New England - Aussie Visit To Boston Area 4 Hockey Camps

Hi all & greetings from DownUnder :)

I live in Sydney, Australia. I will be flying into Boston on Xmas morning from Toronto, Canada with my 12yo son.

Bad timing i know, but he is attending a hockey academy btwn 27th Dec and 31st Dec The am session is in a place called Marlboro for the first two days, then a place called Dedham for the next 3 days. The pm session is in a place called Andover all the days thru that time.

i have looked thru here and it seems that the traffic out of Boston International can be pretty tough - is it possible to get a cab or shuttle or train or bus service from the international airport to our chosen hotel at either of these towns.

i am trying to figure which place would be the easiest to stay at. We dont need anything flash or fancy, just safe, clean and preferably inexpensive.

Just from the logistical point of view i think it would be best to stay at the town that the am camp, as its a 9am start each day - ie 2 days at Marlboro and then 3 days at Dedham, and then cabbing it or driving to Andover each afternoon ..... are these big cities or large regional towns..

i am guessing that once we get there i should be oK to get a cab btwn our hotel and the ice rinks, but we also need to either hire a car to drive btwn them to get to the pm training sessions and back as required or use cabs, buses or a hire care or limo service.


Bear in mind that we drive on the opposite side of the road here in Australia so i am a bit leery about driving in USA. But if i have to i will.


i have googled for taxi and limo services in marlboro but only came up with one name. I emailed them two days ago but have not had a reply as yet ..

any ideas from seasoned traverllers that know these areas well which would be the most convenient, cheapest and nicest place to make a base (can i have all three?) ...

any suggestions for nice accomodation in these 3 towns would be appreciated ... we have no intesrest in sight seeing at this time - it is really just a clean, quiet convenient place to put our heads after a hard days training ...

we will be staying one week in Boston (somewhere) after the 31st and will save all our sight seeing until then - but pls let me know if we are going to miss something spectacular or special in any of those three places

i hope that all makes sense ... any help, advice and leads is greatly appreciated

regards
A|T

any idea how much a taxi would cost btwn those towns and if they have hire car services with or without driver services in those 3 towns???

Wow, you asked a lot of questions there, but I'll try to be of help. And welcome to FT! ^

First of all, those three places - Andover, Dedham, and Marlborough - are nowhere near each other in terms of time it would take to get between them. According to Google Earth, the closest two are Marlborough and Dedham, but there is no easy route to get between them and they are about 15 to 20 miles apart. Andover to Marlborough is a good 30 to 40 miles, and Andover to Dedham is probably about 25-30 miles. If you're going to get a cab or other driving service between these places, you're going to pay a fortune. As uncomfortable as you might be with driving on the right side of the road, I think car hire is your best option if you want to keep things inexpensive.

For lodging, I'm not familiar with any of those destinations, but you might want to use an opaque site like Priceline.com or Hotwire.com to try to find inexpensive accommodations, but I don't recall if either one is usable by folks from Aussie, they might be US only.

Welcome to Flyertalk and I hope you have a great trip to Boston (well, the Boston area).

If I had to commute between those three towns (large, regional towns), I'd stay in Marlboro, as it's central to the three mentioned. Both Dedham and Andover are about 45 mins away. Staying in Marlboro also offers the best relief from Boston traffic since you never go anywhere near the city.

You will absolutely 100% need a car the whole time. Taxi service will be prohibitively expensive due to the distances and public transportation, while it exists, will be so horribly inconvenient that yo'll wish you had a car. And you'll still need taxis at both ends of the commuter train to get to your final destinations.

Hotels - there's a Homestead in Marlboro (Hilton chain, IIRC) that offers kitchenettes in every room. I've not stayed at that one in particular, but have stayed in the chain and they are nice. There's also an Embassy Suites which would give you and your son separate bedrooms. Those are just two suggestions, but there's certainly others. Marlboro is home to many large businesses, so there's plenty of options.

Other than all of that, I hope you are able to take some time and get in to Boston. It's a beautiful city. Dare I say it reminds me very much of Melbourne - I know how you NSW folks feel about Victoria. ;) :p

Enjoy your stay!

