My husband I I will be visiting these locations mid- August. My only concern is driving around Boston. If we stay outside of Boston...is there a transit system that can take us into the downtown area? How far out can you stay and still ride one of these in? Also interested in getting up to Salem, but will probably drive around Boston for that. Any information on the transit system would be much apprecited.

www.mbta.com is the link to the T. How long are you staying to fit all that in?

Boston has a very good public transportation system that you should plan on using regardless of where you stay. But to really get answers to your questions you need to provide a little more info.

Will you be driving to the area or flying in and then renting a car?

Are you planning on changing hotels - it would be hard to day trip to all of the places you've mentioned.

You have to be very careful about the location of hotels outside Boston since some with airport shuttles are out on Rt 1. There are commuter trains from North Station and also South Station and both have subway stations, too.
My friends and I (middle-aged ladies) have stayed at the Best Western Roundhouse suites which is actually in South Boston next to Rt 93. I just checked and they still offer FREE parking and reasonable rates. The catch is that this is a lousy area. The hotel does have a shuttle service sometimes available to take you to the nearest subway stop. It's a long walk but do-able. There aren't any nice restaurants nearby but you can afford to take cabs. We use a subway during the day and prefer to take cabs after dark. We have also stayed in Cambridge across the river but the parking is no longer free and the cab rides are more expensive. It's a long walk to the nearest T. There are certainly a lot nicer hotels with parking (at least $20/day) but at higher rates. I haven't tried Priceline yet but you might be able to get a good deal staying inside the city.

You don't have to drive around IN Boston very much in order to arrive at your hotel and park there. Most hotels can give you excellent specific directions. Don't stay outside the city merely in order to avoid a little bit of in-town driving. The T is excellent, but why waste precious vacation time and effort riding around on trains unnecessarily?

You would only need to "drive around Boston" to get to Salem if you choose a hotel that's south of the city. So don't do that. The T has a fast, affordable Commuter Rail train that will take you directly from North Station in Boston to the train station in Salem.

Do not choose a hotel based solely on its parking rates. As noted above the Best Western Roundhouse is in a terrible neighborhood and has poor access to public transit; I can think of 50 hotels I'd recommend before that one. Or check the other Boston threads here on Fodors.

We will be flying Skybus in Chicopee, MA and renting a car. We will be in the area for 4 days. Hartford will be merely a drive though. Driving straight to Mystic, having lunch and then heading to the Providence/Cape Cod area. Was hoping to maybe stay around there, but I don't believe anything from there will get us to Boston other than us driving ourselvest here. 1 days in Cape Cod to look around, then 1 day in Boston to see the Freedom Trail area and then 1 day in Salem do see historical things, leaving at 9:30 that evening. That is why I asked what would be the southern most part of the Boston area that we could stay in safely and use public transportation to get to the Freedom Trail area. Any hints?

I was afraid you were going to answer with a short timeframe. New England, while it is small and compact, is not easy driving and will have a lot of traffic. Skip Mystic as you will be spending a lot of time in the car to have lunch. Its 3 hours from Chicopee to Mystic then 2.5 hours from Mystic to the Cape, assuming no traffic. However, you are going peak travel season and will have heavy traffic. The Cape is not worth the trip either if you only have 1 day to "look around". What do you expect to be able to see? I would just concentrate on Boston / Salem. With your current plans, 75% of your trip will be in the car. Also, with the short time frame, stay in Boston.

It is also 1.5 hours back to Chicopee from Boston if you are flying out of Barnes.

Well, Chicopee to Mystic is probably actually 2 hours or less, but I do agree that's awfully far out of your way just for lunch, especially with so little time for your other 3 destinations.

Just found a place to stay. Clarion Nantasket Beach Resort & Spa. Free parking and they have a commuter boat called Harbor Express that will take us to Boston for $12.00 R/T. It's a beautiful place!

I stand corrected. It is 1.5 hrs from Chicopee to Mystic but that is without traffic in Hartford, New Haven and New London. Add in the normal traffic along 95 and it very well could be 3 hours. Remember there is heavy construction in New Haven as you get onto 95. There are alternate routes that will avoid traffic. All I did to calculate the time is add the time it takes me to get to Mystic to the time it takes me to get to Chicopee but I am northeast of Hartford, caught in no man's land and take side roads to Mystic. What time are you landing in Chicopee? 1.5 hours is still too far to go to have lunch.

That looks like a good location to be able to get into Boston, but will be time consuming to get to Salem from there. Not sure of public transportation options. Check the reviews on Trip Advisor - complaints about parking situation so be careful.

Well, um, yes if you go to Mystic via New Haven, I can see where that might take 3 hours since New Haven is in the wrong direction, west of Mystic.

we arrive in Chicopee at 9:00 a.m., getting rental at 10 and on our way. Regarding Salem trip..we will be checking out at day and heading up to Salem early, then leaving from there for our flight late in the day. So, really only going into Boston 1 day. May enjoy the hotel if it's as nice as it looks.

Sorry, only looked briefly at google maps (thought I saw it sending you all the way to NH to get on 95)but it does send you the alternate routes to avoid traffic. I still don't recommend Mystic with your timeframe. Any particular reason you want to go to Mystic? If its just to see a seaport, you can see the same thing on the Cape and have more time there. I really enjoy the Cape but don't know if its worth the hassle for 1 day. What day of week would you be driving to the Cape? If its Thursday thru Monday, forget about it.

Nantasket Beach is far from a beautiful place. It's probably the last area I'd stay in by the water. Plus, you'll be commuting to both Boston and the Cape which is not convenient.

I agree, skip Hartford and Mystic and do 2 days on the Cape and 2 days in Boston.

