Cheap flights to Boston leave from Sydney and Melbourne daily, but are not direct. Flying to Los Angeles and then booking a cheap internal flight to Boston is also an option. Australians do not need a visa to travel to the United States, but visitors will need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation before leaving Australia. Boston’s Logan airport is in East Boston, less than 5km to the city. The best way to get to the city after landing is via the Silver Line SL1 bus rapid transit service. Buy a CharlieTicket at any number of ticket machines inside and outside the terminal, before you board the bus in front of any terminal. The buses run between 5.30am and 12.30am every day.

Boston has a good public transportation system, known as the T (MBTA). All of Boston's downtown areas and neighborhoods are accessible by subway, bus, train or water transportation. CharlieCards and CharlieTickets make it easy and cheap to ride on all forms of transport. Tickets and cards store value for single or multiple rides, or load a T-Pass on your CharlieCard or CharlieTicket for unlimited travel. Cycling is another option, with the Hubway bike sharing system a great way to access wheels and take in the sights at a leisurely pace. The system has 100 stations and 1000 bikes on offer. There are 3-day or 24-hour passes available, but the system does not operate over winter.

Boston’s Freedom Trail is one of the most subtle attractions of any city in the world. Taking in 16 historical sites, the travel guides say it takes 2 to 3 hours to complete, but in reality travellers can spend an entire day wandering through the city and soaking up a real sense of American history. The beauty of the trail is that it is entwined with modern-day Boston and provides a great juxtaposition of the old and new. The starting point of the Freedom Trail is Boston Common, the oldest park in the country. The trial then takes visitors through a history lesson, showcasing Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King's Chapel and Burying Ground, First Public School Site and Ben Franklin Statue, Former Site of the Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Copp's Hill Burying Ground, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument. While the Freedom Trail can be completed at your own pace, the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum steps it up a gear. Located on the Congress Street Bridge, the floating Boston Museum has live actors, high-tech, interactive exhibits, authentically restored tea ships and a multi-sensory documentary. Visitors can meet the colonists, explore the ships and dump tea overboard just as the Sons of Liberty did on December 16, 1773.

Newbury Street is a one-stop spot for shopping, dining and partying. It is eight blocks filled with salons, boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafes. East of Massachusetts Ave it is lined with historic 19th-century brownstones, making it a popular destination for tourists. The most expensive boutiques are located near the Boston Public Garden. The cheaper shops gradually become more prominent toward Massachusetts Avenue. Faneuil Hall Marketplace is another hive of activity. Located in the heart of downtown Boston, it is the nation's premier urban marketplace. It combines the glories of the past and vitality of the present, with 49 shops, 44 pushcarts, 13 full service restaurants, and 35 food stalls.