Boston on a Budget

[ardig123]

We are planning a trip to the Boston area this summer and was wondering if anybody can give me any tips, ideas, etc...

We planning on arriving a Thurs. afternoon and leaving again on Sun. mid morning. I was looking at the Double Tree Suites in Waltham. Only $98 a night with free parking and we love the idea of stretching out in a suite. Has anybody ever stayed there...any better recommendations?

I know we will def. go to American Girl Cafe on Fri. but other than that we are wide open.

I think we would like to head into the city of Boston on Sat. Any recommendations? One obstacle that we run into is that we would not like to take the "t"...so we were planning on driving into the city...any thoughts on good parking? Would love to be able to park and walk for the day. Totally willing to pay for parking!

TIA!!!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

When you head into the city on Friday night, look to see if there is a Red Sox game that night.

1- there could be a lot of traffic inbound to the city if you are on the Mass Pike from Natick AG Cafe.
2- Don't park near Fenway !$!

 

[thewall2k]

It really depends on where you want to go, if you just want to walk and be fairly centrally located I would recomend the Boston Common Garage which is located 0 Charles St. The parking on a Saturday is 11 dollars(or at least was the last time I went in). You literally walk up the stairs into the middle of Boston Common. From here you can walk to most of the tourist sites in Boston, the public Garden and the Swan Boats are right there, with a little bit of a walk you are on the esplanade, or Faneuil Hall, or Newbury St.

Why are you against the T? It really isn't that bad, and if you parked where I suggested you would be able to save some energy and stay on the green line to go to most of those places. If not it is still able to be done.

 

[ardig123]

As crazy as it sounds I have anxiety issues with riding public transportation...ie: plane, train, bus etc. I go out of my way to avoid them if I can. I have nothing personally against the "t"

 

[kristinlynn]

My DH and I did a short trip to Boston for our anniversary a few years ago and had a great time. The highlights from our vacation were a daytrip to Martha’s Vineyard, the Beantown Trolley tour, aquarium, Fenway Park tour, and dinner in little Italy.

We purchased the Go Boston Card and saved a TON of money (http://www.smartdestinations.com/boston-attractions-and-tours/_d_Bos-p1.html?pass=Bos_Prod_Go). The card included admission for just about everything we wanted to do or see, including Fenway, Trolley, Aquarium, and ferry to the vineyard. You could also check restaurant.com for restaurant discounts.

 

[whois figment]

The Doubletree in Waltham is nice but a ways outside of the city. The American Girl Cafe is actually in Natick. I would probably look closer to that location personally. Easier access to the Ma. Pike in my opinion. As far as what to do in Boston really depends on your interest. The links below are to the Go card and citypass card. They get you access to multiple venues. There are a lot of people who do the duck tours. If that is something you are interested in be sure to book early as it sells out in the summer. Blueman group plays at the Charles Playhouse most nights. There are usually day of show tickets available 1/2 price at the BosTix booths in town.

http://www.smartdestinations.com/boston-attractions-and-tours/_d_Bos-p1.html?pass=Bos_Prod_Go

http://www.citypass.com/city/boston.html

 

[ardig123]

The Doubletree in Waltham is nice but a ways outside of the city. The American Girl Cafe is actually in Natick. I would probably look closer to that location personally.

I was trying to find a hotel in between Natick and Boston...that is why I chose Waltham. Do you still think it is better to stay closer to Natick? The other issue was that I could not find suites close to Natick...do you have any suggestions? TIA

 

[beansmom]

When you head into the city on Friday night, look to see if there is a Red Sox game that night.

1- there could be a lot of traffic inbound to the city if you are on the Mass Pike from Natick AG Cafe.
2- Don't park near Fenway !$!

there is NOTHING budget about a Red Sox game! Tickets are horribly outlandish (IF you can find them) and parking costs $35 or more. Don't even think about eating. When we go to the sox, we spend a SLICK $100 outside of the ticket price.

THere are nice day trips from Boston...Salem, George's Island, Newport is my favorite. Oh, and Gloucester..I love the harbor in any town...and the Hammond Castle is really cool.

 

[cinmouse]

Try the Doubletree in Cambridge, it is right on Storrow Drive, close to the Mass Pike Exit, so it will make it easy to get to Natick for American Girl.
I would say park at Faniuel Hall and spend the day down there, you can walk the freedom trail and go to the waterfront.

 

[ardig123]

Wow the Doubletree in Cambridge is about $35 more per night than Waltham and parking is another $30 per night. Over the course of 3 days this hotel would be about $195 extra. Do you think it is worth it? I am willing to pay a bit extra for a nicer hotel and better location but I want to make sure it is worth the extra cost

 

[whois figment]

The one in Waltham is in a business park type of area. It is catering to business travelers (I work two minutes away from it). There is really nothing to do there. There are a couple of restaurants close but it is not in a location that you would go out and take a stroll to see the sights. If you are just looking for a place to crash then it would be fine. There are several hotels in that area and there is nothing wrong with this hotel. It is clean has a pool and is nice inside. It is not somewhere that you would go and request a specefic view. Your view choices would be Costco or parking lot.

