ozgirl

Hi all,will be picking up rental at Logan International at 0900 and driving toward Bar Harbor in a couple of weeks time on a Friday.
Last time we were in Boston and drove was during the Big Dig and it was somewhat traumatic! Given that we will have arrived the night before this will be our first day 're-learning' the driving on the R thing again!
Any tips on the least complex route to get out of the city please?
We will have GPS which should make a big difference but the first day of opposite side driving is always stressful ( in our family!) so trying to do a little planning to minimize.
Thanks in advance as always.

cw

ozgirl, If you're going straight from the airport to Maine, I think you'll be fine with your GPS. You'll be on a divided highway until you get way into Maine so the left/right driving shouldn't be too stressful.

You can use your GPS but I would recommend leaving the airport and heading to Boston on Rt. 1A west, through the tunnel then head North on Rt. 1 (over the Tobin Bridge), leading to Rt. 95 North to Maine.

There are shorter ways, not by much, but this way will keep you out of local traffic.

ozgirl

Thanks cw, just the sort of tip I was after!
It's just the initial pick up and unfamiliarity of everything on the opposite side (inside and outside of the car!) as well as looking for directions and being in the right lane to exit etc. etc.
Last time we were in Boston and rented a car we spent ages trying to work out how to get into the 'boot' to stow our luggage until the poor rental man realised we wanted to access the 'trunk!' lol

hawksbill

ozgirl, welcome back to the U.S.! I can imagine how stressful that first day in the backwards car must be. There's a trip to the U.K. that I keep planning, but then chickening out on, because I'm afraid of the driving on the left thing. I've done it in the U.S.V.I., but there's a big difference between sleepy island traffic and big city traffic.

cw's directions don't make any sense to me. Why would you drive into Boston through the tunnel, and then drive right back out again on the Tobin Bridge? You're already on the correct side of the water when you're at the airport. No tunnels or bridges are needed. You can exit the airport directly onto 1A, and then that just connects to US-1, and then that connects to I-95.

gail

I understand what cw is doing - and I am actually struggling a bit with what to tell you to do. Hawksbill is correct that you are already on the correct side of the water - but the route any local person would take to Rte 1 and I95 north can be a bit confusing. But directions of cw avoid some of the traffic/more local streets in the logical directions.

Follow the GPS - what can get confusing is that you will need to navigate a couple of "rotaries", AKA "roundabouts" and driving on the wrong side of the road will complicate these. If you are when to exit the rotary, just go around again and you will have more time to figure it out.

The few miles between Logan and Rte 1 is a 2-lane in each direction very local raod with stores lining each side of the highway - so lots of people entering and exiting the road. It is not a highway. There can be a lot of traffic, but on a Friday AM it should not be awful.

Follow signage out of car rental place to Route 1A N and then to Rte 1 N. Route 1 N is a 2-lane highway, also with many stores/malls - try to get into the center lane since exiting and entering cars can be a bit much.

Then take I95 North. The rest is really easy.

As far as the inside of the car, make sure you also know how to open the gas fill door - I struggled with that in a recent rental car and it turned out you just pushed on the door and it sprung open - most, however, have some sort of lever on the left side of the driver - either under/to side of seat or lower on the dashboard around knee level.

You will need US cash for tolls - no matter which way you go, so bring some or get some at airport. Also, GPS devices are prime targets for thieves here, who will break windows of car to get it - don't even leave the rubber suction cup thing attached when you leave the car. This is much less a problem than it was some years ago, however, since GPS devices now cost about $100 to buy.

cw

My directions were meant to avoid local traffic as Gail and I explained. I thought that throwing them into the local streets and rotaries first thing was something they wanted to avoid. Especially when getting used to driving on the other side of the road. So I directed them to divided highways.

I've driven in England a few times and didn't mind the bumper to bumper traffic getting out of London because it gave me time to figure out what lane I needed to be in and where to turn. But it can still be stressful no matter what your comfort level is with the car.

ozgirl, maybe you can google directions before you get here and review your options. Then you can decide what feels right when you get here.

