Coming to Boston Area July 9-13

Hello,

I have a few questions about the area..thanks for all of your help!

I will actually be staying in Woburn and I would like to know if taking public transportation into the city is easy?

Also, what is the weather like? Humid or not? I am from St. Louis and our weather is VERY hot and humid..usually without a breeze.

If you have any other advice, please feel free to share. I am really excited to visit the East coast for some seafood and a Sox game!

Coming to Boston Area July 9-13

There are buses in Woburn that will get you into town. There is also a commuter rail station (Anderson) that will bring you in. There%26#39;s plenty of inexpensive parking there.

So, yes, you can get in town by public transportation, but it%26#39;s not that convenient. Driving to Anderson and taking the train would probably make the most sense. Just, be sure to check the schedule (www.mbta.com, commuter rail, Lowell Line) so you can plan your day.

Another option would be to drive and park at a T subway station, probably Wellington in Medford, or Alewife in Cambridge and take the subway in. This would give you more freedom, since the subways run very frequently, unlike the commuter rail. The only caveat is that the Alewife garage fills up early on weekdays. You will probably have better luck at Wellington.

The weather can be very hot and humid at that time of year, but the weather is generally very unpredicatable here. Also, being close to the ocean, we sometimes have moderating sea breezes. But, if I was to guess, I would plan for more hot and humid than not. Also, thundershowers are pretty common.

Coming to Boston Area July 9-13

So, you must have weather like St. Louis, one day it%26#39;s 85 and the next day it%26#39;s 40 with a chance of snow..lol.

I was afraid of the transportation issue..you confirmed it. Sounds like a pain..I won%26#39;t have a car either. I am amazed at how expensive cabs are! 45-60.00 for a 12mi cab ride..

Thanks for all your info!

Is there any reason you HAVE to stay in Woburn? Savings on hotels that far out are often negated by expenses on transportation.

The pricey cab ride you are talking about sounds like the ride from the airport. There%26#39;s an %26#39;airport fee%26#39; and the tunnel toll, so it starts at $7.50 before you%26#39;ve driven 50 feet.

Does your hotel have a shuttle? Minimally, the hotel should be able to give you th enames of local taxi companies to get you to/from the train station.

If you aren%26#39;t locked into the Woburn hotel, let us know and people willl have other suggestions for you.

Woburn has an express bus that makes minimal stops and gets you downtown in about 40 minutes. However the last one comes back around 8PM. I don%26#39;t know if there is a stop near your hotel, but if there is, and you are locked into Woburn, this might be a tolerable option.

Oh, and I think the express bus only runs on weedays.

I would really advise against staying in Woburn and relying on public transport to get into town. I did that last year on my Boston trip, and would never do it again. The money you spend on transportation really does negate the savings you get by staying outside the city. Plus relying on the bus or train to get you back is really inconvenient, and you don%26#39;t have the freedom to stay however long you want to downtown. I%26#39;m going back this summer and staying downtown! I learned my lesson.

I am staying in Woburn because of a class I have to take for my job. So, there really isn%26#39;t a way around it. I don%26#39;t have to go into the city everyday, so I guess I can tolerate the trouble for a day or two. There is a shuttle, but it only transports you within 3mi of the hotel. Sounds like I will just have to suck it up and pay for a cab. I definitely know there isn%26#39;t a chance I will be coming back at 8pm!!!!

Thanks for everything!

Why can%26#39;t you use the Anderson Commuter Rail stop for your trips to Boston? If you can be at North Station in Boston by 12:10AM weekday or 11:30PM weekend, then you can take the commuter rail back to Anderson in Woburn. I would gladly pay $9.50 roundtrip and use the rail instead of paying an arm and a leg (probably both legs) to take a taxi. Seems like a no brainer to me, unless you plan on returning to Woburn very late from Boston.

I don%26#39;t know how late the hotel shuttle will pick you up at Anderson, but it sure will be able to drop you off for your trips in. Even if it can%26#39;t pick you up that late at night, a taxi from Anderson to your hotel will be minimal.

I would definitely recommend you use the rail.

I agree with you..in the midst of all my planning, I didn%26#39;t realize I could take it that late. Thank you!

Boston is a nice area.