First time in Boston

[nanakatandpop]

We will be in Boston on Tues. Oct 6 arriving on the Summit at 8:00 AM, departing at 6:00. We really want to see as much as we can. Purchased a groupon for a City View trolley tour and harbor cruise. Not really interested in the harbor cruise but the groupon seemed a good deal anyway. Now it seems we have to go to the City View main ticket office near Quincy Market to redeem for tickets. What is the best way to get from the cruise terminal to Quincy Market? Would we be better off to scratch the trolley and just walk the Freedom trail? We are capable of walking. With the Constitution in dry dock, is it worth going all the way up there?

[nanakatandpop]

If you have luggage, I'd consider getting off the SL2 at South Station and purchasing your Charlie Ticket Pass there and taking the commuter rail to the Back Bay Station. This is included in the 7 day pass. This will be a much more accessible route than taking the red line to Park St and transferring to the green line to Back Bay. However check the various outbound train schedules to see if they suit because the commuter trains don't run as often as the subway trains.

 

 

We will be in Boston on Tues. Oct 6 arriving on the Summit at 8:00 AM, departing at 6:00. We really want to see as much as we can. Purchased a groupon for a City View trolley tour and harbor cruise. Not really interested in the harbor cruise but the groupon seemed a good deal anyway. Now it seems we have to go to the City View main ticket office near Quincy Market to redeem for tickets. What is the best way to get from the cruise terminal to Quincy Market? Would we be better off to scratch the trolley and just walk the Freedom trail? We are capable of walking. With the Constitution in dry dock, is it worth going all the way up there?

[138east]

We will be in Boston on Tues. Oct 6 arriving on the Summit at 8:00 AM, departing at 6:00. We really want to see as much as we can. Purchased a groupon for a City View trolley tour and harbor cruise. Not really interested in the harbor cruise but the groupon seemed a good deal anyway. Now it seems we have to go to the City View main ticket office near Quincy Market to redeem for tickets. What is the best way to get from the cruise terminal to Quincy Market? Would we be better off to scratch the trolley and just walk the Freedom trail? We are capable of walking. With the Constitution in dry dock, is it worth going all the way up there?

 

I'd have a Plan A and a Plan B for poor weather. If you want to walk the Freedom Trail, take the Silver Line to South Station and transfer to the Red Line direction Alewife to go to Park St to the start of the Freedom Trail. If you make it all the way to the Constitution, take the MBTA water taxi back to Long Wharf for $3.25 and walk the Harborwalk back to South Station to get the Silver Line back to Black Falcon Terminal. If the weather is bad, take a cab to the start of the trolley at Long Wharf (stop 1), do the harbor cruise first, and work your way around the trolley route getting off the trolley at South Station to take the Silver Line back to the port.

[cruisingmimi]

Nana, if you are able I would suggest that you call the City view Trolley (617.363.7899)

and ask what you do if you have a groupon voucher. I had a friend that was interested in purchasing the same Groupon voucher as you have and I called the above phone #. They told me that you could board the trolley at South Station and exchange your voucher at the Quincy Market ticket booth. However, the information I received may not be correct so verify it.

 

If you can do the exchange at Quincy Market you can take the Silver Line to South Station at Black Falcon and board the trolley there. Hope this helps. The trolley tour is really nice and we have done it a couple of times with friends from out-of-state. You can get on/off as you want to. Trolley stops are designated along the route and you can wait at these stops to re-board the trolley. It should be about a 1.5 hr. ride if you do the whole loop without getting off. Enjoy your visit.

[Driftwoodgal]

Just off the Brilliance TA, our cab ride to ship was $25.00 plus $5.00 tip. They were not letting Uber into the area per a cruiser trying to use that service.

[midwestchick]

Unfortunately it's really too early for foliage changes.

 

Most folks enjoy the Hoho trolley to access the Freedom trail sites and explore Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market, the North End, Charlestown and the Boston Common. Harvard Square is a short ride on the T. Some Hoho tickets offer a cruise of Boston Harbor.

 

For your dates there is currently a 4.5* Back Bay hotel for $199 plus tax on Hotwire. This will be a very nice hotel located in an area with lots of restaurants and indoor shopping in the evening - Copley place and the Prudential shops. The trolleys pick up in this area and there is good T transportation.

 

 

Carol,

Is the Hoho trolley something we can purchase when we arrive? Otherwise, we were just thinking of taking a taxi to the Quincy Market area. Would also like to see the old Italian district....not sure how far from the market it is.

Also not sure how expensive a cab from the cruise port to Quincy is.

Edited September 19, 2015 by midwestchick

[138east]

Carol,

Is the Hoho trolley something we can purchase when we arrive? Otherwise, we were just thinking of taking a taxi to the Quincy Market area. Would also like to see the old Italian district....not sure how far from the market it is.