Thank you for that info ... yes, i found them on google and it seems that they are about 45 min - 1 hour drive btwn each one so it looks like i will just have to get used to LHD :)

i am thinking that imight get a cab or shuttle from the airport to the town tho' then hire the car at the town - just to save negotiating thru the airport and boston itself ....

I would really appreciate any leads as to cheap quiet convenient accom in those three towns

and thanks for the warm welcome :) - this is a great site
regards
A|T

You should really just get the car at the airport and drive to Marlboro. You will not have to drive in Boston at all. The entrance to the Massachusetts Turnpike, which takes you directly to Marlboro, is right at the airport.

I think tkey has given you some good advice. Staying in Marlborough right on I 495 would likely work best. As noted, Embassy Suites is a good spot with easy access to 495 and you get a two room suite and a full breakfast. The manager's hours in MA do not include alcohol, but that is likely not a deal breaker for you.

Getting to Andover and back from Marlborough (often written as Marlboro) is easy as you just go north on 495. Pubilc transportation would be a real pain and take hours. That is Christmas week so traffic will be lower than normal and kids will be out of school. Getting to Dedham will take some effort but it won't be so bad.

I, too, would rent a car at Logan. You go through the Ted Williams tunnel and get right on the MA Pike extension which takes you to the Pike I 90 to I 495 and then you go north for a couple exits. On Christmas morning, traffic will be light and very easy to navigate.

One thing, Homestead Suites is not a Hilton property. Homewood Suites is but I don't think there is one close by. Embassy Suites does have kitchen suites (think microwave and fridge and table) and go for about $150 per night.

And I live 15 miles from Marlborough and I can't think of a single must see thing to do, maybe go to see the National Park at Lexington and Concord (http://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm), Minute Man park, but if you wanted a couple of days in Boston, it would be different. You are going to play hockey. See if Hudson is playing and try to watch them play Shrewsbury or Wachusett or even Marlboro. It is good high school hockey.

Knights limo would be a good choice for a shuttle but it appears they may not be running on Christmas day. http://www.knightsairportlimo.com. The site takes reservations for Dec 26, but not Dec 25. Might be worth a call or email.

I agree with renting a car at the airport and driving out to Marlborough. There is a Marriott Residence Inn directly across the street from the rink in Marlborough. (I've been to the rink a number of times to watch my nephews play hockey.) There is a shopping mall, restaurants, and a movie theater just a mile or so from the rink, and the centers of Marlborough and Hudson are just a few miles away. The next exit (Route 20) south on Route 495 has more hotels (Marriott, Hilton, and other chain properties) and more stores and restaurants.

Marlborough is also reasonably central for getting to Andover and Dedham if you don't want to switch hotels along the way.

I'm close to Marlborough so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

One thing, Homestead Suites is not a Hilton property. Homewood Suites is but I don't think there is one close by. Embassy Suites does have kitchen suites (think microwave and fridge and table) and go for about $150 per night.

Ahh. I knew my Spidey sense was tingling for some reason. I knew something was amiss. I can no longer vouch for the Homestead Suites as I have no experience with them. I'd likely go for the Embassy Suites, especially with a teenage son who will probably be clamoring for his own space.

all this has been EXTREMELY helpful and very encouraging - thank you to all that have contributed ...

can i push a friendship and ask a couple more questions ....

1. Is there a hotel right at the Boston International airport. (Melbourne for example has a hotel right at the airport - you don't even need to get a cab, you just walk accross a flybridge straight from arrivals into the hotel foyer) My wife and daughter arrive about 8 hours after we arrive from Toronto. Rather than sit in the airport and wait for them, she has suggested to bunk down at a hotel close to the airport, then we can all rest up for a day, then pick up the car from the airport and drive to Marlboro the next morning - which would be the 26th?

2. does anyone know of any hotels that they could recommend in Dedham, preferably within walking distance of the Boch Ice Centre

3. i have googled for a hire car to pickup at logan - the prices that i get are about US $500 for 14 days - this is unlimited miles & inclusive of all taxes & insurance etc, does that seem about right or am i likely to be able to get one cheaper when i arrive (has to be an automatic :)) ... is there any thing in particular that i should look for when booking a hire car

4. my wife and daughter are flying in to meet us on xmas day. They will be staying wherever we are staying over the first week. While i am doing the hockey thing with my son during that first week they would like to do some sight seeing ... it looks like there is not too much in and around Marlboro / Andover / Dedham ...

