Hello All!!

Am planning a week long trip to Boston at the end of July. We arrive on the 28th July and leave on the 3rd. Need to book a hotel for a couple of days in Boston (need some recommendations) and then maybe a trip to Cape Cod. Our friends went on a whale watching trip in Gloucester and were very happy..However it seemed to be a long drive from Boston. I am going to find one closer. We will have our 2 boys ages 11 and 7 with us. The Red sox are home that week so we will try and catch a game too!!

Any recommendation on must-see sites apart from the usual and will Cape Cod the best for beaches or are there any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!!

Forgot to mention - me and my younger one will be coming by train from NYC to Boston...and my husband and son will be flying direct from Chicago. I see there are 2 train stations in Boston..Which one is closer to downtown??

Gloucester is only about a 45 min. drive from Boston, but you can also go whale watching from Long Wharf in downtown Boston.

About the train stations: Really depends where you are staying. SOUTH Station is in the Financial District, very close to The Freedom Trail, Fanueil Hall Marketplace, and the North End.

BACK BAY station is across the street from the Boston Public Library, and very close to the The Boston Common, Newbury Street shopping/restaurants, and The Prudential Center. Also within walking distance - about half an hour- from Fenway Park.

I love The Lenox Hotel in Back bay ( small boutique hotel, amazing staff, lovely rooms), but you could also look at The Marriott or The Westin in Copley Square, both of which connect to The Prudential Center.

And if you prefer to stay downtown, look at The Boston Harbor Hotel or the Intercontinental, both of which are close to South Station.

Just wanted to add that there's also a Sheraton at The Prudential Center, although I prefer The Westin or Marriott. I think most - if not all- of the bigger hotels I mentioned have pools which might be fun for your kids.

Red Sox tix - unlike other seasons, there are still tickets available for most games. Do not sit in Grandstand sections 2, 3, 4 (maybe 5) - the seats face at a weird angle and you end up sitting sideways in tiny seats to face the infield. Bleachers are fine. Even if it is a warm day, evening breezes make Fenway cool at night. If you can't find what you want on red sox website, check out a ticket broker - some are selling seats at below face value this year. we have used Ace Tickets (website by same name) frequently and have no problems - they have a storefront near Fenway where you can pick up tickets. Have never used StubHub but others report positive experiences.

Cape Cod is a bit far to go for a beach, although they are really nice. You could take a day trip to Gloucester or Rockport (Cape Ann) for beach - Wingersheek Beach has lots of sand and bathrooms - but parking is expensive. Several smaller beaches in Gloucester and Rockport with street/meter parking if you get their early. Crane Beach in Ipswich has dunes and lots and lots of sand - by end of July biting flies are usually not a problem.

With kids that age, I'd go with the Sheraton Prudential or the Back Bay Hilton. Both have indoor pools and close proximity to restaurants. The food court in the Pru has some decent options - I live the place that makes speciality grilled cheese sandwiches. (CheeseBoy?) I love the Lenox too but with kids it might be a tad stuffy.

If the kids need to run around and stretch their legs there is a pretty good playground on the Esplanade near the end of Berkeley St. It seems geared toward older kids as the climbing structure are relatively high. Mom and Dad can enjoy the view of the Charles River.

We stayed at the Marriott Long Wharf, and they had whale watching right there.

I don't know your hotel budget, but the Colonnade has an outdoor rooftop pool, one of the few outdoor pools in Boston. And the pool at the Sheraton is indoors but has a retractable roof. Both are convenient to Back Bay Station. You can walk if you don't have too much luggage.

But staying near the harbor is nice in the summer, so Marriott Long Wharf would also be fun. There is a park nearby and the Greenway which has water features for kids to run through. It is close to Quincy Market (shops, restaurants, and food court) and to the North End for Italian food and pastries.

Thanks everyone!!!! I will be getting the Fodors Boston 2013 guide today so will try and get more info on your advice here!!

Planning to see downtown Boston for 2-3 days and then a couple of day trips..So we will need to rent a car..SO n that case does it make sense to stay outside of Boston (and take the train in) ??

No. No. and No. Rent a car when you are doing the daytrips. Stay in Boston if you can afford it - prices are high. Although driving into Boston is less congested in the summer, unless you know the area and can take alternate routes it can be really annoying. Parking is going to cost $25-40/day. A hotel that is listed as 5-10 miles outside downtown may seem like a bargain, but driving that distance can take you an hour at rush hour.

