Car hire Boston

Introduction

Boston is the capital city of the American state of Massachusetts and is one of the oldest cities of the United States. The city is full of history and was the cradle of the American Revolution. However, also lovers of art, culture, architecture and beautifully designed parks will certainly enjoy a visit to the city.

Population

The city has almost 600,000 inhabitants. On working days this number is doubled because of all the commuters from the suburban areas who come to work in Boston. The Greater Boston Area has about 4.5 million inhabitants.

Location

Boston is located in the northeast of the United States in the New England region. The city is built along the Charles River that flows into Massachusetts Bay. New York is located 150 kilometers to the southwest of Boston.

Economy

The local economy is very diverse. Thanks to the presence of prestigious institutions of higher education (Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT) many high-tech companies are based in Boston.

Other sectors are the financial service industry and media (mainly publishers). The Port of Boston is also one of the largest on the American northeast coast.

Tourism is also of great importance, the 17 million annual visitors spend approximately 8 billion dollars.

Airports

Boston's Logan International Airport is the most important airport of New England, the airport is located only a few kilometers to the east from downtown Boston.

As the airport is heavily used, little expansion is possible. Therefore two other airports were appointed to absorb flight activities of the busy Logan Airport. However, these airports are located at a considerable distance and are therefore only an attractive option for people who go to destinations in the north (Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) of the south (T.F. Green Airport) of Boston.

Public transport

Boston has an excellent public transport network. The heart of this network is the subway with four lines, the subway trains on the red and orange line run between north and south, the green and blue lines connect to the east and west. The terms ‘inbound’ and ‘outbound’ might be confusing, but they refer to the direction of the subway train with respect to the city center, inbound goes downtown and outbound leaves the city center.

In addition, there is a fine bus network. The so-called Express buses have fewer stops and drive larger distances.

There are also ferry services, particularly the ferry connection between Long Wharf and Navy Yard is convenient for tourists to go from the USS Constitution Museum to the Faneuil Hall area. 

Traffic and parking

Streets in most American cities are typically laid out on a grid plan, Boston's streets are not. Mainly, the old part of town has an irregular street pattern and therefore resembles the centers of old European cities rather than American cities.

Parking in the streets is mainly reserved for residents. The places where you can park are normally awfully expensive, therefore it is best to choose a parking garage instead. You will find parking garages at Quincy Market, the Aquarium, the State Street Financial Center and the Theater District among others. There is an underground parking garage under Boston Commons.

The Massachusetts Turnpike is the only toll way, it is the connection with Logan Airport.

Hotels

Boston has a huge variety of hotels to offer in all price categories, ranging from hypermodern to classical. The most beautiful (but also most expensive) hotels are situated in renovated historic buildings.

External sources

For more information about Boston, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Boston
• Official website of the city of Boston (English)
• Tourist information for Boston (English)