Very historic and old compared to most of the United States, the city of Boston is a classic and necessary stop for anyone trying to understand America. The city itself is far smaller than New York City, yet it’s similarly made up of distinct neighborhoods that can change dramatically as you cross through them.
Boston is one of the United States’ more expensive cities, especially in the tourist center. But it’s also home to a huge number of colleges and universities so there are plenty of bars and restaurants that cater to a lower budget student crowd. Hotels that are within walking distance of the main central attractions will cost a small fortune, but those on the edges can feel like reasonable bargains. Hostels are among the more expensive in the US, so budget hotels are often a better deal.
As with most cities, if you just randomly walk into an obvious tourist-oriented restaurant you’ll pay top dollar, so those on a budget should ask around and do some research. The ethnic neighborhoods can offer very good deals on food.
Boston doesn’t actually have too many famous checklist attractions, but it does have a few and you can see in our Boston CityPass review that it can be worthwhile.