BKP

My husband has been asked to speak at a conference in Boston in March. I've never been so I'll be tagging along, with our 20 month old son as well. Now, my parents moved out to D.C. a year ago and we haven't had a chance to get back east to see them (we live in Seattle). We were wondering if there wouldn't be some way to combine these two trips and minimize the amount of time we need to spend in an airplane flying across the country with a toddler! We were thinking about flying into D.C., spending a few days, making our way up to Boston for the conference, and then flying home. What do you think? Living on the West Coast we hear about being able to just hop on a train and get from one major E.C. city to another. How realistic is that? Is renting a car a better idea? We mapped it and it looks like about 8 hours of driving which wouldn't be ideal with a toddler either. Besides, I don't know if I could drive past NYC without wanting to stop to eat! I'd love to hear your suggestions. If your only suggestion is that we not try to do it I'd like to hear that, but I'm more interested in how to make it work, even if it seems crazy. Thanks!

wyatt92

Well, other than driving you can take a quick 1 hour flight from Washington National or you could take the Acela Express (www.amtrak.com) which takes 7 hours.

If you choose to drive you could stop for a night in NYC, as it's a good half way point.

yk

I certainly would not drive DC to Boston, esp for someone living on the W coast and not familiar with the complicated highways btw DC/NY/boston.

Amtrak is an option, but for this long distance, I'd probably recommend you to fly.

JetBlue flies between Dulles & Boston, for about $65 or so (one-way).

lizziea06

It's not very difficult to drive from DC to Boston, just long. There's always potential for bad traffic along 95. That price for a one-way jet blue ticket is at least half the cost of a one-way Amtrak ticket. You should definitely fly, if that works for your family.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

I love Amtrak, but I'd buy that jetBlue ticket.

And if I did take Amtrak, I'd not do the overpriced Acela, but instead the overnight train with a sleeper compartment.

BKP

This is why I love fodors! I've had so much help on the various forums. You guys are great. A one hour flight definitely beats a 7 hour drive! We have taken an overnight train, from Rome to Messina. It may be different in the US -- but nobody slept that night and we are loathe to try it again! Thank you all for your help.

Cicerone

The flight actually takes 1.5 hours non-stop. Also, just remember that the “quick one hour” flight in reality takes far longer when you add in (i) travel time to the airport, (ii) the 2-3 hours you need to be there prior to the flight for security, (iii) wait time for luggage, (iv) travel time from the airport to downtown Boston. Also add in whether you will be allowed to bring ANYTHING on board that you may want or need while waiting for the flight to take off or during the flight. If you can’t bring more than a small hand bag, a 20-month old will be literally bored to tears for the wait time and during the flight. So that “quick” Boston flight can easily take 5 hours to get you door to door. If you are taking off from Dulles where Jet Blue departs from, that can really be a long haul from parts of DC or the suburbs, and traffic is pretty bad on the beltway if you are trying to get out there during the morning or evening rush hours. Ronald Reagan airport may not be convenient for your parents. All in all, that 6.5 hour Acela to Boston looks pretty good....plus you would get to see the countryside.

Also in March, Boston will definitely have cold weather and snow and Washington DC could easily have ice and snow, both of which could lead to flight delays, esp in DC which just does not handle freezing weather at all well. I would not really want to drive the I-95 corridor in wet, snowy and possibly icy March weather either.

Where do your parents live in DC? If they live in the northern Maryland suburbs, you could get the train in New Carrolton Maryland, which is a suburban station and easier for them than going into DC. If you are staying in downtown Boston for the conference, you can hop in a taxi at the station and get to your hotel very easily (there are also several other stations in the Boston area).

I like the Acela because you can reserve seats and it is a bit faster, but there are cheaper options and if you go on a weekday and just a bit after the morning rush it is not as likely to be crowded.

It would certainly be feasible to stop in New York and have a break for lunch. You can store your luggage right at Penn Station, and then take a few hours for lunch and a walk around, and then get back on the train. This would break up the trip nicely, I would think, into manageable trips of about 3 hours each. You could even overnight in New York if you were so inclined.

Price seems to be about $170 per person for a business class seat on the Acela (fares are cheaper if you go early in the morning and non-Acela trains are even cheaper), the baby goes free on your lap or you can buy a seat at a 50% discount from the adult fare, the baby can have a seat for free if it is not being used. I don’t know what kind of one-way airfares you have been getting, nor what the rules are on seats for infants.

curiousgeo

My family and I took Amtrak between Washington DC and Boston, with a stop in NYC. All in all the total time between cities was about the same as Cicerone says, when you account for getting to and from the airports, early check-in, security clearance, possible delays, actual flight time, etc.

