New York to Boston: train or bus
 

We are going from NYC to Boston on May during a trip to the United States.
My wife and I are on our seventies.
Besides the transportation information what in Boston can you sugest.
Thanks a lot.
Best regards from Brazil

What are you asking??? Which is better? Which is cheaper?

Do you have a guidebook for Boston?

Which is better?
Yes, I have a guidebook for Boston.
Thanks

the train is a little faster, and a bit more comfortable. I prefer it.
The bus is a lot cheaper and perfectly fine.

What are your interests in Boston? historic? cultural? What time of year are you coming?

If you go on Megabus or Bolt bus, you may be able to get tickets for as little as $1. The train is always more comfortable, you can get up and walk around.

If you are going in the winter, the train is going to be a little more reliable, given the winter storms we have been having.

If you use the search box at the top of the page and put in Boston, you will find several threads with information on things to do/see in Boston. Then let folks know what interests you, history, museums, sports, fine dining, music, etc.

The train from NY to Boston is very convenient and comfortable but a tad expensive. Bus is much cheaper but less comfortable. If your budget allows I would take the train. If not, bus is fine. The bus station and train terminal are located next to each other (South Station). There is also a train station in Back Bay. If you take the train, check with your hotel to see which is more convenient. Also if you take the train, the Acela is somewhat faster and more comfortable. The regular Amtrak is slower but if you book an express train with reserved seating you will be fine.

The train from NY to Boston is very convenient and comfortable but a tad expensive. Bus is much cheaper but less comfortable. If your budget allows I would take the train. If not, bus is fine. The bus station and train terminal are located next to each other (South Station). There is also a train station in Back Bay. If you take the train, check with your hotel to see which is more convenient. Also if you take the train, the Acela is somewhat faster and more comfortable. The regular Amtrak is slower but if you book an express train with reserved seating you will be fine.

Be very careful regarding taking inexpensive buses from NYC (usually Chinatown) because they are notorious for having awful safety records. There have been 3 terrible bus accidents in the last few weeks with many fatalities, I think only one originated from NYC, but it seems to be a problem right now or just really bad coincidences.

The Chinatown busses are famous for being cheap, uncertain boarding in NYC if there are a lot of travellers that day you could get blocked out without knowing it. They are also famous for breakdowns and accidents, some very very bad accidents. But they are cheap. I wouldn't use them unless I had to.

Other busses have a higher tariff, but a better record.

Limo Liner is an upscale bus that goes from Boston Hilton to Manhattan. Mo money, mo luxury.

And the train is likely the most expensive, but you avoid delays due to traffic unless there is a severe snow storm. This article sums things up pretty well.

http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15...-but-safe.html

If you are taking the "cheap" buses, the only companies you should really consider are Bolt Bus and Megabus, They are reliable and owned by even bigger well known bus companies.
In NYC, you do not get these buses at a bus station, they start from some side streets in midtown Manhattan. It could be confusing since you're just standing on a long line on a regular street. You have to buy tickets online in advance. Yes, some are $1 but you will probably not get those cheap rates (usually available for one one or two people , and only on certain buses at specific time, booked far in advance)
You will probably pay more like $15 each way, still much cheaper than the train. Most buses are filled with young adults & college students. Luggage is all stuffed in a section under the bus

IMHO while train is more expensive (but still not very much) it is way more comfortable than a bus - since you can get up and walk around at will - as well as use the toilet or get a snack. The Bolt or Mega bus is OK - if you can get a great price. Scheduled time is similar but the bus is more subject to traffic. Don;t touch the chinatown buses with a barge pole. There have been numerous accidents - with fatalities - unqualified/unlicensed drivers etc. It's taking your life in your hands.

As to what to do in Boston - how long do you have and what are your interests?

any bus, even the relatively comfortable Limo Liner is subject to road traffic conditions. my niece was stuck for 9 hours on it NYC to Bos. My advice is to take the Amtrak Acela (the express line...only a few stops.) It's a bit more expensive but worth it for the speed, comfort and reliability. Forget any of the chinatown busses unless you are on a severely restricted budget. You'll regret every minute and every mile.

As nytraveler indicated, Bolt Bus and MegaBus should not be confused with the Chinatown buses. My daughter takes them regularly (3 times in the last month) and they are reliable and inexpensive. And wouldn't you know that the one time she took the train from NYC to Boston, she got stuck for about 2 hours due to some mechanical trouble. As a rule, of course, the train is more reliable.

Thank you very much for your kind information.
We´ll take the Acela Express.
We´ll stay in Boston for 4 nites, at the end of April and we have a reservation at Omni Parker House (60, School St.).
We´ve visited Boston many years for a couple of days in a hurry.
We are interested in history, sight seeing and litle in gastronomy. We are not gourmets or gourmands. At our age, we are sparing eaters, but we love New England clam chowder!
The Freedom Trail is too long for us.
Visiting only a museum which one do you suggest: Isabella Stewart Gardner or the Fine Arts ?
I´m a retired doctor and now a travel counsellor.
Thanks again for you replies.

I think with 4 nights you have time to visit both museums. If not, have a look at both websites and decide which has exhibits that more interest you. I assume you'd want to visit Harvard. You might get better advice on Boston if you start a new thread with that in the title. Right now only people with a pov on trasnportation may open the thread.

Btw, if you haven't booked your train ticket yet, most people feel it's not necessary to take the pricier Acela train. A business seat on the regular train should be fine.

Here's a discount for the Duck tours that yk posted. http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...s-discount.cfm

Thanks mclaurie. We´ll see the business seat in the regular train.
The Duck Tours are in our plans.

There are a couple of regular trains that have only a couple of more stops than the Acela and that have a travel time of only a few minutes more but that cost significantly less than the Acela.