Avoid hotels called Boston-Waltham or something like that. If you find a really great hotel deal, there is probably some issue you should check out here first. Even some hotels within city limits may be in Dorchester or some area with terrible public transit. In the summer it will be nice to be able to crash in your hotel room air conditioning for an hour between day and evening activities.

MBTA - commuter rail runs primarily at rush hours, although there are scattered trains between. Transportation on commuter rail after your Red Sox game, for example, might be a problem. Paying for 4 people on MBTA in and out every day gets expensive - so factor that in. If you find a hotel right on light rail/subway (Red, Orange, Green, Blue lines), make sure it is not in a dreadful place. If it is in Downtown, Copley, Waterfront, Back Bay areas, you can probably walk to much of what you want to see anyway. Parking lots near Fenway charge $25-40 for game parking.

There are several major car rental companies with downtown offices where you can rent a car for a day or 2 for not major money.

Unlike others here, however, I do not think you will die of stress and traffic aggression if you decide to stay outside Boston and drive in. Depends on what you are used to. If you are comfortable driving in non-grid layout cities (like older cities in much of northeast), and have a GPS, you could do this. It sounds like there are 2 adults - so one could navigate and one drive. Boston can be infuriating - too many oneway streets that lack logic in their planning (because many accomodated wagons and cows before cars). But street parking is non-existent (much is Resident Only) or with very short time limits (1-4 hours).

Stay in tourist/main part of Boston. If it were me, I would rather shorten my trip by a day to save money than stay in suburbs.

I wouldn't stay outside the city and drive in, but there is another option.

You could stay at a suburban hotel and take the "T" into the city. For instance, I think there's a Hilton in Dedham that's right next to the T stop. It's a cheap, quick way to get into the city. Plus, one of the stops is right near Fenway, so you could take the train to the game (you DO NOT want to drive and park there) and then take the train back out.

Only the commuter rail line from Worcester stops at Fenway (Yawkey station).

Study train schedules carefully, the commuter rail runs on a schedule that may not be convenient for touring. www.mbta.com

If you stay outside the city, you're better off driving to the end of the Red Line, or Green Line to commute into Boston on the subway trains.

I'd stay 3 nights in the city then pick up the rental car for the rest of your trip.

Some of the MBTA lots fill with commuter cars by 7:30/8 AM - not as much in summer, but still something to be aware of.

Gail raises a good point about parking lots filling up, especially Alewife Station on Rt. 2 for the Red Line. I believe that one can usually always get a space at Riverside or Woodland stations on the Green Line. It's a longer ride into Boston, but it's above ground until Kenmore so somewhat more scenic.

And during the Summer it's easier to park and get into Boston.

I believe that the stories of Alewife's parking filling up are out of date. I live nearby, have been going into Boston a couple of weekdays per month over the past year and a half, and I have yet to see the Alewife garage filled (I typically get there around 9:30 or so). There's an overflow lot across the street, but I've yet to see it in use on my trips.

Thanks everyone!!! The Fodors Boston guide, your information, the internet and myself are going to be best friends this weekend!!

I agree with other posters that Cape Ann might be a better place for the coast/beach than Cape Cod. It would be a convenient way to combine a few days at the beach with a whale watch from Gloucester. Crane beach mentioned by Gail is really nice outside of the greenhead flies season but the web site says
"Greenhead season usually runs for two to three weeks from mid-July through the first week in August" so I would call the hot line to check on the situation before going there.

I would stay in Boston rather than commuting in if possible.

I consider the Freedom Trail "must see"

The Green Line has two stops near Fenway.

>>About the train stations: Really depends where you are staying. SOUTH Station is in the Financial District, very close to The Freedom Trail, Fanueil Hall Marketplace, and the North End.

Ok so I have been researching a bit and have kind of finalized the iternary:
Boston - 28th - 31st 4 nights (stay at the Westin)
1st and 2nd August - Cape Ann. Our flight back home is on 3rd at 8 pm.

Does this make sense? We will leave Boston for Gloucester in the afternoon on 1st so we will almost get a full 3.5 days in downtown Boston. Any recommendations on hotels in the Cape Ann area? Thanks!