Salem, Massachusetts, known as "The City of Witches," is famous for its supernatural past, from the historically significant Salem Witch Trials to the culturally essential Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. There are countless haunted walking tours and witch hats to be found on the cobblestone streets of this New England town. But with a total of one million visitors every year in a town that usually caters to a population of around 44,000, Salem is actively deterring people from coming.

This year, Salem City Council officials made it more difficult to turn their haunted happenings into a tour business by taking their tour guide licensing fees from a humble $10 to an astounding $350. One such tour company founder, Beth Crowley, of Witch City Walking Tours, said to pay the fees for her 37 total employees she'll be going from a $370 payment to a total of almost $13,000, according to Boston 25 News.

These attempts to limit traffic in this town of terrors aren't new. In 2023, Salem officials went as far as to make a plea to the public about the problem. "Take the train, take the ferry, come by bike, come by broom," Mayor Dominick Pangallo implored the public at a press conference. "But try not to come by car if you can avoid it." With a total of 4,000 downtown parking spaces and an additional 1,300 in the city's satellite lots, it's no surprise that parking is the bane of existence for tourists and locals alike.

So here's how to get to the famed, spooky travel destination without the use of a car which will inevitably be parked illegally:

Cost: $16 round trip or $10 weekend pass

From nearby Boston, take the Purple Line (aka the Commuter Rail) from North Station in Boston for a 40 minute journey to the town where a square is dedicated to Samantha from Bewitched. Traveling from farther away than Boston and want to make your budget work? The Lake Shore Limited line of Amtrak can bring you in from as far away as Chicago. The Acela line runs from Washington, DC into Boston as well. You'll have to get from Back Bay Station to North Station for this penny-pinching-but-time-consuming mode of transport, but it'll make a great opportunity to stop and visit The Cradle of Liberty.

Cost: $29+

Part of the scenery of your trip can be more picturesque than supernatural if you board the Boston to Salem ferry. There's a full bar available on board this 50 minute journey by sea -- a luxury you couldn't indulge in if driving was your selection mode of transport. Light snacks are also available on this trip which departs from the address 1 Long Wharf in Boston. Check availability here.

Cost: $485

To avoid roughing it on the hard plastic seats of a ferry or train and to truly savor the sights of New England fall, take this private day trip that will take six hours to show you the sights and sounds of autumn -- with a stop in Salem. This trip will include drop-off and pick-up at your hotel as well as a tour guide to tell you about the surrounding history and sights. Of course, there's plenty of time to take pictures at all the stops on the tour including Cape Ann, Gloucester, Marblehead, and Salem.