Advice on Boston
 

Hi. My wife and I are planning a trip to Boston at the end of June. The plan is to arrive on a Tuesday night and leave on a Sunday evening. I was hoping to get some advice on a few things.

- Would a one-day visit to Cape Cod (Martha's Vineyard) be a good idea? How do we get there? Are the crowds really bad?
- Do we need a car rental or is public transportation good enough? (I've read about the "T" .. is it safe? Clean? etc.)
- Where should we stay when we are in the city? What section of the city is good for us to see it all such as Harvard, the water front, etc.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

I'll only answer the questions that I have direct experience with. I have never been to Cape Cod, so I have no opinion, but I do want to go there next time I'm in the area.

I have had the misfortune of trying to drive in the Boston area. Don't try. The T is perfectly safe and convenient. It also takes you to all the fun neighborhoods like Cambridge, so my advice is, stay in Boston. If you can stay near Faneuil Hall, all the better. Most everything is a quick walk or T ride away.

When we visit Boston, we stay at a Back Bay hotel, which is fairly centrally located, but not in the middle of downtown. Hotels in the Back Bay tend to be substantially cheaper, and you can hop on the 'T' from there to go wherever you want. Yes, rjw is right, you do not want to drive around Boston if you can help it! The normally bad traffic (and drivers) is exacerbated by the gigantic 'Big Dig' construction project that creates lots of detours and closed roads downtown. Online hotel sites, such as Hotwire, can get you a good Back Bay deal, even in mid-summer.

A one-day trip to Cape Cod would be a really long day. You can do it, but I think that you would find that you spent too much time driving there and back, particularly if you went all the way down-cape to Provincetown. Although I really like Martha's Vineyard (our honeymoon destination 26 years ago), it would be an even worse choice for a day trip from Boston, because of the time to ferry there and back. At a minimum, either of these destinations should be an overnight trip.

If I were you, I would spend your time closer to Boston. You could devote one day alone to walking the Freedom Trail (or getting a trolley to take you along). You would end up at the U.S.S. Constitution, where you can take a ferry back to downtown, or the Aquarium. You can also go to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the JFK Library, and the Museum of Fine Arts. If you intend to do all or most of the above, you might want to consider buying a Citypass (http://citypass.net/cgi-bin/citypass...&rand=9046), that gives you entry to all of the above (and more), for $34.

I might consider renting a car for the day and heading out to Cape Ann, Gloucester, Salem, and Marblehead - beautiful fishing villages with colorful histories. The other short drive you could take would be to visit Lexington and Concord, for the Revolutionary War history, as well as all the famous authors' homes.

Martha's Vineyard might be a bit of a stretch for a one day visit but you could do the tip of the Cape, Provincetown by taking a high speed catamaran. I've heard great things about that trip. Provincetown is a pretty cool area and the National Seashore nearby is stunning.

http://www.boston-ptown.com

Copley Square or Faneuil Hall are the best areas to be around everything. And yes, the T is safe and clean. I definitely think you should save your money and forget the car rental.

1. One-day trip to Cape is possible, but long. MV would be silly - spend most of the day in travel. Answer depends on why you want to go. Cape Cod is a beach with some scenery and lots of gift shops. Traffic is terrible on weekends or when it rains. Answer depends on your priorities for trip.

2. No need for car in Boston. One or 2 day rental if you want to venture outside Boston/Cambridge. Many things are within walking distance. MBTA is safe, especially in areas you are likely to want to go. Clean is relative - it is an old much-used subway/trolley/bus system. If you are a late-night person, some people complain it stops running too early at night (about midnight) - but not much is open in Boston then anyway.

3. Stay in Back Bay or Downtown area. Be careful not to try to get a "deal" by staying in Chelsea, Revere, Somerville, etc. These hotels list themselves as names such as Boston Wyndham/Chelsea. They are usually nice building, a lot cheaper but in cruddy locations. They promise shuttle service that is often erratic at best. By the way, Harvard is in Cambridge, not Boston - just over the Charles River and also very accessible by MBTA.

gail's right -- Cambridge isn't part of Boston, it's a separate city. And the parts of Harvard that most people want to visit are indeed in Cambridge, but several of the grad schools are in Boston (Medical, Dental, Public Health, Business).

I also agree wtih the recommendations to stay in Back Bay -- a lovely area that's handy to many sights, wonderful restaurants, and the T (for getting to the other sights). If you're feeling adventuresome, you can get great deals on Priceline (read up about it at www.biddingfortravel.com first).

Hi chitravelers. I live in the Boston area and agree that the Back Bay area is a very nice place to stay. Boston is fairly small and easy to get around. The T is the best form of transportation to get around (although I think drivers here are just fine :)
Cambridge/Harvard and Porter Square areas are fun to walk around and watch all the people. John Harvard?s Pub, Border Café Mexican Restaurant, Harvard Bookshop are always fun.
Great shopping on Boylston and Newbury Street (not cheap though). Also, the North End (little Italy) area has some fantastic restaurants (Florentine Restaurant on Hanover Street!) You could spend an afternoon walking around this area and the waterfront.
Yes, the Big Dig is a mess, but it's a city like any other. One of my favorite daytrips is catching a Ferry to the Boston Harbor Islands. It's cheap and will give you great views of the city. You can catch the ferry near the Aquarium and be sure to grab a few sandwiches to take with you (the food out there is not cheap). There is also a website for the Boston Harbor Islands and will provide you with good information.
The cape is difficult to do in a day and like ALF said, if you plan on renting a car the North Shore area would be a good place to daytrip. Rockport, Ipswich, Essex are all within an hour drive and very scenic. Check out Woodman?s Clam Shack in Essex and Crain Beach. Salem is not all it?s hyped up to be, but if that is your interest then you will enjoy it.
I am fortunate to work in Concord and agree that this is one of the best areas outside of Boston. Walden Pond is beautiful, North Bridge, etc. ?so many things to do here. If you are set on not renting a car the commuter rail runs to Concord (do not get off in West Concord). From the stop you can walk into the center (about a half mile), to Emerson?s House and many other sites. The commuter rail runs out of Porter Square in Cambridge and is very inexpensive. I?m sure there is a good MBTA website.
Hope you have a good trip and enjoy yourselves!

