P_M

DH and I will be visiting the Northeast in October mainly to see fall foliage in New England but we will have a brief visit to Boston before flying home. I need to know what time the subway starts running in the morning. We have an early morning flight home and I would like to know if the subway is an option from the North Station.

As an alternative to staying near the North Station we are also considering airport hotels but I want one near a subway station so we can get into town quickly and easily, so if you know of an airport hotel near the subway that would be very helpful.

Thanks.

Lookin_Glass

http://mbta.com

Rastaguytoday

One thing I have to warn you about riding the subway in Boston...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

gail

There are no decent hotel locations near the airport that are near the MBTA other than one the hotels right at the airport. And even for these you must take the airport loop bus to the MBTA station. It is neither quick nor easy.

I would stay in Boston and if your flight is too early, take a taxi. MBTA website can give you exact routing for various times of day from anywhere - but generally around 5 AM it is fully running.

Ackislander

If you do Priceline, the Hilton and the Hyatt were the only **** hotels at the airport when last I looked. You can walk from the Hilton to any of the terminals, and there are, of course, shuttles to the terminals and to the MBTA. The Hyatt is not walkable but has its own shuttle and the water taxi shuttle is next door, as is the water taxi to the city. Views are spectacular, and I have gotten harbor view rooms on all but one occasion despite being a Priceline customer.

The prepaid web rate for the Embassy Suites is higher, there are no views, and there is a shuttle, but they have wine and hors d'oeuvres in the evening and a Terri's cooked breakfast in the morning if your flight is not TOO early. But not cancelable.

DonTopaz

gail is on the money with her advice -- take a cab. North Station is close to the airport with a taxi fare less than $20, and the MBTA will be slow (2 transfers needed).

Ackislander

"Terri's" cooked breakfast? Steve Jobs' zombie humor on my iPad again: that should have been "terrific", and it was Jose who cooked it.

cw

Ack, I thought you knew the cook!

travelgourmet

1) The T starts running roughly between 5 and 6 am, depending upon the line.

2) Taking the T to the airport is, in general, a waste of time. From North Station, you will need to take the Green or Orange to the Blue and then at the "Airport" station, get on a bus. Take a cab and save the hassle.

3) If you really, really wanted to take the T to the airport, I'd stay in the Seaport District and catch the Silver Line, which will take you direct to your terminal.

P_M

Thank you all, this is exactly the info I needed.

If the shuttle to the subway station is not quick and easy then I think we should stay in town and taxi to the airport. I am glad to know taxis are cheaper than I expected. I'm now looking at the Holiday Inn at Boston Garden, any opinions on that?

travelgourmet

I'm now looking at the Holiday Inn at Boston Garden, any opinions on that?

I've never been inside, so can't comment on that. The location is a bit odd. If there is something going on at the Garden, then it might get a bit noisy. Otherwise, the neighborhood isn't the most scenic, but it is relatively central to the rest of the city and should be safe.

P_M

Thanks tg, I will keep looking but so far that one seems to give the most for the money. I called the hotel and there is a cardiologists' convention at that time so probably not to much of a wild crowd.

cw

I'm not sure why you want to stay in the TD Garden area, but the Onyx Hotel is another hotel in the area. As TG says, it's not very scenic though not a far walk to the North End and the Faneuil Hall area.

North Station has easy T connections on the Orange Line and the Green Line, if you want to consider other hotels.

P_M

As you can see I am very unfamiliar with Boston so I am open to other ideas. I will check the Onyx.

P_M

Holiday Inn vs Onyx:

Prices of these hotels with my corporate discount are exactly the same to the dollar. Holiday Inn offers free breakfast but Onyx offers free wine hour. I vote for the free wine hour but I bet DH votes for the free breakfast. It will be interesting to see who wins this one.

Thanks for the recommendation.

travelgourmet

What are your dates? I'd not hesitate to stay at the HI (or the Onyx) if it was a deal, but would rather stay near Copley Square, Faneuil Hall/Downtown, or even the Theater District if I could get something for roughly the same price.

travelgourmet

FWIW, I'd be inclined to choose the Onyx strictly because it is a Kimpton Hotel. Nothing against HIs, but Kimptons tend to be classier.

With regards to the free breakfast, there are any number of places to grab a quick bite in the area (e.g. Dunkin Donuts on Causeway), so I wouldn't overvalue the breakfast. I also wouldn't overvalue a glass of wine either, since there are tons of bars in the area if you want a drink.

cw

If you don't need to stay near North Station, do look at hotels in the Quincy Market/Waterfront area or check out the Nine Zero, another Kimpton Hotel but in a more central location.

You'll still be a short distance from the airport, especially early morning. Are you arriving in Boston by train to North Station?

P_M

We will be there during the first week of October. The main thing I want to see is the Freedom Trail but of course I want to be as close to other tourist sites as possible.

We will be renting a car and driving around Maine and NH, then we will end our trip in Boston. We will turn in the car at the airport upon arrival in Boston as I do not want to drive around that city. We will taxi to the hotel as it's not that much more expensive than a subway.

travelgourmet

I'd look at the following, which seem to be around the same price as the Onyx and the HI, but are in somewhat better locations:

Hilton Downtown
Hyatt Regency (not everyone likes the location, though - curious what others think)
Revere Hotel
Hilton Back Bay