Good advice about hiding the GPS. Rental agencies now offer a transponder for the automatic toll payments. I'm not sure what the cost is, over and above the toll cost, but it might be worth it for the convenience.

Good luck--early Friday morning should be a good time to drive North from Boston.

Ackislander

Yes, early Friday morning is a good time to drive to Maine, but it is a terrible time to contend with the rotaries in Revere etc, which often back up outbound because they are jammed by inbound commuters.

CW's directions are fine, the route to Maine is well signed after you leave the tunnel, and I would only suggest the Williams tunnel rather than the old one, which seems shorter, beecause the toll lanes are much easier.

gail

One more thought - the GPS will undoubtedly take you on 1A to Rte 1 to Rte 95. If you choose the tunnel route, ask directions at the rental car place - would be happy to give you directions, but not sure which rental company you are using and sometimes the car pick-up lots are on weird little side streets.

hawksbill

Hmm... I can certainly see the value of trying to stay on highways and avoid local streets, and especially those two rotaries. I wasn't sure which tunnel cw meant to use -- I think taking the Sumner Tunnel inbound at rush hour, especially without a Fast Lane transponder (that's our electronic toll system) isn't the most appealing alternative. But taking the Williams tunnel (as Ackislander suggested) could be a good plan. I've never actually taken the Williams tunnel inbound at rush hour, so I don't know what the traffic would be like, or how the Central Artery would be moving in that direction. If I understand correctly, this is the route that is proposed: http://tinyurl.com/6x7wm74

My instinct would have been to try something like this: http://tinyurl.com/3pszyr8 However, admittedly, this would be far, far more complicated and unpleasant for drivers who have just arrived from Australia. Even I wouldn't try it without a lot of help from my GPS. Furthermore, according to google maps, my back-streets route, though more direct geographically, doesn't save any time compared to the highway route. Live and learn, I guess.

I actually leave my GPS' suction mount attached to my windshield all the time, although I take the actual computer thing with me when I leave the car. I haven't had a break-in yet (knock on wood), but mine isn't the recommended behavior, because thieves could assume that I left the device in the glove compartment, break in, and look for it. The easiest way to avoid a problem is probably to do what I do when traveling in a rental car: use one of those bean-bag type mounts that you just put on the dashboard, without attaching it to anything. That way, when you park, you can just pick up the whole assembly and hide it under a seat or something.

ozgirl

Hi guys, many thanks for taking the time to reply with such comprehensive directions.
I have mixed thoughts now - the point about being in slow traffic and having time to sort out where to go has it's merits, this has certainly worked for us before.
The roundabouts should be OK, we have driven quite a bit in France and they are plentiful as they are here in Australia ( the opposite way of course!)
I will have a good luck at all options on the map - it often helps if I have that 'picture' in my mind first as I will probably navigate.
I think the GPS will make a big difference from last time and I am probably worrying unnecessarily but driving OS is the one and only thing DH and I argue about!!
We are picking up from Thrifty at the airport after staying the night in the Hilton, so hopefully that will go smoothly.
Many thanks again.

clarkgriswold

Avoid the rotaries if you're used to driving on the other side of the road. Which might also mean ignoring the GPS instructions.

And wait until 10am.

deladeb

About 20 years ago we arrived in Boston to pick up a rental car to head to Bar Harbor too. We arrived at 11 am on a Sunday and were shocked to see Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. We headed out of the craziness and ended up in the cute town of Marblehead Massachusetts and we drove along the coast up to Hampton Beach New Hampshire, where traffic was backed up and then we jumped on I 95.

hawksbill

I wouldn't worry too much about the counter-clockwise rotaries being hard for your brain to handle. The real problem with rotaries is that they're a horribly inefficient way to handle traffic, and they can cause a lot of congestion during heavy traffic periods. The abundance of rotaries is one of the reasons why the Boston area can be so unpleasant to drive in.