I'm unclear on whether you're interested in visiting Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard. A daytrip to Cape Cod is possible by either boat or car, although I would suggest taking the ferry from Boston to Provincetown to avoid traffic and get a feel for the area from the water. As I have never been to Martha's Vineyard, I can offer no assistance there.

You should be able to pull up the "T" routes off the net. Check to see how stops correspond to your site seeing interests to determine your hotel location and your need for a rental car. You could probably find a tour bus day trip to the Lexington and Concord area if you're interested in the historic and literary aspects there for less than the daily car rental fee. My 25 year old daughter lived in the Boston area last year and took the "T" downtown frequently. It's safe, reliable, and saves you the frustration of driving the one ways in the historic area plus the sizeable parking fees.

hi. I live in Boston and agree that the back bay is the best area to stay. It has lots of restaurants,shops and great old architecture and is convenient to the subway which is perfectly safe and well used. I disagree that it's not worth it to do a day trip to Martha's Vineyard. I have done it by taking a bus to the ferry in a day and while more time is optimal it is well worth it to do, the bus takes about 1 1/2 hours and the ferry 45 minutes. You can leave early and come back late. Or if you prefer take the fast ferry to Provincetown and that takes about 1 1/2 hours. However the Vineyard I think is more scenic and interesting with each town having different characters and there's a shuttle bus that runs often on the vineyard between 3 towns. You can also rent mopeds or bike there with nice trails along the oceanin Oak Bluffs, my favorite town. It has these great gingerbread cottages near the town center. You could also take a train out of north station in Boston to Rockport. It's an artists' colony with lots of shops, galleries,etc right on the ocean with beautiful views. It's about a 45 minute ride by train. Another nice place to visit is Portland maine, again from north station, i think about a 2 hours ride. Concord is very nice too; I have family there. Again you leave from North Station. If you have any questions feel free to email me.

You ask: Would a one-day visit to Cape Cod (Martha's Vineyard) be a good idea? How do we get there? Are the crowds really bad?

Answer: On a weekday in June the Cape Cod trip is definately do-able and not super crowded. Boston to mid cape is about 75 minutes. Avoid Friday and the weekend though because traffic will be rough.. To the Cape take 93 South to 3 South and your there. Follow rt 6 to hyannis, National Seashore, Ptown, etc. Martha Vinyard is a long day but the boat ride can be fn if you're in the right spirits. You would need to take 93south to 3 south and at the bottom of 3 follow the signs for the Bourne bridge then follow 28 South to Woods Hole - where you get the ferry. OR checkout Cape Air flights from Logan to Marthas Vinyard. It would be certainly be a faster less stressful trip.

You ask- Do we need a car rental or is public transportation good enough? (I've read about the "T" .. is it safe? Clean? etc.)
answer - if you stay in Boston/Cambridge/etc area then public transportation available, accessible and far cheaper. Its safe too.

You ask - Where should we stay when we are in the city? What section of the city is good for us to see it all such as Harvard, the water front, etc.

Answer - This ones debatable but I would agree with the Back Bay / Copley area hotels.

Either Cambridge Marriott or Lenox Hotel (Back Bay) are good places to stay. We went to the Cape last year and don't think we'd go again, especially making th etrip from Maryland.

I was just in Boston in April. There is much to do and see. Take the T! It is safe but be careful. There are good lines and bad. South of Boston, I think and am not positive, but I believe you should stay away from there. Stay in the Back Bay. There are great restaurants all over town. There is an italian section called the North End that you can walk around and pick from the many restaurants. Fanueil Hall is nice. The aquarium was okay, but the imax theater was very good with lots of interesting shows. You will have a great time.
If you rent a car and drive out of town, see Salem. That is one place I thought would have been fun to see.

If you really wish to take an excursion to Martha's Vineyard during your visit, rent a car, drive to Wood's Hole and plan to stay at least one night (there's lots to see and do there in several towns).

Otherwise, there's plenty to do and see between a Tues-Sun within Boston. For me, personally, Martha's Vineyard is not a must-do, but if you really want to go there - go there. It's well worth a visit.

As for where to stay, book something you can cancel at Quikbook, then learn to use Priceline (www.biddingfortravel.com) or check Hotwire just ahead of departure for the very best hotel rates.

As for the "T", it pretty much safe, and not all that clean. However, it's a terrific means of getting around.

Best places to stay would include Back Bay, and Quincy Market/Fanuel Hall/Downtown Business District, in that order.

I'd not recommend staying in Cambridge. Many accomodations are a very long hike from the nearest "T" station if you're not familiar with the territory, and you can easily visit Harvard and environs from anywhere else (from Boston) along the "T".