Hi,
On the B&B idea I wonder if you considered an apartment? I stayed in one on Beacon St. just a few blocks from Cheers Bar. It was great to choose to eat in or out. Great delis (De lucas)just round the corner on Charles St.
Look at B&B Agency of Boston on their web site, boston-bnbagency.com
Good luck (espically in March!!)

djkbooks must be in Paris, so I'll give you a report on the Newbury Guest House. We stayed there in January about 3 years ago. It's two brownstones put together; none of the rooms are huge, but they are very nice. The small "lobby" has a full-time resident in the form of an old, much-loved cat; I forget his name, but I liked him. The staff was very nice. Breakfast was included, and it was served in what was once probably the basement, but it was bright and cheery and while not Eggs Benedict it was included all sorts of breads, juices, cereals, coffees, teas, etc. We would definitely go back; the location is perfect.

BuzzyJ: Thank you for the review. Sounds just like what we'd be comfortable with (we have two young cats, so something furry to pet with our afternoon wine would be great!). And I really like the location....

Good thing I have a while to make the decision, isn't it? Keep your recommendations coming. You people have been wonderful!!

The Lenox is also a nice hotel. Stayed there many times and the beds are quite comfortable. It's one block from Newbury Street.

Also, is the Four Seasons of interest to you?

I love Boston...my favorite town!

Mina, when were you here> I lived right around the corner on Newbury next to the Armani cafe til I moved to my current place.

I used travel all the time for business Mimi. My old corporate headquarters is on Berkeley Street off Boylston...the building that the FAO Schwartz is in. The last time I was there was Nov of last year before I quit my job. I hope to get there in the next few months again...if only for fun.

rjw-- I LOVED stayed at the Fairmont at Copley...2 blocks and you were in the heart of Newbury street with tons of great little restaurants....

Also, the main restaurant, the OAK ROOM, reminds me of the Plaza in NYC and the food is FABULOUS!!

The Fairmont was once "The Copely Hotel"It had a room once called The Merry-go-Round that was an actual carousel where you had drinks and at the bar you sat watching someone with a few too many trying to get off. Some of us still call it the copely as we still call the Mystic River Bridge that though it's renamed the Tobin.

Again, I want to thank everyone for their advice, suggestions and enthusiasm. I'm really looking forward to visiting Boston.

Now another question has come up. Is there a way to get from Back Bay to Wareham via mass transit? I am adamant about never driving in the Boston area again, so if I can get us to Wareham without the dreaded rental car (we're visiting VERY elderly relatives that cannot drive), I'll be very happy. The mbta.com website is not very helpful....

The reason that the MBTA site waasn't hepful is that Warham is halfway down Cape Cod -- far, far beyond the Metro-Boston area that the MBTA serves.

The trip from Back Bay to Wareham would be almost entirely highway miles, not very different from driving in other parts of the US -- it's the local streets of Boston that you probably want most to avoid.

If indeed there is mass transit connecting Boston and Warhem, it would be via private bus companies. Try Bonanza Bus, Peter Pan, and Greyhound.

Sorry about the typos, I really do know how to spell Wareham.

Anonymous: Dang, that was a quick response! I know it's heading toward the Cape, but it didn't look that far on the map. Oh well, I suppose renting a car for one day wouldn't be too awful-- it's just trying to get out of the Boston area that is the killer....

Thanks for the advice-- it's very helpful!

Try Bonanza Bus (bonanzabus.com). It looks like they have a bus that goes to Wareham. Its the Logan -Boston - Woods Hole route.

http://www.bonanzabus.com/logboswh.htm

bennnie, you're fantastic!! Thanks for the tip!

Hey, excuuuuse me, I though *I* recommended Bonanza bus first!

Anonymous: Yes you did, and I appreciate it. I'm not taking anything away from your tip.... I'm just thanking bennnie for the exact website.

Of course, the TIMES we'd need to connect with the Bonanza Bus could be a bit tight-- but then again, the visit will not be too long (these are very old people). We'd be back in Boston in time for dinner, a show, Pub Crawl, etc.

If you really don't want to drive into/out of Boston, you could always take the extra time and take MBTA or cab to some suburban car rental place (Enterprise does most suburbs, but many others now offer service in other than downtown or airport locations). Then drive to Wareham, and reverse process to return car. You could take MBTA to Quincy or even Braintree.

My choice would be to rent a car in Boston for the day and not drive during rush hour. Agree that streets can be maddening in Boston area - only you can choose if you want aggravation or to to spend extra time renting suburban car.

Well, although it's still between the Marriott Copley Place and the Newbury Guesthouse (we're going to sit on making the reservations till after the holidays), we're about 90% decided on the Guesthouse. Sometimes you just want "charm". I know you were all on the edge of your seats waiting for that decision...!

I'm sure I'll post with annoying questions closer to the travel date, but this has been enormously helpful. Thanks again to all of you!!

Sorry for jumping in late but I'm also thinking of a long w/e type trip to Boston in mid-late March. Wanted to know just how bad/good the weather can get (coming from Canada so snow is nothing new!!)? And if I get so "lucky" and get the snow dumps, how easy is it to navigate around on subway? I plan on bidding on PL (much luck so far) for the Copley area. Thanks for any advise.

Weather in March in Boston is a crap shoot. You could get snow and lots of it, you could get overcast, windy and cold, you could luck out and get a sunny warmer day (45-50). We typically do not have any real spring around here until April or May. Assume 30s-40s, overcast, rain or snow likely. Getting around on public transportation will not be an issue rain or snow. Copley Sq area is ideal for a visitor. Have a great trip and post under a new message if you have any further questions.