Advice on visiting Boston

H

Hannahfluke

Member
I know several of our posters here are from the Boston area and I'm hoping you can help me with advice on a vacation we are taking there in May. I work for an airline and yesterday they announced a non-stop flight from Salt Lake to Boston. It was kind of funny hearing everyone at work scrambling to see what the prices are and planning trips (There were flights for under $50 each person, which is amazing for that long of a flight. I used frequent flyer points and got a round trip for 7,000 points, which is usually about average for a one way between here and Long Beach).

Anyway, a few questions I have are: is 4 days enough time or should I plan a week's vacation? It will be me, my husband, and our two sons who will be 20 and 22.

I've heard driving in Boston is a bit like driving in New York, difficult if you aren't used to that type of big city. My husband and I went to New York last year and just used the subway. Would you suggest using the public transit system, given that we are from a relatively small city and haven't been to Boston before? Will it be fairly easy to get from Logan airport into the city if we use public transit?

Would it be better to spend a bit more money on the hotel and get something closer to Boston itself? If we get something in one of the outlying regions, will we need a car? I was looking at a suite hotel yesterday but it says it's 45 minutes from the airport, so I'm not sure if that's a little too far out from the airport to use public transportation. Salt Lake City isn't exactly a model of good public transportation, so I'm not really used to good, wide spread public transportation.

Anything else I should know? My older son loves history, so he's excited about the opportunity to get to see the historic sights. From talking to coworkers yesterday, I definitely think we'll do at least part of the freedom trail. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!
 
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I'm not in Boston but I've visited so am therefore totally qualified to respond! :D

First, four days is not enough. A full week would also not be enough. However, if you can possibly afford it, I suggest staying a week. That's long enough to see many of the highlights without utterly exhausting your family.

I've never flown into Boston so have no idea about the airport and transportation questions.

However, again if you can afford it, it's worth staying at a hotel in the city. Once in the city, you can use the 'T' (the subway in Boston) to get just about anywhere else in the city. Also Boston is an 18th century city at heart which means much of the historic core is accessible by walking (now you may not want to do that in the winter!). And, yes, do the freedom trail. It's awesome.

I've never driven in Boston. Never needed to as I could get anywhere I needed to via the T or a taxi. I have heard it's a nightmare. Again, Boston is not a planned city - unlike New York with its grid, it will likely make no sense to you. I wouldn't bother renting a car.

Let's see. What else? Go eat Italian in the North End of Boston. Coming from Salt Lake City, you've probably never seen a neighborhood like it. You can research which restaurant but it doesn't matter. I had an awesome time walking around the North End and just picking a restaurant.

Go to Cambridge, home of Harvard and Radcliffe. It's beautiful, interesting, and easily accessible by the T. MIT is also not far away. Allow yourself the time to just wander and do things spontaneously. There is no shortage of things to do and see.

And, yes, they really do talk like that. You'll feel like you're in a movie for a bit but it becomes normal.
 
opalescent said:
I'm not in Boston but I've visited so am therefore totally qualified to respond! :D

First, four days is not enough. A full week would also not be enough. However, if you can possibly afford it, I suggest staying a week. That's long enough to see many of the highlights without utterly exhausting your family.

I've never flown into Boston so have no idea about the airport and transportation questions.

However, again if you can afford it, it's worth staying at a hotel in the city. Once in the city, you can use the 'T' (the subway in Boston) to get just about anywhere else in the city. Also Boston is an 18th century city at heart which means much of the historic core is accessible by walking (now you may not want to do that in the winter!). And, yes, do the freedom trail. It's awesome.

I've never driven in Boston. Never needed to as I could get anywhere I needed to via the T or a taxi. I have heard it's a nightmare. Again, Boston is not a planned city - unlike New York with its grid, it will likely make no sense to you. I wouldn't bother renting a car.

Let's see. What else? Go eat Italian in the North End of Boston. Coming from Salt Lake City, you've probably never seen a neighborhood like it. You can research which restaurant but it doesn't matter. I had an awesome time walking around the North End and just picking a restaurant.

Go to Cambridge, home of Harvard and Radcliffe. It's beautiful, interesting, and easily accessible by the T. MIT is also not far away. Allow yourself the time to just wander and do things spontaneously. There is no shortage of things to do and see.

