Parking at a ';T'; station

Hi there,

My husband and I are taking our 2- and 3-year-olds to Boston this summer (probably in June). I%26#39;ve done some research online and I think we%26#39;re going to stay at the Best Western in Woburn. We%26#39;ll be driving in from Montreal, so we%26#39;ll have a car, but we won%26#39;t be driving into Boston each day (thanks to those who answered my previous question :)

Although the hotel has a complimentary shuttle to the train station, I%26#39;ve heard that the T is more convenient and affordable.

Here%26#39;s my question: which ';T'; station should we drive to/park at? When they say the parking rate is $3.50 (on the MBTA site), is that for the whole day? And if there are, say, 800 spaces available, is there a chance that there might not be any spaces left by the time we get there? Our kids wake up early, so chances are we%26#39;ll be there at least by 9am.

One other thing: if we%26#39;re taking the T twice a day for 5 days, is it worth it to buy the weekly charlie pass?

Thanks,

Julia

Parking at a ';T'; station

The 3.50 is a daily rate.

The lots near me on the South Shore fill up by 7:30-8am with commuters%26#39; cars. I don%26#39;t know about the ones near your hotel. If you drive to the nearest T station, you could very well find a full lot at 9am.

If you%26#39;re taking the T downtown and then walking around, then it might be cheaper and easier to take the commuter rail and enjoy the convenience of the free hotel shuttle (and save the 3.50/day), but if you%26#39;re goign to be taking the T all day during the day to save on walking, (like from the waterfront to the back bay to Cambridge, etc.) then the unlimited ride option is better.

The commuter rail has its benefits: it%26#39;s faster than the T and has more comfortable seats.

Parking at a ';T'; station

Yes, it is true that these lots are generally filled with commuters on the weekdays by 7:30 a.m (and sometimes earlier!) If your stay includes the weekend, you can be assured parking but I%26#39;m not certain I%26#39;d chance it on a weekday. If you do try it, Wellington Station in Medford has the largest lot and would be very easy to get to (straight down Rt. 93 South) from your hotel. Did you look at Amerisuites in Medford? They have a shuttle to Wellington. If you stayed there, you%26#39;d be in a town with the T as opposed to the commuter rail.

Hi, me again!

Forgot to mention that we may decide to take the stroller with us on our day trips to Boston. Will this be a problem? Are the trains/buses really packed with commuters?

Another option is to take the Woburn-Boston express bus into town.

Julia

With regards to the stroller - yes, you can easily wheel a stroller onto the subway trains (the platform is level with the trains) but again, the trains are packed with commuters during rush hour and it may be too crowded to comfortably do so.

I%26#39;m not certain I know what you mean by express bus, but if you%26#39;re referring to the MBTA bus, I could be wrong but I believe the bus picks up in Woburn Square which is not near your hotel. Also, I don%26#39;t think I would take the bus with a two and three year old - too many stops, potential for carsickness and some of the bus drivers drive too fast for my taste.

When my kids were that age, they really liked the commuter rail. The train ride itself was an adventure to them, never mind the museums. It may cost more than the T but I think it%26#39;s more comfortable and cleaner.

I would suggest you do the following - Saturdays and Sunday, drive to Wellington and take the T. Weekdays take the commuter rail. If your plans include the Museum of Science, you could drive that day - they have a parking garage. Check out their website at www.mos.org.

About the T pass, I assume you will be taking the subway in Boston. A pass won%26#39;t work on the commuter rail from Woburn (only monthly commuter passes are issued). For travel on the subway, the pass is a great deal. A single cash fare is $2.00, so five round trips would be $20 and the pass is only $15 so you%26#39;re ahead already. With the pass, you%26#39;ll have unlimited travel and you%26#39;ll discover that the being able to hop on and off the subway is a real convenience in Boston. You%26#39;ll each need a pass. The kids are free. People use strollers on the T all the time. On older green line cars you%26#39;ll have to get it up three steps, but it%26#39;s not a problem, especially with two people.

The commuter rail station in Woburn (Anderson) has a huge parking lot. Depending on how often the hotel shuttle runs you may , for convenience, want to consider driving to the station yourself.

I agree with KDDM about the Sat/Sunday scheduling. Great idea.

The stroller on the T is do-able but not fun (not all stations have elevators and of those that do, I can%26#39;t think of one that doesn%26#39;t smell funky. Some are so bad you hold your breath the whole ride. If you%26#39;re in good shape, you can carry your stuff up and down stairs. Be careful on escelators....

Strollers and crowds are do-able. If you have a little one who%26#39;s walking, they%26#39;re more in danger of getting a briefcase to the nose during rush hour. If you can keep %26#39;em both in a stroller, that%26#39;s your best bet. On the trains, people will get out of the way. It%26#39;s not impossible.

Hi,

Are strollers do-able on the commuter trains too? Is there room? We do have a small tandem stroller for when the little ones tire (which they do so often!).

I know the boys will LOVE the train...they%26#39;re big fans of Thomas the Tank Engine, and basically anything on wheels. So we%26#39;ll definately do that at least once or twice.

One poster mentioned taking the car when we go to the Museum of Science. The website mentioned that the garage can fill up quite fast during the summer vacation months. I like the idea of driving into Boston and paying for parking for the day, but I think that%26#39;s probably chancing it.

I%26#39;m really getting psyched for this trip! My husband thinks I%26#39;m crazy for doing all this research (he%26#39;s a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda guy), but I like to be prepared for anything ;)

If you%26#39;re coming on a weekend, Parking Garages are much reduced in cost - averaging $10 to 15 a day - cheap by Boston Standards. International Place is actually only $7 and is 5 minutes from Quincy Market. 93 South to Government Center Exit. Left at the top and follow along the surface road until you see the big arch of Rowes Wharf on the left. International Place will be on the right almost directly across from the arch.

I would call the Museum of Science from your hotel when you arrive to see if they can give you an idea on when parking fills up there. Friends from out of the country visited us in November and had no problem getting a space when they went mid-morning. However, that was November and I guess it could be busier in June.

I usually take the commuter rail from the Reading station and, at this station, there is an elevated/handicapped ramp where you could push a stroller on. I%26#39;m having problems remembering what the Woburn station looks like. This is a newer station and I%26#39;m guessing they have something similar. In any case, you can fold the stroller and carry it up the stairs (they are steep stairs - your kids will probably need help). It sounds difficult but there are only a couple stairs and I%26#39;ve always found the conductors to be more than willing to assist those who need help. Once on the train, you should have enough room to stow it until you arrive.