Hi all,

We're visiting New England over New Year's this year. We'll be based in Cambridge in an AirBnb and have six full days available to explore Cambridge, Boston and the surrounding area.

Day 1 - Arrive around 5.30pm

Six Full Days

Final Day - fly home to the UK is at 6pm

I think we have time for four full day trips, as this still gives us two days to explore Boston and Cambridge. So far these are the possibilites I've identified:

Lexington and Concord*
Salem (including Peabody Essex Museum)*
Gloucester and Rockport*
Ipswich (Crane Beach)
Portsmouth NH
Plymouth
Providence

We'll be reliant on trains and want are interested in visiting historical places, the sea/beach to see some rugged beauty in December, smaller towns that are interesting as opposed to cities as we'll be coming from NYC and will of course have time in Boston itself. So the ones that I think might be best are starred above, although I'm still researching!

Would love to hear your opinions on the above as day trips or anywhere else you think we should consider! Thanks in advance!

Are you planning on arriving in Boston at 5:30PM on an Amtrak train? If you are coming from NYC on the train, consider stopping at Mystic CT. It is an old seaport with plenty of tourist things to do. Spend a night there before taking the train the next day to Boston. Is your return trip to the UK from Boston or New York?
Have a backup plan if there is a big snowstorm in late December.

I hope you've checked all the routes to those places. You can only take the train to Providence, meaning Amtrak. You can take the MBTA local commuter rail to Salem and Gloucester, I know. I don't think you can take a train to Lexington although you can to Concord.

I went to Providence once, but mainly to visit the Newport mansions, I imagine you need a car for that. Providence has one art gallery museum (RISD), and at least one historic house I toured. It's ok for an outing, but I wouldn't put it top priority.

I think I would skip Gloucester and Rockport during the Christmas Holidays as the weather might be frigid or it might be snowing, and will definitely be windy with grey skies. The same with Portsmouth as well as Lexington and Concord although will have residential architecture decorated for the holidays.

Are you not planning to spend time in Boston seeing the historic sites there as well as visiting any of the outstanding museums - the MFA, Isabella Stewart Gardner, etc? I see that you are only planning two days in Boston which I think needs more time. The Peabody Essex Museum is excellent and Salem is an easy commuter train from Boston.

Newport mansions are decorated for the holiday season although I've never been so check the Newport Visitors site for info. RISD Museum is excellent but I wouldn't make it a priority. The historic synagogue will likely be closed after October until the spring. The famous Cliff Walk would most likely be doable if the weather was unusually sunny and warm.

To clarify previous post, while I've not been to Newport during the holiday season, I have been there in October and in the summer. Touring the mansions is a full day or day and a half, if you want to see all of them.

FYi, are any kids involved in this trip? If so, I totally recommend the Museum of Science and Technology in Boston.

I would first carefully check what you can do without a rental car, for what you propose. Needing to use only a train or bus will really limit easily moving around New England States. And of course considering the weather, that it could be snow and ice in December in those locations.

I'd be curious to know how and why you chose that particulr list to towns/cities to visit? I know you said "New England" but mostly you seem to be down south (which is fine) but not including much of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc. Perhaps you have a reason for those places you listed? Just I have lived in all those states but most of those cities would not have made my 'must see' list.

I've only been to 3 places on your list, and to Boston 3X - once during a Feb blizzard which wasn't fun I think you are giving public transport more credit than it deserves.

At that time of year I'd spend more time exploring Boston and maybe book some day tours. Unless you are very lucky, anything 'beachy' will likely be frigid / miserable.

I've traveled to Boston frequently in my life for both business and pleasure as well as when my daughter went to college in the Boston area. To give you some perspective on weather issues, older daughter once drove up to Portsmouth which is charming and historic in mid-March for close friend's bachelorette weekend in blowing around snow, younger daughter once traveled to Boston in January on business and stayed with a friend in the North End prior to moving to hotel for work. In early January, it was 4 degrees and brutally cold. The wind off the water was quite pleasant last month on a hot day but brutal in January. I once drove home with a friend's family from spring break in a driving snowstorm. When older daughter lived in Somerville, she had quite a task digging her car out from a massive snowstorm in early December.

If you want to go to Newport, there are companies that run tours from Boston but many do not go from October through April. They will be quite expensive in December if you can find one.

In any case, do have a plan B. Even taking the commuter train to Salem, Rockport or Gloucester will require a long walk or getting a taxi to get to the sights you want to see.

And just in case there any misunderstanding - that is -15°C

I really do question that this trip is even possible without driving a car. Or desirable in the middle of winter. Is there a reason you are doing this in December? Or trying to go all those places? If I were flying into Boston, staying in Cambridge for six days in winter, I'd just stay there. Plenty to see and do in the greater Boston area without going anywhere to fill less than one week.