Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Moon River, Moon Harbor
Fire up the camera as you approach the water. Every
bridge
that crosses the
river between Boston and Cambridge affords an excellent perspective. If your
travels take you to the area around the Esplanade or Kendall Square (T: Red
Line to Charles/MGH or Kendall/MIT), wander out onto the
Longfellow Bridge,
especially at twilight—the views of the river are splendid, and if you hit it just
right, the moon appears to shine out of the Hancock Tower.
In warm weather, check the papers for the time of moonrise and stroll down
to the plaza at the end of
Long Wharf
(T: Blue Line to Aquarium). The full
moon appears to rise out of the Boston Harbor Islands, and because it's so close
to the horizon, it looks huge. For astronomical reasons, this only works in the
summer, but boy, is it cool.
Moments
$5 for children under 3. Tours run every 30 or 60 minutes from 9am to 30 minutes
before sunset, and they usually sell out. You can buy tickets online or in person. Try
to buy same-day tickets early in the day, or ask about the limited number of tickets
available starting 30 days in advance. Reservations are accepted only for groups of 20
or more. No tours December through mid-March.
TROLLEY TOURS
The ticket vendors who clamor for your business wherever
tourists gather will claim that no visit is complete without a day on a trolley. Some-
times that's true: if you're unable to walk long distances, are short on time, or are trav-
eling with children. A narrated tour on a trolley (actually a bus chassis with a trolley
body) can give you an overview of the city before you focus on specific attractions, or
you can use the all-day pass to hit as many places as possible in 8 hours or so. In some
neighborhoods, notably the North End, the trolleys stop some distance from the
attractions—don't believe a ticket seller who tells you otherwise. Because Boston is so
pedestrian-friendly, a trolley tour isn't the best choice for the able-bodied and unen-
cumbered making a long visit, but it can save time and effort. For those who are physi-
cally able, I can't say this enough:
Climb down and look around.
The business is extremely competitive, with various firms offering different stops in
an effort to distinguish themselves from the rest. All cover the major attractions and
offer informative narratives and anecdotes in their 90- to 120-minute tours; most offer
free reboarding if you want to visit the attractions. Each tour is only as good as its
guide, and quality varies widely—every few years a TV station or newspaper runs an
“exposé” of the wacky information a tour guide is passing off as fact. Have a grain of
salt ready. If you have time, you might even chat up guides in the waiting area and
choose the one you like best.
Trolley tickets cost $29 to $40 for adults, $16 or less for children. Most companies
offer online discounts and reservations, and you may find discount coupons at visitor
information centers and hotel-lobby brochure racks. Boarding spots are at hotels, his-
toric sites, and tourist information centers. Busy waiting areas are near the New Eng-
land Aquarium, the Park Street T stop, and the corner of Boylston Street and Charles
Street South, across from Boston Common. Each company paints its cars a different
color. They include orange-and-green
Old Town Trolley Tours
(
&
617/269-7150;
www.trolleytours.com);
Beantown Trolleys
(
&
800/343-1328
or 781/986-6100;
www.grayline.com), which say “Gray Line” but are red; and silver
CityView Trolleys
