Barry

My wife and I are hoping to spend 8 days after Christmas in the New England area. Being Australian, we have not been to this area before and do not want to drive at all. We are looking to spend 3-4 days in Boston, and then try to find a cute town in the country within a couple of hours of Boston that we could reach by public transport. We are not looking to ski, but just to find somewhere that is still pretty in Winter and would have things to do.
Would anyone have any accommodation recommendation for Boston in the $100-$150 price range, and recommendations for cute villages to spend cosy winter days in?
Thank you for your help,
Barry

Penny

How about Cape Cod-Chatham is lovely,it is a wonderful New England seacoast town and easy to get to from Boston. Since we always drive I am not sure of buses etc.
Another town would be Woodstock,Vermont
or Stockbridge,Mass.-these are a few hours 2-3 from Boston. If you do a search on yahoo,you should get the info you need.

Parrot Mom

THE place for New Years Eve and New Years Day.... is downtown Boston.. they are the originators of First Night.. The Boston Common and the entire area is scattered with huge ice sculputers, there is a First Night Parade open to anybody,laser shows at City Hall and fireworks on the Harbor and of course free entertainment all over the city. It is a family affair with drunkeness frowned upon//

edie

for towns close to boston with winter stuff to do, check out the north shore.
newburyport, gloucester, rockport, all have winter festivals with the towns all decorated, parades, etc. you can easily get there by train/bus. but you should get a car to get from one town to another easily.
i second the recommendation for staying in boston for First Night. but it's very very cold! be prepared! also, it's next to impossible to get a cab on new years eve, so select a hotel that you can easily walk home to.

Cass

You can take a commuter train out to Concord, MA, and that area -- charming and you could still stay in Boston. You can reach some nice parts of Maine by bus, and probably NH and Vt as well. BUT: You will have difficulty finding a charming B&B or hotel or anything with space at this late date.

Your price range is also a little optimistic for Boston, but not out of the question -- but again, time is of the essence. I'm very fond of the John Jeffries House and the Newberry Guest House, but so is everyone else -- you may luck out, however. But I'd get on the web A.s.a.p. to find loding.

Cass

..uh, that would be "lodging" -- sorry, it's Monday all day here and we just switched to standard time, so my personal mental cache and buffer are jumbled....

susan

There is a wonderful bed & breakfast called Clarendon Square Inn. Check out the Web site at www.clarendonsquare.com. Their prices in winter are $130 and up and for a holiday, they may charge more. It is an unbelievably fabulous place. Extremely luxurious -- equivalent to a 5 star hotel like the Ritz Carleton. The location is exactly what you want.

Old Sturbridge Village is about 1 hour west of Boston. You can get there by bus on the Peter Pan Bus Line or rent a car and drive. The village is open 10am-4pm and parking is free. You can stay overnight at the lodge for under $100. www.osv.org for more info.

First Night in Boston is supposed to be really wonderful for families, couples, and everyone else. Lots of different things to do. Boston has been hosting this event for 25 years and many cities all over the world copy it. Take a look at www.firstnight.com for more info.

Good luck.

Barry

Thanks everyone for your help. Much appreciated!