And, yes, they really do talk like that. You'll feel like you're in a movie for a bit but it becomes normal.
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I've talked to enough people from Boston when I was in a position that talked to customers to know that they really talk like that :). I work for JetBlue and Boston is one of our major hub cities. I don't think I'd want to go in the winter, but we're going in May, so hopefully it won't be too bad in terms of walking.

It does sound like I'd get lost, since New York didn't totally make sense to me in terms of the way they numbered their streets, but the grid is what I'm used to here, so that did help. Our numbering system is just a lot more straight forward than New York's. Thankfully everyone in my family has better senses of direction than I do.

Thanks for chiming in. Since none of us have been to Boston, any little bit helps. I have two different return trips booked because I couldn't decide how long to go, so it will come down to a matter of expense and if we can get the whole time off work.
 
I would strongly recommend public transit over driving. I live in Boston, and there are parts of it in which I won't drive. Especially if you'll be in the downtown and waterfront areas, where parking can be difficult if not impossible.

As for how long to stay, it somewhat depends on what you want to see. I would prioritize based on your biggest interests, because even if you lived here you might never see all of it. A week would definitely be better than four days if you can afford it, though.

Doll works for the Freedom Trail Foundation as one of their costumed interpreters, so she has a lot of info about historical Boston and tours and such.

Oh, and public transit from Logan is very easy. There are shuttles from all terminals to the Blue Line train, which goes right into downtown Boston. The T (the transit system) is relatively easy to navigate, and mbta.com has maps, schedules, etc.
 
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All of the above: stay in town, do not drive ("not a planned city" is an understatement - it is a street system that grew up from glorified cow paths with random one-way signs tossed in for good measure). May is typically gorgeous, but bring a jacket and something for rain, just in case.

Some things to do, in no particular order:
  • The Freedom Trail (or part of it)
  • The USS Constitution
  • Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market (Touristy, but "gotta do it once")
  • Duck Boats (again, touristy, but you'll be a tourist!)
  • Swan boats in the Public Gardens
  • Mapparium. Off the beaten path, but really cool.
  • You can sometimes get reduced admission to practice sessions at Symphony Hall (which is close to the Mapparium)
  • Harvard Square (some fun indie shops are still around, and some great restaurants)
  • In the North End, go to BOTH Modern Pastry and Mike's Pastry and understand the rivalry between the two. And have an espresso just because.
  • Chinese in Chinatown. If you buy it cheap at a bakery (cash only), even better.

Fenway tickets may be wicked expensive (see what I did there?), but if you're a sports fan, it may be worth looking into. If you don't get tickets, and you like hanging out shoulder-to-shoulder with 5000 of your closest friends, then hanging out at the nearby Cask & Flagon or Boston Beer Works around game time can be fun as well. :cool:
 
YouAreHere said:
All of the above: stay in town, do not drive ("not a planned city" is an understatement - it is a street system that grew up from glorified cow paths with random one-way signs tossed in for good measure). May is typically gorgeous, but bring a jacket and something for rain, just in case.

Some things to do, in no particular order:
  • The Freedom Trail (or part of it)
  • The USS Constitution
  • Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market (Touristy, but "gotta do it once")
  • Duck Boats (again, touristy, but you'll be a tourist!)
  • Swan boats in the Public Gardens
  • Mapparium. Off the beaten path, but really cool.
  • You can sometimes get reduced admission to practice sessions at Symphony Hall (which is close to the Mapparium)
  • Harvard Square (some fun indie shops are still around, and some great restaurants)
  • In the North End, go to BOTH Modern Pastry and Mike's Pastry and understand the rivalry between the two. And have an espresso just because.
  • Chinese in Chinatown. If you buy it cheap at a bakery (cash only), even better.

Fenway tickets may be wicked expensive (see what I did there?), but if you're a sports fan, it may be worth looking into. If you don't get tickets, and you like hanging out shoulder-to-shoulder with 5000 of your closest friends, then hanging out at the nearby Cask & Flagon or Boston Beer Works around game time can be fun as well. :cool:
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Thank you for the suggestions. None of us are sports fans, so baseball would not be anywhere near the top of the list of things to do.
 
KC43 said:
I would strongly recommend public transit over driving. I live in Boston, and there are parts of it in which I won't drive. Especially if you'll be in the downtown and waterfront areas, where parking can be difficult if not impossible.

As for how long to stay, it somewhat depends on what you want to see. I would prioritize based on your biggest interests, because even if you lived here you might never see all of it. A week would definitely be better than four days if you can afford it, though.

