Out of towner; getting to Boston from Waltham - freaked out (Worcester: rental car, rental)

[ameyer410]

Hi all,

I am staying in Waltham for 10 days starting this week; I will have a rental car starting from my arrival at Logan. I really got the rental car because I didn't want to be without in Waltham, but I am very much a tourist/food/beverage junkie, and want to see and go everywhere. This said, I have heard about driving in Boston, and I am terrified to do so.

I think I am safe getting from Logan to my hotel - I arrive around 1:30pm, so missing rush hour. However, I have to pick up a friend at the airport on a Monday at 4:30 a few days later. I also really was just wanting to go do so many things around the city...check out Harvard, the Freedom Trail, Beacon Hill, and then I have tons of ideas for food/drink all around town.

Should I really try to drive all these places? I'm a great driver, but I am easily intimidated my mass amounts of traffic. My common sense and safety tells me it's best to maybe drive to a station where I could commute on a train/subway - however, I'm not familiar with these. Can someone tell me if my idea is adviseable, and the best way to do so? I can always ask the front desk, but I like to hear from people that live in the area and know what to do and how it goes. And, the easiest way to familiarize myself with the different types of transport (looks like there is a difference between "commuter rail" and the "subway".

Any help at all...freakin' out and wanting to do oh so much!

[raveabouttoast]

Driving through Boston can be a pain, especially if you're not familiar with it. Then there's the whole issue of parking. If parking is easy to find, it probably won't be cheap. Driving to the airport from Waltham is pretty easy though. The Mass Pike (Rte. I-90) will take you directly there.

I'd strongly suggest taking the T instead of driving. All of the touristy locations are accessible via public transportation, and you'll probably see more by walking through the city instead of driving.

Usually when people say the T, they're referring to the subway (red, orange, green, and blue lines). The Commuter Rail has a less frequent schedule than the T and generally for longer distances. For example, one branch goes out to Framingham and Worcester, another goes down to Plymouth.

MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System has some maps and schedules. Just find out what T station is near the place you want to check out and it's easy to figure out. Don't worry too much about "inbound" or "outbound", just look at the final destination of the train to figure out which way it's going.

[MikePRU]

I agree. I think you'll be OK driving to and from the airport. Being a tourist in Boston is easiest done by T and by foot. Boston is a very walkable city, but if you're going a long distance, the T is a major convenience. On days you're going to be touring Boston, I would drive over to the Riverside T station and catch the train or catch the commuter rail from Waltham depending on which service better fits your schedule.

[BHboston]

I second the post above, even if driving can be stressful, it's really the lack of parking in popular downtown/tourist areas that would make going to those places by car impractical.

Waltham does have 2 stations on the MBTA's commuter rail, but the trains run infrequently (less than 1 per hour outside of rush hour), so it's probably not the best option unless don't mind planning around that kind of schedule.

I think your best option to get into the city would be to park at one of the T's subway stations: Alewife Station on the red line or Woodland Station on the D-branch of the Green line. (Alewife is right off a major highway, Route 2, and costs $7/day to park; and Woodland is less than a mile from I-95 and costs $6/day to park). I live not too far from Waltham and have used both to commute into the city, both are safe and convenient.

[Verseau]

I know I'll be reiterating what others have said, but there are a lot of different ways to get between downtown Waltham and downtown Boston. I'll order them from (roughly) fastest to slowest:

1) Commuter Rail from downtown Waltham to Boston North Station (25 minute train ride; 10-15-minute walk to Boston Common / start of the Freedom Trail). Pros: fastest, conveniently located in downtown Waltham. Cons: infrequent schedule, most expensive option - $6 each way if you buy the ticket ahead of time at an MBTA fare machine or a local vendor - the Waltham station itself does not sell tickets to my knowledge. If you buy the ticket on board the train, you will pay $9 each way. Parking costs $2 at the station, but the lot is small and fills up quickly on weekdays (I believe). You may be able to find free street parking within walking distance.

