Originally Posted by
Efrem
Boston hotels are expensive. (Have you priced rooms large enough for 2 1/2 people at good hotels in London lately?) The only way around that is to stay some distance from the city. You can reach the city easily by public transportation, but depending on your interests and what you want to see, that may take more time than the savings are worth.
Boston hotels are expensive, but as a former full-time resident and still frequent visitor, I've learned how to use hotwire to conquer high hotel prices in Boston. I'm going to start a separate thread on this topic and will edit this post to link it. (As promised, here is the link:
My hotwire technique to conquer the high prices of hotels in Boston)
Originally Posted by
Efrem
On your way to New York, I recommend a stop in New Bedford. It's slightly off the direct route but it makes sense to do it while you're driving in that direction. It's the biggest fishing port in the U.S. in terms of landed seafood value, has a real gritty waterfront - not a tourist attraction. While you're there, visit the Whaling Museum. It does a great job of balancing the contribution of whaling to the regional economy 100+ years ago with the more recent recognition of whales' intelligence and their need for protection. If you want to spend a night there, there's a reasonably-priced Fairfield Inn within easy walking distance of the docks.
New Bedford is a fascinating place, and an off-the-beaten-path option, but I'm not sure I'd venture that far out of my way to go, especially with a three-year-old. In fact, I would suggest that the OP consider taking the train between Boston and NYC, rather than drive. On the plus side, it's a very pleasant ride down the coast and is much more relaxing than driving. On the minus side, it's a lot easier to dump all of your belongings into a car than have to pack up to take it all on the train, and it eliminates the option of side trips between Boston and NYC.
Originally Posted by
Efrem
You might consider New Haven, Connecticut, as an intermediate stop. Very historic town, home of Yale University.
Like New Bedford, a nice place to spend a few hours, but I'm not sure it'd be at the top of my list.