Ofelia18

We are 4 adult girls having a 6hrs layover in Boston in our way to London. Any suggestions on what to do? We will be arriving a the Logan airport at 12:30 pm and our flight departs at 9 pm.
Appreciate any advice.
Thanks,

BigRuss

>

Check your bags all the way to London at the first airport (if possible) and go into town.

After that, well: Fodor's has a Boston page with suggestions. Your lack of information regarding what any of you actually like or are interested in seeing makes any suggestions by us pure conjecture.

gail

Take a taxi to the North End and get a decent (Italian) meal (I found it more difficult to get a good meal in London than some other cities). Depending on timing, walk around a little, head over to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market area - that will give you a short distance of the Freedom Trail. You could tour Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, African American History museum. Late afternoon head back to Logan.

travelgourmet

A couple of questions to get a sense of the real amount of time you have:

1) Who are you flying TO Boston?
2) Who are you flying FROM Boston to London?
3) Are these flights all on a single ticket (e.g. did you buy XXX-BOS-LHR in a single transaction or did you buy XXX-BOS and BOS-LHR separately)?
4) What time of year is this? The answers in the middle of winter may differ a bit from summer.
5) What day of the week? This will help understand how much traffic may factor into the equation.

SambaChula

That schedule seems to give you about 5 hours to look around. You could well occupy that time in the North End (lunch and/or pastry and coffee, the Paul Revere house part of the Freedom Trail and the distinctive neighborhood architecture) and Quincy Market area, particularly if the weather is nice for strolling, the unique merry-go-round, street artists, etc.
You will be heading back to the airport during rush hour (3 hours for security, etc is a reasonable amount of time to leave before an international flight these days), so it may be easier to use public transportation than a taxi.
Can you check your luggage in for the London flight when you first arrive in the morning? Or will that be too early?There is luggage storage at the ferry dock (if you choose that mode of transportation into town) and at South Station upstairs.

NewbE

Here's my take on timing:

It's going to take you one hour from landing to get to a restaurant in the North End assuming you get a taxi fairly quickly and traffic isn't worse than usual, so, 1:30pm.

You will have to be in a taxi heading to the airport NLT 4:30 pm in order to be certain of arriving back at the airport 3 hours before your 9pm flight. No, it doesn't take 90 minutes to get to the airport, but rush hour means that if you wait until 5pm or later to leave, you may hit major traffic delays.

That leaves you 3 hours to eat lunch (excellent idea!) and walk around.

I don't think I would do it, but it's doable.

travelgourmet

I would say that I disagree you need to arrive 3 hours early at Boston, assuming this is all a single ticket. Depending on the carrier, I would say that someone who has checked luggage through and has a boarding pass could arrive 1:30 early and probably still have more time than they would want.

FWIW, I also suspect that the actual departure time is between 21:20 and 21:45, as that is the range for the roughly 9pm departures for Boston to London. Leaving the North End at 7pm would put you at Terminal E roughly 2 hours prior to departure.

sf7307

Wouldn't it be much faster to take the T back to the airport rather than a taxi in rush hour traffic?

travelgourmet

Wouldn't it be much faster to take the T back to the airport rather than a taxi in rush hour traffic?

Maybe. But I don't think the OP will actually need to head back during rush hour.

gail

There is also a water shuttle that goes from Long Wharf or Rowes Wharf to Logan pier and then shuttle bus to terminal - that might be faster, certainly more fun. Probably less traffic, too. You can walk to Long Wharf from the North End. Details on Massport and MBTA websites.

Ackislander

It never occurred to me that they would travel any other way than by T, though the water taxi to/from Rowe's Wharf is fabulous, especially after dark.

The questions on ticketing are useful things to think about but not to worry about.

I am mystified by the term "adult girls".

nytraveler

Women calling themselves "girls". Actual girls would be 15 or 16 and under - and these are adult women.

CharlotteK

Take Silverline (free) to South Station. Leave South Station, walk up the Greenway, which is a lovely park where a highway used to be. It ends at a good entrance to Hanover Street, into the North End, after pretty gardens, amusing fountains. Lots of eating possibilities in North End (Boston's "Little Italy"), and browsing of Italian markets, places for coffee and pastry, etc.

Walk down Richmond street to Columbus Park on the waterfront. Stroll thru Marriott Long Wharf to the Aquarium and admire the seals in the tank in front. People watch. Maybe have a drink in the area.

When you're ready to go back to the airport, take the Blue line from Aquarium to the Airport stop/then shuttle bus to your terminal. It's about a 30 minute trip total from Aquarium although sometimes the bus can draw that out.

Security at Logan can be a long drawn out process too, or it can be remarkably swift. I'd leave extra time myself, just in case.

SambaChula

travelgourmet---
DO you have an extra bed or four for them to stay that night?

travelgourmet

It never occurred to me that they would travel any other way than by T

None of the Boston residents I know take the T to the airport. I think I did it once, 20+ years ago.

travelgourmet

travelgourmet---
DO you have an extra bed or four for them to stay that night?

Depending upon when exactly this is, possibly.

Regardless, I think if they are that concerned about missing the flight, I wouldn't go into the city. I don't think leaving Downtown Boston at 7 for a 9:20 flight is at all dangerous, assuming you take a cab/Uber and don't have bags.

I have taken the ~9pm flights from Boston to London at least a dozen times over the past 3 years, and never once left the city before 7. And I never once was at risk of missing my flight. Heck, I once left at 7:30, got to the airport, realized I had forgotten my passport, turned around, went back home, picked up my passport, kissed my wife, got back in the car, went back to the airport, through security and still had time to grab dinner and a drink before boarding began. I did have to eat quickly, though.

cw

If you don't feel like Italian food for lunch and would like seafood, I'd take the Silver Line from your Terminal and get off at Silver Line Way (2 stops after leaving the airport) and have lunch at Legal Harborside. The first floor is a varied menu and the third floor is the bar with a limited menu. Both are open on the harbor side with outdoor seating and great views.

If it's a nice day, I would then walk along the Harborwalk to the Greenway, turn right and walk to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, then walk over to the North End and have dessert at Mike's, Modern, or Maria's bakeries. Or in one of the cafe's.

Then head back to the airport. I would take a taxi. The airport is very close to downtown Boston even with traffic.

SambaChula

"I have taken the ~9pm flights from Boston to London at least a dozen times over the past 3 years, and never once left the city before 7. And I never once was at risk of missing my flight."

Exactly. Over the last 3 years, there hasn't been the level of security that was put in place in many airports after the most recent deadly airport bombing. That is why more time may be needed.

travelgourmet

Exactly. Over the last 3 years, there hasn't been the level of security that was put in place in many airports after the most recent deadly airport bombing. That is why more time may be needed.

I've flown out of Boston 6 times over the past 3 months. I've noticed no change to security times.

NewbE

Has it ever taken me even close to 3 hours to get through security, anywhere? No. So the OP would probably be fine leaving Boston proper at 7pm, after the worst of rush hour. And again, she would definitely be fine if we're talking about a weekend night.