2. As mentioned above, Boston has excellent public transit. Locals call it the 'T.' Tickets can be purchased using cash and most major credit cards at kiosks at every T station, as well as 1-day ($11.00 US) or 7- day ($18.00 US) link passes for unlimited travel on Subway, Local Bus, Inner Harbor Ferry, and Commuter Rail Zone 1A. Visit http://www.mbta.com/fares_and_passes/charlie for details. In addition to getting around easily in Boston and Cambridge, it is possible to plan a variety of day trips without a car. From taking Amtrak's Downeaster from Boston's North Station to Freeport, Maine or taking a high-speed catamaran from Boston to Provincetown on the very tip of Cape Cod in only 90-minutes, you'll be surprised to learn how many places beyond Boston you can get to without a car. The commuter rail is an excellent option for day trips beyond Boston. For example, it's a 35-minute train ride to Salem on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. Commuter trains can bring visitors to the beaches of Cape Ann as well as historic New England towns, such as Concord, Massachusetts. In winter months, there's a weekend Ski Train that brings skiers and snowboarders straight from the city to the slopes of Wachusett Mountain and in summer months the CapeFlyer train offers weekend service between Boston and Hyannis on Cape Cod. Amtrak has two stations in Boston, Back Bay Station and South Station, which is close to the waterfront and the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Other popular ways of getting around Boston include water taxi, pedicab, trolley tour, and bicycle. Boston's New Balance Hubway bikeshare service, which allows you to rent a bicycle with the swipe of a credit card, is available seasonally March through November. For longer rides and tours, visit Urban AdvenTours, Boston's Downtown bike shop, located along the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

3. Many neighborhoods in Boston are 'centrally located.' When choosing a hotel, keep in mind that, due to the city's compact size and unique geography, great places to stay are all over the map. In a big sprawling city, the central downtown core near all the shops and restaurants is usually the best place to be. Not necessarily so in Boston. Depending on your purpose, a convenient location could be downtown, in the Back Bay, on the Waterfront, or even in, Cambridge (see number 4 below). Savvy travelers look for a T station near their hotel, or complimentary shuttle service if it's farther out, and don't worry if they are not at the center of the map. New hotel development is taking place in many neighborhoods, especially in the South Boston Waterfront District , so much so in fact that many locals feel the city's axis shifting east a bit. When you stay at a waterfront hotel, you are close to attractions such as the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston's Children Museum, and the New England Aquarium.

4. Cambridge is not far from Boston. Thousands of Cantabrigians commute into Boston every day and thousands of Bostonians cross the river every day to go into to Cambridge, and think nothing of it. In many ways, Cambridge is to Boston what the left bank of Paris is to the right, opposite sides of the same city, except that inBoston it's the Charles River rather than the Seine that divides the two. From Boston Common, it's a 15-minute ride on the Red Line to Harvard Square. You can walk or bike across the river's many bridges. Cambridge has distinctive neighborhood squares, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping, book shops, and attractions like the MIT Museum, Harvard Art Museums, American Repertory Theatre, Harvard Museum of Natural History, The World's Only Curious George Store, Charles River Boat Tours, CambridgeSide Galleria, and more. Consider Cambridge as part of your Boston itinerary and not a separate destination. Find things to do by visiting www.cambridgeusa.org.

5. Boston has an award-winning international airport that's very close to downtown. Logan International Airport is conveniently located just across the harbor, only a mile from downtown Boston, giving the city one of the smallest airport-to-downtown distances in the US. Proximity to downtown means faster check-in to your hotel, less time in transit, and more time for touring. A new LEED certified $310 million consolidated Rental Car Center opened at Logan in 2013. Along with the Center, the Massachusetts Port Authority introduced a unified shuttle bus system with a fleet of fuel efficient hybrid buses. Gone are the days when passengers had to wait for a specific shuttle from the company they were renting from while many others passed them by. The new system makes it easier and faster for visitors to pick up their rental cars, improving overall traffic at the airport. Departing passengers are dropped off on the upper level of their airline's terminal where they can proceed directly to ticketing, baggage drop and security. Shuttle buses pick up arriving passengers on the lower level of each terminal before taking them to the Rental Car Center or MBTA Airport Blue Line Station. In other news, USA today recently named Logan one of the top five airports for ease of entry through US customs. The perception abroad is that it takes 2-3 hours to get though US customs; fortunately, that is not the case at Logan. Finally, even the food at Logan has risen above the competition: “Every time I go to Logan I am reminded – and still surprised – how much easier it is to get to and from these days than it used to be. It is literally 5-10 minutes from the city center, absent traffic, closer than pretty much any urban airport in the nation. Airport dining is also much improved, with a branch of the city's classic Durgin Park, a Legal Seafood 'Test Kitchen' concept, craft beer pubs and much more.” - Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, October 2013.