You don't need to walk the entire Freedom Trail. It's easy to do on your own and you can stop when you get tired. Stop by the Visitors' Center and pick up a walking map.

Instead of the duck tour you might want to consider a trolley tour. The trolley tour gives you opportunity to hop on and hop off all over the city and your ticket is good all day. The duck tour, while certainly entertaining, is more limited in what you see and, in my opinion, spends too much time on the water when you could be driving around seeing parts of the city that it neglects. If you choose a trolley tour make sure it's the Old Town Trolley and not one of the other companies. The trolleys are green and orange.

http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/

There's lovely clam chowder all over the city but my favorite is from Legal Sea Foods. They have restaurants all over the city.

I think it is safe to say there is no other museum like the Isabella Stewart Gardner. Fantastic! Try to see the post office in that general area to see the John Singer Sargent artwork.

There are essentially two types of the milky New England style clam chowder in the area -- the heavy and thick kind that you can stand a spoon up in (arguably the best version of this is at Legal Sea Foods) and one that's thinner in texture but actually tastes like clams (Neptune Oyster and B&G Oysters do a very good version of this). I much prefer the latter, as thicker chowders get that way from adding flour, which negates the nice seafood flavor such chowder is capable of.

The Acela Amtrak train will certainly get you between the two cities in some measure of comfort, if at a premium price. For buses (all much cheaper than Amtrak and not all that much slower than the train, traffic permitting), would recommend Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, or Bolt Bus. The Chinatown buses historically have a more dubious track record on safety and delays.

I still say www.limoliner.com is the way to go.

Comfy seats and individual TVs. Internet and cellphone access availability (you won't get that on the trains). Drinks and food available for purchase. Leaves from mid-town Manhattan Hilton and arrives at downtown Boston Hilton.

A "bus"attendant on board.

Free glass of wine for departures after 5pm.

About the same time as the trains.

Either about the same or less $ than Amtrak business class and definitely cheaper than Acela Express. About $49 pp if you book early enough.

If you take the bus, try to avoid rush hour on either end (at it's worst between 4:30 and 6:30). I recently took a 7am weekday Megabus and had a very good trip (about 4 hrs). The train can take just at long, and I've had delays with that, although I haven't taken the train in years.

On the other hand, my daughter who goes back and forth regularly by bus, has hit traffic and the 4 hr bus ride, is typically more like 5 hrs, and can be as bad as 7 with rush hour. But the bad traffic can usually be avoided if you time things right.

Re: Gardner vs MFA

They're quite different. Gardner is unique because of its setting (a "Venetian palace"), but you can easily see it all in 2 hours. Also note that the lighting is very low there because of conservation issues. In addition, they have removed some art work from a few of the galleries due to the construction/museum expansion next door. If you're looking for a unique experience to see mostly western art for 1-2 hours, you should choose the Gardner.

The MFA is huge, esp after the opening of the new American Wing. I was there this week and I spent one hour on ONE floor of the new wing alone. Too "see" the entire museum will take a whole day. And there's plenty of Greek/Roman art, Asian art, European Art etc. The ticket is good for a free return within 10 days, so you can always go there for a morning, then go back on another day for an afternoon.

The Omni Parker House restaurant does a decent version of clam chowder.

Well since you are interested in art and medicine, you should make a point of visiting the Ether Monument on the corner of Charles and Arlington in the Public Garden while taking in a most beautiful Olmstead landscape creation.

I would then make a point of taking a slow stroll to look at the monuments on the Commonwealth Ave Mall. I especially love the Fireman's memorial and the Boston Women's Memorial.

I'm sure you can do a quick search of statues/memorials in boston for more info.

When you're down by Quicny Market, I would make sure to spend a few moments in the Holocaust Memorial. It is art to the deepest core with fumes rising in glass pillars of concentration numbers - very moving when one takes the time to consider.

Since you are basically across from the RedLine train, I would consider a trip out of town to the JFK Museum on the waterfront.

Thank you all who gave us very good informations about how to go from NYC to Boston and about the city.
bachslunch, we´ll try both New England clam chowder.

The Museum of Fine Arts is a must. The new wing has the most extensive collection of Colonial American art. It is like taking a walk through Boston itself. With this new wing, the museum is the third largest in the world. Right now there is also the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit - also a must see. Try to take one of the free tours that are scheduled throughout the day. The Gardner is also lovely and a very short walk from the MFA.

Also consider an architectual tour of the Boston Public Library, which include the Sargent Murals done toward the end of his life. Across from there is Trinity Church, an architectual gem with treasured stained glass windows. You can go for the late afternoon concerts, to go for free, or the $5 admission with tour.

Consider a concert at Symphony Hall, considered one of the three most accoustically perfects halls in the world. Across from that is the Christain Science Center which has a most beautiful interior. On their propery there is also a Mapparium, a glass globe which you can walk inside.

And the Omni is steps from part of the Freedom Trail and many of the highlights of colonial history. Nearby is also the Boston Anthanaeum, the first Boston library and formal art gallery.

If you take in Faneuil Hall, you can eat at the Oyster House or Durgin Park, not the most gourmet, but Boston landmarks and two of the oldest in Boston.

Enjoy.

Re food: the Parker House (the restaurant at the Omni), Union Oyster House, and Durgin Park are the three remaining places in Boston to get Old Fashioned Yankee style comfort food -- but the only one I can recommend is Durgin Park. The food is by far the best here and the service is normally no worse than playfully grumpy.

In my experience, the food is awful and service is unfriendly and inattentive at the Parker House and Union Oyster House, and consistently so. If you must anyway, I'd stick solely to raw oysters and beer at the oyster bar at UOH and a piece of Boston cream pie at the PH (they invented the dessert here) -- these are the only reasons to even consider them.