Lexington/Concord or Freedom Trail?

Hello all! Going on Grandeur of the Seas and trying to plan our port stop for Boston. We will be there on Saturday July 29 from 10 am to 11 pm. My son and husband are very interested in Lexington/Concord. From some research I have learned that they are pretty far from the cruise port. Also when I researched private tours most seem to leave from hotels before we even dock. Usually we rent taxis and skip the cruise sponsored tour but am thinking if we want to do Lexington/Concord the cruise tour may be best this time. Has anyone done the all day one RC has? Over $100 pp and 7 hours so I dont' want to waste time or money if not worth it. Other option is Freedom Trail from Boston Common, this way they still get some history interests to explore. Any input greatly appreciated!!!

Well, I'm a Yankees fan so I probably would stay aboard in Boston. 🤣

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hello all! Going on Grandeur of the Seas and trying to plan our port stop for Boston. We will be there on Saturday July 29 from 10 am to 11 pm. My son and husband are very interested in Lexington/Concord. From some research I have learned that they are pretty far from the cruise port. Also when I researched private tours most seem to leave from hotels before we even dock. Usually we rent taxis and skip the cruise sponsored tour but am thinking if we want to do Lexington/Concord the cruise tour may be best this time. Has anyone done the all day one RC has? Over $100 pp and 7 hours so I dont' want to waste time or money if not worth it. Other option is Freedom Trail from Boston Common, this way they still get some history interests to explore. Any input greatly appreciated!!!

The sights in Lexington/Concord are very spread out.

There is this tour once you get yourself out to Lexington:

http://www.tourlexington.us/libertyride.html

And this page talks about how to get there:

http://www.tourlexington.us/gettingto.html#3

A taxi would be quite expensive.

And of course there is the Freedom Trail, with free guided walking tours leaving from the Visitor Center at Park Street, or just DIY.

------------------------------------------------------

Well, I'm a Yankees fan so I probably would stay aboard in Boston.

Red Sox Nation rules !

While I would recommend visiting Lexington and Concord to any history buff, I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a cruise port stop. I haven't looked up the ship's tour, but 7 hours takes up the whole port stop realistically. Do they provide meals? Where?

My vote would be the Freedom Trail. You can do the entire thing on foot in less than 7 hours (unless you choose to stop and browse some sights in detail), and still get to sample Boston's fine dining choices along the way. To me, nothing brings home early US history like the USS Constitution, but maybe that's my maritime background. :D

You're there on a Saturday for 13 hours, so renting a car is definitely an option. I live in the Lexington/Concord area and can give more details. IMO it's an easy drive via the Mass Pike and route 128/I95 - about 30 minutes.

You can research the stops along the Battle Road and choose what interests you. Although not on the Battle Road, you can also visit Walden Pond, which is the potentially the busiest area of all your stops. Both downtown Concord and Lexington have interesting shops. Concord also has the Concord Museum, Alcott House, and Emerson House. There is canoeing on the Concord River plus lots of short walking trails. It's an interesting area because you not only have the Revolutionary War history, but the mid 19th century writers and philosophers history.

Parking is generally not an issue. Both Lexington and Concord have meters on the center streets, but also have ample off street lots. Rate is no more than $1/hour. Walden Pond has a parking charge, but all other sites are free.

Walden Pond will probably not be a possibility on a Saturday in July unless you park quite far away and walk in. The parking lot fills up very early on a summer day (for swimming) and particularly on weekends. The rangers do not allow cars to enter one by one after that (as parked cars vacate), just en masse from what becomes a looooong line at a posted later hour. The new visitor center and its construction took away even more spaces it seems.

The Battle Road is a nice stroll if you are in the area, and you can visit the Tavern and other structures.

I did this tour a few years ago with Princess and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since I don't get to Boston often, I am so glad I did it.

The time was very efficient and we saw quite a bit including Harvard Yard. Our tour did include lunch at the Union Oyster House in Boston near the Freedom trail.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would recommend it. Especially if you don't plan on being back in Boston in the near future.

I am glad I didn't have to deal with Boston traffic and parking. I had also considered going to Salem but it was on Halloween day and they were expecting massive crowds there.

Thanks all for the input. After talking with family I believe we have decided on a taxi ride to Fenway to tour there and then walk the Freedom Trail. Think we will save Lexington/Concord for a future visit.

Hi there! I live in the Lexington area and work across the street from the cruise terminal. I can make it home on a Saturday in 35 minutes, really not too terrible. You could easily visit the Battlefields in Concord, then head to a museum or two in Lexington with plenty of time to spare! Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any more questions.

My Daughter lives in the Boston area. I love the history there. However, the traffic is awful and has the rudest drivers in the country.

Personally, I would avoid driving in and around Boston. The Freedom Trail is wonderful, highly recommend it, especially visiting the USS Constitution.

I was going to do a tour of Fenway on my own also. Doing the research, I found it a long ride and they do not sell the tour tickets except at the park. So I'm going to try to do a ship excursion for it. You could have to wait awhile to get in.

Sent from my BLU STUDIO 5.5 HD using Forums mobile app

I was going to do a tour of Fenway on my own also. Doing the research, I found it a long ride and they do not sell the tour tickets except at the park. So I'm going to try to do a ship excursion for it. You could have to wait awhile to get in.

 

Sent from my BLU STUDIO 5.5 HD using Forums mobile app

Haven't done a tour of Fenway, but looking at the site (which isn't real clear), I believe the only tour where the tickets are only walk up are the "Pregame Tour" on game days. All other tours are available online two weeks in advance. A cab would cost about $30 and take 20 minutes, or the T would take about an hour with two transfers. Not sure how much the cruise line wants for the tour, so I can't say whether its worth it or not.

Thanks. After checking back, I don't see how I missed it. I'm solo so would try the metro. I have several months to go before I go, so time to plan. As usual, the ship excursion is pricey.