advice for first time visitor to Boston, day trip (Springfield: hotel, home)

[hmw74]

Hi,

My wife and I will be in Western MA (Springfield) for a few days, and we may have an extra free day. We are thinking of driving to Boston for a day trip. It will be our first visit to Boston. I have read a couple of guidebooks on Boston and everyone seems to agree that driving in Boston should be avoided. Can someone suggest a safe place to park and take the public transit into downtown Boston or Cambridge where we can do some sightseeing?

Thanks for your help!

[ctrres]

Alewife Red Line T station, with a giant parking garage, is right on the tail end of Route 2, just inside Cambridge. You can connect to Route 2 from Route 128.

[jayrandom]

Be warned about Alewife, if you come on a weekday after around 8:30, you very well may not get a parking spot. Alewife fills up very quickly on workdays. There are other options, although none as quick and convenient as Alewife. There are some big lots in Newton by the Riverside T station--certainly closer if you're taking the turnpike but the green line to Boston can be considerably slower than the red line. I don't know when that parking lot fills up, though, so it may be an issue as well if you come on a weekday. If you have a choice on when you come, it might be best to make it a weekend, as any T parking lot will be an issue if you come on a weekday. You may want also want to consider the commuter rail. Its pricier and less convenient, but you are more likely to find parking. Check MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System for schedule and location information most convenient to what your schedule is.

[maggiekate]

you could try the sheraton in braintree which is right across from the braintree mall. I think they
have a van that will bring you to the T and then in 30minutes you are in Boston. I also was told
there is a motel 6 which is across from the braintree T. Call the sheraton and check with them.

[lrfox]

My two suggestions for the EASIEST access from Western MA would be to park at the RIVERSIDE station on the Green Line's D branch or drive a little bit further and get on the much more efficient Red Line at the QUINCY ADAMS station.

Riverside station is JUST off the highway in the suburbs (in Newton to be specific) right near the interchange of I-90 and I-95. Coming from Western MA, you'd take the Mass Pike (I-90) and get off at the I-95 SOUTH exit. you'd get off of I-95 (less than a mile after you merged onto it) at exit 22 and get on grove street where you'll see the station entrance on the left. There's a HUGE parking lot, so parking shouldn't be so much trouble, unless it's a busy work day.

I would, however, recommend going a little further and taking the Red Line from the Quincy Adams stop (located in Quincy). you would take I-90 to I-95 south (just like you would if you were going to the Riverside stop) and follow that to the split with I-93... take I-93 North (there is no "South" option) to exit 18 (Burgin Parkway Exit) and pull into the massive Quincy Adams garage (which I believe charges $7.50 for all day parking). It's VERY well marked, and an exit ramp dumps you right into the garage entrance so it's not tough to navigate.

Both of these options allow you to access mass transit lines without having to drive any further than the suburbs. Both are also right off of the highway and easy to get to and from. I suggested the Quincy Adams (Red Line) route, even though it's a bit more of a drive, because the Red Line is a bit shorter of a ride into town and the train stops much less frequently than the Green Line (which is really a tram that runs underground near the city center). The Red Line tends to be less crowded (though they're all packed during rush hour) and a bit more comfortable. Any line offers free interchange at intersecting stations, so getting where you want to go from either Red, or Green won't be an issue.

I would suggest going to the mbta site (linked by Jayrandom) and using their "trip planner."... it's very helpful for visitors.

The commuter rail is not a bad option, but the trains run less frequently than subways (Red, Green, Orange, Blue and Silver Lines). They also end service earlier in the day. Taking the commuter rail to Boston can really limit your flexibility and constrain your schedule. Taking the subway allows you to leave earlier, or later depending on what you feel like doing, and allows you more flexibility. It's also cheaper to take the subway and the subway gets you MUCH closer to most destinations in town than the commuter rail does (subway goes to almost every downtown commuter rail station and beyond).

maggiekate's suggestion is a good one, but the Quincy Adams stop is on the same line as the Braintree one (it's actually one stop closer to Boston than the Braintree stop is) and you can access the Quincy Adams garage/ station right from the highway so it's easier to get to/from and you don't have to worry about taking a shuttle to/from a hotel you're not staying at.

