help for Boston travel?

A

albundyz

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
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173
Location
Valencia
My wife and I just retired. We live on the west coast and have never seen the east coast. We're gonna fly to Boston in mid Oct for 5 days.

Usually, hotels in the downtown area are very expensive. I'm hoping to find a nice hotel 10-15 miles from downtown to save some money. Should we plan on finding a hotel that is close to a subway or a train? We will have a rental car, but it might be better to visit some places in Boston via Mass Transit rather than by car. (we want to do normal touristy things) Any advice on "where" to stay near Boston and the use of mass transit would be appreciated.

On my own, I've found what seems to be a nice place to stay. e.g. The Candlewood Suites in Burlington seems to be a nice place at under $100 per night. On the other hand, I have no idea what Burlington is like.
 
Go to Priceline and bid ! I have visited Boston many ,many times and have always gotten great hotels via priceline for under $100 . You want to be in the copley Square area and you do not want a car . It is a liability in Boston . From Copley square you can walk or take the subway everywhere . If you are nervous about Priceline go to Bidding for travel they will tell you what hotels you are likely to get and what bids have been won . I've stayed in The Park Plaza and The Sheraton and they are both great locations . Lots of surrounding restaurants and a close walk to Newberry street and all the shops . I would also recommend you do a trolley tour . They have on and off privileges and you will see all of Boston . Do not stay outside of Boston it will be more hassle than it's worth . You can take the Super Shuttle from the Airport to your hotel . Have a great time as you can see I love Boston !
 
I second what Moe said. We were in Boston twice. The first time, we had a voucher for a very good rate in a Copley Square Hotel (can't remember the name now). Did not have a rental car. Took shuttle from airport to hotel. Then, took trolley and did a bit of walking. It was great. Saw a lot of Boston for a 3-night stay.

The second time, we stayed about 10-15 miles from Boston center. The hotel had a free shuttle to take us to/from a subway station at the town outskirt. It did not work out as well due to too much time spent in transit and being restricted by the hotel shuttle pickup schedule. Result: much less time spent in Boston for sightseeing.

It is worth it to spend a bit more, particularly if one can find good deals on Priceline.
 
I've been to Beantown many times on business travel. I always used an airport to hotel shuttle service.
I never drove, ever. Not ever. No way. Unh uh. :nonono:
Get my drift?

Here's the tourist attraction list. Trolleys run all along the Freedom Trail.
Freedom Trail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The north end of Boston is home to some of the most fabulous Italian food this side of the Atlantic.

Make sure you go see the Old North Church ("One if by land, and two if by sea"). Think of thundering hoofbeats across the river. ;)

Listen my children and you shall hear...
 
You can walk across the downtown area of Boston in an afternoon, and not at a deathmarch pace. Other than that, public transportation is your friend. Skip the rental car and find a hotel in town, even if it means paying up a smidge.
 
Moemg said:
I would also recommend you do a trolley tour . They have on and off privileges and you will see all of Boston .
Click to expand...

I know someone who operates Duck Tours in Boston. She gives a great tour. You might really enjoy that.

Boston is wonderful city. I lived there for about 5 years, in Back Bay. Don't miss all the historical sights, the Museum of Fine Arts and Harvard and MIT over in Cambridge. Like Moemg says, you can get anywhere on the subway. Maybe there is a home Red Sox game while you are there. Fenway Park is a treasure.

I second Freebird's rec of the North End, and Brewer's comment about walking. It is a great walking and browsing city.

Ha
 
albundyz said:
Usually, hotels in the downtown area are very expensive. I'm hoping to find a nice hotel 10-15 miles from downtown to save some money. Should we plan on finding a hotel that is close to a subway or a train? We will have a rental car, but it might be better to visit some places in Boston via Mass Transit rather than by car. (we want to do normal touristy things) Any advice on "where" to stay near Boston and the use of mass transit would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
When we were in Chicago last month, we googled "vacation rental condo" and came up with a fantastic place right in the center of everything. The condo was half the price of the nearby hotel equivalents.

I wouldn't bother with a rental car unless you were planning to drive far out of town. Even then it might be better to only rent it for the day you need. There were dozens of times during our stay when I'd look around at the great views (or the horrible traffic) and be very thankful that I didn't have to drive that mess.
 
Well, thank you all. I admit my ignorance. I have not made any hotel reservations yet. I'll aim for the areas that you recommended and....... I'll try priceline. I've never used priceline.

