Advice and tips for Boston

Thanks everyone for all advice. I noticed a sale is on so had a look and the UC tickets I thought were a really good price so have thrown caution to the wind and booked for October this year; that'll be 2 "big holidays" this year! :0

The price was just too good to pass up. Originally was looking perhaps for PE S or at a push W as I have an Amex companion ticket voucher, but there are no flexible PE tickets left when I search October or November so I looked at H bucket. Then I saw the sale mentioned Boston so looked at UC, the difference between H and Z fares was only £500pp so me and him indoors had a chat and decided to do it instead of waiting until next year.

I intend to book hotel, with free cancellation built in so that I can monitor rates and change the booking for a better rate if I find one! ): ):

Got the ESTAs to sort next and then get on and focus on Japan in May.
Cheers folks, I'm most happy y)

John

Great stuff Bretty , 2 tips for you take them or leave them .
1 - liberty hotel , great place to stay
2- moo resturant for a steak , out of this world y)

Thanks Blacky, much appreciated. Am looking at several hotels. Colonnade is booked out, so am looking at Seaport on the waterfront, Loews in Back Bay and a couple of others.

Cheers

Just want to mention that if you're thinking of visiting here in Jan/Feb and the winter is as horrible as it has been this year--ugh. Spring/summer/fall we've got it down. The Cape, Concord (home of the Revolution's first moves), North Shore, and even a short drive (1.5 hours) to western MA are well worth and the weather is usually very nice, although then again we have had some more than warm summers so if you do self catering in summer high season, get AC!

Boston is a very walkable city--with a lively harbor and excellent small restaurants, pubs and lots of great music and theater.

Back Bay is lovely to stay in but the Liberty Hotel if you can get a good rate is fabulous and right by the Charles.

Thanks again folks, all useful info for me to think about. I've never driven overseas so it's about time I thought about it lol :w

I found drivers around Boston to be the worst I have ever encountered. I just one 30 mile trip on the freeway south of Boston we saw 4 very near misses with people veering across several lane to exit at the last minute, or just continual lane changes to gain an extra couple of car lengths.

Definitely a case for defensive driving and checking all around before you make any manoeuvre.

Down towards Cape Cod they seemed a bit more relaxed.
Dick D

Boston is famous for being the worst city in America for driving--but really it's way easier than NYC or LA. Just be on the lookout for drivers who don't do rules.

Just want to mention that if you're thinking of visiting here in Jan/Feb and the winter is as horrible as it has been this year--ugh. Spring/summer/fall we've got it down. The Cape, Concord (home of the Revolution's first moves), North Shore, and even a short drive (1.5 hours) to western MA are well worth and the weather is usually very nice, although then again we have had some more than warm summers so if you do self catering in summer high season, get AC!

Boston is a very walkable city--with a lively harbor and excellent small restaurants, pubs and lots of great music and theater.

Back Bay is lovely to stay in but the Liberty Hotel if you can get a good rate is fabulous and right by the Charles.

Thanks, I think we've decided no driving. We like walking around and making use of the transit infrastructure when needed.

Thanks for the tips..
John

By the way RR and Blacky - what's a good rate for the Liberty hotel?

Ta,

By the way RR and Blacky - what's a good rate for the Liberty hotel?

Ta,

I went last march ,I had a spacious room with 2 large double beds ,think it was approx the equivalent of about £210 a night , it is a lovely hotel , it used to be a county jail ,it's a nice stroll in to the city centre as well .

By the way RR and Blacky - what's a good rate for the Liberty hotel?

Ta,

I went last march ,I had a spacious room with 2 large double beds ,think it was approx the equivalent of about £210 a night , it is a lovely hotel , it used to be a county jail ,it's a nice stroll in to the city centre as well .

Having checked, it doesn't seem to link up with sites like Expedia, Hotels.com et al, and current quotes are $800 dollars per night + tax, bringing my 7 night stay to £3800+. I'll keep an eye on it but at the moment it's a no go, my limit is around £250 / $400 per night, less if I can do it. There are 5 star hotels coming in cheaper in Boston (Liberty is 4 star)!

Partly the reason why I'll find a hotel I like with a rate I'm willing to pay and book the flexible rate so I can cancel and book something else if I find a better deal!! I'm currently looking at the Loews hotel and Seaport.

Thanks for the tip though.
John

By the way RR and Blacky - what's a good rate for the Liberty hotel?