Again, I would definetly consider using the trip planner on the MBTA website (linked by Jayrandom) to get an idea of how to use the mass transit system while in town. Keep in mind, the subway stops I mentioned are easy to access and will allow at LOT more flexibility than the commuter rail will at a lower cost. Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

[maggiekate]

Originally Posted by lrfox

My two suggestions for the EASIEST access from Western MA would be to park at the RIVERSIDE station on the Green Line's D branch or drive a little bit further and get on the much more efficient Red Line at the QUINCY ADAMS station.

Riverside station is JUST off the highway in the suburbs (in Newton to be specific) right near the interchange of I-90 and I-95. Coming from Western MA, you'd take the Mass Pike (I-90) and get off at the I-95 SOUTH exit. you'd get off of I-95 (less than a mile after you merged onto it) at exit 22 and get on grove street where you'll see the station entrance on the left. There's a HUGE parking lot, so parking shouldn't be so much trouble, unless it's a busy work day.

I would, however, recommend going a little further and taking the Red Line from the Quincy Adams stop (located in Quincy). you would take I-90 to I-95 south (just like you would if you were going to the Riverside stop) and follow that to the split with I-93... take I-93 North (there is no "South" option) to exit 18 (Burgin Parkway Exit) and pull into the massive Quincy Adams garage (which I believe charges $7.50 for all day parking). It's VERY well marked, and an exit ramp dumps you right into the garage entrance so it's not tough to navigate.

Both of these options allow you to access mass transit lines without having to drive any further than the suburbs. Both are also right off of the highway and easy to get to and from. I suggested the Quincy Adams (Red Line) route, even though it's a bit more of a drive, because the Red Line is a bit shorter of a ride into town and the train stops much less frequently than the Green Line (which is really a tram that runs underground near the city center). The Red Line tends to be less crowded (though they're all packed during rush hour) and a bit more comfortable. Any line offers free interchange at intersecting stations, so getting where you want to go from either Red, or Green won't be an issue.

I would suggest going to the mbta site (linked by Jayrandom) and using their "trip planner."... it's very helpful for visitors.

The commuter rail is not a bad option, but the trains run less frequently than subways (Red, Green, Orange, Blue and Silver Lines). They also end service earlier in the day. Taking the commuter rail to Boston can really limit your flexibility and constrain your schedule. Taking the subway allows you to leave earlier, or later depending on what you feel like doing, and allows you more flexibility. It's also cheaper to take the subway and the subway gets you MUCH closer to most destinations in town than the commuter rail does (subway goes to almost every downtown commuter rail station and beyond).

maggiekate's suggestion is a good one, but the Quincy Adams stop is on the same line as the Braintree one (it's actually one stop closer to Boston than the Braintree stop is) and you can access the Quincy Adams garage/ station right from the highway so it's easier to get to/from and you don't have to worry about taking a shuttle to/from a hotel you're not staying at.

Again, I would definetly consider using the trip planner on the MBTA website (linked by Jayrandom) to get an idea of how to use the mass transit system while in town. Keep in mind, the subway stops I mentioned are easy to access and will allow at LOT more flexibility than the commuter rail will at a lower cost. Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

great choice, I stayed at the Tara sheraton when it had that name, and it does empty out, anyway the mall is right across the road, and if you tip the guy they do this lots. Even coming home from Boston, the cab is not to bad{to the hotel, or mall}
cause it is near. The mall you do need to be carefull about parking because of
car theft. anyway both train stops will work, and Boston is a must see. I do think many business people use the sherator because it is cheaper, then they do take there cars to where they need to go. The weekends tend to be a bit more busy because of deals. The Parker house, and commons are great places to visit. Boston is a real walking city, so be prepared. I do think I spent 2 years living there, and money was spent at the mall! During the week they had lots of rooms for meetings, where Talbots, and people would be there for the day, and I did think it was a real nice place, Mr Flatley owned it
at one time. He was a real nice person.