Photo: Faneuil Hall, Boston · Bestbudbrian · CC BY-SA 4.0
🔔Massachusetts: What to Know Before You Go
Destination Intel / United States / Massachusetts
Culture, Food and Etiquette
- Boston cream pie, sponge cake, pastry cream, and chocolate glaze
- Clam chowder (New England style), creamy, not clear
- Lobster rolls, Boston version often features warm butter vs. cold mayo
- Brownies (Toll House origin) and chocolate chip cookies
- Freedom Trail, historic walking tour through Boston
- Harvard and MIT, world-renowned universities
- Thanksgiving, Plymouth Rock and Mayflower origins
- Boston Red Sox baseball, passionate fans and historic Fenway Park
Boston/New England accent distinctive; direct, sometimes blunt communication style.
- Boston sports rivalries are passionate. Avoid Yankees/Red Sox banter lightly
- Tipping 18-20% is standard
- Intellectual respect and education are valued
- Bostonians appreciate honesty and directness
Best Time to Visit
Massachusetts has warm summers, cold snowy winters and a famous fall foliage; late spring through fall is the best window.
- Peak: September to October, June
- Shoulder: May, November
- Off season: January to February, the cold months
Source: ncei.noaa.gov
Getting Around
- A
- c
What moves the cost: Boston has an extensive rail and bus system.
Common Questions
When is the best time to visit Massachusetts?+
Trains reach the coast and the west.
Source: ncei.noaa.gov
The fall foliage season and summer on the Cape cost the most, while winter is quieter.+
Early fall for foliage and summer for the coast are the best windows; winters are cold and snowy.