Provincetown: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

ALAnastasiia Lebedevamylene-farmer96 · Nov 27, 2019Read

These were the exact words that started our acquaintance with this city. But let's not get ahead of ourselves) This year I had no ideas where I would go. We went through options and looked for a place where all our preferences would meet: the ocean, interesting work, and a good salary. And unexpectedly, an option came up. Provincetown. The description of the city was exciting and intriguing. Nothing scared us at that moment; we were curious, and we agreed to this adventure. From the moment we signed up for the program, everything went hard: we searched for an offer for a long time, had problems with installments, and a difficult trip to Poland. All this was alarming; I felt that it would continue in the States. Having heard the cherished words, bought tickets, and said goodbye to our loved ones, we finally set off on our long-awaited journey. On May 19, we crossed the border of the land of the free. You immediately feel those familiar butterflies of excitement and anticipation of a hot summer and adventures! The road was long and exhausting. From NY we went to Boston, where we slept for only 3 hours and set off for our final destination. Squeezed, mentally and physically exhausted, we couldn't believe the reality of what was happening: there was the cherished ocean, but we were also met by an icy wind and piercing cold. We weren't prepared for this, and we survived like that for about 2-3 weeks. Leaving our things, we went to explore the surroundings and look for our work. The 2019 season was officially open! We didn't know yet what we would have to face, what difficulties we would go through, and how this summer would turn out. And it was...

АБАлександр Борисовtdr241 · Dec 13, 2017Read

The trip to Provincetown was our last trip on Cape Cod. There were a few days left before our main trip along the US East Coast. We decided to follow this route: Boston - Washington - New York. We bought the cheapest tickets we could find, and two companies helped us with this: Peter Pan bus and MegaBus. So, for a ticket from Hyannis to Boston we paid $5 each, and for a ticket from Boston to Washington about $30. In Boston, we decided to stay for one full day, as we had already been there when we flew to Miami; in Washington we had 10 hours, and in New York three days. Arriving in Boston, we faced a problem with our suitcases. They were very large and heavy, and the luggage storage at the bus station was very expensive and only worked until 10 pm (our bus was at 0:00). We started looking for another way out and accidentally stumbled upon an ad at some newsstand at the train station that they accept luggage for storage. The kiosk is located near the escalators in the main waiting room. The prices there turned out to be much more reasonable and they worked around the clock. Leaving our things there, we bought a 1-day subway ticket and went for a walk around Boston. Our first stop was Harvard. We were very lucky, and on the day we were in Boston, student meetings were held at all universities, where the leadership read congratulatory speeches in a solemn atmosphere, and some universities were open to visitors. Arriving at the "Harvard" station, we immediately headed to the main building. It was very beautiful, an orchestra was playing, everyone was in formal attire, parents had arrived, students were meeting and laughing. There were a lot of teachers who, by the way, turned out to be very friendly. The atmosphere of celebration and joy was felt in the air. There was no arrogance from the students, and everyone we asked was ready to take a minute and help. Unfortunately, we never got into the university, as they only let people in with passes, but this in no way spoiled our mood and we were very happy that we visited this beautiful place. The university itself is located in a park surrounded by a fence, so entering the gates, it feels like you are entering another world. Students sit with MacBooks on the grass under the trees and discuss something, someone is slowly riding a bike, someone is running and barely holding their open backpack, guys are arguing about solving a problem - in general, a complete immersion in student life. But leaving the university and the park, you do not leave the area of numerous "Harvard" signs that are found at every step. On the opposite side of the park is the official university store, selling "Nike" sportswear made specifically for the university, casual clothing with branded merchandise, books by famous graduates, pens and other school supplies. The prices are not very cheap, but the average J-1 student can afford it. The quality of the clothes depends on the price. In addition, there are numerous unofficial shops where Harvard merchandise is also sold, but, admittedly, ordered from Aliexpress. The prices here are significantly lower, but the quality is a complete disaster, so I do not recommend it. Of course, there are a huge number of different bars, restaurants and other establishments aimed at students nearby. After visiting Harvard, we headed to another world-famous educational institution - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Unlike Harvard, it is not located as conveniently. We arrived at the subway station closest to the main building, from which, according to maps, a shuttle to the university was supposed to run; after waiting for it at the stop for 15 minutes, we decided to walk. The university itself is 20 minutes from the subway, and the path to it runs along the beautiful Boston waterfront. It is really very beautiful there: boats with MIT logos are in the water, people who have gone for a run are constantly running along the embankment, someone is sitting on a bench and just

