stokebailey

HI, We have nonstop flight from STL to BOS, are headed to Kennebunkport area. There's a good looking commuter bus from Logan to NH; is there a car rental handy to any of its stops? Does taking this bus make any kind of sense? We're with our nervous old Ma who is anxious about our driving to and from Logan, even as a passenger. I live in a metropolitan area, have driven that highway before, but am trying to please her. I'd be more nervous about getting her to connecting flights if we flew into Portland as she would really prefer.

Does the bus to NH make sense, as an aunt has suggested, or just get a rental near Logan? Thanks!

capecod73

Rent a car at Logan. The airport is on the northern end of the city and unless you're arriving during evening rush hour driving isn't a big deal.

tomfuller

Is the flight to Boston a lot cheaper than flying to Portland?
Before trying a bus I would take the Amtrak Downeaster to Portland from the Boston North station (BON).
The 681 Downeaster leaves at 9:05AM and the 683 leaves BON at 11:30AM. The fares for the 2.5 hour ride are from $20 to $26 per person.
You will have to take a taxi from the train station over to Budget or Avis near the Portland airport.

xxx30

Get the car at BOS, book your rental before your trip.All the car hires are outside the airport and have shuttle services from the ground transportation area outside the door from baggage claim.

Nepheline

If you're just trying to get out of downtown Boston unscathed by traffic, maybe you could reserve a "town car" (which comes with a driver) from a limo-rental agency (like Grace) to ferry you from Logan to a car rental agency north of Boston and on the way to Kennebunkport. I live in NH and have hired these in the past to actually drive us all the way to Logan from Manchester NH and I think one-way was approximately $100. Comfortable cars, experienced drivers, no hassles with luggage or traffic, door-to-door service.

dfrostnh

Compares the prices. I take Concord Coach to and from Logan. Check their schedules (not good if you arrive very late). Pickup is outside the baggage check area. The bus will also stop at South Station before heading north. Driver puts your luggage underneath so there's no struggling with luggage.

Check car rental companies for Portsmouth NH or wherever looks good. They usually do free pickup.

If it's rush hour, I would definitely take the bus. Also there will be heavy traffic on Fridays going north.

gail

Rent at Logan. Drive. The hassle and timing of getting bus to/from NH is not worth it. You can do this.

Do not follow mapping directions you will get on phone or GPS - it takes you through some rotaries and multiple decision making points. The airport road is a big loop. If you make a mistake, just circle around and try again.

Take exit for I93 North (it is a right fork off airport road). You will go thru tunnel under Boston Harbor. Follow I93 North to Route 128 North/I95 North. It is about 10 miles. Take Rte 128/I95 North to the REAL I95 North (in Peabody, MA - about another 10 miles). I95 North takes you right to Maine.

Mapping directions will take you on Rte 1A to Rte 1 to I95 - that is a bit shorter, never faster, and more confusing. The reference to 128/I95 above - only in Boston. Rte 128 is the circular road around Boston. In some places it is the same as I95 - but the real I95 forks off in Peabody.

If you want to take a bus - take the Logan Express bus to Peabody. It runs every 30-60 minutes. Make sure you get the one to Peabody or you will end up in Woburn, Back Bay or Framingham. There are no rental car agencies within walking distance of this stop - but you could arrange with Enterprise, I imagine. Not worth the hassle - nervous mother will find more to get anxious about and complain about taking bus to invisible rental car than driving out of city. And any money you save renting off-site will probably be eaten up with bus fare.

Ackislander

I've taken the bus from Logan to Portland and to Portsmouth (as well as commuting from Nantucket to Boson via ferry and bus). It is dead easy, but depending on when you arrive, you may have to wait for the once-per-hour service.

If you follow Gail's directions, it is dead easy to rent a car at the airport and drive.

Boston is one of those cities that adds on huge fees to car rentals, so if you were alone, it might be cheaper to take the bus and rent at your destination but it won't be cheaper for three of you.

stokebailey

Ah, right. Thanks so much all!

It's mostly a matter of getting my 88 year old mother from point A to B with minimum hassle. She's flown into Portland in the past, likes it, is lobbying for that or alternately for the bus to NH idea. Seems to dread the idea of Boston traffic basically though it's her old home town.

I've driven from BOS car rental to Moody Beach, am used to metro area traffic. My brother drives a horse trailer through metro traffic sometimes. This will be midday and midweek.

Nonstop STL to BOS on Southwest, can get credit if our plans change by mid-September, but cheapest seats go first so best to book soon. From my point of view, an extra hour's drive from BOS car rental will be easier than shepherding her from one terminal/concourse/gate to another for a connecting flight to Portland. She's mobile, but not enough to dash if need be.

gail

"Getting mother from Point A to Point B with minimum hassle". Drive. If you take a bus, you have to find the right bus, wait at curb for bus in case you don't miss it - and there is no place to sit, haul luggage and mother onto bus, haul mother and luggage off bus, wait again for Enterprise car rental to show up, go to Enterprise office to finalize paperwork. 6 steps, all involving something that could go not exactly according to plan and cause a real or imagined complaint opportunity or complaint opportunity (if she is anything like my 87 year old mother!)

You might consider leaving mother in arrival terminal at Logan with another adult and luggage. You go pick up rental car and swing back around and pick her up. All car rental pickups at Logan are via shuttle.

The idea of a connection flight to Portland is the worst of all possible choices.

stokebailey

Ah, excellent. Thanks so much, gail. Unfortunately I don't have a source of benzodiazepines, or I'd slip her one as we get ready to descend into BOS.

gail

Then amend my suggestion above. You take luggage and shuttle to rental car pickup. Person waiting with her treats her to a nice airport martini at a bar.

emalloy

Good suggestion gail, or maybe buy the martini on the plane when you fly over New York.

stokebailey

Ha! There ya go.

Inakauaidavidababy

You are being put between a rock and a hard place and need to get tough. You have no problem and have experience driving from Boston to Ogunquit.

In my experience, women of a certain age can sometimes make unrealistic demands to get their way without seeing how more difficult flying or bussing would be on you, the transporter. Some also seem to take up worrying as a contact sport hobby.

stokebailey

Do I dare agree with you in a public forum? About my Old Sainted Ma?

dfrostnh

What about your return to Logan? Time of day going to work ok with a rental?

stokebailey

Yes, good point, dfrost.

It's an 1850 flight, so pretty rush-houry when we include returning rental car.