The first of the two rotaries, which is called Mahoney Circle (although I don't think there are any signs identifying it as such), is a weird one. It has lots of traffic lights, and a road that cuts straight through the middle of it. In your direction, ozgirl, you won't even experience it is a rotary, but more of a series of traffic lights one after another The only major navigational decision you'll have to make is keeping to the left here: http://tinyurl.com/3zzrn7e

The second rotary, the one where 60 and 107 cross, is a conventional rotary, the kind where you yield the right of way while entering. You could easily avoid this one if you want, just by taking a different route through the streets of Revere. Like, for example, this one: http://tinyurl.com/67h6vvc That may not save you any time, because the other major streets will be busy at rush hour too, but it would at least save you the aggravation of having to deal with the rotary.

I've been convinced by the others here that, if I were jet-lagged and driving on what feels like the wrong side of the road, I might prefer the tunnel-and-bridge, highways-only route. However, keep in mind that, if you do this, you'll be underground from the time you enter the tunnel to the time you come out onto the Tobin Bridge. Your GPS probably won't work down there, so you'll need to review your various exits before you go into the tunnel.

Would it be possible for you to hit the road a little earlier, say at 0700? That way you'd miss all the traffic, and any route would be more pleasant.

hawksbill

By the way, here are two of my favorite stops that are right on the route between Boston and Bar Harbor:

(1) Bob's Clam Hut, Kittery, Maine.http://www.bobsclamhut.com/home.htm Nice place to stop for lunch, especially if the weather is nice and you sit outside. Try a "side order" of fried clams, which come with tartar sauce, or a lobster roll. Both are summer New England traditions. I wouldn't get anything that comes with "fries" (which I believe you call "chips.") That's just too much fried stuff for me.

(2) L.L. Bean flagship store, Freeport, Maine. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/1000001705 L.L. Bean is mostly known in the U.S. as a mail-order store that specializes in outdoorsy-oriented clothes. Most of their customers never have a chance to visit their flagship store, which is enormous, and always open. It's an interesting experience, and a good place to stop if you realize that Maine is cooler than you thought and you forgot to pack a fleece. Or if you have a sudden urge to purchase a kayak, and a life jacket for your dog.

Both Kittery and Freeport have many other outlet stores, in case you're in the mood for shopping.

gail

My GPS and those of my family all work in all the tunnels around Boston - I think they put some sort of thing in them to make GPS work. (Cell phones - not always work though)

Marblehead is not on the way to Rte I95, Maine, Portsmouth. It is north, but on a different road

amyb

If ozgirl is truly leaving Logan at or after 9:00, she'll be fine taking 1A north to 1 to 95. The majority of the traffic in the morning is going in the opposite direction, and unless there's a gigantic accident at or immediately approaching the rotaries, I have never, ever seen them back up to the point where inbound traffic would be clogging them. There's no point going near Boston proper or over the Tobin at all, imho.

ozgirl

Hi all, we are scheduled to pick up car at 0900 so I guess once paperwork sorted and luggage stowed it will be more like 0930 ish, hopefully that will help?
Hawskbill thanks for the tips re stops - we actually visited the LL Bean store some years back and loved it!
We actually have two days to get to BH so will stop somewhere overnight along the way - last time we stopped at Freeport going north and then Kennebunkport on the way back.

With the tunnel route and if the GPS works, would we have plenty of notice re exits or will the traffic be very fast moving?

hawksbill

Don't count on the GPS working in all of those tunnels. There's a good chance that it won't. Mine seems to work most of the time in the tunnels that go under water, but not in the tunnels that go under the city, and you will spend a lot of time in those.

You can actually "rehearse" most of your route in Google Maps, if you want, and I think you should at least make a list of all of the exits you need to take, and whether they go from the left or the right.

If you do the Williams Tunnel route (which is the only tunnel route I'd recommend), once you're in there, you'll need to get in the right lane for exit 23/24. Once you take that exit, you'll need to stay in the left lane for exit 24 (rather than 23 in the right lane). Then you take a right exit for I-93 North, and then a left exit for exit 27 onto US-1. All of that will be pretty much underground. And I think for some of those, you could have less than 30 seconds to get in the correct lane, if the traffic is moving briskly.

