Passing boston and want tour around, parking; rail; site-seeing Qs (Woburn: hotels, transfer)

[Niubee43V3R]

Taking my parents, with my wife and 2yr old kid to Maine from MD. Plan to stay at Woburn/Burlington on Friday, and go to the city for half a day on Sat. On our way back, plan to arrive at around noon, and want to spend the afternoon in the city on a Thursday. A few questions regarding the plan.


1. Sat, I checked spothero, look like the parking in the city shouldn't be too bad, I can park for ~$10 for half day easily. Where do you guys suggest （just throw me a street name) to park, if we want to walk the freedom trail and catch a few others sites before leaving at 1pm?


2. Thursday, I won't count on finding affordable parking in the city, so plan to park at a subway station and use the train. We have four adults, it might add up, but probably still better than spending $30 for half day parking? Which station can I park? We plan to keep driving south after dinner time.


3. We plan to drive another 2 hrs southwards, which town do you guys suggest I should spend the night? I tried search hotels in boston burbs on that day (25-26), and it's ridiculously expensive that day, even motel are asking for $100.


4. One last question about boston's rail system, do we need day-pass if we want to go in/out the train station? My wife went to boston four years ago, and she told me she only bought the regular ticket, but was able to go in n out, transfer etc.


5. Please recommend some must-see places considering our time slot （saturday morning, and Thursday afternoon).


Thanks so much.

[Parsec]

1. Boston Common garage (0 Charles Street I think?) is a good central parking garage with cheap weekend parking. Once you turn onto the one-way street between the Boston Common and the Public Garden the entrance is on the right and goes down under the Common.

2. I would still drive in and park since you don't have much time. No sense in wasting 1/2 of your afternoon parking in the suburbs and taking the train to/from Boston. You won't save any money either since 4 round trip train rides is around $20 and parking at Alewife or Riverside is around $7.

3. 2 hours south of Boston will get you into CT.

4. It's $2.65 per ride with free transfer. Once you leave the station you pay $2.65 again.

5. I'd recommend Faneuil Hall and part of the freedom trail for a first time tourist (you can't walk the whole thing with a 2 year old in the limited time you have). Not sure what else you're interested in seeing though. Want to do anything for the kiddo? We have a great Children's Museum if it gets hot and you guys don't feel like walking around anymore.

BTW, our sidewalks are generally not stroller-friendly. A big stroller will take up the whole sidewalk in the North End for example. Also lots of ruts and bumps that will bring you to a sudden halt without warning so make sure the kiddo is buckled in.

[johngolf]

Plenty of parking in the city on a Saturday. Duck Boat Tour as one can sit and relax. Alternative is Swan Boats on Boston Common. Freedom Trail is interesting but it can be a hike.

[Urban Peasant]

Boston's hotels are generally among the most expensive in the nation, especially if there are many happenings going on and they all get booked up. Try to find a hotel further away from Downtown Boston and along the highway. You might get better deals. But then as Parsec said, two hours will already take you far away from Boston into Connecticut so you might want to look for hotel rooms there.

Boston Common Garage is popular but be sure to get there early as it can easily fill up even on weekends.

If you obtain a Charlie Card, the rapid transit (subway) fare is $2.10 per person with a free local bus transfer within 2 hours. Both Burlington and Woburn are quite a distance from a subway station however and as you have limited time, you might want to consider catching a commuter rail train to North Station from the Anderson/Woburn rail station instead. There is ample parking at that rail station but be sure to get there early and purchase your tickets at the station before you board or else the conductor will charge you a $3.00 surcharge (just like the MARC Train in Maryland). Do the same on the return trip from North Station or better yet, if the vendor allows you, purchase round trip tickets to avoid the hassle. One way fares are $6.25 per adult passenger. If you do want to ride subway instead, you'd have to drive to Alewife Station at the end of the Red Line and take it into town. That is the closest subway station I can think of.

From North Station, you can easily walk to the Freedom Trail, the North End, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Downtown Boston, the Charles River, and perhaps even the Charlestown Naval Yard. Being pressed for time, I suggest just do a walk around, immerse in the sites and sounds our city has to offer, and then sit down at a restaurant for dinner.

I hope all of this helps.