge admission. However, tickets are almost always cheaper for students, children and senior citizens. Simply show your ID or student card to benefit from these discounts. You should also know that many museums offer free admission on certain days and at certain times.

Perhaps the city's most famous event is its marathon, which takes place on the third Monday in April. Then on July 4, in Boston and across the country, the national holiday is celebrated with fireworks and live music throughout the city. The festivities begin on the ^{1st of} the month with Harborfest. Then comes fall: Halloween is always a big holiday in the United States, and visiting Boston at this time is an experience in itself, between the pumpkins that take place on every landing and the fall colors that transform the leaves of the trees. But the most memorable event of the fall is of course Thanksgiving. Let's not forget that the first Thanksgiving took place not far from there, in Plymouth!

There are many ways to get to know Boston. The Old Town Trolley (www.trolleytours.com) is a must, as it offers a guided tour of the city's main districts while allowing visitors to hop on and off at the various stops. To immerse yourself in the legend of the Red Sox, the city's legendary baseball team, there's nothing like a guided tour of their stadium, Fenway Park (www.redsox.com/tours). Finally, in the summertime, it's unthinkable not to enjoy the river: the Boston Duck Tours (www.bostonducktours.com), amphibian buses that leave the mainland to go into the Charles River, are perfect for that!

American cities have introduced a host of measures to discourage smoking. Cigarettes (electronic or otherwise) are banned from all city parks, on pain of a US$250 fine. Smoking is banned in museums and cultural institutions, even those with gardens or outdoor areas. Cigarettes may not be purchased by anyone under the age of 21.