I think if you had a rental car some of the cost would be made up by being able to drive to local eating establishments - without a rental car, how are you going to eat other than at the Marriott - and that would certainly be pricey. The area in which the Marriott is located is largely retail, with a large hospital down the street. Outside this retail circle it is very residential - and neither is well served by public transportation - even to get to the Marriott by combination of public transit and taxi would be difficult - to try to get around from there without a car would be seriously limiting. If at all possible, get a car.

The vast majority of the restaurants in the area are chains - some national, some local. Many of the local independent restaurants are some Asian type. The Burlington Mall down the street (as said above, about a mile or so) has quite a few restaurants - regional chains - some of which are quite acceptable. The combination of these 2 types would be your most economical for meals.

If you are going to be at the hotel for a convention or conference, there is a chance that other people will be coming through the airport about the same time. I'd suggest calling the hotel to see if there are any services offered to the hotel or close to the hotel from the airport. I'd think the cost by taxi to be $70-$80, it is a bit of a hike.

I also don't think you really need to have a car, you can get a taxi from the hotel if you are going out to dinner and you may find other people interested in going as well. Why pay for a car to sit in the parking lot all day just to go out to dinner in the evening.

If you have some time to see Boston before heading home, I can recommend the Harborside Hotel, which is downtown, well priced, right at Quincy Market AND on the blue line which will take you right to the airport.

There is a nice "walk" called The Freedom Trail which you wind you all over downtown Boston, out to Chelsea to see alot of the well known sites and you can do as much of the tour as you would like. There are maps available online and available at your hotel and in Quincy Market (lots of restaurants and shopping there as well).

Have a great time seeing Boston.

If you have not already booked your flights, do check fares and car rental rates for Manchester and Boston.

Manchester Airport is about 45 minutes north of Burlington, MA. Logan Airport is about 25 minutes south of Burlington, MA, with absolutely no traffic.

Unless you need/want to be in Boston the same day you arrive or depart, it will not matter if you fly into Manchester instead, if the rates are more favorable.

You do not want to drive or park in Boston.

You will definitely want/need a rental car in Burlington, as the nearest dining destinations are at least a ten minute walk and the Burlington Mall is more like 1.5 miles from the Marriott, and it's a very large mall.

According to the Marriott website, they offer no shuttle service, and no information is provided regarding public transportation to/from the Marriott. To my knowledge there is none.

So, you would definitely want to have a rental car.

If you want to visit Boston from the Marriott, you can park and ride from the MBTA station in Woburn (5 miles) and take use the commuter rail. Or, you can park and ride at Alewife (10 miles) and take the T into Boston.

You can check transit from Logan to the Marriott on the Massport website.

There is a shared van service called Flightline. To/from the Marriott and Logan is about $60 each way. To/from the Marriott and Manchester is about $75 each way.

With all due respect to travelbuff who has given some useful advice on NY - I actually live near enough to Burlington to have been shopping there this afternoon. This is not a just get a cab area. Certainly the hotel could get you a cab, but very few locals rely on cabs for local transportation - this could quickly get to be both expensive and annoying phoning and waiting for a cab each time you wanted to eat dinner and then again to go home. Local cab fares are ridiculously high. We live about 25 miles from Logan and about 10 miles from MBTA station in Woburn - and for some reason known only to them, it costs about $70 to take cab to our home from Logan and $55 to take cab to our house from Woburn MBTA.

In the evening if you want to stop at the mall, see a movie, or even explore the area a car is essential. And I do not think cabs would be cheaper when you add in airport transportation.

Please critique this itinerary for me. Arrive Logan @ noon on Tuesday and pick up rental car. Store luggage in car and then take the subway around Boston. Return to the car rental via subway to airport and rental car shuttle. Travel to Burlington in the late evening. Conference days are Wed. Thur. and Fri.. If interested in returning to the city I'll use djkbooks recommendation and take the subway. Which is a better option for a clueless traveler Woburn or Alewife to get back into the city? On Friday after the conference, check out of the Marriott, check into a hotel in Boston, return the rental car, and take the subway back to the hotel. Hotel recs are appreciated. Especially those with a complimentary airport shuttle. Other than the evenings after the conference, it looks like I'll have 1.5 days to tour Boston as my flight will leave @ 5:30 on Saturday. Is this doable or should I rethink the plan????