Also not sure how expensive a cab from the cruise port to Quincy is.

 

Yes, you can buy trolley tickets the same day. Taxi to Quincy Market would run about $12. Have him go up Atlantic Ave and drop you across from the market area entrance by the Aquarium. No point in paying for a cab to go around on the narrow one way streets to get you closer.

 

You can pick up the Freedom Trail at the other end of the market area in front of Faneuil Hall. In Faneuil Hall itself there is a National Park Service Center where you can get more info. Follow the Trail into the North End and make a loop back to the market area on Salem Street.

https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/pdfs/boston-nps-map.pdf

 

If you want to take a cab back to the ship, you can try to get one on Atlantic Ave going the other way from which you came.

[midwestchick]

Yes, you can buy trolley tickets the same day. Taxi to Quincy Market would run about $12. Have him go up Atlantic Ave and drop you across from the market area entrance by the Aquarium. No point in paying for a cab to go around on the narrow one way streets to get you closer.

 

You can pick up the Freedom Trail at the other end of the market area in front of Faneuil Hall. In Faneuil Hall itself there is a National Park Service Center where you can get more info. Follow the Trail into the North End and make a loop back to the market area on Salem Street.

https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/pdfs/boston-nps-map.pdf

 

If you want to take a cab back to the ship, you can try to get one on Atlantic Ave going the other way from which you came.

 

I just checked and the Freedom Trail is about 3 miles from the port. Do they have buses running from port to there?

[medicalma'am]

We are arriving to terminal A. We will have a 3 hour wait until my sister comes in. Is there a place to eat after we leave the security area and get our luggage?We will be hungry and need a place to comfortably wait. We can even go to another terminal, but don't know if they have trams between the terminals. Can anyone advise?

Edited September 21, 2015 by medicalma'am

[Blue Mudshark]

We are arriving to terminal A. We will have a 3 hour wait until my sister comes in. Is there a place to eat after we leave the security area and get our luggage?We will be hungry and need a place to comfortably wait. We can even go to another terminal' date=' but don't know if they have trams between the terminals. Can anyone advise?[/size']

 

There are free Airport Shuttle busses that serve all terminals. Airport Shuttle Bus #11 serves all four terminals only. Some other busses, (e.g. #55, #66, Silver Line) serve all the terminals plus other places such as the car rental area, subway stations, or water taxi dock. Still other busses do not serve all terminals. The best bet for inter-terminal transport is the free Airport Shuttle Bus #11, it goes to all four terminals, and only all four terminals.

 

The interactive map at ...

http://www.massport.com/logan-airport/inside-the-airport/logan-interactive-maps/

... can be used to show where the various busses stop, and where the restaurants are in the terminals.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Blue Mudshark

[Blue Mudshark]

The restaurant choices are pretty slim outside the security area; choice is better inside the secure area. Departure levels tend to have more choices than arrival levels at this airport.

 

Also, Terminal B is like two separate buildings when you're outside the security zone. You can walk across the parking garage to get between the two sides.

[138east]

We are arriving to terminal A. We will have a 3 hour wait until my sister comes in. Is there a place to eat after we leave the security area and get our luggage?We will be hungry and need a place to comfortably wait. We can even go to another terminal' date=' but don't know if they have trams between the terminals. Can anyone advise?[/size']

 

You're going to have to research what is available in each terminal and if it is available pre security. Here is terminal A - https://www.massport.com/logan-airport/inside-the-airport/terminals/terminal-a/ Other terminals are on the web site. For such a long wait I would consider Terminal C - https://www.massport.com/logan-airport/inside-the-airport/logan-interactive-maps/#terminal/C/zone/departures This terminal has the biggest selection of eateries pre security. There are free shuttle buses that do the loop around the airport between the terminals.

[Blue Mudshark]

I just checked and the Freedom Trail is about 3 miles from the port. Do they have buses running from port to there?

 

You can take public transportation ("The T"). Silver Line (bus) from the cruise port to South Station, then free transfer to the Red Line (subway) to Park Street Station, which is on the Freedom Trail.

 

There may also be a HOHO trolley or bus that serves the port and the Freedom Trail, but I don't have any info about that.

[138east]

For two people any transportation offered by the ship to and from Quincy Market would cost about the same as a cab ride there and back. Two people paying about $12/pp for the ship transportation is the same as two people taking a $12 cab ride each way.

[midwestchick]

You can take public transportation ("The T"). Silver Line (bus) from the cruise port to South Station, then free transfer to the Red Line (subway) to Park Street Station, which is on the Freedom Trail.

 

There may also be a HOHO trolley or bus that serves the port and the Freedom Trail, but I don't have any info about that.

 

If I possibly can, I want to avoid subways at this point.