Doll works for the Freedom Trail Foundation as one of their costumed interpreters, so she has a lot of info about historical Boston and tours and such.

Oh, and public transit from Logan is very easy. There are shuttles from all terminals to the Blue Line train, which goes right into downtown Boston. The T (the transit system) is relatively easy to navigate, and mbta.com has maps, schedules, etc.
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Thanks for the feedback. That's good to hear about the transit system.
 
I think 4 full days would be enough if you're not counting the travel/flight days.

It is perfectly easy to get from the airport to anywhere else in the city. The airport is at one end of the T system and it's all very clearly marked.

Don't even think about driving. There is no reason to do so. People drive like maniacs and instead of normal intersections, Boston will have masses of 5 or 6 streets smashing together at once. Some will be one-way for no reason. Others will have no lane demarcations at all, yet might be simultaneously one-lane, two-lane, or three-lane roads depending on the whims of the people driving at any particular time.

Just use the T.

The T (subway system) is perfectly fine and easy to understand (unlike NYC's which requires some sort of high-level esoteric knowledge). In May you should be able to walk to all the important parts of Boston.

To add to your To-Do list: the New England Aquarium;a boat ride to the Harbor Islands; maybe the Boston Museum of Science or the Museum of Fine Arts.


The hotels can be pricey but it would be worth it to stay right in the city.

Have fun!
 
MeeraReed said:
I think 4 full days would be enough if you're not counting the travel/flight days.

It is perfectly easy to get from the airport to anywhere else in the city. The airport is at one end of the T system and it's all very clearly marked.

Don't even think about driving. There is no reason to do so. People drive like maniacs and instead of normal intersections, Boston will have masses of 5 or 6 streets smashing together at once. Some will be one-way for no reason. Others will have no lane demarcations at all, yet might be simultaneously one-lane, two-lane, or three-lane roads depending on the whims of the people driving at any particular time.

Just use the T.

The T (subway system) is perfectly fine and easy to understand (unlike NYC's which requires some sort of high-level esoteric knowledge). In May you should be able to walk to all the important parts of Boston.

To add to your To-Do list: the New England Aquarium;a boat ride to the Harbor Islands; maybe the Boston Museum of Science or the Museum of Fine Arts.


The hotels can be pricey but it would be worth it to stay right in the city.

Have fun!
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Thanks for the suggestions. I may need to not get a suite if we stay right in the city, due to cost, but we did that a year ago and survived, so I think we'll be okay :)
 
You can find deals on hotels. I've lived in Boston (Brighton section), and across the river in Somerville (next to Cambridge). One more voice saying, do not drive! I got lost for 5 years until I learned the area really well. And I lived in Boston and for a few years, I worked for a florist and did flower deliveries all over Cambridge and Boston! lol

I recommend the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum over the MoFA. It's smaller and more interesting, imo. It's only 2 blocks from the MoFA though, both are in the Fenway district. There is a community garden in that area too, which will be blooming and lovely in May.

I recommend a cappucchino over an espresso, but that's just me. Cafe Vittoria is the most Old World, early Italian immigration cafe. It's on Hanover St right near the bakeries already recommended. They have fewer pastries there, but better atmosphere. Get a "lobster tail" pastry at one of the places... OMG, it is a huge flaky cream filled thing big enough for 2-4 people, depending on your appetites. Canolis are also good.

Paul Revere's house is in the North End too, on the Freedom Trail. Go there, get your history, and revive with Italian food.

In Quincy Market (quinzee)/Fanueil Hall (fan-yull), go to Durgin Park for lunch or dinner, another place for great funky atmosphere, and Yankee foods, prime rib, fish, meatloaf, sitting at long tables with red checked tablecloths. The waitresses used to be old battleaxes who'd give you a hard time just for fun. I don't know if any of those ladies are still there, or if some of the newer ones carry on the tradition.

Newbury Street is fashionable. Designer boutiques, ending at the Ritz and the Public Garden/Boston Common.

You could take in a Broadway type show in the Theater District.

If you like sushi, get it. Fresh fish abounds.

Haymarket is a huge outdoor public market that has been going on for 200 years, on Friday and Saturday. It's fresh veggies and fruit, SUPER cheap! and there are shops with cheeses and breads, and the nearby Rose Kennedy Greenway (on top of the infamous BigDig) to have a picnic with green grass, trees, flowers, fountains, a shaded arcade, even outdoor free art installations and a carousel.
 
