tennistraveler

Can you help me plan a spring break trip for me, my husband, and my 17-year old daughter? The primary focus for our trip to Boston, NY, and D.C. is for sightseeing, and the secondary focus is to look at some colleges. We plan to fly in from LAX to Logan Int'l on 4/2/10, arriving at 9:20 p.m. We will fly out of D.C. on 4/9/10 at 4:00 p.m.

1. Should we take a shuttle from Logan to Boston hotel, then rent a car to drive to NYC?

2. Hotel recommendations in the three cities? I would love to be able to pay $200-$250/night for two doubles.

2. We are planning to arrive in Boston 4/2, then depart on 4/4.. What do you think about staying at Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St. in Cambridge ? On 4/3 explore Harvard, Boston U. and museums. Then on 4/4, do Freedom Walk and St. Charles river?

3. Any recommendations on where to stay in NYC arriving 4/4 and departing 4/6? Looking at Columbia and NYU's Washington Square Campus, maybe Barnard.

4. Any recommendations on where to stay in or near D.C. arriving 4/6 and departing 4/9? Looking at Georgetown, George Washington, maybe American. I've booked a tour at the U.S. Capitol at 10:20 on 4/7/10.

Any and all advice much appreciated. Wish we had more time for this trip!

Thanks!

gail

1. Take cab or shuttle to hotel. Do not rent a car until perhaps Washington. You do not need one in Boston and it would be a negative - MBTA is near your hotel. There is no place to park and all your stops for your day and a half trip are on MBTA.

2. (the first 2). Is that price per room or per night and is it 2 double rooms or 2 double beds? Look in Downtown, Quincy Market, Copley areas - although location of the hotel you mention is fine as well.

2 (the second 2). You are going to get a zillion responses indicating you should see other/additional colleges - I will leave that to you, but BU and Harvard are vastly different in size and selectiveness - of the many colleges in Boston, make sure these are the ones you want to see during your short trip.

That weekend is Easter - make sure colleges are open to tours. Many things will be closed 4/4 and some museums may close earlier on 4/3. Obviously on 4/3 seeing 2 colleges and then a musuem gives you only a brief amount of time a each - but I realize time is short. On 4/4 walk the Freedom TRAIL - that will take up whatever time you have that day before departure. The Charles River is just a river, not really a destination, although it is quite picturesque. It separates Cambridge from Boston - as well as running many miles west.

That weekend is also opening day for the Red Sox, practically a religion for some here (especially since it is against Yankees) . These 2 holidays combine to make hotels a bit more expensive and less available - book soon.

Take Amtrak from Boston-NY-Washington. It takes the same or less time than driving. While it does add expense, especially with 3 of you, it has some nice scenery (and some barren factories) and will give you some picture of the area. It gives you a little more time in each city since you can take a late train and not worry about driver fatigue. Your dtr, if she attends college on the east coast will likely find some reason to take it at some point during her 4 years. Acela is a bit faster, somewhat less subject to delays, but can be quite a bit more. Your daughter can use cell phone, iPod and in some places along route (it never seems to work as well as they say it should) WiFi.

There are also buses between Boston and NY - some really cheap. For a family not as great an experience - and do not take any of the "Chinatown" buses - they are in the news way too often for all sorts of things.

Have a good trip.

artsbabe

For DC, I guess I would stay somewhere between Dupont Circle and Washington Circle. If you stay in this area, you could walk to GW and then I would consider walking up to Dupont Circle in the other direction to take the bus up Massachusetts Avenue to AU -- if your daughter ends up in DC, she will want to be familiar with both metro and the buses anyway.

Only GW is really close to a Metro stop.

Definitely think about Amtrak rather than driving.

Cyanna

DS took a bus from Boston to NYC for 50 cents a week ago - No kidding. It's The Thing now to take buses because they're cheaper than train or plane and can be last-minute choices. He got the 50-cent fare because Megabus has had a promotion, but in general the earlier you book, the cheaper the seat (highest fare seems to be ca. $24.): http://www.megabus.com/us/stops/ don't know if it's still the case. You board from Back Bay in Boston (near but not at the train station) and get out at either 31st st. by Penn. Station or 7th and 28th near a subway station.

For myself, I'll pay extra to take the train, but as others have said, no reason to pay the extra for the Acela - just take the standard train.

In any case, don't let anyone talk you into renting a car north of Washington -- it'll be a costly albatross around your neck (to mix allusions!).

Cyanna

Oh, re: Boston hotels - if you can get a rate you like at the Charles, ok, but I've seen it a little run down (unless it's been renovated lately). I still love the John Jeffries - incredibly central location for much of what you want to do and useful place to stay for families. Not luxe/upscale but right there at the Charles T stop, and in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

re: NYC hotels - Lucerne, Beacon hotels

re: DC - I like staying in Rosslyn (No. Va.) for better rates but good location. Be aware, the Cherry Blossom festival runs from March to April 11, and if the best blooming is while you're there, it can be hectic. Hotels do fill up, and traffic near the Tidal Basin can be choked (be sure to check a map when you book rooms -- the nearer a Metro stop, the better obviously).