By the way, I plan to get a car rental because we want to make a day trip to the outlying areas. Maybe we'll see some of the beautiful colors in the countryside (remember we're going in early Oct).

(again, I've never been in the New England area, but the opening scene from the movie "The Witches of Eastwick" shows some outrageously beautiful country with all the changes in color. The movie was good, but that beautiful scene is what I remember).

Also, I plan to drive the 200 miles and spend one day and one night in New York. Am I crazy for that, too? maybe

thanks again. any more comments will be appreciated.
 
albundyz said:
By the way, I plan to get a car rental because we want to make a day trip to the outlying areas. Maybe we'll see some of the beautiful colors in the countryside (remember we're going in early Oct).
Click to expand...

Exactly what we did. After 3 nights in Boston, we went back to the airport to pick up a car, then drove to tour New England, ie. New Hampshire, Vermont, and part of Maine. It must have been in late Oct because we stopped at Salem, toured the town, and saw Halloween festivities. The timing to watch the fall foliage is tricky however. There's a window of a week or two, and it may be a hit or miss depending on how the weather turns.

I don't know how much time you have to go down to NYC. It is better to have less quantity but more quality, I think, meaning being able to spend more time exploring fewer places in contrast with time at the steering wheel. Or extend your trip to make it worthwhile. You only live once.

Ah, we did this before the advent of the digital camera and did not take the 100s of pictures that we do now on a trip. We need to do this again.

Enjoy your trip.
 
I was in Boston for the first time last week ,beautiful city,stayed at the Indigo Hotel in Newton cost us $440 for 3 nights,Subway line next door took us to all parts of the city,absolutely no need for a car except if you want to make out of town trips to Rockport or Cape Cod, highly recommend the purchase of Frommer's Boston 2009... $17.99

New York? You wont need a car there either,We were there a few months ago and were debating motels in the outlying areas and commuting in by public transit but through some diligent searching found the Chelsea Hotel for $189 per night,room wasnt that great but we really werent there to sleep that much and after 4 nights we were glad we spent the extra money to stay downtown and fully enjoy the New York experience. Again a Frommers guide was a valuable resource in giving us ideas of where to go and how to get there..
 
albundyz said:
...By the way, I plan to get a car rental because we want to make a day trip to the outlying areas. Maybe we'll see some of the beautiful colors in the countryside (remember we're going in early Oct).
Click to expand...
A rental car to exit Boston to see the countryside is OK, driven any time but morning and afternoon commuting time. Please trust us all who have driven (once is enough!) in Beantown, you don't want to do it. If you are not familiar with roundabouts (traffic circles), it will be a nightmare. Very aggressive drivers...:nonono:
Regarding your side trip to NYC for a night...consider spending at least 2 days there if not more. Again, a car will be a liability for parking ($$$) and very congested traffic. I grew up just north of NYC and I won't drive there.
Downtown Manhattan is pretty safe at street level, but be very aware of your belongings (pickpockets abound). Central Park and the subways are to be avoided completely after dark.
On the positive side...there is so much to see and do.
Rockefeller Center is a popular tourist destination.
Greenwich Village (The Village) is a fun place to go mosy around and see the artistic side of NYC.
If you like old world architecture, St Patrick's Cathedral is stunning.
Expect long lines at either the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty (all day excursion).
There is a tourist boat that goes around the city by water, the Circle Line. It is an all day venture but is fun if you like to get out on the water.
 
If you like adventure on your vacations, then I suggest that you do drive in Boston. It will be good practice for driving on your next two vacations in Baghdad and Rome.
 
Again I have to say skip the car there are plenty of tour companies that do fall foliage tours .Driving in and around Boston is not enjoyable . To try to do Boston and New York in five days is impossible . There is too much to see in both towns . If you do decide to do that I would say go by Amtrack . Driving in new York makes Boston driving look easy . What you can also do is take an Amtrak train up to Portland Maine for the day or take a ferry to Province town on Cape Cod both are easier than the trek to New York .
 
I almost forgot...the art of hailing a cab in NYC.
First, do not use the unmarked no-name "cabs". No no nooooooo...:nonono:
Use only well marked licensed cabs. You can't miss them - they'll beep at you if you jaywalk. :LOL:
Have your hotel concierge call a cab for you. Get the business card of the company and keep it with you. You can call for a cab about 30 minutes before you need it. The drivers may even give you their own personal card so he/she will be the one to pick you up. Cab drivers are very competitive and they want every fare they can get. Most drivers are real characters and will give you the 10 cent tour while driving if you ask. NYers are not quiet people. :D
You will need to pay any bridge tolls, not the driver, so have cash with you.
A small map in your hand while in the cab is a very good deterrent to "going on the scenic route" to get to a destination. This is universal, not just for NYC.
 
