Ask me anything -Boston, Massachusetts (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough Massachusetts) travel/local area info

[SpecialisedOutsourcing]

47 minutes ago, GMScotland86 said:

Apologies if it's been covered but what is the general approach to ID? Will a driving licence suffice?

As long as it is scannable you should be good - Boston is one of the strictest places in the US for drinking.

[Tartan Dazzie]

@Nigeyy I seen there was some chat about relaxing the laws on drinking in the streets recently for certain areas. Did anything come of that? I believe the bars got the go ahead for extended opening hours.

[Fur]

2 hours ago, GMScotland86 said:

Apologies if it's been covered but what is the general approach to ID? Will a driving licence suffice?

It's strict in Massachusetts unfortunately, they'll be looking for passport in the event you do get ID'd.  They will also ask for ID no matter your age it's not like the challenge 25 thing here.

[Nigeyy]

7 hours ago, SpecialisedOutsourcing said:

Thanks for that - ChatGPT also recommends heading north 15-30 minutes to a McDonald’s on route 1 so I think that will be the meeting point!

Aah, that's heading north, so depending on when you head south you might end up in traffic -line I said, I'm assuming you want to be heading south west (I think you said you were headed for Connecticut)

[Nigeyy]

3 hours ago, SpecialisedOutsourcing said:

As long as it is scannable you should be good - Boston is one of the strictest places in the US for drinking.

I stand to be corrected on this, but I wouldn't think a foreign driving license would be scannable or they'd even bother making it as such.   Either way, they're looking for ID, and ultimately a passport should do the trick - but of course carrying one around with you might not be worth the risk (particularly if .. cough ... You might end up celebrating too much and losing it).  Just my opinion (and of course I could be wrong), but it wouldn't surprise me if a UK driver's license is sufficient.  I'm also assuming worst case scenario is you could find a fellow Scot who could order for you.

[Nigeyy]

3 hours ago, Tartan Dazzie said:

@Nigeyy I seen there was some chat about relaxing the laws on drinking in the streets recently for certain areas. Did anything come of that? I believe the bars got the go ahead for extended opening hours.

I haven't heard of anything, so I doubt it's happening.  However, if there are so many fans drinking openly, I wonder if the state and local police will effectively just give up trying to police that.  They may just end up using it as an excuse if some people are rowdy or violent. It's really a case of you waiting and seeing -though of course if you are one of the first you obviously run the risk of being arrested. I'm not endorsing this -after all it's illegal here - but if you decided to do it, I'd say pour a drink into a soft drinks can or an opaque water bottle, don't make yourself obvious or stand out by shouting loudly next to a police officer sort of thing. If a police officer asks you to pour out a drink, just apologize, say you didn't realize and do it immediately.  And definitely don't argue with a police officer -and as humour here is a little different, just be a bit careful engaging in any banter with a police officer, as they can take things literally. Having said that, much depends on the police officer and I think many police officers are fine, and I think the Scotland fans will be as well.

[Nigeyy]

2 hours ago, Fur said:

It's strict in Massachusetts unfortunately, they'll be looking for passport in the event you do get ID'd.  They will also ask for ID no matter your age it's not like the challenge 25 thing here.

I agree with this for the venues you are probably going to be in. However, if you are "more mature" like I am, I can't remember the last time I was carded in a bar in my local neighbourhood!

[Nigeyy]

14 hours ago, gruffarse said:

Cheers Nigel, appreciate you taking the time for feedback.  Randomly met some friends tonight who know someone in walking distance from the stadium so may well be sorted.

Oooh excellent!!!!!

[biffer]

4 hours ago, GMScotland86 said:

Apologies if it's been covered but what is the general approach to ID? Will a driving licence suffice?

The guidelines for the stadium say passport only

[Nigeyy]

29 minutes ago, biffer said:

The guidelines for the stadium say passport only

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/16448148/travel-warning-us-bars-reject-21-id/

Yeah, good call. You might be able to get away with UK driver's licenses away from the stadium, but not in the stadium. 😕

[slasher]

Hey @Nigeyy we are staying in Dedham as you may remember. The plan was to head straight from there to the stadium on match day. However we are meeting friends from Dundee and Edinburgh who will arrive before us. They seem to be under the impression we won’t be able to get the train direct from Dedham to Foxborough and instead will have to go into Boston and then back the way. Would you know if that’s correct?

[GMScotland86]

Thanks all!

[Nigeyy]

1 hour ago, slasher said:

Hey @Nigeyy we are staying in Dedham as you may remember. The plan was to head straight from there to the stadium on match day. However we are meeting friends from Dundee and Edinburgh who will arrive before us. They seem to be under the impression we won’t be able to get the train direct from Dedham to Foxborough and instead will have to go into Boston and then back the way. Would you know if that’s correct?

You will need to get the train into Boston and then get the special events train from South Station -which does not stop in Dedham. The problem here is getting back to Dedham after a late game as you'll end up being in Boston later in the night if you take the train back. I also think there have been some posts that have said there's an organized bus from the holiday inn in Dedham to the stadium (and from some places in Boston too), but you're going to have to contact them to book a place if you can (and sorry, I don't know who is organizing this or who to contact).

