Best of Boston

A perfect city break destination on America's east coast, where shopping opportunities are plentiful and there are enough sights and attractions to fill several visits? We know just the place - and it isn't New York...

The weak dollar and ever-spiralling prices of rip-off Britain mean that Stateside shopping trips are more appealing than ever. Manhattan may remain the traditional favourite destination for bargain-hunting Brits, but in many ways the nearby city of Boston makes more sense for a retail-tastic getaway. Here's why.

Welcome to Boston
Boston sits on America's Atlantic coast, to the north of the Big Apple and therefore slightly faster to reach from the UK; a flight from Heathrow takes around seven hours. It's a spacious, open city with the beautiful greenery of Boston Common making a handy focal point for orientation; in different directions from here you can soon stroll into a neatly compact downtown shopping area, several noteworthy and varied neighbourhoods and a bustling waterfront. Scattered among all of these are the historic landmarks of the brilliantly-conceived Freedom Trail walk. Across the Charles River lies Cambridge, home to the world-beating Harvard University and Massachussets Institute of Technology.

Whilst the Big Apple packs in hundreds of skyscrapers, Boston has just a handful. Much of the city is formed of old, low-rise blocks and there's plenty of space to go round. Some major boulevards are wide, leafy and almost European in feel - all making it a laid-back and manageable place to get to grips with. Renting a car just isn't necessary; invest instead in some comfy shoes and a $9 daily travel pass, for use on the excellent subway and bus networks.

There's an unmistakable vibe of friendliness here. The notable absence of Manhattan-size crowds means a happy absence of big-city stress for the most part, and the place invites you to take a bit of time about your visit rather than rush around in mad tourist mode.

Top sights
Star attraction in Boston is the famous Freedom Trail. Even if the primary purpose of your trip is retail therapy, this historical walk shouldn't be missed. The trail doesn't just provide a super-informative tour of the city, but is the perfect way for getting some bearings on day one.

Allow three or four hours for the journey. It's a brilliantly simple concept; follow the red line on the pavement, starting from one edge of Boston Common, and you'll be lead past 16 sites of key importance to the city's lively past; among them the bookstore and meeting halls where Colonists were stirred to action, leading to the cargo-sabotaging skirmishes of the Boston Tea Party and, ultimately, the start of the American Revolution.

Pick up a guide-map from the visitor centre near the trail's start and you'll get a great background into each spot as you reach it. Free guided tours are another option. If you're not up for the 2.5 mile hike you can hop on a tram tour to travel between some or all of the stops, but it's more fun on foot - and there are plenty of places along the way to stop and refuel with a coffee break or meal.

The short trek south from Central Boston will feel worthwhile when you get to the John F Kennedy Presidential Museum and Library, where you can learn all about the late President and his legacy. Kids will be captivated by the penguins and fish and seals on show at the impressive New England Aquarium on the harbour front. Another museum not to miss is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which houses fine arts from the likes of Rembrandt and Degas in a remarkable building modelled on a 15th-century Venetian palace, complete with interior courtyard garden.

If you plan to take in a few of these sights, a Citypass booklet is a sensible investment, for $39 you get entry to six top attractions, which works out at around half the price of buying them all separately.