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IN Nestie with Boston area travel questions
Hi ladies!!
I am not sure if this is the right board to post on, so let me know if you think I should cross post elsewhere.
DH and I are attending a wedding of a high school friend of DHs out in Plymouth, MA. We are planning to come to town,
and are planning to fly into Logan. The wedding
is at a country club out in Plymouth Friday night, and then our thought is
that we will come in to Boston Saturday to see the sights. We will have to rent a car for the first couple
days, but our hope is that we can turn it in on Saturday once we get in
to town so we don't have to deal with it. So here are my questions for
you:
1.Will it be safe/easy to take public transit to the airport on Monday morning, possibly as early as 5am.
2.
If we drop our rental car off at 30 park plaza (looks south of the
river) will we be in the ghetto? Will it be safe to take the orange
line from there?
3. Where is the best place to stay once we are downtown--should we try
and stay near the airport (I found an embassy suites that looked nice)
or is it better to stay somewhere else?
4. Are there any other areas to avoid/stay out of?
5. If we fly in to logan as late as 4pm on a weekday will traffic be a nightmare trying to get south to Plymouth?
TIA for your input, I am sure I will have more questions as far as attractions, restaurants, etc.
Re: IN Nestie with Boston area travel questions
1) There is the Silver Line to the airport. It is listed under the subway system, but it is actually a bus. Here are details. However, the Silver Line doesn't start until 5:30am. So you'd need a cab if you needed to leave earlier than that.
2) All of Boston is south of the Charles River. 30 Park Plaza is not the ghetto; you are right by Boston Common and the Public Gardens. The Arlington stop on the Green line is actually closer to there than the Orange Line. But you can walk around from there too.
3) If you need to leave super early for your flight it may be easier to stay by the airport, but you'd need to take the Silver Line into the city each day you'd here, which can also be a pain. So it's kinda up to you.
4) Boston proper is safe. You can easily walk around, and if it is cold you can take the subway (called the T) around.
5) Yes, traffic on 93 will be bad at rush hour during the week. If you want to avoid the traffic you should be on the road before 3pm.
Rock-n-Voll has a great list of all sorts of sights and activities in Boston.
1. I have no idea if the T runs at 5 a.m. Maybe someone else will know this. I would just take a cab to the airport.
2. 30 Park Place is in JP, no? It's not the best area, but Boston in general is pretty safe, all things considered. I used to live in the ghetto (by Ruggles on the Orange Line) and never felt unsafe walking around or taking the T. If 30 Park Place is by Park Plaza, then no, that is far from ghetto.
3. I wouldn't stay by the airport- it's a hike to get anywhere from those hotels. I'd stay in Copley/Back Bay area- there is a Hilton Back Bay, Copley marriot, Park Plaza that I highly recommend.
4. If you just stick to the areas where tourists migrate, you'll be fine.
5. Yes, traffic will be a nightmare getting to Plymouth at 4 pm on a weekday.
OP, do you mean Park Place or Park Plaza? There's a big difference. Try to rent a car at the airport or in Boston proper, not JP. It will cut down on the amount of public transit (and time) you will need to take.
Yeah, I'd just rent the car at the airport (you'll take a shuttle), drive from Logan to Plymouth, from Plymouth back to the car rental at Logan, then take the shuttle back to Logan and get a cab (or the hotel transport) to your hotel.
I got married in Plymouth! I love it there.
1.Will it be safe/easy to take public transit to the airport on Monday morning, possibly as early as 5am. The T doesn't start running until around 5:15. I have never felt unsafe on the T, even early in the morning.
2. If we drop our rental car off at 30 park plaza (looks south of the river) will we be in the ghetto? Will it be safe to take the orange line from there? I don't know where that is, but I would just drop it off at the airport.
3. Where is the best place to stay once we are downtown--should we try and stay near the airport (I found an embassy suites that looked nice) or is it better to stay somewhere else? Don't stay near the airport, it's not convenient for any tourist attractions. I like to stay in the Back Bay / Copley Square area.
4. Are there any other areas to avoid/stay out of? What have you heard about Boston?? You seem very worried about safety. Stick to tourist stuff and you will be just fine.
5. If we fly in to logan as late as 4pm on a weekday will traffic be a nightmare trying to get south to Plymouth? Yes. Especially if it is a Friday and even more so if it is a Friday in the summer.
Here's a link to an old post that answers some of your questions about what to do in the area, including my own list. I've updated it slightly since but don't have it with me right now.
What to do/see/eat in Boston
As for your questions:
1. The T is safe (as safe as any public transit system, just use common sense). The blue line also runs to the airport so you could connect to that from any of the other lines, but most lines don't start running until sometime after 5am: schedule. I would just cab it to the airport; it's a short ride from anywhere in the downtown area.