6. Travel light and take advantage of a free ride from the airport. Logan International airport is one of only a few major city airports in the world to offer all passengers a free transfer into the city's subway system direct from their terminal. Yes, you heard that right. The Silver Line SL1 is the most convenient option and your best connection to and from the Airport. The Sliver Line coach drops off and picks up passengers at every airport terminal, so you don't have to take a shuttle just to get to the city transportation. There are luggage racks on board and the journey from you arrival terminal to Boston's South Station, a major transportation hub, takes about 15 minutes. This innovation is another benefit of Boston's 'Big Dig.' There's never any traffic to contend with on the Silver Line because it has its own underground tunnels to get you quickly into or out of town. From South Station, passengers can transfer for free into the subway system. Take the Red Line Inbound to Park Street to connect with the Green Line or get of at Downtown Crossing to connect with the Orange Line. New color- coded signage at Logan tells you where to go whatever your chosen transportation mode might be while electronic displays give times for the Blue Line and Silver Line, so you will always know when the next bus or train is coming.

7. New England Weather is known for its changeability. Remember to pack the right items and you'll be comfortable in all weather. Afternoons tend to be warmer as the city's coastal location makes for cooler mornings and evenings. It is recommended to pack and wear layers of clothing so that you can adjust to your comfort level. Even on a hot summer day, you will want to have a long sleeve shirt and a hat when going on a whale watch tour. Remember to pack comfortable shoes for walking. By all means, check online for the latest 10- day forecast, but remember that it will change.

8. Shopping: There is no tax on clothing purchases of $175 and under in Massachusetts and if you go over that, you only pay tax on the difference. If you buy a coat for $200, tax is paid only on the $25 difference. All major credit cards are accepted at most places; however, some smaller retailers may not accept American Express. Most American stores will allow returns. Be sure to check each store's individual return policy.

9. Take advantage of some of Boston's newest hotels. For business travelers or leisure travelers looking to stay longer, a number of new options have opened recently. These include the Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway, an eight-story all-suite hotel features 175 rooms ranging in size from studios to four- bedroom suites, all with in-room kitchens as well as an indoor pool, on-site parking and laundry, a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the city, complimentary hot breakfast each morning evening social every Monday through Thursday. Other new properties include Chandler Studios in the South End, Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Needham, Residence Inn Boston Seaport, Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Logan Airport. For a complete list of lodging options searchable by neighborhood and category, please visit: www.bostonusa.com/visit/bostoneveryday/wheretostay. While Downtown Boston hotel rates may be higher than what visitors are used to seeing in other US cities, the other costs that visitors will experience are much lower than in other places. For example, a free ride from the airport (see #6) OR very reasonable cab fare from the airport vs. $70 each way cab fare in Denver from the airport. Also, once you arrive at the hotel, there are very few transportation costs. You can walk or take T all over the city.

10. Boston is beautiful and some of the best things to see and do here cost nothing at all. Here are a few: walk along Commonwealth Avenue Mall and see some of the most magnificent homes in the city. Find a bench to sit on in Boston Common just like in the movie Good Will Hunting. Run, bike, stroll or sit along the Charles River Esplanade. Sign up for a free tour of Faneuil Hall, or a 60-minute ranger led walking tour of the Freedom Trail or Black Heritage trail, by visiting the National Park Service Visitor Information Center on the ground floor of Faneuil Hall. Climb the steps of the Bunker Hill Monument. Visit the USS Constitution in Charlestown Navy Yard. The Boston Public Library, completed and dedicated in 1897, is one of the most impressive and beautiful buildings in Boston. Take a free public tour, enjoy lunch or tea inside, or wander in and simply marvel at all that marble, the beautiful courtyard, the murals, and the grandeur of it all. The magnificent Museum of Fine Arts Boston offers free admission every Wednesday after 4:00 pm; the Institute of Contemporary Art is free to the public every Thursday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm; the Boston Children's Museum asks for a $1 donation on Fridays after 5:00 pm, and anyone named Isabella will be granted free admission to the beautiful Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for life. The Boston Society of Architects' BSA Space, Boston Design Museum and the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation all offer free admission. One of the best views of Boston comes from riding the Red Line train into the city from Cambridge. The view you get of Beacon Hill, the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House, and sailboats in the Charles River basin as you cross the Longfellow Bridge is breathtaking. 

For more information, go to http://www.bostonusa.com.