Seriously, the answer to the question of how to drive into Salem, Mass. in October is don't.

Don't.

Don't.

Just don't.

I saw a thread in the Salem subreddit the other day in which city residents were commiserating over the fact that they can't get pizzas delivered during this month, at all, because of the traffic and tourists.

You read that right. If you live there, you can't get food delivered to your house in October. No one wants to fight their way through the crush.

Keep your sanity. Take the ferry or the train.