I fly into Manchester every October... and then head to Burlington MA to the Hyatt Summerfield Suites...

I just find Manchester much easier to navigate than BOS. Rental cars are right there, no need to shuttle to one. The drive down to Burlington is lovely, and you say you are going in October. It could be quite colorful.

Have a great trip.

Carol

Sounds like a good compromise. By returning to the city, I am assuming you mean on conference days. If that is the case, then Alewife - Woburn is commuter rail not subway and trains are few and far between outside of rush hour. To get to Alewife station from Burlington, take Route 128 (on maps I95 but called Rte 128 by everyone local and on traffic reports) to Route 2 and then head east (really south) to the end where you will find Alewife Station.

You will hit traffic on the way into Boston on a Friday, even though it is reverse of commute. But reverse directions above - once you are on I93 South just follow signs to airport. This should not be a nightmare of a traffic drive - you are not driving on city streets at any time - just on interstates and like anywhere else, you should be aware of exit signs, etc.

If you happen to be bringing a portable GPS, the airport directions off I93 may not be up to date as this is part of the Big Dig (which is finished). Follow the signs - tell the GPS to be quiet. If you would like more detailed directions for any part of this trip, let me know.

If this is Columbus Day weekend, hotels may be a bit more, but October should be workable for finding a hotel.

Will rental car place let you leave car and luggage in their lot on Tuesday. I never thought of doing that.

You will get directions from rental car place to get to Burlington, but you want I93 north out of airport - follow signs carefully - to Route 128/I95 south - then I am sure hotel website gives you good directions. It is a clear shot out of the airport - as long as you pay attention to signage you will be fine and never hit a city street of Boston. Same with returning car. Late Tues evening after rush hour the trip to Burlington from the airport is 30-40 minutes.

One other thought. Do not rent from Enterprise. Their car pickup location is in a confusing location and in the wrong direction from where you want to head after you pick up rental car. The others are all in a group )assuming you are renting from a recognizable brand name) and you can get on/off I93 from them with greater ease.

Sorry - one other correction. You DO NOT get into Boston by the directions I gave to Alewife. If you go that way you will say horrible things about me in the future. IGNORE that as a way to get into Boston to Logan. Route 128 to Route 93. Head south. Follow signs for airport - exit will be inside a tunnel.

Find out whether you can return the rental car in town rather than trekking out to (and back from) the airport rental place on Friday. Most agencies have outposts near hotels in Back Bay etc. While you're at it, double-check that you'll be able to leave the car parked at the rental agency while you go downtown on Tuesday. In fact, it might even make sense to do the rental as well as the drop-off in town, depending on how much luggage you're schlepping. Might even be cheaper.

japw82,

<i>Arrive Logan @ noon on Tuesday and pick up rental car. Store luggage in car and then take the subway around Boston. Return to the car rental via subway to airport and rental car shuttle.</i>

That alone is a pain in the a__. I definitely suggest you look into Anonymous's suggestion of an in-town pick-up and drop-off.

I'll look into in-town pick up and drop off. I'll have a suitcase and a carry-on. Will this be a pain on the subway from Logan to the car rental agency?

How big is your suitcase?

Depends on where you pick up the car rental. I'd suggest checking South Station for car rental agency. It's an easy ride on the Silver Line of the T from Logan to South Station. That's your easiest option.

To get on the Silver Line (which is a bendy bus), you need to be able to lift your suitcase up 1 step onto the bus. (and vice versa when you get off). There are elevators and escalators at South Station.

yk,
It is rather large but on wheels. I've lugged it up and down more than 1 step in the past so that shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for the information, I'll compare prices.

Thanks for all your help. Looks like I'll now be flying into Logan on Sunday and staying at an airport hotel on Sunday and Monday, picking up a rental car on Tuesday and heading to Burlington. Any thoughts on hotels? Rental cars and hotels are less expensive out of Logan and it seems to make sense to stay out there and take the subway into the city each day. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites at Logan once and it was clean and quiet. It turned out to be cheaper--if I am remembering correctly-- than the Hilton which is also at Logan.