Practical Information for visiting Exeter

The town centre is walkable and is best seen on foot; the academy campus adjoins it.

A car is needed for the coast and the surrounding region, and for anything beyond the centre.

Amtrak stops at Exeter on the line between Boston and Portland, which is unusual for a town this size and makes a car-free visit genuinely possible from Boston.

Distances: Portsmouth is about 20 minutes north-east, the beaches at Hampton around 15 minutes east, Boston roughly an hour south, and Portland in Maine about an hour and a half north.

Parking in the centre is metered and limited; municipal lots are a short walk away.

Getting here: Boston Logan is the nearest major airport, about an hour away.

Coverage for mobile networks is good throughout the town with 4G and 5G.

US prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are easy to arrange; check roaming charges before arriving.

Wi-Fi is free in cafes, the public library and the inns, and the town has good fixed broadband.

Signal is reliable across the seacoast region and thins slightly in the wooded country inland.

Payment is almost entirely by card. New Hampshire has no sales tax, so the price on the label is the price you pay in shops.

Power is 120 volts on flat two- and three-pin sockets.

Exeter is a very safe, prosperous small town, and the hazards here are weather and roads rather than crime.

• Winter storms are the main issue. Nor’easters bring heavy snow, ice and power cuts, and the state issues parking bans and travel advisories. Winter tyres are effectively necessary if you are driving.
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• Ice underfoot on brick pavements, which are attractive and treacherous.
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• Ticks are abundant in New Hampshire and Lyme disease is common; check after any walk in grass or woods, from spring to autumn.
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• Moose and deer on rural roads at dawn and dusk; a moose collision is extremely dangerous.
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• Coastal surf at the nearby beaches, with cold water even in August.
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• Car break-ins are rare; leave nothing visible anyway.

American healthcare is extremely expensive for visitors and comprehensive travel insurance is essential.

Exeter has a well-regarded community hospital; major facilities are in Portsmouth and in Boston, about an hour away.

Urgent care clinics are far cheaper and quicker than an emergency room for minor problems.

Ticks and Lyme disease are the most likely local health problem — New Hampshire has among the highest incidence rates in the United States. Check thoroughly and remove any tick promptly.

Cold in winter: wind chill can be severe, and exposed skin is at risk in a cold snap.

No vaccinations are required beyond routine cover.

Tap water is safe.

Pollen is heavy in late spring, and mosquitoes and blackflies appear in early summer.

Emergency number: 911 for police, fire and ambulance.

Medical. Exeter Hospital has an emergency department; urgent care is the cheaper option for anything minor. Carry your insurance details and expect to pay and claim.

Winter storms: New Hampshire publishes road conditions and issues parking bans before a storm, which are enforced by towing. Power cuts from ice are common and can last days in a severe event.

Coastal flooding during nor’easters affects the seacoast roads and the low ground along the tidal river.

Severe weather alerts are pushed to mobile phones.

Reporting theft: through the Exeter police department, which will provide the report an insurer needs.

Consular representation is in Boston.