If you’re going to explore New England, then Boston will be one of the highlights of your trip. There are few more historic cities in the US, and it is a fascinating place to explore for a few days. There are plenty of great galleries and museums, historic sites to visit, and also some delicious New England seafood to sample.
Wherever you are traveling in the USA, public buildings are now required by law to be fully accessible to those of us with different mobility needs. But as always, it pays to call ahead if you’re not sure.
Enjoy Boston’s unique history
Boston’s Freedom Trail is only around two and a half miles long, but it packs a huge amount of history in. This is a city that played a significant role in the birth of the USA itself, and the trail takes in 16 historically important sites along the way.
As you pass along the trail you’ll see historic churches, meeting places and museums that will help you to piece together the history of the American Revolution and the birth of the nation.
The trail itself is fully accessible, and while not all of the historic sites it passes are, many (such as Boston Common) are easy to get around. You can follow the trail yourself (here’s a map) but if you book a guided tour through the Freedom Trail Foundation all of their tours are accessible.
Tuck into some New England seafood
The people of Boston are quite rightly proud of their cuisine – and their seafood chowder in particular. There are plenty of places to try it out, but our favourite restaurant has to be the Legal Harborside.
It’s a modern, accessible building, but this restaurant’s clam chowder feels traditionally New England. It’s one of the best we’ve tried, with salt pork, fresh clams and a peppery kick.
Visitors from the UK might also be interested in a little taste of home – Boston does a mean version of that great British tradition, fish and chips. We’d recommend the historic Warren Tavern in Charlestown.
Head to Fenway
Boston is famous for many things – but one of its proudest institutions is the Red Sox. If you’re interested in baseball and want to see them at their historic home at Fenway Park, then take a look at their dedicated accessibility page here, or give them a call on 617-226-6000. The team are a significant part of Boston’s cultural history.
Of course, not everyone is a sports fan. But the Fenway area itself is also an interesting place to explore, even if you don’t make it to the ballpark. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum isn’t far away (more of that in a moment). And there is also the incredible Museum of Fine Arts – which has its very own butterfly garden and is fully accessible to all.
Finally, if you’re in need of refuelling after all that culture (or sports), head to Restaurant Row on Peterborough Street for some great New England cuisine.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner was a well-known Boston art collector and socialite. She was known for being unconventional and famously once appeared at a society event wearing a headband saying ‘Oh, you Red Sox’.
She caused quite a stir in her day – but one of her longer-lasting legacies is this wonderful museum. It is home to her incredible art collection, including treasures from the Dutch Masters and Renaissance painters.
The museum itself is in a beautiful historic building and is largely accessible with lifts and elevators, but there are some narrow doorways in the older wings of the museum. The gardens are also varied and peacefully secluded, and accessible for most visitors.
Did you know?
The Boston University Bridge is supposedly the only place in the world where a boat can pass underneath while a train passes above it, while a car travels on the road above that… and a plane passes overhead.
Getting to Boston
There are regular non-stop flights from the London airports to Boston, and non-direct ones from Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Boston Logan airport is accessible for those of us who use mobility scooters, but the team there recommend – as at any airport – that you remind your airline of your particular needs before you fly. There is also a free customer service line at the airport – just call 1-800-23-LOGAN. There is more accessibility information here.
If you need to get between terminals, then the free and accessible Massport shuttle service is a great option – the buses have a lift to help you board. To get into Boston itself from the airport, just use the fully accessible MBTA subway.
The great news is that public transport across the US is also required by law to be accessible, and Boston is no different. For a full guide to the Boston public transport system, take a look at their dedicated page, here.
Travelling with scooters
The great news for those of you travelling abroad is that Quingo Scooters are all approved for air travel by IATA so you won’t have any problems taking them on the plane. That said, it is always well worth getting in touch directly with any train, bus and airlines you want to use just to double check their rules on scooters before you go. For more handy tips on travelling with your scooter by air, take a look at our page here.
Share your accessible getaways abroad with us
Do you have any accessible getaways abroad recommendations? In Europe or perhaps further afield? If you do, we’d love to hear from you, so drop us a line and we’ll feature them.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 30847