KZKatsiaryna Zhukavazhukova.ekaterin · Dec 12, 2017Read

The average number of working hours per week is 40, but for students conquering America, that's not enough, so everyone has one or even two side jobs in reserve. And that's right, because the blood is young, there is plenty of energy, so why not spend it on something useful? A lot has been written about the specifics of the work awaiting Work & Travel participants: students, as a rule, work in the kitchen. Therefore, let's move immediately from the process of preparing/serving food to its consumption. · Do all Americans really abuse fast food? Besides burgers and french fries, there is healthier and equally delicious food. Given Wellfleet's fortunate location by the ocean, it's not hard to imagine how fresh and delicious seafood you can try literally on every corner. By the way, this town is famous for its oysters, and in October, the OysterFest is held there, where local restaurants present some of their menu items. It's not hard to guess that these are seafood dishes. Any fish hater will become a fan if they try at least a small piece of fresh grilled salmon. Would a vegetarian become a meat-eater? If I were a vegetarian (never in my life), I definitely would have. Real American burgers have truly settled in my heart after they stopped entering my stomach. This is a very sad story; my stomach has been under stress for half a year now, not getting that very taste. And yes, it is true that most people gain weight after America. It's not surprising. I don't even think many of them are sad about it, because they once tasted the flavor of happiness. During our three months there, we compiled our own top 3 best burger places. The undisputed leader turned out to be Hard Rock Cafè. And I still (not without sadness) recall the motto of our gastronomic adventures before almost every meal: "You can't eat that much. Or can you? Anyway, it doesn't matter." Attention, a great tip: there is a restaurant in Boston where for $20 you can choose an unlimited amount of food, and they will cook it right in front of you. Our American friend, having heard our suggestion to go to another place, was, to put it mildly, shocked, if not indignant at our desire to eat somewhere else. It turned out that the stereotype about Americans eating burgers and washing it all down with cola, in practice, turned out not to be such a stereotype. Indeed, it is the fastest, inexpensive, and, as it turned out, very tasty option to eat. It is interesting that almost every restaurant has a children's menu, where you can find different variations of "plates": french fries and chicken nuggets, french fries and a small burger, fish and chips (which means there are french fries there too), french fries and a grilled cheese sandwich. This list could go on forever, but in my mind, the main dish of a children's menu should be soup, which all toddlers hate and dream of a bag of chips! In general, our parents would clearly have turned gray from such a lunch for their children. · Vacation options, other than hunting for food. Cape Cod is only 120 km from Boston, so it is quite realistic to get there quickly to spend a weekend in the capital of Massachusetts. However, there is a possibility of facing the problem of choosing transport to get there. You need to study the websites of bus companies very carefully to choose a bus that is suitable in time and manage to return back. But if you have a driver's license, you can rent a car. Or find a driver somewhere and make friends with them. Boston is worth being visited by thousands of tourists. Quite large in area, the city is comfortable both for walking and, most likely, for living. Besides going to the metropolis, there are other opportunities to relax while in the same small Wellfleet. First, what else is needed for happiness if the ocean is nearby? That's right, a friendly company and a bonfire with marshmallows on sticks. Yes, yes, just like in the movies. Secondly, Provincetown is nearby, which definitely won't let you get bored

