Five common questions about visiting Salem, MA

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Hi everyone! Welcome back to my website. Today for the blog I wanted to write out answers and share resources that relate to five of the most common questions I get about visiting Salem, MA. Visiting the witch city, especially from long distances, can add extra layers of logistics and planning. I see a lot of the same repeat questions in my inbox, my Facebook group, my DM’s on Instagram and more. So here we go, without further delay. Answers to five of those questions. I hope this helps!

Where can I park? Do I need a car?

I grouped two common themes into the same section here. I often see questions about parking and if a car is needed.

Salem has a few parking garages, a few parking lots and on street parking. Please note all signage and keep up with meters so you avoid parking tickets or being towed. If you want to read about rates and locations, I suggest checking out ParkinginSalem.com. You can also download the Passport parking app in your phone to pay rates on the go.

Some hotels in Salem offer parking to their guests. To read about which ones have parking, click here. Please note that parking in the lot of a hotel you aren’t staying at will likely result in your vehicle being towed.

Do you even need a car? The answer is no. You can easily walk 90% of Salem and be on foot all day. There are a few attractions that are on the outskirts of things and you could simply call an Uber or Lyft to ride to those ones if it’s too long of a walk. If you can take public transportation into Salem then you definitely don’t need a car plus this will save you the headache of finding parking. This applies extra to the fall when crowds are at their peak.

Is it worth it to visit in October? Can I visit in September or November and still enjoy fall activities but without the crowds?

Is it worth it to visit in October? ABSOLUTELY. There is nothing like the Salem in October and the energy of the entire city is next level. Can you visit in September or November and still enjoy fall vibes? Sure, to a degree. If I were going to pick between September or November I would choose September.

Related:

Where is the best place to stay in Salem, MA? Which hotel is best?

My personal pick as far as which hotel to book would be the Hawthorne Hotel. They are in a prime location right in the middle of the action and offer a lovely stay in the witch city. You do have many options though, so click here for a run down of links and information.

An alternative to staying in a hotel would, of course, be an Airbnb. To read about choosing one, check out the following links.

What are some of the best places to eat in Salem, MA?

It’s honestly hard to go that wrong when it comes to picking food in Salem. I have my standard favorites and go-to items which I frequently suggest when asked this. A quick run down of my favs would look like the following: the Brodie burger from Brodie’s Seaport, iced tea from Jolie Tea Co., chocolate chip cookies from Jolie Tea Co., anything from Goodnight Fatty, breakfast foods from the Ugly Mug Diner, bacon wrapped scallops from Turner’s Seafood, the salmon from Turner’s Seafood, iced coffee from Brew Box, the Harvest Moon latte from Jaho, the steak from Witch’s Brew Cafe and the baked cod sandwich from O’neill’s.

What about getting married in Salem? Moving to Salem?

I also grouped these two themes together for simplicity’s sake and the following links will help you out with that…

Moving to Salem:

Getting married in Salem:

SalemMAWedding.com
Weddings in Salem, MA (general info)
Ten places to take wedding pictures in Salem, MA

Do you need some help planning?

I’d love to help! The following links will get you started on the right foot.

So there you have it!! I hope this blog post helped point you in the direction of the answers you are looking for. Good luck with planning your trip and enjoy!! <3