She is keen to visit Salem to see whatever there is to see there in regards to the witches stuff .... any tips in this regard?

is it possible and practical for her to drive the car to a point on the outskirts of Boston then catch a train or bus into the city centre and do some sightseeing during the day ... she is not so concerned about the driving issues as i am :(

any thoughts on the top 10 things to see while in Boston (i am sure that there is a thread here on that and will do a search on it, but just thought that i would ask anyway) ...

and finally, any ideas on places for all of us to stay during that last week of sightseeing in Boston itself ... aaauuuggghhh > no hockey for a whole week > that is really going to kill my son :)

again, thank you so much for all the help ... you guys have been great .... the input has been absolutely fantastic

regards
A|T

1) The Hilton (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/BOSLHHH-Hilton-Boston-Logan-Airport-Massachusetts/index.do) is attached directly to termnals A and E.

2) There's another Hilton (http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/DDHDHHF-Hilton-Boston-Dedham-Massachusetts/index.do) right next to the Boch Ice Center

3) You could probably get it a bit cheaper if you look around here for a discount code. That price isn't too horrible, though.

4) There's realy not much sightseeing in the three towns you name. Head in to Boston for that. Walk the Freedom Trail (http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/) for a good view of Boston's History. From the trail, you'll pick up a week's worth of more in depth sightseeing to do.

Do go to Salem. From downtown Boston (or with a connection, any of your towns mentioned) you can take the commuter rail to Salem and avoid driving. It's a great day trip.

PM me if you wish for more info.

my wife and daughter are flying in to meet us on xmas day. They will be staying wherever we are staying over the first week. While i am doing the hockey thing with my son during that first week they would like to do some sight seeing ... it looks like there is not too much in and around Marlboro / Andover / Dedham ...

She is keen to visit Salem to see whatever there is to see there in regards to the witches stuff .... any tips in this regard?

is it possible and practical for her to drive the car to a point on the outskirts of Boston then catch a train or bus into the city centre and do some sightseeing during the day ... she is not so concerned about the driving issues as i am

Given this development, I am going to change my recommendation. I would advise you to stay in Dedham, perhaps at the Marriot Residence inn (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/bosde-residence-inn-boston-dedham/). I chose this because it is a one BR suite hotel and includes free breakfast and a small kitchen area and is close to the hockey rink (not sure if it is within walking distance). Your am sessions are in Marlborough for only two days and the rest are in Dedham. Dedham will be much easier for sight seeing as your wife and daughter can catch either the commuter rail into Boston or take the MBTA (called the T Boston's Subway system) from Riverside, located just a couple of exits up 128/95 from Dedham. This is not really a sight seeing area but it provides more convenience. Take a good look at the T website (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/stations/?stopId=55)to see where you could go. Staying in Dedham means you will most often being going against the traffic as traffic goes into Boston in the morning and out in the afternoon. You will still need a car and getting from Andover to Dedham will take a bit longer.

Or you could stay in Andover since you have to be there every afternnon, likely in a hotel out on 495 and have your wife and daughter take the commuter rail into Boston, but you are not near the T in Andover. Again, you will need a car to get you to the hockey rinks and to take your wife/daughter back and forth to the train station. Sometimes there are hotel shuttles that do this but I did not check that out. If you stay in Andover, however, you will be in the traffic at rush hours more than staying in Dedham and that will be a real pain. None of the three areas are real walking around areas. And after recommending Dedham, I have rethought this out - being "home" at the end of the day in Andover with just a short ride back to the hotel and then just dealing with the drives to Marlborough on two mornings (and easy hop down 495) and to Dedham for three mornings (this will be the biggest pain for you driving) seems to minimize the pain. Another Residence Inn in Andover here http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosad-residence-inn-boston-andover/ and a Homewood Suites here http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com/en_US/hw/hotel/BOSANHW-Homewood-Suites-by-Hilton-Boston-Andover-Massachusetts/index.do

So how is it going? Are you managing to get around in all the snow?