socialworker

We are staying in Falmouth for our annual 2 week stint at our time share. (Weather bad right now, but so be it....)

Anyway I have a 2 pronged traffic dilemma.

Some old friends are arriving at Logan on Friday afternoon. Their plane is due in at 1:46. They plan to get a rental car and to drive to Eastham. We want to meet them for what will probably be an early dinner in Barnstable in a cute little place on 6A.

I am guessing that they would arrive in Barnstable at ~5:00 PM *if* their plane is on time. Does that sound reasonable to anyone familiar with the trip?

I also need to try to guess-ti-mate how long it will take us to get up to Barnstable from Falmouth.

We have been coming to Falmouth for >30 yrs but we rarely leave the general area. It is 22 miles from here to Barnstable but since it is a Friday afternoon, I have no idea about how much time to allow. There have been times that we have driven all the way across Falmouth to the far side of East Falmouth and it has take almost 30 minutes!

I don't want our friends to have to wait for us and I don't want to leave too early on what may be one of the only sunny days this week.

We are going to have them call us from the road and ideally would like to try to time it so that when they call, we depart from here. Is the very first Plymouth exit on Rte 3 too far or maybe even too soon? I am in a quandary. Distances are almost moot in this issue b/c traffic conditions dictate the length of the journey.

(This is beginning to feel like a bad math word problem or one of the logic dilemmas on the GRE Logic portion of the test! )

Any and all replies appreciated.

tchoiniere

5 sounds very optimistic for their arrival but I have never gone from Logan to the Cape (came from Western MA so am used to the 495 to Cape drive) but this is heavy vacation time for the Cape.

Shandy1977

I also think 5:00 is very optimistic. On a Friday afternoon in the summer, traffic can start early as people get a jump on their weekend. I would go with at least 6:00 and maybe 7:00 to be really safe. It seems there is always some delay with the plane unloading, getting baggage, getting the car, traffic tie-ups, and who knows what else. Yes, if all was perfect with no traffic, 5:00 could happen but I would say it is very unlikely.

I would allow 45 minutes to go from Falmouth to Barnstable. I think that will be safe. I have been on the Cape many, many, many times and that would be my calculation... but not knowing your exact address or the restaurant's address, and not making that exact run too often, all I can do is give you my best guess.

Ackislander

I am a little more optimistic on the Logan to Barnstable time, barring accidents.

If the plane is on time add 15 minutes for luggage, 15 minutes for bus to rental car, and 20 minutes to get the car, so that puts them into the Ted Williams Tunnel at just before 3 if they use the toilet while waiting for the luggage.

Rush hour begins in Boston at 3 PM because many of the multitude of medical workers get off at 3, so every minute counts here, particularly as far as Braintree. Once they get past Marshfield, the traffic will ease up considerably, and they will make good time. The bridge is much easier since the rotary was eliminated.

So let's say, sometime between 5 and 5:30 in Barnstable, though where in Barnstable makes a huge difference, especially in lousy weather like today and yesterday when everyone decides to go to the mall instead of the beach.

I would certainly allow 45 minutes from Falmouth to Barnstable. Traffic is often awful, especially around Mashpee Commons.

socialworker

Just what I was hoping for! Good info from savvy people!

Any suggested routes for Falmouth--Barnstable? Taking 28 across Falmouth can be endless, but DH does not want to go *back* up to Rte 150. We need to end up at Rte 132, going up toward Barnstable.

We are in Falmouth right on Surf Drive Beach--just right down the street from downtown Falmouth, and this is our destination...http://barnstablerestaurant.com

Thanks to all of you wonderful Fodorites!