Cyanna

March 27 to April 11 - Cherry Blossom Festival

tchoiniere

Gail, the Sox are at the Yankees that weekend.

nytraveler

the weekend you are in NY is Easter Sunday - so hotels won;t be cheap - and ome (Beacon for example) already show sold out. the Lucerne has rooms for about $200 each (including tax) with a queen bed.

For 2 rooms for $200-$250 together (if that's what you mean) you would have to try Priceline (might not have inventory) or check travelzoo.com to see who is offering deals. That's a very low price for Easter weekend.

If possible I would get ahotel on either the upper west side of downtown (SoHo or Chelsea etc) so your daughter gets a view of NYC that's not midtown tourist - but more a real neighborhood. If you want basic but realiable you might want to check the Newton on the upper west side - an easy stroll from Columbia (only about a mile).

gail

tchoiniere - check schedule again. Red Sox home opener is Sunday 4/4 - ESPN game of the week. Then home against same Yankees Tues and Wed.

emd3

I would not take Amtrak, too pricey. I live in the D.C. area and only take the new buses btwn D.C. and NYC now when I am traveling for pleasure instead of business, as they are so nice and cheap. Check the "Bolt Bus" online for Boston to NYC and NYC to D.C., cheap fares like Megabus but better. I just purchsed Bolt Bus tickets to go RT from D.C. to NYC in Feb. for $34 RT. What you pay depends on how many seats are left on the bus time you want to go on.

On Bolt, you take a bus from an indoor station in South Boston and arrive close to Madison Square Garden in NYC, then you can take a cab to your NYC hotel (or the subway if you don't have much luggage to shlump).

From NYC to D.C. on Bolt, you will arrive at d.C.'s Union Station, a great location as you can easily get on the D.C. Metro subway system at Union Station to get to your hotel, or take a cab.

In D.C. since you are seeing GWU and Georgetown, I'd maybe stay in the west end, like Doubletree on NEw Hampshire or One Washington Circle or the St. James or St. GRegory, around those areas (there are also chain hotels in the west end like Hyatt, Westin, Marriott, etc.). But you could easily stay downtown also, and just metro to GWU and cab it to Georgetown U. There are some interesting hotels downtown and some good deals, but BOOK NOW as spring rates are getting higher by the day. D.C. has a good metro subway system and it will take you to GWU, but you have to cab it to Georgetown U. Not sure about American U, I think there is a metro stop there also.

tchoiniere

Gail, I knew that they were but was positive the games were in NY...Thanks for the correction. Still don't know why they open in the Northeast due to the iffy weather but...

gail

Train can be expensive and is certainly more so than bus - I just don't like buses. I know OP plans to drive, but after you price one-way car rental plus parking it in 3 expensive cities, a bus would be a lot cheaper, and the train not as much as one would expect.

tchoiniere - really idiotic to open Red Sox at home - and especially with a night game (was originally a day game on 4/5 but ESPN wanted to televise). This incited some columnists to complain since Opening Day is a tradition to be on a weekday and local TV runs around asking people if they called in sick to work. to have it on Easter Sunday in the evening is just not right - and Bostonians like nothing if not their traditions.

tchoiniere

Gail, I completely agree. While it may not snow / rain, it will likely be very cold for the game. I have the next day off from work due to a furlough day so I may try to get a ticket to the game. Or just watch it at home in CT.

I agree with taking the train. More scenic and relaxing. Did it last year and really enjoyed it.

emd3

Actually the Bolt Bus is also very scenic and relaxing, and you can relax even more knowing you are saving all that money. Believe me, there is a BIG difference in total price doing Amtrak on those routes as opposed to Bolt bus for three people. You will have a lot more money to spend on hotels and food and whatever else, all those extra expenses that come up on a college scouting trip, if you take Bolt instead of the train. And that is coming from someone who loves Amtrak for business, but not on my own money compared to the Bolt bus.

Cranachin

You are not going to have much time to "explore Harvard, Boston U. and museums" in one day.

Do you plan to take campus tours, or just wander around? I would highly recommend that you take a BU tour if your daughter is considering going there, as the main campus is about 1.5 miles long but relatively narrow. It definitely is not your "typical" college campus, and I wonder how much an idea of campus life you would get from just walking around it. BU has info sessions at 9:30 and 11:00 and tours at 10:30 and 12:00 on 4/3.

