KirkL

Having never been to Boston I am having trouble deciding on which hotel to stay at for one night before flying out the next time. Should I stay at the Hilton with the walkwalls or the Hyatt Harborside on the water? Also on a Friday how will travel be coming into the city by way of Vermont?

rizzo0904

What time do you plan on arriving in Boston? How many hours total will you have?

Ackislander

Both are Priceline 4*. Don't dream about paying the rack rate.

I have stayed at both frequently. The Hyatt has fabulous views of Boston if you are lucky to get a waterside room, which I did all but once. It is easy to walk from the Hilton to restaurants in terminals. Doesn't, in other words, make much difference.

Traffic depends on the time of year and where you are coming from in VT. Most of it will be outbound in the late afternoon unless there is curiosity around a wreck.

bennnie

if you have enough time, you can walk from the Hyatt to the water taxi to downtown Boston. Drops you within walking distance of North End and Quincy Market areas.

HappyTrvlr

We always stay at the Hyatt with it's beautiful views of Boston. We've used the water taxi to go in to the city and back.

KirkL

Thanks everyone, will leave Brownsville, VT, Friday July 18. It looks like a 3 hour drive and then have to return the car at the airport. We are visiting Boston earlier in the trip. Was going to rush and leave on Friday, but decided to just relax and take one more day. Think I will stay at the Hyatt. Should have enough time for a water taxi to Boston for dinner. Not leaving till Saturday afternoon. So really not in any hurry.

travelgourmet

Traffic depends on the time of year and where you are coming from in VT. Most of it will be outbound in the late afternoon unless there is curiosity around a wreck.

Friday afternoons are the worst afternoons for traffic into Boston. Depending upon the time, it can be upwards of an hour just to get from 128 to the airport. Maybe longer with the Callahan closed.

Nepheline

Callahan just reopened a couple of days ago.

Ackislander

"Friday afternoons are the worst afternoons for traffic into Boston."

This is so far from my experience that I question whether there is a typo I can't find.

For ten years, I worked on the Newton Wellesley line and lived on the Waterfront. I blazed home inbound on the MassPike Extension while outbound traffic was bumper to bumper.

Before I moved to Nantucket, I drove out of Boston on the SE expressways nod Route 3 toward the Cape. I was in traffic as far as Duxbury, outbound. There were no inbound jams.

In recent years, I was on a board of directors in Andover. We met on Fridays. When meetings were over, I sailed in on 93 as far as Assembly Square while northbound traffic was invariably jammed.

So inbound Friday traffic has been negligible to easy from the North, South, and West. What direction were you talking about? 101 from Salem?

travelgourmet

What direction were you talking about?

Most recently? From the west, via the Pike. It is worst when the Sox are in town, but Fridays are a crapshoot generally and can be bad. Route 2 is really bad too.

I sailed in on 93 as far as Assembly Square

You are aware that the airport is past Assembly Square?

Personally, I have to wonder just how long ago you lived in Boston.

Ackislander

In reverse order.

I own a condo in Brookline right now. It is not my main residence, but I have spent time there in every month of the the last year. I drive there from the Nantucket ferry in Hyannis or from Richmond, VA, so I use Route 3, the Pike or I-95 regularly. I am frequently entering Boston as others are leaving. I stand by my statements.

The airport is indeed past Assembly Square, but I use surface streets from that point on, if not earlier.

I agree with you about Route 2. It is always a mess except from 128 to the Alewife rotary, but no one suggested that the OP go that way. But the Pike? Occasional backups at the tolls or Newton Center. But the OP is coming in on 93, and better inbound than out.

If you live somewhere like Groton or Sudbury, Red Sox traffic might seem formidable. If you are in the city or an inner suburb like Brookline, it is a blip. Most of the time you don't even know they are playing.

rizzo0904

I would take 89 to 93. Leave VT around 8am and you'll be behind all of the traffic. Shouldn't be too bad. We drive from NH weekly and either leave before 545am or after 9am.