How many nights are you talking about?
I am extremely familiar with the Clarion and Hull since I have a home also on the south shore -
While the Clarion is a lovely hotel, and is across from the ocean - and Hull now has at least three excellent high end restaurants, the "worth the drive for" type - (Bridgeman's, Sapporito's, etc) and while it does have the ferry option - the times can be limited.

It does however, also now have a train at Nantasket Junction/Hingham that can get you into Boston in under an hour - into South Station and from there you can go anywhere -

However, I think there are better lodging options even if you want to be 'outside the city' rather than inside the city - y

ou are trying to squeeze SO much in in such a short time, I think you want any commuting to be minimal.

Depending on what day you choose to go to Salem, you will have to plan so carefully what time you leave, to get back to your flight - you might want to consider getting to Salem by the ferry from Boston
salemferry.com

the MBTA site has a plan your trip portion to help you plan, you can also cross check with hopstop.com, which I find quite helpful even though I am in Boston and use the T frequently -although I always double check any info on either website

Mid August traffic can vary. It can be horrendous or light, and you can never tell which - depending on the amount who is vacationing where and when -

You say your only concern is driving around in Boston, - if that is why you are not staying IN Boston, then don't worry about it. Driving in Boston is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be - while I am used to it having grown up in the city, I've also driven in DC and LA and Boston is not as horrendous as often made out to be - PLUS you won't be driving IN Boston - you'll drive to your hotel, park the car and never use it again -

If you want to stay on the outskirts to save money,
I'd rather see you try a spot like the DoubleTree/Hilton at Bayside - a block or so from a T stop - and on the red line which will get you right into South Station and from there you can begin accessing anything - commuter boat, the harbor, ferries, T , taxis, buses, rail -

or the Marriott in Quincy, or the Adams Inn in Quincy, which has shuttle service to South Station, - if it is imperative you stay outside the city for cost, etc and you can't get a good rate in the city, look into some other options before you settle on the Clarion in Hull -
the Clarion is a great option if you have a function, wedding, visiting family, on the South Shore - it does give you access to a nice, long beach to walk and while the rooms/hot tubs/bar, ocean views, are nice -
you are limited to good restaurants and the old time "fair" feeling of one of the oldest carousels in the US, mini golf, and an area where many who do not have access to the beach hang out to cool off at night - many families are all along the water, the beach, the seawall, until dark cooling off on hot nights, watching a (magnificent) sunset and eating at the local clam shack and pizza parlors , etc -

HOWEVER, there is much more to do IN Boston as a visitor and I would want a 10-15 minute commute back to my hotel if I was out of the city - and Hull is a longer trip than that.

ALso, I would forget Mystic and the Cape and if you want shoreline, take the time to do one of the Boston Harbor Tours - out to Castle Island, Spectacle Island (which a walk to the top offers you the highest harbor views and is gorgeous) - and/or the ferry to Salem -
this will giveyou coastal/water/etc

If you really want some smaller, old New England fishing type harbors to stop in, you can also get that on a day trip out of Boston w/out going all the way to the Cape -

if you wantto see Provincetown, the area, restaurants, maybe do a Dune tour, or something - look into the fast ferry options from Boston for a one day turn around trip

Mystic and Cape Cod. I think this is a lot to do. You can only sample the tiniest bit of the Cape after a drive from Chicopee (!). Mystic is nice. Spend what remains of your first day in Mystic, visiting the Seaport and Museum and the Aquarium, perhaps. Spend the night, then drive to Boston. It will take about two hours.

There is a Hilton in Dedham that is often available inexpensively on Priceline. You may get an early checkin at the hotel, but you can certainly park there if you are checking in later. It is an easy walk from the hotel to the MBTA commuter rail which will take you to South Station, from which the Freedom Trail is easy to get to. Eat dinner in the city before taking a late train back to Dedham. That will be your first day in Boston.

Next day, drive into the city and park in the Common garage. Take the T from Park Street station to, depending on your interests: (a) the Museum of Fine Arts and Gardner Museum (b) Harvard Square (lots of people watching) and the Glass Flowers (c) Fenway Park. Or don't take the T and walk out through the Back Bay to Mass Ave on Commonwealth, then back to the Common down Newbury Street with its upscale shops. Take a quick detour to Copley Square, the original building of the Boston Public Library with its historic murals, and Trinity Church, before returning to Newbury St. Many, many places to lunch. Around 7, when the commuter traffic has died down, drive to Salem and check in to your hotel.

Next day, walk through Salem, visit the Peabody Essex Museum (more history than art, fantastic, with restored houses and rooms). If time allows, go to Marblehead, park on the street in the old part of town, and walk to the waterfront.

Get in your car and on the road to Chicopee by 3:30 because you will be fighting commuter traffic much of the way.

Ouch - 4 days is very fast and New England while not big can command a lot of driving time. I live in Hartford and while I love it - skip it - not even to drive through. Stay along the coast. The Cape is much larger than people realize. You have chosen a good base. I ask that others chime in. Can they do a good day trip to Salem, maybe one in Boston and one to Provincetown (on the cape) via the fast ferry???

One more thought. It's mod August in the summer. Traffic can be a nightmare on the coast. Even the ferry to Ptown can be full. What are your dates??

We will be traveling Aug. 11-14th. Monday - Thursday. The trip around Hartford was to visit Glastonbury where I spent a few summers as a child visiting my sister. I was going to take a picture of their house for her as a surprise. But..may opt out of that. So, Mystic is really not worth the extra drive, huh? Then Chicopee to the Cape it is. I may cancel the reservation in Hull. I may do as previously suggested and stay 1 night around the cape, 1 around Boston and the last around Salem.