Cranachin

ozgirl -

The most straightforward route, although it is also by far the longest, is to go back toward the airport from the Thrifty lot and follow the signs for Interstate 90 (I-90)/Ted Williams Tunnel.

You will take Exit 25/24 from I-90 (not 23/24 - there is no Exit 23 westbound) and then stay left for Exit 24 (I-93). At Exit 24 you will bear right for I-93 North, and then follow I-93 to Exit 37A for I-95 North (toward Peabody). Stay on I-95 (which is also Massachusetts Route 128 at this point) until the two diverge. At that point, stay right to remain on I-95 (sign will say I-95/Portsmouth, NH; it will look like you are exiting) rather than going straight to continue on Route 128 (Exit 43/Gloucester).

Disadvantages - This is a longer route; you might run into commuter traffic, as you get onto I-93 south of "downtown" Boston; you spend a lot of time in tunnels at the beginning.

Advantage - You don't have to deal with traffic on surface streets or rotaries.

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You COULD take Exit 27 from I-93 to get onto US-1, as hawksbill suggests.

Advantage - This shortens your route some. You also avoid rotaries.

Caution #1 - US-1 (aka Route 1) is lined with shopping centers, gas stations, restaurants, offices, and such. There are also on-ramps from surface streets. Stay in the middle lane, as you have been advised previously, to avoid cars entering and exiting the highway.

Caution #2 - There are actually two ways to get to I-95 North from US-1. One of them is simply to follow the signs for I-95 North/Portsmouth, NH (this keeps you on US-1 longer). The other is to take Route 128 North, although it can be a little more confusing.

To use the latter routing, note that just before the exit for I-95 South/Route 128 North, there is an exit for Route 129 East/Lynn/Swampscott. The right lane of US-1 is signed "Exit Only" here. The remaining two lanes of US-1 then go under Route 129 (through the "Lynnfield Tunnel", as it is known). On the other side of Route 129, the right lane (that you lost to the exit) reappears as an entrance ramp to US-1. You must IMMEDIATELY move over to the right lane to make the exit to I-95/Route 128, which can be tricky if you are not familiar with it. Then once on the exit, you must stay left for Route 128/Gloucester. Once on Route 128 (which you will discover is also I-95 North!), keep right for I-95 rather than taking the left exit (Exit 43) for Route 128.

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If you elect to take Route 1A to Route 60 to US-1 (Route 1) as hawksbill suggested, you will save a few miles, but you will encounter more aggressive driving. Just be aware of that.

Caution #1 - Boston-area drivers can be VERY aggressive. One place that comes out is on rotaries. Hawksbill says "The second rotary, the one where 60 and 107 cross, is a conventional rotary, the kind where you yield the right of way while entering." That SHOULD read "the kind where you ARE SUPPOSED TO yield the right of way while entering." I can't tell you how many times I have had "entering" drivers shoot right out in front of me, on that very rotary, without bothering to slow down (I drive US-1/Route 60/Route 1A to the airport about once a month).

Note also that the intersection of Route 60 with US-1 is a very large rotary (with exit ramps to/from US-1 on the rotary).

Caution #2 - As hawksbill says, stay to the left at Mahoney Circle, where Route 1A goes off to the right and you pick up Route 60. After that you want to be in the right lane - except where the road goes to three lanes; then you want to be in the middle lane. Unfortunately, the photos of Route 60/Squire Road on Google Maps are a bit outdated, so they do not show the three-lane configuration as it exists now for either direction.

Caution #3 - The Thrifty lot is on the southbound side of Route 1A. To get on 1A North, take what looks like an "exit" of sorts just after you get onto 1A South from Thrifty (so you will need to be in the right lane). This is one of Boston's famous "jug handles" - where you must turn right in order to turn left (or make a U-turn, in this case). You will "exit" right, swing left to the traffic light, and then turn left onto Route 1A North.

Have fun!

Cranachin

By the way, when (day of the week, time of day) do you intend to return the car? That can present its own set of challenges!