Magdlyn said:
You can find deals on hotels. I've lived in Boston (Brighton section), and across the river in Somerville (next to Cambridge). One more voice saying, do not drive! I got lost for 5 years until I learned the area really well. And I lived in Boston and for a few years, I worked for a florist and did flower deliveries all over Cambridge and Boston! lol

I recommend the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum over the MoFA. It's smaller and more interesting, imo. It's only 2 blocks from the MoFA though, both are in the Fenway district. There is a community garden in that area too, which will be blooming and lovely in May.

I recommend a cappucchino over an espresso, but that's just me. Cafe Vittoria is the most Old World, early Italian immigration cafe. It's on Hanover St right near the bakeries already recommended. They have fewer pastries there, but better atmosphere. Get a "lobster tail" pastry at one of the places... OMG, it is a huge flaky cream filled thing big enough for 2-4 people, depending on your appetites. Canolis are also good.

Paul Revere's house is in the North End too, on the Freedom Trail. Go there, get your history, and revive with Italian food.

In Quincy Market (quinzee)/Fanueil Hall (fan-yull), go to Durgin Park for lunch or dinner, another place for great funky atmosphere, and Yankee foods, prime rib, fish, meatloaf, sitting at long tables with red checked tablecloths. The waitresses used to be old battleaxes who'd give you a hard time just for fun. I don't know if any of those ladies are still there, or if some of the newer ones carry on the tradition.

Newbury Street is fashionable. Designer boutiques, ending at the Ritz and the Public Garden/Boston Common.

You could take in a Broadway type show in the Theater District.

If you like sushi, get it. Fresh fish abounds.

Haymarket is a huge outdoor public market that has been going on for 200 years, on Friday and Saturday. It's fresh veggies and fruit, SUPER cheap! and there are shops with cheeses and breads, and the nearby Rose Kennedy Greenway (on top of the infamous BigDig) to have a picnic with green grass, trees, flowers, fountains, a shaded arcade, even outdoor free art installations and a carousel.
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Thanks for your feedback Mags. I really appreciate all the ideas everyone has given me.
 
I told a friend of mine from Maine that Boston and GPS don't mix because you get things like "Use the left lane to make a right turn." He didn't believe me when I told him that wasn't a joke; that's part of the GPS directions to one of Alt's specialists offices.
 
KC43 said:
I told a friend of mine from Maine that Boston and GPS don't mix because you get things like "Use the left lane to make a right turn." He didn't believe me when I told him that wasn't a joke; that's part of the GPS directions to one of Alt's specialists offices.
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Ha! I pissed off a bunch of people the other night when I was leaving the parking lot of a T station and used the right lane to make a left turn... onto a one-way street with two lanes. I mean, c'mon! That's what it's there for!

Back in the "recalculating" days, Boston by GPS was even worse. It would end up recalculating your route just as you passed the turn you were supposed to make, and it would go into this endless cycle until you threw the GPS out the window.

:p
 
Yup. Been there, done that. That kind of thing is probably why Boston developed what I believe was the first public transit system, or at least the first subway system, in the US...

I feel bad for Country; she's constantly getting lost in downtown Boston trying to get from the Metrowest area back home to us (near the airport) without having to pay tolls. I've offered to pay for her to have an EZPass and she refuses, and she also refuses to take public transit other than last week when she had a college interview at the Prudential Center and I told her she couldn't drive because she wouldn't be able to find parking.
 
Boston is wonderful. We go there at least twice a month. We use public transportation when visiting, because driving is a nightmare. The subway in Boston is actually not too bad. I remember one time the three of us went down for a concert. Chris was having a hard time with his key card to get through the gate and the attendant there was very nice and helpful. Plus, when I play there with my band, staff at the venues we play at are very courteous. Boston sometimes gets a bad rap, but when I am there, everyone is very nice and helpful.
 
NortheastPoly said:
Boston is wonderful. We go there at least twice a month. We use public transportation when visiting, because driving is a nightmare. The subway in Boston is actually not too bad. I remember one time the three of us went down for a concert. Chris was having a hard time with his key card to get through the gate and the attendant there was very nice and helpful. Plus, when I play there with my band, staff at the venues we play at are very courteous. Boston sometimes gets a bad rap, but when I am there, everyone is very nice and helpful.
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Thanks!
 
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