You could try an Uber, but I have a feeling they are going to be ridiculously expensive and probably very hard to get. There is also a 34e bus from Dedham to Walpole, but that still doesn't get you close to the stadium, plus you'll still have the problem of getting back after a night game.

[StublessinSeville]

12 minutes ago, Nigeyy said:

You will need to get the train into Boston and then get the special events train from South Station -which does not stop in Dedham. The problem here is getting back to Dedham after a late game as you'll end up being in Boston later in the night if you take the train back. I also think there have been some posts that have said there's an organized bus from the holiday inn in Dedham to the stadium (and from some places in Boston too), but you're going to have to contact them to book a place if you can (and sorry, I don't know who is organizing this or who to contact).

You could try an Uber, but I have a feeling they are going to be ridiculously expensive and probably very hard to get. There is also a 34e bus from Dedham to Walpole, but that still doesn't get you close to the stadium, plus you'll still have the problem of getting back after a night game.

I'm planning on walking from Walpole, only 4-5 miles and looks pretty straightforward.

[Nigeyy]

34 minutes ago, StublessinSeville said:

I'm planning on walking from Walpole, only 4-5 miles and looks pretty straightforward.

If you do, consider Common St to Washington st (I've cycled these quite a few times).  Walpole and Foxboro are very safe areas by the way. I don't know how you are going to get back though, but sometimes you just have to have faith something will work out 

[StublessinSeville]

32 minutes ago, Nigeyy said:

If you do, consider Common St to Washington st (I've cycled these quite a few times).  Walpole and Foxboro are very safe areas by the way. I don't know how you are going to get back though, but sometimes you just have to have faith something will work out 

Cheers, yeah that's the route right down to the end of Washington street and then it seems there's a footpath that comes out at the Ford dealership so you can potentially avoid walking along the highway at all.

Uber booked for the way back so fingers crossed that comes through (I've been assigned a driver on the app...!), failing which sit in the bars at Patriot Place spamming the app until a driver takes the job I guess.

[Nigeyy]

Following up, you are probably going to be best served by avoiding walking on route 1, it's definitely not pedestrian friendly without sidewalks a lot of the way, and Washington St roughly parallels it anyway. However, given the anticipated traffic, it may be bumper to bumper so might be safe but personally I'd still avoid it.

Lastly, if there's only one of you..... 

 

[Nigeyy]

6 minutes ago, StublessinSeville said:

Cheers, yeah that's the route right down to the end of Washington street and then it seems there's a footpath that comes out at the Ford dealership so you can potentially avoid walking along the highway at all.

Uber booked for the way back so fingers crossed that comes through (I've been assigned a driver on the app...!), failing which sit in the bars at Patriot Place spamming the app until a driver takes the job I guess.

Just an fyi for anyone, from the intersection of North st and route 1 (close to MacDonalds) to the stadium there is a sidewalk. But the path through the woods is more scenic!

[Rich NATA]

Am I correct in saying there are no direct trains from Providence the stadium and back?

MBTA website is suggesting I would need to go into Boston and then back out to Providence, which seems far-fetched.

 

 

[Nigeyy]

13 hours ago, Rich NATA said:

Am I correct in saying there are no direct trains from Providence the stadium and back?

MBTA website is suggesting I would need to go into Boston and then back out to Providence, which seems far-fetched.

 

 

I think there are buses: https://www.goprovidence.com/rhode-island-summer-of-soccer/transportation/ (I have no financial interest in providing that link) and I thought someone posted about special events train from Providence to the stadium, but contact the mbta about this.

[slasher]

On 6/9/2026 at 10:44 AM, Nigeyy said:

You will need to get the train into Boston and then get the special events train from South Station -which does not stop in Dedham. The problem here is getting back to Dedham after a late game as you'll end up being in Boston later in the night if you take the train back. I also think there have been some posts that have said there's an organized bus from the holiday inn in Dedham to the stadium (and from some places in Boston too), but you're going to have to contact them to book a place if you can (and sorry, I don't know who is organizing this or who to contact).

You could try an Uber, but I have a feeling they are going to be ridiculously expensive and probably very hard to get. There is also a 34e bus from Dedham to Walpole, but that still doesn't get you close to the stadium, plus you'll still have the problem of getting back after a night game.

Cheers m8. 
Did the train yesterday, I think we’re gonna get an early Uber on Friday. 👍

[Nigeyy]

13 hours ago, slasher said:

Cheers m8. 
Did the train yesterday, I think we’re gonna get an early Uber on Friday. 👍

No problem. Hope you had a great time at the game!

[HerryJames]

I think one of the best tips for anyone visiting Gillette Stadium is to arrive earlier than you think you need to, especially on game days, because it gives you time to look around Patriot Place, grab something to eat, and avoid feeling rushed by the crowds. I have also noticed that people use different transportation options depending on where they are staying, and I have seen Patriots Limousine https://patriotslimousine.com mentioned alongside other ways of getting to the stadium, so it seems worth checking what works best for your schedule. By the way, for someone who has already spent a lot of time in the area, what local restaurant or hidden spot would you recommend that most visitors usually miss?