Boston

[Fas1975]

Has anyone been to Boston for a holiday? Am planning for August 2015. Went once on business back in 2001 and have fond memories of wandering around the streets of Cambridge and Harvard. Wife and 2 kids, (11 and 9), really into sightseeing and whatever activities are available. I hear good things about the Freedom Trail, and will attempt to get tickets to a Red Sox game if they're playing, but apart from that, would I be able to fill 7 days and would you recommend?

Have done NYC and DC and for holidays, we don't like going back to the same place twice if we can help it and they don't do beach holidays, hence a city break with good stuff to see and do will suit us.

Any advice?

[The Leaper]

Fas,

For many years I travelled to many places in the USA on business and my wife and I had several holidays there too. Boston is OK but for me the combination of brown houses and history is more like being in the UK than the USA so I prefer other places (Chicago, great!).

I think Boston for a few days will be OK. One year we flew to Boston, hired a car , went and stayed and explored Cape Cod for a week and then drove north of Boston to Kennybunkport and stayed a week there exploring northern Massachussetts, then back to Boston for three days and then flew home. This was an excellent holiday. More recently we flew into Boston and then on to Augusta, Maine, hired a car and spent two weeks exploring Maine and "leaf peeping" in the autumn, back to Boston and then home...great holiday!

So, for us, Boston is a great base but there's so much to see in the east coast area of USA.

By the way, BA has a day flight back to the UK. I think it leave at 9:00 am and arrives 5-6 or so hours later at Heathrow at around 9:00 pm here. Well worth taking to avoid jet lag!

R.

[Fas1975]

Brilliant, thanks. I think we'll do 1-2 days in Boston itself, and then hire a car and go exploring further afield. I'm using airmiles, so the day flight isn't available to me, but we're going in the summer holidays so plenty of time for kids to recover, and unfortunately, due to my job, I'm used to it.

[shakotan]

Smith and Wollensky in the old castle tower is fantastic!

http://www.smithandwollensky.com/locations-2/bosto...

Edited by shakotan on Thursday 30th October 11:00

[Puggit]

The Leaper said:

By the way, BA has a day flight back to the UK. I think it leave at 9:00 am and arrives 5-6 or so hours later at Heathrow at around 9:00 pm here. Well worth taking to avoid jet lag!

R.

It's 08.15, lands around 19.30 - absolute magic! The night flights from Boston are brutal as they are so short, especially the 19.15 departure as that lands around 01.30 Boston time which is 06.30 UK time. No time for sleep and it's too early - then straight in to a long day.

[Fas1975]

No disrespect to The Leaper and Puggit, but I've just booked the flights on the back of Shakotan recommendation.

Now have to figure out where to stay. Air bnb have such a widespread "Boston" base, any ideas which areas to stay / avoid? I guess city centre is obvious as then it gives us a 360 degree scope for exploring

[The Leaper]

Thanks, Puggit, for the correction. It's been a while since I used the Boston day flight.

I don't understand Fas's comment about not being able to use Airmiles/Avios as I've done so maybe 3-4 times over the years. Maybe BA are saying the A/A allocated seats are taken already, or have changed their policy.

R.

[Fas1975]

The Leaper said:

I don't understand Fas's comment about not being able to use Airmiles/Avios as I've done so maybe 3-4 times over the years. Maybe BA are saying the A/A allocated seats are taken already, or have changed their policy.

R.

Just to clarify, I'm booking using my avios points, doing it this way, the return day flight is not available as an option, only the red-eye. Usually, if there are no reward seats available, the flight will still show, but it will say "not available", but there was no option at all. Give me a min, I'll take a screenshot

[Fas1975]

Hopefully this will work. Two screenshots, one using avios, the other without, same dates and travel party:

With Avios;






Without:



You can see, without avios, there's a few more options, but the kids are on summer hols and I'll take an extra couple of days, and get over jet lag fine. And the good news is, the red sox are in town that week

[Puggit]

Stay anywhere in the central area - if you're near an underground stop you'll be fine

I'd recommend a Duck Tour (if it sets alight, that's a bonus). Also the science museum is great. If you're out in August, Cape Cod really should be done - and how about deep sea fishing?

The go-kart track in Braintree has a downhill cork-screw. Go on

Edited by Puggit on Thursday 30th October 14:31

[Puggit]

Two of the flights will be 777s and 2 will be 747s. Chances are you will get an updated 777 too. Much nicer than an 747. I'd go for that flight.

I've just realised I know the BA LHR-BOS timetable a little bit too well

Edited by Puggit on Thursday 30th October 14:29