deedeew

6 women traveling from Ohio to Boston & we don't want to drive into Boston. Years ago we stayed at a hotel outside of Boston and took the train in but can't remember the hotel or the city. We are coming in on RT. 90. Can anybody help us? We are staying 2 nights and touring Boston one and then traveling onto Danbury, CT.

MFNYC

Hotel Indigo (formerly a Holiday Inn) may work. It's a boutique hotel, located in Newton, about 10 miles from downtown Boston, right next to a train station.

gail

Things to keep in mind about your plan. Train schedule outside of M-F rush hour is limited - unless you are staying somewhere on subway line rather than commuter rail (MBTA.com has excellent routing section where you can put in times of day, etc from Point A to Point B - will give you a choice of routing and estimated travel time)

Second, parking at many commuter rail and subway stops is tight, with spaces in many locations filling by 8 AM or even earlier.

There are hotels in Boston that are not difficult to access by car- and then you would park your car for the 2 days and drive out of the city after. Added cost of parking must be taken into consideration, but is likely less than cost of 6 people commuting in on train.

Many threads here on Boston lodging - take a look thru a few and check back if you have further questions.

deedeew

thanks I will check it out.

lincasanova

My mom and friend stayed at the waterfront area. Very easy to get to. There was reasonable parking across the street, plus public transport and restaurants. They got a great rate bidding on priceline. At www.betterbidding.com you and do a search in the box at top of the page to see what the winning bids for Boston are and get an idea. I think the hassle of the train in the evenings would limit your activities and end up being a bit expensive.

yk

ditto on Hotel Indigo in Newton. Hotel offers free parking; and the hotel is a 3-min walk to the Riverside T station. The T runs every 5-10 minutes all day long. However, the downside is that the ride into town from Riverside takes about 45 minutes.

deedeew

I have been checking outskirts hotels and the Hotel Indigo sounds the best for distance and closeness to the train but the reviews of the hotel aren't very good. Any comments on the hotel. We just plan to sleep there so we just want something nice and clean. Has anyone stayed at the Sheraton Inn Needham? Is it far from Boston by train? Thanks in advance

yk

I don't know how close is the Sheraton from the Needham commuter rail station. The hotel may offer a shuttle. HOWEVER, the Needham station is served by the commuter rail (unlike the Indigo, which is served by the subway). Commuter rail runs only once or twice an hour; less frequent when it's not rush hours. And I think the Needham line does not operate on Sundays. go to mbta.com to check for schedule.

wyatt92

Hotel Indigo was remodeled not that many years ago. It's very nice, I've not stayed there, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It really is your best option if you're looking to stay outside the city but near a T stop. As yk mentions, getting into town using the Commuter Rail is a huge pain in the butt, unless you're actually commuting.

yk

I just thought of another hotel: the Crowne Plaza @ Newton Corner IF you're not visiting during the weekend.
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/BOSAA

Right outside the hotel is a bus stop which serves MULTIPLE Express buses to downtown Boston (via MassPike). During the weekdays, there are buses to either Copley Sq or South Station and Financial District every 10-15 minutes. The bus ride takes just 10 minutes or so; longer during rush hour because of traffic.

However the last bus leaves DT around 7pm or so, which will be a problem if you want to have dinner in town. OTOH, since you will have cars, you can always return to the hotel in the late afternoon, then drive out to dinner in the evening.

summervacation

We stayed there several years ago for one week.My husband and our 2 children. We had a 2 bedroom suite. The kids had their own bedroom and bathroom. It had a living room and kitchenette also. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites in Burlington. I highly recommend!!! They have a free hot/ cold breakfast buffet every morning. They offer a complimentary shuttle within 5 miles of the hotel. Free parking. Its located in a suburban area. We left our car there the entire time and used the shuttle and trains to get into Boston. Their phone number is 781-221-2233.

deedeew

great help. thank you all. I'll check it out.

funtraveller

There's a Hampton Inn in Cambridge on Cambridge Street. It is steps away from the LECHMERE trolley station on the green line. You are very close to downtown Boston (walkable in the daytime) and very close to the Charles River/Esplanade area as well. Hampton Inns usually include a decent complimentary breakfast too. You are also walking distance to the Boston Museum of Science, and the CambridgeSide galleria shopping mall. Check it out!

yk

funtraveller, that's a good suggestion! I didn't know about it, and it defintiely offers a more budget option for Boston. And I see that they offer FREE parking.