A few suggestions from someone who lives in Boston.
1. Book hotels using Priceline. Or use Hotwire, if you dont want to bid
2. Stay in and around Copley Sq, Back Bay etc. Even downtown is ok
3. Boston is a small city and you can to walk all the attractions on a good weather day.
4. Subway(called the T in boston) is the best way to travel - even I don't drive in the city
5. Fall colors you could drive - signup on hotwire and you can get car rental deals for as low as $20/day. You can pick up from the airport easily using the subway.
6. You could easily spend more days in NYC compared to Boston. You can see potentially boston in a couple of days, do fall colors and then spend the rest of time in NYC if you haven't yet made your flight reservations.(This might feel like a very rushed trip if you do that. You could spend 5days in New England and see NYC on the next trip)
7. Might be a bit cold to do stuff on the beach (if you are thinking abt cape cod)
8. Again for NYC hotels use priceline or hotwire - stay as close to Times Sq as possible
9. Ask any questions you have and I will be glad to answer

-h
p.s: Don't stay in Burlington - too far to have any fun
p.p.s: Fall colors are dependent on when the cold front moves in - could happen any time from end of sept to mid oct. That will decide where you are driving to.
 
Again, thanks to all.

FWIW, I had planned 5 days in Boston. My wife says "cut it to 4 days and we'll drive to NY for one day and one night".

Sorry, gots to keep my wife happy. I think it's one of those things where someone says "Before I die, I want to see Times Square" .....or the Statue of Liberty.....or...

by the way, in our late 50s and in good health, nevertheless, some people still think that way.
 
albundyz said:
(again, I've never been in the New England area, but the opening scene from the movie "The Witches of Eastwick" shows some outrageously beautiful country with all the changes in color. The movie was good, but that beautiful scene is what I remember).
Click to expand...
I wonder if that was done using special effects... after all, with both Cher and Jack Nicholson in the cast you know they'd need the world's leading experts in CGI to make them look good.

albundyz said:
Also, I plan to drive the 200 miles and spend one day and one night in New York. Am I crazy for that, too? maybe
Click to expand...
Well, the jury's still out on "crazy", but you certainly are a glutton for punishment. "Hey, honey, you think this Boston traffic sucks, let's go down to NYC and see if it's any better!"

Personally four days in Manhattan was enough for everything I cared to do, but one day would've been crammed with... um... craziness.

As others have mentioned, why not take the train? You'll see plenty of gorgeous fall foliage along the rails.
 
Just to add to the chorus: You don't want a car in Boston. Now if you're mostly going to be in the countryside to watch the fall foliage, that's another story -- but even then, don't take the car into Boston to take in the city. Drive to the edge of the metro area and take the T into and around the city.
 
albundyz said:
Again, thanks to all.

FWIW, I had planned 5 days in Boston. My wife says "cut it to 4 days and we'll drive to NY for one day and one night".

Sorry, gots to keep my wife happy. I think it's one of those things where someone says "Before I die, I want to see Times Square" .....or the Statue of Liberty.....or...

by the way, in our late 50s and in good health, nevertheless, some people still think that way.
Click to expand...


Since you are retired can't you extend the trip a few days . It might be 200 miles to new York but it will take you forever . The traffic in New York is stop and go mostly stop . The parking is horrendously expensive and there is no way you can drive around New York City unless you are a cabdriver . I would extend the trip at least another day . If you are coming this far I would not miss going to a broadway show . I would recommend flying into Boston and then taking the train to NYC and flying out of New York . Much better for your sanity .
 
Unless you're going to drive into the White Mountains in NH or spend time in Maine in Acadia or something, I wouldn't recommend 4 days in Boston and 1 in NYC. NYC is very difficult to see in 2 days, much less 1, and you're going to regret spending 4 days in Boston and 1 in NYC. If anything, 2 days in Boston is enough, and 3 days in NYC. Having vacationed to both, I think that's the best option by far.

I love Boston, by the way. So take that as you will.
 
This whole thread is odd to me. New York? One day? Boston, 4 days? Just forget the whole thing, get some good DVD travelogs and stay home. You'll see more and be a lot more comfortable.
 
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