We're spending our stimulus check in Boston! Need help (Harvard: rent, taxi)

[robync]

We've decided to travel to the East Coast for our vacation (first time for our family) hooray for stimulus $$. We have to use Southwest airlines, would Providence be the best choice, then rent a car? Our plans are to see as many sites in Boston as possible in the few days we have and hopefully we can go to a Red Sox/Angel game too! I have already purchased Yankee/Angel tickets so seeing some of NY is on our list too. Any suggestions on what are 'must sees' for either of these areas? (And where not to go?) Thnx!

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by robync

We've decided to travel to the East Coast for our vacation (first time for our family) hooray for stimulus $$. We have to use Southwest airlines, would Providence be the best choice, then rent a car? Our plans are to see as many sites in Boston as possible in the few days we have and hopefully we can go to a Red Sox/Angel game too! I have already purchased Yankee/Angel tickets so seeing some of NY is on our list too. Any suggestions on what are 'must sees' for either of these areas? (And where not to go?) Thnx!

The headline event to do in Boston is The Freedom Trail. You can easily walk the whole Freedom Trail or you can take a Duck Tour or Trolley tour which lets you on/off at all the stops all day. Google all these.

Personally, I would pass on the car. Driving in Boston sucks, and parking is $25/day average. Take a taxi to Providence Station then take the MBTA to Boston. Of course if luggage is an issue, taking Peter Pan Bus might be a better option. If you do prefer a car, study the map well before you come because sorting out 93N from 95 South from 128 is knowledge worth having before you arrive. Remember to dial 511 on your cell when you approach Boston for traffic info. And yes, people are allowed to drive in the breakdown lane in rush hour so be aware of that.

In NYC, I highly recommend a day at the American Museum of Natural History (where "A Night at the Museum was filmed), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (one of the world's great art museums), and a day in Central Park, then walk down Seventh Ave to Times Sq in the evening.

[robync]

Thank you, great info! Ok,, a change in plans. We're flying into BOS, so do you think we can see a lot of the sites (a 13yo would enjoy) in Boston without a car? Also, is there some kind of public transportation that will get us to downtown New York from Boston? Thanks for your suggestions.

[redpanda]

Almost nothing in Boston proper requires a car. I second the recommendations of the Freedom Trail and Duck Tour. Not sure what your 13-y-o is into, but the Museum of Science (officially in cambridge, but right off the green line of the T) is pretty cool. Really, it all depends on what you're into. Walk up and down Newbury St. and have lunch at a cafe, take the red line over the bridge to Harvard Square and watch the street performers, etc. There's a lot to do here in the summer.

No public transit from Boston to NYC, but you can take a Chinatown bus for about $15/each way or a Greyhound for a bit more. My friend in Manhattan often uses Acela or JetBlue instead.

[redpanda]

I just wanted to clarify in case you don't know anything about the Freedom Trail, it's this nifty trail that basically runs through ALL the cool historical sites in Boston. You'll go past old graves where our founding fathers are buried, Fanueil Hall, the State House, the North End...
In other words, it's not just a walk. It's kind of a self-guided tour of a large part of Boston.

[jake786]

the "Chinatown" bus... and other busses like it really are very cheap 15ish$ and go from South Station in Boston to Penn Station area NYC...

no frills, but definitely safe and cost effective

Chinatown bus lines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[robync]

Thanks for the help. We're going to have a great trip!