We found the Amtrak seats to be quite comfortable, much better than airline coach seats. With a good book, a DVD and some sandwiches we purchased from Au Bon Pain at Union Station, it was a pleasant ride, something we would definitly consider again.

yk

I agree that it takes time to travel to/from airports, but for Dulles in DC and Logan in Boston, they are relatively close to the city.

If you worry about weather problems affecting the flight, the same goes for Amtrak. If there's a snow storm, Amtrak gets majorly delayed also...

Acela has a better track record when it comes to ontime arrival compared to the regular train, but it certainly costs a lot more as well.

gail

Don't drive - while the trip should be 8 hours, the many times I have made the drive, it always is more - there is always some accident, construction, traffic that messes it up.

So now you are down to fly or train. First, check to see if it costs more to fly into DC and out of Boston. If the price is the same for what would be 2 one-way flights, move on to train/plane decision.

I did a fast check on kayak. One-way fares from DCA to BOS start at $160, IAD (Dulles) to BOS at $80. Those prices are for a weekend - weekdays are usually higher.

Even with airport times, I think flying saves you a considerable amount of time over regualr Amtrak - Acela is more money, more comfortable and a little less time. While you must get to the airport earlier than preboard time for train, I doubt you are going to walk onto the train 2 minutes before departure either.

So I would fly. If it is convenient for your parents, fly from Dulles. Buy your son a seat as well (his safety, comfort and your sanity are likely worth $80). When you book, check equipment used by airline - you are somewhat more likely to have weather delays into Boston in March (when it is windy or snowy) on a "fake plane" - so stay away from 40 seat regional jets.

linda617

a stop in n.y.c. may not be as easy as you think. plan on getting lost. its a big place.the drive to boston will take more than 8 hours. you can be sitting in n.y.c. traffic for two hours. on the other hand if you do get yourself there its a great place lots to see and do. i would spend the whole day there.

nytraveler

With a toddler I would probably take the train. Plenty to see out the windows, big seats and room to roam around the train.

(I would hesitate to do car - since it will NOT take 8 hours. By the time you deal with traffic - and you will run into it somewhere - and possible bad weather/roads - fairly likely in March - it could easily be 10 or 11 hours.)

If you want to go for speed go for the plane - very quick - unless you get bad weather - then - who knows?

Ackislander

Oh, boy!

First, go to the conference first, then go to your parents. I speak at conferences all the time, and your husband will not be his best until he has done the paper/given the speech. Then you can go out and celebrate in Boston, then go to give your parents their much-needed baby time.

Second, you are more likely to get a non-stop from Seattle to Boston, and unless your parents live in the Virginia suburbs, you do not want to fly to Dulles. The only exception might be a loop ticket on United SEA-BOS-IAD-ORD-SEA at the right price, and they only fly to Dulles.

Third, you do want to fly. I have taken this trip many, many times, and my favorite method was to take the train down and the plane back. But I wasn't traveling with a 20 month old. Ditto going to New York. But if you do take the train, sit on the left side to New Haven, then change to the right side to get the best views.

But fly.

npurpleh2

1st choice: fly
2nd choice: Amtrak
3rd choice: ??

My point here is that I've done the drive many times (especially before having the financial means to fly) and every time I do it, I swear I'm never going to do it again. Doing the drive from DC to Boston is not something I wish on anyone.

The problem isn't the number of miles but it is more about the volume of traffic, it seems there is always an accident on some stretch that ties up the highway for hours, the constant flinging of 25 cents your window in New Jersey and the fact that I95 is what you would take for the majority of it and it is the major artery for the entire northeast and it passes through one city after another and there is always some event going on in some city that causes delays. Good luck.

Anonymous

My daughter who lives in Providence has traveled a few times with her toddler to visit her in-laws in DC. Even though her son is now old enough to require his own ticket, even though her car is right there in Providence, even though the drive is shorter, and even though she would of course have free parking at her in-laws, she nevertheless chooses to fly.

I live in Boston and my other daughter attended college in DC, so we've done the trip many times, using all 3 of your possibilities. I'm not as skeptical about driving as some of the above posters, but it's truly a tradeoff. Don't be afraid of weather in March; storms last a day and then the highways are clear. But highways in the East are not like highways in the West; they were built after the cities; they twist and make strange accomodations.

Don't overlook BWI airport, which is often called Baltimore but don't forget that the "W" stands for Washington. It's no farther out than Dulles, and it is my daughter's airport of choice when visiting between DC and Boston.

I agree that the trip would be more successful if you take care of business in Boston first, so that the DC part would be more relaxed.

wdl

RE flying into - or out of - DC. Check with your parents' about which airport is closest to them. "DC" covers a large area. When we lived in Bethesda MD, the answer was that it didn't matter - it was about a half hour to National, BWI, or Dulles. The answer would be different if we had lived somewhere else.

Enjoy your trip! Boston and DC are both great cities.