Salem daytrip - train or ferry?

Hi,

We%26#39;re planning a trip in Boston in early July and want to have a daytrip to Salem. I know it%26#39;s accessible via ';T'; or ferry. What would you recommend? Is the ferry ride/view worth it? Which is more convenient?

Also, would Salem actually take an entire day?

FYI - we%26#39;ll have our 6 %26amp; 8 year along with us.

Thanks in advance!

Salem daytrip - train or ferry?

I highly recommend the ferry - a great way to get to Salem. About 45 enjoyable minutes each way for you and the kids. And you get a great view of Boston Harbor. Salem with the kids probably isn%26#39;t the whole day, since the kids will likely enjoy only the witch-related stuff, a few shops and lunch. You, on the other hand, might enjoy the House of Seven Gables and the Peabody-Essex Museum, which could take much of a day if you let it.

Salem daytrip - train or ferry?

Thanks Alanm.

I see that it%26#39;s $40.00 one way on the ferry, and the ferries back are every two hours. I%26#39;m now thinking it may be best to take the Ferry there for the experience of it and then the T back for the convenience.

How often does the T come back from Salem and is the station in Salem easy to get to? Thanks in advance.

It%26#39;s a bit misleading to call the alternative the ';T,'; which normally refers to the subway/trolley/bus system within Boston and its immediate neighboring towns. The service to Salem is via commuter rail. I don%26#39;t mean to be pedantic here, just to save you from possible confusion. However, both the commuter rail and the T are under the auspices of the MBTA.

The train schedule is here: mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/鈥?/a>

It%26#39;s easy to get to the station in Salem.

The Salem Ferry for the round-trip for the 4 of you will be $70, so you%26#39;ll have to figure out what%26#39;s best for you. The fares are as follows:

One Way Round Trip

Adult $13.00 $24.00

Child (3-11) $10.00 $18.00

Child (Under 3) FREE FREE

Senior (65+) $11.00 $20.00

Family Package* $40.00 $70.00

If you go to mbta.com, you can check out the schedule and costs for the Salem Train. Go to ';Commuter Rail';, then the ';Newburyport/Rockport'; Line.

The ferry is a nice trip, and I think you should plan to stay most of the day there.

Something doesn%26#39;t seem right. I don%26#39;t remember the ferry being anywhere near $40 one way. People use it to commute, so this sounds way off.

For train schedules visit www.mbta.com and click on ';rail'; and ';newbury/rockport line';. You will be leaving from North Station. Be aware that weekday and weekend schedules are different.

Oh, I see, you meant $40 for all of you.

Yes, sorry, I wasn%26#39;t clear, the $40 was for a family of 4 one-way.

Thanks for all of the information everyone!

The ';T'; designation also applies to the Commuter Rail. That ';T'; is the T in MBTA.

I checked the commuter rail costs. Salem is in Zone 3, which costs $5.25/ride for the adults. That means $10.50 each round trip or $21 for the adults. Since the kids go for free on the commuter rail when with adults, it clearly makes a big difference in cost.

Once you get to Salem, you don%26#39;t have to stick just to ';history';. YOu can take a trolley tour and visit Salem Willows Park. It%26#39;s a VERY old picnic area w/ a variety of takeout food (have you ever eaten a chop suey sandwich?) a few kiddie rides (very old carousel) and arcades with both OLD and NEW games ... such as video games (Centipede?), pinball games, even one where for a dime you push buttons to make a marionette dance.

It might be a good break for the kids ....

http://www.salemwillowspark.com/index.html

Thanks forgotmypword! That looks great, and I haven%26#39;t come across this in all of my research. I clicked on the link - is the arcades only open on the weekends? I%26#39;m hoping not, because we%26#39;ll be visiting during the week. It looks like an interesting place for the kids.

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