Ta,

I went last march ,I had a spacious room with 2 large double beds ,think it was approx the equivalent of about £210 a night , it is a lovely hotel , it used to be a county jail ,it's a nice stroll in to the city centre as well .

Having checked, it doesn't seem to link up with sites like Expedia, Hotels.com et al, and current quotes are $800 dollars per night + tax, bringing my 7 night stay to £3800+. I'll keep an eye on it but at the moment it's a no go, my limit is around £250 / $400 per night, less if I can do it. There are 5 star hotels coming in cheaper in Boston (Liberty is 4 star)!

Partly the reason why I'll find a hotel I like with a rate I'm willing to pay and book the flexible rate so I can cancel and book something else if I find a better deal!! I'm currently looking at the Loews hotel and Seaport.

Thanks for the tip though.
John

Wow , that's far too much , not sure why it's that high , is that $800 a flexible rate?
It's a nice hotel but not worth that much in my eyes
Let us know what you plump for .

Yes, it's the rack rate which is usually what you pay if you walk in, but it's their lowest rate and is flexible. Now their non-flexible advance purchase rate is $900 per night plus tax, which doesn't make any sense at all. The flexible rate is normally a little higher than non!

Hey ho...

For the moment I've booked the Loews Hotel aka the Back Bay Hotel, former police station converted to hotel. I like the look of it and it has good reviews and amenities. I've got a good rate so far, about £253 per night inc taxes, but will keep an eye out for a better one of course! I'm sure something will come up and if not I'm happy with what I've got.

Booked through hotels.com via the Shops Away portal at 7 miles per pound plus 2 miles per pound for VS Amex! I'm nothing if not a FC miles tracker

Roll on October, but best get Japan out the way in May first

For the moment I've booked the Loews Hotel aka the Back Bay Hotel, former police station converted to hotel. I like the look of it and it has good reviews and amenities. I've got a good rate so far, about £253 per night inc taxes, but will keep an eye out for a better one of course! I'm sure something will come up and if not I'm happy with what I've got.

Booked through hotels.com via the Shops Away portal at 7 miles per pound plus 2 miles per pound for VS Amex! I'm nothing if not a FC miles tracker

Roll on October, but best get Japan out the way in May first

Looks very nice Bretty ,it was on my shortlist when I went y)

A bit too late for this thread but I've stayed at the Seaport and found it very comfortable. It's not a super-stylish place and it is a bit out of the centre (though easily walkable), but very friendly and (amazingly) has (or at least had) a no-tipping policy.

I've found that prices in Boston can just go crazy, particularly if there is a huge convention on.

I was looking at the Seaport and was nearly swayed by the waterfront location, but in the end something more central was better. I think when I checked their terms the Seaport levied a small daily fee which they claim is 100% shared out between all hourly rate employees. That's a kind of forced tip. I think it was $2 per night. It also says it doesn't represent a tip for waiters, bartenders etc.

Liberty--you shouldn't pay more the £130 a night--look at Lastminute.com or trip advisor. Back Bay is a good location and the Loews has been done up well (but I think you can get a far better rate)--the Seaport is nice (mostly tourists and conferences) but it's not really IN Boston. The Taj is also great and again--you should be able to book for a lot less than rack rate if you keep your eyes peeled. The Sheraton is well placed for Copley Square and predictable but another possibility might be to look at The Inn at Harvard which can have good rates and is very nice as well as the more upscale Hotel Veritas on Mass Ave. Also worth at least having a drink on the patio at the airport-side -Hyatt Haborside.

Liberty--you shouldn't pay more the £130 a night--look at Lastminute.com or trip advisor. Back Bay is a good location and the Loews has been done up well (but I think you can get a far better rate)--the Seaport is nice (mostly tourists and conferences) but it's not really IN Boston. The Taj is also great and again--you should be able to book for a lot less than rack rate if you keep your eyes peeled. The Sheraton is well placed for Copley Square and predictable but another possibility might be to look at The Inn at Harvard which can have good rates and is very nice as well as the more upscale Hotel Veritas on Mass Ave. Also worth at least having a drink on the patio at the airport-side -Hyatt Haborside.

Thanks Roadrunner, I'm sure I'll get a better rate later on but am reasonably happy to pay what I've already booked but this is my top line. I wouldn't pay more than that.