KZKatsiaryna Zhukavazhukova.ekaterin · Dec 11, 2017Read

20 years of dreaming, 7131 kilometers, 14 hours on the road… But, after all, dreams do come true. In such moments, a clear realization comes that the world is not as big as it seems, especially when you, a small person from a small Belarus, find yourself in that universe you enjoyed through movies, felt through books, and heard the melody of through music. I, of course, dreamed of California, but it didn't occupy every cell of my brain while searching for a job and, consequently, a city. Although hearing real Californian punk right there would have been legendary. In the end, fate threw me into a small town on the Cape Cod peninsula, Wellfleet. To tell the truth, I had never heard of it before receiving a job offer. What is this unknown corner like? Actually, Americans are quite familiar with it: every summer, in cars whose price is not usually spoken aloud, they flock to these very villages of Cape Cod to tan on some of the best beaches in the country and eat fresh seafood in restaurants filled with J-1 students from all over the world. Summer on the peninsula acquires its own special charm (no wonder, in winter the population drops by two hundred percent). I would admire this view every day. First impression: is it really deceptive? A tricky question. What do 20-year-old students need during time not occupied by boring lectures, and in America at that? In my opinion, they want parties with red cups from the movies, and communication, lots of communication. But this is Wellfleet! This means you are surrounded by cute 50+ couples, soulful peace, fresh air, and gorgeous beach views. And while the clean sea air was good for the body, the soul, after resting, demanded authentic parties, which I will mention later. That's how we encountered this measured and calm life: work in the morning, a choice between sleeping in bed and relaxing on the sand by the ocean in the afternoon, then a walk, dinner, and finally, sleep. And where did that dream go? Did it really stay in Belarus? Time passes, and it becomes clear that it's not just about the place of stay, but also about having a company of like-minded people. A piece of advice: if you want to have the most vibrant time, never be shy about meeting people, otherwise you risk spending the summer under a blanket. Bottom line: enjoying nature and getting the American experience is much more fun with a friendly group. What is the American dream and how to live it? "If you want to know what the American dream is, you have to work as many jobs as possible until you die!" - that's what we heard from a Bulgarian colleague who, apparently, plans to spend his life exactly like that. Americans have differing views on this: some really only work and never leave their city, while others fill their free time with the best moments. But our goals differed greatly from those the Bulgarian spoke of, and we really didn't want to die wiping tables, but seeing life from different sides – absolutely. Every weekend some events were planned, if rain didn't interfere with our ideal scenario (and that happened quite often). On Independence Day, July 4th, apparently, a rabbit's foot ended up in one of our pockets, and we saw a coveted day-off in our schedule. To see a real American holiday fireworks display, we decided to go to the nearest "lively" city, Provincetown. This sunny summer day differed from the others in that the city streets were filled with people in bright costumes in the colors of the national flag, there were songs and dances everywhere. Waiting for the fireworks, people sat in groups on the embankment and shared joy with those around them, thereby creating a warm atmosphere of a real celebration. Provincetown is the most dynamic and unusual city on Cape Cod.

АБАлександр Борисовtdr241 · Nov 27, 2017Read

After we acclimated a bit and got used to the USA, we wanted to travel. At first, we considered options closer to us, like Niagara Falls or Provincetown, but then we caught ourselves thinking that we wanted to fly to Miami. The process of finding a hotel and tickets didn't take long. We booked the Hotel Breakwater South Beach, located on one of the most famous streets, Ocean Drive, on the first coastline. We decided on tickets quickly too. We bought the most budget-friendly seats on Spirit airlines for the earliest flights (4-5 a.m.) because the more "inconvenient" the flight, the cheaper it is. We flew with a layover in Orlando. At first, we were very confused by the reviews of this yellow budget airline, which criticized it for dirty planes, or for being picky about almost everything and, roughly speaking, extorting money. It immediately became clear that one needed to be extremely careful. We had to check in 24 hours in advance, print the ticket at home, and double-check that the backpack met the criteria for free carry-on luggage. We did everything conscientiously and took it seriously. But, to be honest, I never found the reason for such a large number of negative reviews. The company's employees were friendly, the planes were clean, and the planes themselves were new. The boarding gates were not located in some remote part of the airport, and the planes were parked directly at the building, and boarding was done via jet bridges. No buses. Nobody even looked at our backpacks, let alone measured them. In general, everything went great, and after a long night of waiting for our morning flight at Boston airport, we found ourselves at Fort Lauderdale airport a couple of hours later. From there, we had to take a bus to Miami, a 1.5-hour ride. Our first impressions of Miami were more like fear because it was pouring rain upon arrival, and the humidity was such that if you just stand on the street and do nothing, you will still sweat in a couple of minutes. That's when we realized one very important mistake: on impulse, we bought tickets, made a route, and chose a hotel, but forgot to check the weather, apparently thinking that it is always hot and sunny in Miami. But that was not the case. I will never forget how we were riding the bus, and the rain was so heavy that water was getting into the cabin through the floor because we were, so to speak, floating through these puddles. And so on endlessly. After a long-awaited stop near our hotel, we ran into the room and were soaked to the bone after a couple of minutes on the street. I can say with confidence that we were lucky again. After all, looking at the weather forecast, we saw that heavy rains were expected for two weeks, and only 3 days would be sunny and hot. We happened to be there on those days. We exhaled. The next morning, the sun was indeed shining, and there was not the slightest hint that everything had been floating here yesterday. We went to the beach. Miami beaches are truly something beautiful and unusual: athletic, muscular guys working out on equipment, girls sunbathing or also working out, lots of bicycles, rollerblades, and sun. The sand was soft and gentle; it started almost across the road from our hotel and ended somewhere there in the water. You walk on it and think about how lucky you are to be here. The entry into the water was very gradual, and to be in the ocean at full height, you need to go very far from the shore, so far that all the splashing people are left behind, and you start to feel some freedom. The water was very clean and warm. Lifeguard towers were standing along the entire beach line, and shark nets were stretched out. In general, safety, as it seemed to me, was in perfect order. After swimming for a couple of hours, we decided to take advantage of our hotel's cool opportunity - to rent bicycles for free. The bicycles, to the credit of our hotel, were in excellent technical condition, very comfortable, and clearly not cheap. Taking two b