2. 30 Park Plaza as mapped by Google is in a good area, near the Commons/theater district, etc. From there lots of things are in walking distance: Commons, Copley Square & Newbury St. for shopping, Beacon Hill end of Charles St (other side of the Commons) for quaint shops/environment, Chinatown for cheap eats, etc.
3. I wouldn't stay at the airport, personally. No personality whatsoever and you'll be removed from things downtown. Copley Square/Back Bay or Boston Common areas are great places to stay.
4. You'd have no reasons to go to any of the more outlying areas of town so you're safe.
5. I don't know much about traffic patterns going to Plymouth so I'd take the other ladies' advice.
Feel free to ask more questions as you start to plan. I don't have my restaurant list with me but we all seem to be foodies on this board so happy to share that info when you're ready.
This. I live in Charleston, SC now and don't feel nearly as safe here as I did in Boston.
Thanks for all of the awesome info ladies, I really appreciate it!
I am not too worried about safety at all--DH and I have lived in DC and I feel pretty city savvy--just know when to realize we are in over our head.
I think the general plan will be to try and stay in Copley Square, turn in our rental car and get a cab to Logan on Monday morning.
I am sure I will have tons more questions as we plan our trip, but thank you SO much for this info!!
ETA: One follow up question. I was considering two hotels.
1. Boston Back Bay Hilton at 40 Dalton St OR
2. Doubletree at 821 Washington St.
Is the Hilton in a way better location to justify it being $80 more per night than the doubletree? TIA
Personally, I don't think it's worth the extra money. The Doubletree is closer to Chinatown and the Commons, the Hilton is a little closer to shopping/restaurants on Newbury St. They look pretty equidistant to the shopping/restaurants at Copley. Really, though, that whole area is very small and very walkable (I used to live around there) so I'd rather save the $80/night.
Thanks much for the quick response!! I am sure I can find a way to spend the $80
I agree with this.
The Hilton is right by the Prudential Center (Pru) where there's a mall and some restaurants, but like Rock said the Doubletree is closer to the Common and more historic stuff. And it isn't a long walk to Newbury St where's additional shopping. Plus if you get tired the Green Line runs right along Boylston if you did want to check out the Pru.
Just to really hammer home the point - do NOT attempt to drive to Plymouth from Boston on any weekday evening (as MrsC said, not after 3pm. and probably not before 7pm). You'll thank us all later
. To say it's bad/awful/horrific is basically an understatement! If at all possible, I'd try to arrive at Logan by noon, get the rental car, then make the drive right away. It's no more than an hour to Plymouth if there's no traffic.
No, I really appreciate it!! DH and I can deal with city traffic, but hate it a lot. We will make sure to either get out early, or do something in town and leave after 7pm. I shouldn't jinx myself, because my luck will be I make all these plans, then our flight is delayed and we get to Logan at 9pm
On a random note, can you suggest a good trolley tour of historical sites? I have checked out the grey line tours and they look a little generic. DH and I would love something that drives us around but lets us get some detail on things. TIA....and sorry for all the questions, you ladies are fantastic!!
My parents actually went on the Old Town Trolley this past summer and they liked it a lot.
Another fun one is the Duck Tours. Always a big hit, especially for kids.
I definitely ditto on that one. What I like about OTT is that one ticket works for 2 consecutive days and, if you're here during the summer, it includes a free boat cruise on the harbor.
The Freedom Trail is a fun walking trail, too. It's 2.5 miles and takes you to 16 points of Boston historical interest.
I would check out the Charlesmark Hotel which is a small boutique hotel right in Copely Square. I have had several clinicians stay there when we host conferences in town, and everyone has enjoyed it. The rooms are tiny, but hey... it's a clean hotel room. I can usually get a rate of either 99 or 129 a night, and for a hotel in Copley Square.. that it unheard of!
When you come, if it's a nice day, walk around!!! The South End is my home neighborhood and there a ton of cute shops and great places to eat. Charles Street in Beacon Hill is also a wonderful street to walk around. If you start on Tremont Street in the south end, and just keep walking you will eventually end up on Charles Street.
As much as I enjoyed the duck tour, OTT might be your best bet for this time of the year. It's nice because you can get on and off.
If you have any questions about restaurants, let us know... just promise me that you will not be a tourist that ends up in either the Hard Rock Cafe or the Cheesecake Factory. : )
Have a great time!
thanks for all the great advise! And yes, DH and I try to make the rule to eat at no chain restaurants when we are on vacation. We even try to find local coffee shops vs. our normal starbucks
Thanks again!