 

[Maddie2]

We stayed at the Home Suites Inn in Waltham in August 2008 and really enjoyed that. They have an AWESOME breakfast that kept us full until mid afternoon. We did take the T into the city, so I can't help you with driving information.

We also took the Old Town Trolley tour. I know you can get coupons and discounts if you buy ahead online. It was pricey overall, but if you get the 2 day pass, it makes it very much worth it. You can get on and off all day and see a myriad of things. ... oh, and it doesn't feel as much like public transit as say, a bus or subway. Yes, there may be others nearby, but it is partially open-air, so it's a bit better, IMO. You may want to consider it. We loved it.

Also, in the budget frame of mind... buy an annual pass to your local zoo and if they are part of a certain network of zoos/a few museums, you can use their reciprocity deal and get in FREE at the Museum of Science! We did! Our local zoo was $56/year and we would have paid $84 for one day at MoS! Super deal and we used the zoo pass here several times!

Have fun!

 

[ardig123]

I cannot find the Homesuites Inn in Waltham? Could you give me a link? We are not looking to walk out our door and see the sites...we plan to drive and then walk. Are there any good places in Waltham to have dinner?

 

[aja319se]

I second George's Island. It's a lot of fun to take the 30 minute ferry to the island. My kids loved exploring (make sure to bring a flashlight!), bring a picnic and enjoy. If you are here in the late summer you could enjoy a feast in the North End. There is music, carnival type games, and a lot of food.

 

[rockyroad]

We recently visited Boston.

Just a few things to google...or not

Constitution Inn
USS Constitution
Warren Tavern...walking distance from the naval yard
water taxi

 

[mountdew1]

We are planning a trip to the Boston area this summer and was wondering if anybody can give me any tips, ideas, etc...

We planning on arriving a Thurs. afternoon and leaving again on Sun. mid morning. I was looking at the Double Tree Suites in Waltham. Only $98 a night with free parking and we love the idea of stretching out in a suite. Has anybody ever stayed there...any better recommendations?

Hotels in Boston can be very expesnvie. I can't personally recommend any never having stayed anywhere except where business mandated (and paid). Many of the properties outside the city are perfectly fine, and much more affordable than those in the city.

I know we will def. go to American Girl Cafe on Fri. but other than that we are wide open.

As a PP said, that is in Natick at the Natick Collection. A whole smorgasbord of stores and restaurants there, and in the surrounding area. You could easy kill a day window shopping and going to the other big box stores and the like.

I think we would like to head into the city of Boston on Sat. Any recommendations? One obstacle that we run into is that we would not like to take the "t"...so we were planning on driving into the city...any thoughts on good parking? Would love to be able to park and walk for the day. Totally willing to pay for parking!

TIA!!!

Boston really depends on what you want to do. Aquarium, Museum of Science, Children's Museum, etc. etc. However, getting around Boston without taking the T may require large amounts of walking depending on where you want to go. It is mostly walkable, just might take you a bit of time, and everything is kinda spread out in opposite directions. Many people will park either at the Boston Common garage, or around Fanieul Hall. Parking at the common puts you kinda smack dab between Newbury Street/The Prudential/Copley Place and Fanieul Hall/The North End/The Aquarium. Either location should also give you easy access to the Freedom Trail which is a walking tour of many of the historic sites. The commons is also home to the infamous Swan Boats if you are so inclined. You can get the official spiel from the city at http://www.cityofboston.gov/visitors/

 

[jakenjess]

there is NOTHING budget about a Red Sox game! Tickets are horribly outlandish (IF you can find them) and parking costs $35 or more. Don't even think about eating. When we go to the sox, we spend a SLICK $100 outside of the ticket price.

That was my first thought, too, but I think what the poster was saying is if there's a Red Sox game there will be a lot of traffic and they should stay away from Fenway Park!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

there is NOTHING budget about a Red Sox game! Tickets are horribly outlandish (IF you can find them) and parking costs $35 or more. Don't even think about eating. When we go to the sox, we spend a SLICK $100 outside of the ticket price.

yes, I meant STAY AWAY... FAH, FAH AWAY!

I have a 10 game season ticket pack and we don't go to all the games b/c it costs so much... my seats stink, DH will only park at the Pru and don't even get me started on the prices of food! Plus our DD now wants to go to the games and we have written the Red Sox every year since she was born to try and add one more seat and still can't get one. Oh, we are also try to get the seats moved due to the big pole blocking our view of 2nd base!

 

[Maddie2]

Home Suites Inn
(781) 890-3000
455 Totten Pond Rd, Waltham, MA 02451

http://www.homesuitesinn.com/

It took me a while to find a website for them and now I see why. They've totally changed their ways. They have changed to hotel "apartments". - $350/week w/full kitchen. Kind of strange. Sorry about that.

It states a 2 week minimum, but then there is also a nightly rate. Perhaps worth a phone call? Maybe it varies?

 

[cinmouse]

Wow the Doubletree in Cambridge is about $35 more per night than Waltham and parking is another $30 per night. Over the course of 3 days this hotel would be about $195 extra. Do you think it is worth it? I am willing to pay a bit extra for a nicer hotel and better location but I want to make sure it is worth the extra cost

I think the extra $$ would be worth it...there are so many things you can do right form the hotel...walk along the Charles River, go over to Harvard Sq in Cambridge.