I've done a couple of dummy runs for the Liberty and the Loews for April, May and June this year and am getting much better rates including some breakfast inclusive deals, but right now for some reason October at the Liberty is only giving the flexible rack rate or a more expensive but less flexible rate so we'll see.

I'm wondering if my dates coincide with any events (17-24 October) as a couple of hotels have no rooms available at all, including the Colonnade, whether I try the comparison sites or booking direct. Still plenty of time to secure a more favourable rate, and I will.

Cheers,
John

I think when I checked their terms the Seaport levied a small daily fee which they claim is 100% shared out between all hourly rate employees. That's a kind of forced tip. I think it was $2 per night. It also says it doesn't represent a tip for waiters, bartenders etc.

It may well have changed since I was there or there may have been such a levy. But everything else was without service and this made a huge difference, but not to the quality of the service itself! I remember it because it was so odd in America! Anyway, it's academic now.

I've lots of other recommendations should you ever need them!

Cheers, thanks. What other recommendations have you got? All gratefully received.

I'm scouting around but looks like I'll need to wait to find out when the Boston ballet and opera season will start. With a bit of luck there might be something on during our trip. Then I think it will be some touristy things, maybe a day trip, and shopping combined with nice walks to appreciate the fall foliage.

Thanks,
John

We went to Boston in 2008.

Whale watching, Salem on a boat, Institute of Contemporary Art (Anish Kapoor exhibition when we were there), Cheers, Boston Common, shopping, Quincy market, Cambridge, North End, Blue Man Group, ghost tours, clam chowder, lobster. We stayed at the Boston Harbor Hotel which was a bit pricey but we got quite a good deal and we went via Quidco.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. y)

I'm wondering if my dates coincide with any events (17-24 October) as a couple of hotels have no rooms available at all, including the Colonnade, whether I try the comparison sites or booking direct. Still plenty of time to secure a more favourable rate, and I will.

whoops--somehow mistook your dates. Boston is a university town. I f your dates coincide with Harvard, MIT, BU, Northeastern, BC, or any of the many smaller college events (that week is often Parents Weekend either end) -they're booked. It's also the high week for fall foliage in New England and everything gets booked at high season rates. There is a Boston Timeout online that might be helpful in seeing what's on as well as the Boston Globe's Boston.Com Things To Do.

We went to Boston in 2008.

Whale watching, Salem on a boat, Institute of Contemporary Art (Anish Kapoor exhibition when we were there), Cheers, Boston Common, shopping, Quincy market, Cambridge, North End, Blue Man Group, ghost tours, clam chowder, lobster. We stayed at the Boston Harbor Hotel which was a bit pricey but we got quite a good deal and we went via Quidco.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. y)

I'm sure I will, thanks.

I'm wondering if my dates coincide with any events (17-24 October) as a couple of hotels have no rooms available at all, including the Colonnade, whether I try the comparison sites or booking direct. Still plenty of time to secure a more favourable rate, and I will.

whoops--somehow mistook your dates. Boston is a university town. I f your dates coincide with Harvard, MIT, BU, Northeastern, BC, or any of the many smaller college events (that week is often Parents Weekend either end) -they're booked. It's also the high week for fall foliage in New England and everything gets booked at high season rates. There is a Boston Timeout online that might be helpful in seeing what's on as well as the Boston Globe's Boston.Com Things To Do.

That's very helpful RR thanks. I'm glad I picked a prime time for fall foliage, that's one of the main draws for me as much ax anything else. I take you either out there or spend a lot of time there.

Cheers,
John

For fall foliage do head out of town--north or west, well worth a trip. Vermont and New Hampshire are gorgeous if the weather has been just right, central and western MA get great foliage and even a trip to Concord can be eye catching. The MTA runs regular trains throughout the state east of Worcester and there are numerous fall foliage bus trips to be had that venture farther afield. I work in Boston and live farther west.
http://www.boston.com/travel/new-england/extra/fall_guide_travel_new_england

Ta

Just really to "bump" what others have said here....
If you are in and around Boston, I spend a bit of time in this area.....
Boston yes, Cambridge 100%, where it all started to go wrong :0
New Hampshire, visit the Lakes Region and Mt. Washington.
Salem, again yes, if you can visit near Halloween even better.
Maine, is also very cool and the sea food on the NH and Maine coast is to die for (Look up Pete's in Rye, NH)
If you want a long drive drive to North New Hampshire or Maine, oh my, a different way of life......
You can easy spend a week / ten days in that part of world if its the first time.