We will be flying out of Boston on March 21 after a ski trip to Vermont and will be in Boston from about 6pm 2/20 until our flight at 11am on 3/21. We were hoping for some Fodorite suggestions. We are 2 couples with a 2 and 3 year old but don't mind the fast pace. Our idea was to first go to Prudential observatory for a birds eye view of the surrounding area and sunset which is about 7pm. Afterwards drive around and see some of the hsitoric areas (North end, Fenway, Bunker Hill, Baecon Hill, etc.) Is it safe and would it be safe to do some of the historic walking tour after dark? Would you have any suggestions for a place to eat with Kids? We would need to be at the airport by 9am wednesday. Is there anything you would suggest doing that morning? We will have a rental car and have reservations in Revere. Is that a good place or is it too far outside of the city? All suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

You don't want to drive around to see the historic areas. Between the congestion, one-way streets and just plain wacky way that Boston marks streets, etc it's not a good idea.

Revere is close to the city but certainly not a great area. If you got a cheap rate then it's probably fine for your purposes. If I were you I'd drive the rental car into Boston, park it, and walk or take the T. Not sure if the duck tours will be running at that time of night but if they are it's your best bet to see the city in that short amount of time with kids.

There's really not much you can do before 9am coming from Revere. I guess you could get up early and walk around Beacon Hill or something.

Do not even consider driving to the historic places. Boston is a walking and public transit city. If you have a car it will be VERY expensive to park it, parking wil be hard to find and traffic will be hell. Best to take a cab or public transit to and from the airport.

With limited time, it might be best to stick to Quincy Market and the North End, both safe and lively after dark.
Both have many historic buildings.
For families, La Famiglia on Salem Street in the North End and Cafe Pompeii for coffee dessert on Hanover Street.

As the others have said, it's not really feasible in Boston to "drive around to see some of the historic areas".

Revere is an OK location if you're going straight from the hotel to the airport in the AM. I would recommend that instead of that, you return the car when you arrive in Boston; stay in the downtown, Quincy Marketplace, or Back Bay/Copley area; and take taxis to the airport in the AM. That way, you can be IN an interesting neighborhood to walk around in the evening and/or AM.

Unfortunately, I can't imagine doing much in that time frame with a 2 and 3 year old - but it is hard to help not knowing the kids schedules - or traffice.

You are hoping to get into Boston by 6pm on a weekday at 6pm - you may hit evening traffic along the way and it is spring vacation for certain schools which can make more or less traffic.

It's just with your limited time, it's full with a lot of "if's" to me -

IF you get to Boston by 6pm, and allow time to park the car - and if you get to the Pru during it's opening hours and then what time are you planning on dinner and where? and then you have to retreive your car and drive to Revere to the hotel and get settled - seems like cramming a lot in to me -

You have no time to do anything the following morning b efore your 11am flight - between returning a rental car and check in, you need to be to Logan by 9am and you are then arriving in Boston along with everyone else during rush hour traffic - and even though you are not far from Logan in Revere, you still need to be aware - one traffic tie up can cause a problem.

Wyatt is absolutely right - you do not want to drive around to see Boston - first, there are many things you can not see from the street - and traffic and one ways make that an arduous task at best.
From Bunker Hill to the North End to Fenway is quite a spread -

If you just want to see Bunker Hill, you could do something like that on your way,but frankly, to just go to the top of the Pru at 7pm, I wouldn't bother.

Now, you could tell us these are 2 and 3 yr olds who will love this and be wide awake and not cranky and even after driving down from Vermont they can deal with arriving, parking, the Pru, and not eating until after that and then driving around in a car for another hour until driving to Revere to settle in at a hotel...
and then you can do it, but I just think it is jammed in and not to see much.

If you really want time in Boston, I would cut my ski trip short, get in the car early on the 21st and get into Boston in the early afternoon - see the view from the Pru in the daylight, do a tour if you want - trolley or duck if they are running, walk Newbury/Comm Ave/Beach Hill thru the Boston public Garden, Boston Common, parts of the freedom trail and into the North End, or at least to Faneuil Hall, grab some dinner, send one of the guys back to get the car and pick you up outisde Faneuil Hall and head to Revere and get to your hotel by 8..

that would be Beacon Hill, not "Beach Hill" ...sorry, need some more coffee...slow starting today !

The Duck tours appear not to resume until March 26th. One week after our visit or that is what we would do. Are there any narrated bus night tours. I hate taking the tourist route but probably have no other choice because of our extremely limited time. Thank you for all the replies.

The only other thing aside from the Duck tours that I k now of is the Beantown trolley tour, there is a short 1 1/2 hour one of boston/waterfront area but I believe all their tours end at 4pm, but you can find out by searching online for Beantown Trolley.

a good site for you to look at is cityofboston.gov
and click on the section for visitors, maybe you can find something for your group.

This is a really tight time schedule. Seems that you will have a car and have just driven from VT with 2 toddlers - can't imagine they want to spend any more time in the car. You could go to Prudential and then eat somewhere in that vicinity within Prudential complex - there is a parking garage there. That is about all you could reasonably expect to do on day of arrival, and am not even sure it is worth it.

Agree to forget about a driving tour - after dark in an unfamiliar city where there is a limited amount that can be seen from the street anyway does not seem like fun to me. Unlike some cities, it is unlikely you could find street parking, do a fast runby of some site, and return to car - just doesn't work that way in Boston.

As far as next AM - if it really is possible to roust everyone out of bed at 6 AM, you could do a driveby of USS Constitution in Charlestown and then on to airport, but again I am not sure it is worth it.

Do not know how long you are skiing in VT, but if it is long enough, cut a day off your skiing, leave VT early AM on 3/20 and then you have at least part of a day in Boston.

I think you may be trying to do too much with too little time and somehow I have this awful image of 4 adults and 2 toddlers arriving frantic and late to airport with the kids whining and the adults in foul moods - but hopefully if you are even considering the idea you are far better at managining this sort of thing than I am.