АБАлександр Борисовtdr241 · Nov 1, 2017Read

After our short weekend in Miami, we safely returned "home" and spent the rest of the summer on Cape Cod. To describe "The Cape" in a nutshell, it's a quiet and cozy place for American retirees. Fresh sea air, a mild summer by local standards, well-developed infrastructure, and proximity to Boston—in short, it has everything for a comfortable stay. Talking to the locals, I realized that this place is very expensive and mostly inhabited by the wealthy during the summer. I met many people who came here from Miami for the summer because it's too hot there. There are beaches on "The Cape," although they didn't seem very well-equipped to us (I'm talking about West Yarmouth). You can certainly swim and sunbathe, but there are no sun loungers. However, there are showers, restrooms, beautiful semi-wild nature, and few people. I'm sure some will like it. Hyannis itself is very cool. Lots of small shops, bars, and even clubs. On the outskirts, there is the Cape Cod Mall, where you can find almost all the famous stores. There are also a couple of Subways, KFCs, Burger Kings, and other eateries. As for food, I recommend trying Tasty Buffet—the best restaurant, which I miss even in St. Petersburg. In short, this restaurant operates on a buffet system: you pay $15 + $1.50 for a drink and can choose any dish. It's a Chinese restaurant, so everything is in a Chinese style, and there's even sushi. Overall, all the dishes are very tasty, and I didn't see any particular exoticism that was vastly different from Europe. Lots of fruit and, most pleasantly, unlimited and delicious ice cream. Overall, it's great. But let's not get off topic; after our return, we successfully worked until the end of the summer and visited one more small town during that time—Provincetown. Provincetown is a town located at the very end of the cape; if my memory serves me right, it was from there that the English began the development of the East Coast. This town is also interesting because almost all its residents are of non-traditional orientation. Many of our friends and second-year participants advised us to visit this town, and finally, we made it. You can get there either by taxi, by a direct bus for $20+, or by regular public buses with two transfers for $4. Obviously, our choice fell on the third option. We traveled for a long and tedious 3 hours, but fortunately, American buses are very comfortable and equipped with air conditioning. Upon arriving in the city, we found ourselves in the main square, which was teeming with all kinds of rainbow colors; it was very bright and contrasting. But after walking around the city for a while, we realized that we got bored of it very quickly and wanted to go home. Why we got bored, what is interesting in the city, and why you should go there at all—you can see all this in our video, which I am attaching below. Video about Provincetown to be continued... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw2v9zJq7ME http://savefrom.net/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DIw2v9zJq7ME&utm_source=chameleon&utm_medium=extensions&utm_campaign=link_modifier