Salem Being Pitched as Car-Free Destination for Maine Visitors

Salem residents may head to Maine for a summer vacation. But now, Salem is being marketed as a carfree destination for visitors from Maine.

In a new promotion, Amtrak’s Downeaster train is selling a “Discover Salem Daytrip” to visitors from the north along the rail line in New Hampshire and Maine.

The trip is being billed as “a one-of-a-kind getaway” that starts at $135 for an adult and $85 for a child, depending on where you get on the train.

The Downeaster train runs from Brunswick, Maine to North Station in Boston, with stops along the way in Portland, Maine and Exeter, N.H.

The daytrip includes a train ride to North Station and then a Salem Ferry ride from Long Wharf in Boston to Salem. In Salem, visitors are offered either a Salem Trolley tour or a two-hour walking tour.

Admission to the Salem Witch Museum is also included in the package price.

The tour company, North American Traveler, said the package is also available for overnight trip - either staying in Boston or Salem - and that rooms are still available for the week leading up to Halloween but weekends are sold out.

“Salem’s Halloween celebration lasts for two weeks and is considered one of best in our country,” the tour company tells prospective visitors.