Parking at T stations-(alewife/braintree/quincy adams)

I am hoping some locals can offer advice on availability of parking at T stations, particularly Alewife. To cut hotel costs, I am planning to stay in the Lexington/Burlington area and drive to Alewife, park and use the T. Have done a search on this topic which was useful and most say that the lot fills up by 8:30 give or take. Are there alternative garages/lots nearby that handle overflow? What time do you think spaces may open up (noon or later?) in case we go into town for the afternoon/evening? Is there an entity to call to get this information?

I am also considering staying in Braintree and have the same questions about the lots there and quincy adams.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give!!

Parking at T stations-(alewife/braintree/quincy adams)

8:30 is even optimistic some days. There are no alternative garages or lots nearby. However, you should be able to find spaces in the afternoon and there is always space in the evening. I suspect Braintree is the same, but I have heard that the Quincy Adams Garage fills up less often. The South Shore folks will be able to fill you in better.

Weekends, by the way, are no problem with the garages at any time. And many garages Downtown offer steep discounts (from the very high Boston daily rate, though).

Parking at T stations-(alewife/braintree/quincy adams)

Braintree get full early with many people driving up from the south.

Quincy Adams usually has open spots. It looks busy when driving in but many are dropping their loved ones.

If you stay at The Mariott Quincy the parking is free and Quincy Adams is minutes away. The hotel has a shuttle.

Don`t know if Motel 6 is too no frills for you, but there is one adjacent to The Braintree T station. Rooms were recently renovated and are clean and fine for budget lodging and the price is right.

If you are in Lexington or Burlington you could also consider the Wellington station in Medford. There is a garage and open lots. I understand they don%26#39;t fill up as much as Alewife, but I am not a regular user so don%26#39;t know for sure. Maybe someone can chime in.

It would be a bit further from Lexington than Alewife. If you were coming down Route 2 instead of going to the Alewife station you would take a left on Route 16 and follow about two miles to Wellington (traffic will be heavy in AM).

From Burlington, depending on where you are you could take back roads or come down 93, get off at Mystic Ave. and take a left onto 16 to Wellington. Traffic will be heavy on 93, too.

Cabinet is right about Wellington. The covered garage at Station Landing which is connected by a covered walkway might fill up, but the outdoor lots, %26#39;around the corner%26#39; near the passenger drop-off area are plentiful.

Thanks to all that responded. I have decided to book a hotel in Woburn (comfort inn) and drive to the Wellington station. Since I like to go for a walk in the morning, does anyone know if the Middlesex Fells Reservation has any walking paths? It looks like a large green/park area that might be an option.

Thanks again!

Yes, the Fells Reservation has trails, and it is quite lovely. It%26#39;s mostly woods.

The Middlesex Fells is filled with paths and roads. There are some marked by colored dots that I think the Boy Scouts maintain. I don%26#39;t know what the condition of the dots is. There is a small parking area in Medford on South Border Rd. next to Bellevue Pond, a very, very small pond, known locally as ';The Bell';. This would be on your way to Wellington. There might be some sort of map posted there. I can%26#39;t remember. Be careful, it is easy to get lost in those woods. If you keep on walking you will evenutally come out to civilization, but you might be very far from your car. You might want to stick to the roads instead of the paths. (The roads are dirt roads, there are no vehicles on them. They are technically ';fire roads';.)If you park on South Border you can follow a road up to the top of a Pine Hill where there is an observation tower. It used to be kept unlocked. I don%26#39;t know if it still is. Regardless, from the top of the hill you still have a pretty nice view. On a clear day, if you look to the east you can catch a small glimpse of the ocean.

Have a look at their Web site: http://www.fells.org.

If you prefer a park rather than woods, there is a big grassy park along Route 16 and the river right near Wellington Station. It has walking paths.