Being a city-dweller in the summer can get you down – instead of palm trees and ocean breezes, you’re surrounded by steamy sidewalks and mysterious smells (hot weather definitely brings out the worst of urban aromas). There are some good beaches within ten miles of the city, but once you’ve seen one used diaper floating in the waves at Revere, you’ve seen enough. Luckily, Boston isn’t known as The Hub for nothing, and New England’s best summer getaways are within reach: you just need to hop on the train, and you’ll be miles away from the hot, hard concrete and lounging on the hot, soft sand. Here’s a guide to going about getting away from the city this summer.

AmTrak’s Downeaster

The Downeaster makes daily round-trip runs from Boston to Portland, Maine – a three-hour trip that takes the scenic route through New England and makes some key stops along the way. For $20, you can hop on the train at North Station, and cruise all the way to Maine, or get off at one of these stops:

Wells, Maine – In Wells, you can access Wells Beach and Moody Beach, as well as Drake Island. If you’re staying for the weekend, check out the available hotels in town, or rent a private cottage further from town. If you’re looking to become one with nature, campgrounds near the beaches are ready for you to pitch your tent.

Saco, Maine – Saco features 10 miles of riverfront and shoreline, where visitors take to the water in their kayaks and canoes on the Saco River, or sail the ocean on Saco Bay. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can spend a day at New England’s largest family-themed amusement and waterpark, FunTown/SplashTown USA.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire – Available on the Exeter, NH stop, Hampton Beach has access to sand, waves, and a hot nightlife scene. The town’s website describes it as “something out of an MTV video,” so you know what you’re getting into here. If you’re not into that, nearby Rye Harbor and Wallis Sands get you to the oceanfront without that rowdy MTV crowd.

The CapeFLYER

CapeFLYER is a newly launched train service making daily trips from South Station and Brain Tree to Hyannis, Buzzards Bay, and Middleborough. For a $35 round trip ticket, you can visit the Cape with no bouts of road rage or traffic jam headaches; in under three hours, you’ll have reached the ocean air. The train’s schedule works perfectly for weekend getaways: trains leave Boston on Fridays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. and return on Sundays 8:45 p.m. Once you reach on Hyannis, you can easily hop on the ferry and head to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, or stick to the mainland. It wouldn’t be a summer in Boston without weekends on the Cape, after all.

The Commuter Rail

In the summer, don’t underestimate the power of the good old Commuter Rail. While it may not be as speedy as AmTrak or as glamorous as, I don’t know, anything else, it’s cheap and it’s handy. For $2 to $11, you can get dropped off at one of these summery destinations:

Newburyport, Mass – This quaint little coastal town in Northern Massachusetts is just over an hour away by train, and is a perfect spot for the sunbathing on the beach, boutique shopping, and small-town strolling. (And be sure to stop at Bob’s Lobsters for a lobster roll.) Or, stay on board and head to Rockport to visit the lighthouses, nature trails, and northern beaches.

Providence, Rhode Island – For a scaled-down city experience with the nearby shoreline – and beaches like Narragansett and Newport – you can get to Providence on the commuter rail in an hour and a half, and reach the rest of Rhode Island by bus.