Boston: Arriving and Getting to Your Hotel
BY PLANE: Most of us will fly into Boston’s Logan International Airport.
There are a couple other smaller airports nearby which may have cheaper fares: Providence, RI; Manchester, NH; and T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, RI. But then you have to factor in the time and inconvenience of a bus or shuttle ride into Boston (probably a central location) … from which you will still need to get to your hotel. Unless you have a friend picking you up, that extra commuting may not be worth the crimp in your fun.
Getting from Boston Logan Airport (BOS) to your hotel:
I spent hours researching Boston’s subway and commuter rail options for getting to and from the airport. But after consulting with some hotel concierges and local residents, I learned that:
1. You are probably best off just forking over the $30 or so for a taxi to take you straight to your hotel.
That way you won’t have to worry about transfers, hauling your luggage up and down several stairwells, on and off the trains, and down the streets to your hotel. Maybe in the rain. Or heat. Or snow. When you’re likely already a little frazzled from the flight there.
2. On the other hand, if your luggage is light, you know your hotel is located right by a subway stop, and you really want to try to save that taxi fare:
You can find out about the subway and commuter rail lines that serve the airport by clicking here: the MBTA (Massachusets Bay Transportation Authority) website .
3. Don’t rent a car or try to drive unless you really know the city, or need a car for some other reason.
I’m not kidding. Don’t. Even. Try.
Driving in and around Boston is a notorious nightmare; parking is expensive; and between walking, public transportation, and the occasional taxi, you simply will not need a car to get around this compact city. Ignore this advice at your peril!
BY CAR: If you really must drive to Boston
My daughter goes to school in Boston, so I have made the trip by car several times. Here’s my advice:
- Choose a hotel located just off a main highway or turnpike (so you don’t have to navigate around the city).
- Expect that you will get lost and drive in circles, so allow plenty of time.
- Use your GPS, and if you don’t have one, get one.
- Use Mapquest or Googlemaps.
- Once you reach your hotel, leave your car in the garage, have a cocktail, and walk or use public transportation while you’re in the city.
BY TRAIN: Amtrak to Boston is another option.
Amtrak conveniently serves three of Boston’s major subway and commuter rail stops: South Station, Back Bay Station, and North Station. Honestly, I don’t know much about train travel to Boston yet, so I don’t really have any advice to offer. (If you do, please email me at carol@lipstickgetaways.com, or just post a comment at the end of this article.)
BY BUS: For our New York City girlfriends, I understand that bus travel between New York and Boston is popular, decent, upgraded, and fairly inexpensive.
Check out Greyhound and/or Peter Pan. Anybody made this trip by bus? Please share your feedback with us, using the Leave a Reply box below.
And for the cheap and truly intrepid among us, there is the deep-discount Fung Wah Bus, which runs between NYC’s Chinatown and Boston’s Chinatown, for about $20. I can’t say I would ever try it, but my college daughter and her friends take it all the time!
