Mid-Atlantic - Connecticut to NY, Boston, Cooperstown

i need some serious assistance. I have searched this forum as well as others trying to find the right thing to do. we already have our plane tickets in and out of BDL in Connecticut. We go to Cooperstown for 8 days, then are free 8 days, then back to Cooperstown for 7 more days. That is a lot of dang driving.

We have made arrangements for our first leg. But the second, we begin again in Hartford, want to go to NY for 4 days then Boston 4. Do whatever in between.
I have been told take the train from Connecticut or Hartford to NY then to Boston, then back to bdl to rent the car to albany. but, if we rent the car at the beginning drive to NY, then to boston, then to albany and back to BDL to go home. I have priced it out and a car is actually cheaper if I stay at a hotel outside of NY and take the train in and then do the same in Boston.

See I need some serious help. We are here and want to cover NY and Boston and use as little as our time for travel waiting for trains and buses. I am traveling with three children as well. More reason I want to pack the car with snacks and just go on our time.... what do you think? Any ideas please?:confused: Is there a hotel just outside of Ny perhaps where the last subway stop is or an easy in out point of NY where we can sleep at night, have the rental car and go in and out of town? Same as with Boston? I was hoping to stay midtown, but now will take anywhere that meets the needs safely??? thanks

You might want to break your thread into 2 separate threads and post one in the NY forum, and ask the mods to change the title of this one to read, "Where to stay in Boston," explaining the Boston portion of it.

My guess is that you'll find many hotels on the outskirts of both cities that charge a minimal parking fee and have easy access to public transportation.

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For Boston, consider the Homewood Suites on Massachusetts Avenue on the Arlington/Cambridge border. It's on the bus line with frequent service to Porter Square and Harvard Square, where connections can be made to the Red Line subway to downtown Boston.

For NY, I consider it a pain but something near Newark or jersey city might work for you. Either that, or suck it up and pay the parking fee (could be local lot vs hotel parking, but will likely cost you) and find a hotel in one of the boroughs