2) Drive to Alewife station on the Red Line, Cambridge (15 minute drive, 25-minute train ride to Park St station on Boston Common). Pros: Red Line has the most frequent subway service (usually shouldn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for a train, except maybe on Sundays). Cons: involves the most driving of any option, although you are driving in the suburbs, not the city. Parking costs $7 and a subway ticket will cost $2.50 for each journey unless you manage to get your hands on a CharlieCard, in which case you will pay $2. You may need to ask an MBTA employee for one. Another option is the $18 unlimited 7-day pass for subway and local bus.

3) Express Bus 553 or 554 from downtown Waltham to Boston, near South Station (35-minute bus ride, 10-minute walk to Boston Common). The bus picks up in a few places in Waltham, including right near the commuter rail station (see times for Carter St opp Commuter Rail Station on the schedules I linked to). Pros: conveniently located, a bit cheaper than the commuter rail ($4.50 each way, $3.50 if you have a CharlieCard). Cons: relatively infrequent service, especially on weekends; service ends early in the evening.

4) Drive to Riverside or Woodland station on the Green Line, Newton (10-15 minute drive, 40-minute train ride to Park St). Each parking lot costs $6; Woodland tends to have higher availability I believe. Same fares for option #2 apply here. Pros: most scenic journey, outbound trains run relatively late, shorter drive than to Alewife. Cons: slightly less frequent service than the Red Line, but still more frequent than the bus or commuter rail.

5) Take the 70 or 70A bus from downtown Waltham to the Red Line at Central Square, Cambridge (40-minute bus ride, transfer to subway, 10-minute ride to Park St). If the fare transfer works properly, you will pay the same for the entire journey as you would for a single subway journey (so same as #2 and #4). Pros: cheaper and more frequent than the other options that depart from downtown Waltham. Cons: involves a transfer, lots of stops on the bus, less frequent than the subway.

Basically you'll have to decide whether you want to depart from downtown Waltham or whether you want to drive to Alewife or Riverside/Woodland. I actually tend to think that option #4 is probably the most convenient and least stress-inducing, and offers the best "scenery" as you go into the city.

[charolastra00]

Driving into Boston intimidates even Boston drivers! I occasionally drive in for appointments at Dana-Farber and I have to pop a Xanax before going in. :P

I went to school and now work in Waltham - the easiest thing for you to do is drive to Alewife (super easy to get to from Waltham - just get yourself to Rt. 2 east and avoid rush hour) and take the red line in. Riverside on the green line is closer to Waltham, but takes a long time to get into the city. Last time I parked at Riverside, it was an hour each way in and out to Fenway and it wasn't during a particularly busy time. Your hotel might offer shuttles to one or the other - check and see! It would save you parking costs.

The big difference between the commuter rail and subway (colloquially called the T) is that the commuter rail runs on a set schedule and services suburbs while the T runs more frequently with no set time and services the city itself (plus some urban suburbs like Cambridge, Malden, and Brookline). Waltham is on the Fitchberg/South Acton line that goes into North Station. It also crosses the red line at Porter Square which is just a stop away from both Harvard Square and Davis Square (a good foodie area close to Tufts). Check MBTA Commuter Rail > Fitchburg / South Acton Lines Schedules and Maps and see if your schedule would work with the commuter rail. It's a little pricer than the T, but you don't have to drive far or fight traffic to get to the station.

Boston's T is super easy to understand once you get the feel of where you want to go. There are station maps in all of the cars and platforms, and most of the areas where a tourist would go have easily identifiable names.

Enjoy your time here!

[measured1]

Ok. here is the thing. to pick someone up from the airport, I-90 is the direct shot...with the tunnel you get right to the airport, then get out of Dodge...get back to where you need to go.

Do not try to drive around Boston to all of the places you mentioned. I've lived here 30 years, and I would not attempt it. Get to central Boston, either via commuter rail, MBTA, taxi, whatever, and from there take whatever T you need.

OR, drive to Boston Common parking garage, park, and go around and do what you want, then get out of Dodge again. I, btw, recommend doing a trolley tour. You can get on and off throughout lots of the places you mention, and then get back to Boston Common and drive home again on I-90.

[Bob Lanata]

ameyer, Great advise here and I recomend that you take it. I am a fan of the Duck tours as well as trolley tours as an added comment. Hope we are good to you

[Crogs]

Find a close T station with parking and go there. Driving in Boston is inherently stressful.

[charolastra00]

How are you making out?