Escape the city without a car. I love this program!
A perfect escape to look at some autumn colors. The shuttle driver is the best, I never feel rushed at my destination. The other participants are always very nice, we chat in the shuttle and then go our separate ways for the excursion, then catch up on the shuttle back to train. Shuttle driver always makes sure we get on the train. Already booked another trip to look at the Holiday Lights.
A Pleasant Day in the Country
I don't drive anymore, and I have missed going to the countryside west of Boston in the fall. The Keolis Mass Adventures train trip seemed like a nice chance to spend a day in the country and see the bright foliage. The van driver, a retired teacher, who picked us up at Grafton station, was friendly and helpful. We had a good amount of time at the Botanic Garden, about four hours. We were fortunate that the weather was near perfect. It was very peaceful in this quiet part of Massachusetts, and there were a moderate number of visitors, even on a beautiful Saturday. On arrival about mid-day, I had lunch in the pleasant cafe in the Visitor Center, sitting on the terrace with a long view of Wachusett Reservoir and Mountain. Besides walking on the trails and enjoying the landscape and views, I found several other things of interest: fairy house creations in the area called "The Ramble," stained glass sculptures of birds and butterflies in the gardens, a Garden Club show in the Visitor Center, and two greenhouses full of vibrant plants. At the end I still had time to look at the gift shop and have a cup of tea and a pastry from the cafe, which I took to the garden right outside the Visitor Center, where there were tables near a fountain. There is a summit trail up to the high point of the hill, where the views of the surrounding countryside, the Reservoir, and Wachusett Mountain are vast, but it seemed a bit too rocky and steep for me without my walking stick. I regret not getting to the top, but I couldn't risk turning an ankle. Younger people should definitely go up. There are a few improvements I would suggest. I wish a Botanic Garden staff member or volunteer docent had greeted us on arrival and given us a brief overview before we went out on our own. I do think that for the $26 admission fee (which was included as part of our Keolis trip) we should have been given a paper map. There was a beautiful old farmhouse next to the Visitor Center, and I wondered about the history of the farm, but I couldn't find any information about it, even a booklet in the gift shop. I wish the staff had told us about it. All in all, I had a nice day and a good time taking photos and enjoying the peaceful setting.
Excellent Experience
Mike was an excellent driver & guide, went above and beyond to make sure we all got on and off the van safely, walked us in to the fair, showed us where to meet him, gave us his phone number, and was waiting promptly when it was time to pick us up. Too bad he couldn't be cloned, because companies need more wonderful staff members like him. The Topsfield Fair trip was well worth the $65 cost including train fare, $20 fair admission, and a $12 food voucher.
Hi Brianna- thank you for your kind words about mike! He truly takes our trips to the next level and we're so grateful to have him on our team!We look forward to welcoming you on another trip soon.Happy Travels!Camille
Nancy C2026.09.21
Verified
Castle Hill Crane Estate
The trip to Castle Hill Cranes Estate was worthwhile. Keolis provided excellent communication prior and during the trip - when the pick up was going to be a bit late, there was an immediate text. Keolis made it a seamless trip!
Afternoon at deCordova Sculpture Garden
I did the deCordova Sculpture Garden tour with Mike on 9/20/26. Beautiful sculpture garden and large grounds for a fall walk! Mike was courteous, helpful, and professional. Would recommend!
Hammond Castle Day Trip
Very nice day out at beautiful Hammond Castle! Train was on time. Pick up van driver met us promptly at the train station in Gloucester and also for the return trip. We planned another trip already!
Plymouth Aug 2026
The trip to Plymouth with Keolis was really fun. You ride the Kingston line and get picked up in a comfortable clearly marked van at the station and it takes you to the museums. My driver Mike was super friendly and gave good recommendations for things to see. The price really isn't too bad especially for a solo trip. I recommend buying the weekend pass on your own through the mbta as the conductors who checked my ticket provided through the booking didn't seem to know what it was and it didn't scan right. Overall it was a very good experience.
Les visites de Patuxet et du Mayflower. Pas d'interaction avec le chauffeur, ce qui est dommage. Cest une excursion où les participants doivent se prendre en charge.
Beautiful sunset kayak tour
Emily was a wonderful tour guide and the Crane Estate was beautiful. We loved getting the whole backstory of the refuge and the three houses on the islands, and learning about the sea creatures that inhabit the area. Watching the sunset from our kayaks was especially magical!
Tour was fantastic! Driver was very knowledgeable. Although he was late picking us up because some tall boats had the drawbridge up, we had plenty of time to see the entire house. At the great house, there was a tour guide that was amazing and knew stuff about the house to answer all of our questions. We had extra time, so the driver took us to an apple orchard and we had cider and doughnuts. Highly recommend this tour.
Wishing the guide/driver was more professional and knowledgeable about the area
The tour guide on the bus didn't know a number of things about the area and wasn't dressed very professionally. The first part of the tour ran long and we had limited time to explore during the second part of the tour because of it. It felt expensive for what it was and I think a person could easily have gone and done these things without using this company.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you felt there wasn’t enough time to fully enjoy the destination. We’re always looking for ways to improve our tours, and feedback like yours plays an important role when we review and adjust our itineraries.Regarding your driver, while our van drivers are not trained tour guides, they do their best to answer questions and provide helpful information throughout the day. In this case, your driver is also a teacher who genuinely enjoys learning and sharing knowledge whenever possible. If there was something he wasn’t able to answer, we apologize and appreciate your understanding.Thank you again for your review. We truly value your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another adventure in the future.- Camille, Director Tour Operations
Marilyn2026.07.05
Verified
Excellent! Great surrounds and historical experience. I’d recommend to everyone!
Great Nature Day Trip Getaway from Boston
Living in the city without car can make it difficult to get out to nature adventures, but the Keolis kayak daytrip package makes it super easy! The pick up from the Ipswich commuter rail station by Mike and drop off at Crane Beach and subsequent pick up was seamless, and the kayak group of 7 came with two experienced kayak guides. I got to spend a few peaceful hours on the water, and got to see the marshes, the beaches and the dunes. Afterwards, Mike took me to the Clam Box where we got some great fried seafood classics - a rewarding treat after a day of kayaking! A special thank you to Mike, who was very personable and easy to talk with, and made the excursion an extra enjoyable one!
thank you for such a wonderful review, Angie! We're so glad you were able to join us this weekend. we are especially thankful to have Mike on our team, he truly makes our trips extra special!!! We hope to see you on tour again soon.CamilleDirector, Tour Operations
Verified
