We (my husband and daughter) are coming to Boston in July and I am so confused about where to stay. We weren't going to rent a car and wondered about trnsportation from the suburbs to the centre. From what I have read Boston is very expensive and you can get good deals in the outskirts and I was wondering if it would be worth it. We are coming from Canada and as everyone knows our dollar isn't worth much. ny help would be appreciated.

Do a search on this board for past threads about Boston, or even just everything under the keyword Massachusetts. There have been plenty of discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of staying in the suburbs and about getting good deals on in-town hotels through Priceline.

I'm from North of Boston (Medford, 7 miles from the city). There is a hotel in this city (AmeriSuites) but you'd have to take a bus to get to the train station. There are also hotels in Somerville which is right outside of Boston (Holiday Inn, Tage Inn) and they may have a shuttle service to the train station because they are close to it. Both are in lousy areas. Safe, but not much to do and not really pretty either. I just booked my brother into the Back Bay Hilton for mid June at a rate of $103/night on Orbitz.com Good luck. If you need any further help, feel free to email me.

Look around Alewife Pkway. or another place a number of Fodorites have mentioned in a Holiday Inn Grove St. Newton that's at the end of the Greenline by the Riverside Station and also next to the interstate. It has become more expensive as people have discovered it, and it is more than 45 min. from downtown, but it's a thought.

My own preference would be to check out the B&B networks and try to find a bargain in a private house or small B&B in town. The outskirts are really just that -- the near suburbs tend not to have hotels near T stations, which leaves you way outside the city.

From personal experience and reading rates and locations posters here report, it seems that, yes you can get good deal in the suburbs. But those good deals are mostly at places from which transportation into the city would be a gigantic pain. Almost without exception, if the rate is good, transportation is a problem. So, since Boston is very expensive and it is worse if you are spending Canadian dollars, you will have to decide how much of each you can afford to part with - money or time. Many hotels list themselves as "something"/Boston (like Medford/Boston, Somerville/Boston) and these are usually in semi-business areas of suburbs which, on the map, are close, but can take 30-45 minutes into Boston with several bus/MBTA connections. Sorry can't be more encouraging, but Boston is expensive. As above, try a "Search" and any of the internet booking services like Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia. I personally would cut my trip a little shorter to save money than stay on the outskirts.

Margaret, here's an idea if you're game. The Howard Johnson's hotel in Kenmore Sq. has become a Boston University dorm this year, and will be a youth hostel in the summer months. Since it's a hotel/dorm, all the rooms are private and have their own bathroom. Most of the dorms sleep three, so you might get a family room, right in the city, for a reasonable price. You'd be right in the city, and as I've read, you don't have to be a "youth" to stay. There are two hostels in Boston, and this one is called Boston at Fenway (it's right by Fenway Park). You'd save loads of commuting time, and enjoy being in the city. Just a suggestion.

Staying in the city really beats having to come in from the outskirts- all of the posters are right. Also- for hotels, try Quikbook- we got a heck of a deal in Philly through Quikbook.

Staying in Boston hotels, there is the convenience of taking advantage of public transportation like in canada.
there is plenty to see by walking.
There is a Holiday Inn near Goverment Center next to the Mass General Hospital thats is good and not expensive.its within walking distance to downtown Boston and in a safe area to walk after dark.
Any hotel near the towns of Newton or
Framingham are outside the city, aprox 30 minutes are accesible thru buses or trains.

thanks for all the good advice but was really disappointed to learn that priceline won't accept canadian credit cards!!! Anyone know anything about Double Tree Guest Suites, 400 Soldiers Field Road?

Does Hotwire accept Canadian credit cards? We almost always book Boston with Hotwire at rates, for wonderful establishments, lower than the standard chains in the suburbs. I agree with those above, that prices in the suburbs convenient to public transportation don't save you much rate-wise. The cost and time of "commuting" in and out of the city, especially on trains crowded with other commuters, would be a consideration, particularly when one is wanting to enjoy a vacation. And, depending upon your location and the train schedules, you might find yourselves having to cut your evening short in order to catch the last train "home". There is also the added expense of getting from the airport to your hotel in the suburbs and back. While the MBTA is adequate, it is not nearly as efficient (and definitely not as clean), as public transportation we have experienced in Canada - Montreal and Toronto, for example. As for the Doubletree on Soldiers Field Rd - it's actually in Allston, not Boston, and the nearest subway station, Harvard Square, is just about a mile walk from the hotel. I've heard they have a shuttle, but the desk clerk knew nothing of this when we stayed there last November. (And, we never did find any mini-bar in our suite, even though a key was provided for it.) If you're considering a bedroom/living room suite, your daughter would probably not be comfortable sleeping on the sofa if she's over 12. If you don't have any luck on Hotwire, try www.hoteldiscounts.com, quikbook.com and all the other online booking resources. Unless you book six months or more in advance, the rates are not favorable when booking directly with the hotels, chains, or through their individual online booking websites.

Margaret - My family stayed at the doubletree on soldiers field in 1999 and the property is a really great value for the price.. CLEAN. It is not the easiest place to get around from if you are using public transportation however. There is a doubletree on washington that is not as good a value but much more convenient. Word has it that there is a hampton inn opening in june in the downtown area and this could be worth checking into. Boston is expensive but we keep coming back because of the wonderful life memories lol.