Meanwhile, Harvard's admissions office has a tour for prospective students at 11:00 (which means you can't do both that and a BU tour). There is another "official" Harvard tour for anyone at 2:00 as well. "Unofficial" tours by students are also available (free, but they invite you to pay what you think it was worth) that can give you a slightly different perspective.

Of course, be sure to call and confirm that the tours actually will run as well as to reserve a place in them, if necessary.

Touring both campuses does not leave you much time for visiting museums, especially museums not on the Harvard campus (assuming you go to BU first). Any particular museums you were considering?

tennistraveler

Thanks for the helpful, detailed advice! Yes, I wasn't clear--I'd like to book two double beds (or two queens) in one room. Checked online and The Charles has 2 double beds for $219/night; the Lenox - Back Bay Boston 61 Exeter St, has 2 double beds for $205/night; John Jeffreys has a Jr. Suite for $174/night. I know my daughter would prefer the most recently remodeled or newest hotel.

As for colleges, we're looking at all kinds: reach, probable and safety schools, and only those easily accessible from the cities we will be touring. Thus, on this trip, we are not even looking at very interesting schools like Swarthmore or Amherst. If my daughter applies and gets into schools on east coast, we'll make a special trip out. I do plan to look into campus tours. Since the college tours are secondary, would it be better to stay in Back Bay, Boston and outside of D.C.?

On your advice, I checked Museum of Fine Art and JFK websites and they don't say anything about being closed early the weekend of 4/3.

Beacon in NYC has queen suite (with pullout sofa bed) for $265/night, which seems okay price for New York; The Lucerne has two double beds for $192 (AAA rates) or $210 (for bigger room with two double AAA rates). I think I'll book the Lucerne. I like the location in Upper West Side and it has cancellation policy.

The Rosslyn in No. Virginia looks like something my daughter would really like. It's got a great AAA rate for $259/night, but vague about cancellation policy. Seems easy jog to Georgetown and GW, as well as other site.

I am definitely thinking about not even renting a car. Will look into Amtrak and Boltbus. Is it necessary to stay in the heart of D.C.? One Washington Circle looks nice, but could we use bus or subway to get around in DC if we stay at the Rosslyn? I used to use BART and bus in No.CA all the time, but now in So. CA for past 20 years, nada.

Also, any restaurant recommendations (especially seafood that you can't get in California?).

Thanks!

yk

1) Last week I took BoltBus from Boston to NY; and then MegaBus from NYC back to Boston, for a grand total price of $3. I'm not saying that you can get that price, but the bus is substantially cheaper than Amtrak, esp when you have 3 people. If your daughter ends up going to school here in the E Coast, she'll be taking the bus a lot in the future. All these buses are very new; don't think of them as the old & tattered Greyhound buses from eons ago. Here's my review of the buses:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...omment-6183233

2) As far as the hotels in Boston is concerned, I would check the sq footage of the rooms in each hotel. Some Boston hotel rooms are really tiny. Since the prices are similiar, I'd just pick the one with the largest room for the 3 of you.

3) Museum of Fine Arts Boston is always open during regular hours on holiday weekend. http://www.mfa.org/visit/index.asp?key=3

4) During early April is the annual Nasturtiums hanging in the courtyard of Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Worth a visit, esp since it's right next door to the MFA.
http://connect.gardnermuseum.org/sit...tail&id=104682

artsbabe

<One Washington Circle looks nice, but could we use bus or subway to get around in DC if we stay at the Rosslyn?>

One Washington Circle is a nice hotel in a good location for seeing GW and Georgetown, actually. You are right across Washington Circle from GW. If it is a nice day, you can certainly walk into the Georgetown neighborhood, but getting to the campus might be a bit far, but you could take the bus into Georgetown and then walk to campus. There is quite a good restaurant in this hotel, too.

If you want to stay in Rosslyn, you can walk across Key Bridge to the Georgetown campus. You could also hop on the Metro to Foggy Bottom to see GW. The metro stop closest to AU is at least a mile from campus though they run shuttles from the stop (Tenleytown) during the academic year. I personally think that Rosslyn doesn't have any soul or character, but it is convenient for what you want to do.

Cyanna

You seem to have made some good decisions - the best being to skip driving as much as possible.

You'll love the Lucerne's location - good choice.

(Can't resist pointing out - perhaps for future reference - that Swarthmore is only about 40 min. from downtown Phila. by suburban commuter train.... nothing like the hike you have to take to get to Amherst from Boston or NYC).

Cyanna

Oh, and "Rosslyn" is a section of Arlington directly across Key Bridge from Georgetown and it has its own Metro station right in the center (with one of the longest escalators in the country). There are several hotels near that stop - located in the Rosslyn area. I haven't heard of any place called "The Rosslyn." Artsbabe is right, it doesn't have much character, although if you go a stop or two further on the Metro, there are some much livelier places (Courthouse, etc.) with many restaurants.