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Boston Questions


Librarygirl59
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We will be in Boston on a Monday in September, cruising on the Carnival Sunshine. This is our first time in Boston and we would like to go to Mike's Pastry in the North End, Paul Revere House, Faneuil Hall Marketplace and walk some of the Freedom Trail. How would you suggest we do this, public transit or cab, also we are both walkers if it's a nice day. We plan to visit Boston again to explore more of the historical sites. Also where would you suggest we have a lobster roll?

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Boston is really very walkable. Those are all quite near each other. I'd recommend taking a cab or uber from the pier (which isn't really downtown) to either Faneuil Hall or the North End and walk to the other, and add on as much of the freedom trail as you'd like, then cab back.

 

Weather dependent, I like James Hook for a lobster roll - but there are no tables inside, at least I don't think there are.

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I think Carnival is running a $15 shuttle(there and back) to Faneuil Hall. I would do that or cab and base from Faneuil Hall. Walk to Old North Church, Paul Revere, Mike's, pizza at Regina's is really good if you like Italian or eat lunch at Faneuil Hall or grab a lobster roll somewhere. I am partial to Faneuil Hall since you can try different things there (clam chowder in a bread bowl-yummm). My son loves Regina's. Then go the other direction on the freedom trail and see the Old State House, Boston Massacre site, Granary Burial Ground, one of the churches.

Then walk the other way on the trail to the State House, Trinity Church, and old cemetery,

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We just got back from Boston yesterday. While the Freedom Trail is advertised at 2.5 miles, we easily put on 10. Would recommend not walking from Charlestown from the Old North Church. Takes a while so if it is a cruise stop, you would be using a lot of your precious port time. I think that ginal's advice is good.

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We just got back from Boston yesterday. While the Freedom Trail is advertised at 2.5 miles, we easily put on 10. Would recommend not walking from Charlestown from the Old North Church. Takes a while so if it is a cruise stop, you would be using a lot of your precious port time. I think that ginal's advice is good.

 

I'm glad that someone else agrees about the Freedom Trail walk between Charlestown and the North End. If you want to see the Constitution, I recommend taking a cab there first (furthest point from ship) to beat the crowds. Museum opens at 9 am and the Constitution at 10. Then take the MBTA Inner Harbor ferry for $3.50 from Charlestown to Long Wharf - http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/boats/lines/?route=F4. The 15 minute "harbor cruise" ferry ride is much better than the Charleston-North End walk.

 

From Long Wharf you can walk into the North End and back to Faneuil Hall or go directly to Faneuil Hall. You then walk the Freedom Trail backwards to the Boston Common where you can cab back to the ship or take the Red Line/Silver Line back to the ship. I once had a port day in Boston and used this strategy with a friend who had never been to Boston. It worked very well.

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The trip to Charlestown is less exciting since right now the Constitution is closed. We couldn't even get close enough to take good pictures. We did take the ferry back to Long Wharf and that was excellent advice.

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The trip to Charlestown is less exciting since right now the Constitution is closed. We couldn't even get close enough to take good pictures. We did take the ferry back to Long Wharf and that was excellent advice.

 

 

 

Do you know how long it's closed for? It was on our list but if it's closed it will actually make things a bit easier

 

 

 

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So as long as this thread is available, I'm going to take advantage! We are coming to Boston on 9/11/17 on the Carnival Sunshine. We will be docking at 8:00am and leaving at 5:00pm. We had wanted to tour the Constitution but since its not open I guess that makes things a bit easier.

 

I'd like to see the Old North Church and the Paul Revere house which seem to be within walking distance. DH wants to do the Fenway Park tour and we'd like to end up by Faneuil Hall.

 

We are considering doing the Old Town Trolley, but I'm seeing conflicting information about whether we can catch this within walking distance from the cruise terminal. I'm assuming it will be the Black Falcon terminal.

 

If we can get off the ship early, get on this Hop On Hop Off trolley and take it to the Old North Church. I'm thinking we could walk to the Paul Revere house then hop back on the bus to Fenway, do that tour and then take the bus to Faneuil Hall, and from there back to the ship

 

Is this doable in our time frame? Will we have any time to maybe do something else as well? We've been to Boston before and did the Common, Back Bay and Cheers.

 

I have heard that the trolley gets caught in traffic and that the water taxi is quicker, but I'm not finding definitive info about that. Thinking we might be better off sticking with the trolley.

 

Also I'm determined to get a lobster roll [emoji7]

 

 

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The USS Constitution does not have a set date to re-open, just 'sometime' in 2018. You can still see it, get a presentation, and visit the museum (all for free) if you like though.

 

Old North Church, Paul Revere's House, and Faneuil Hall are all fairly close to each other, less than one mile to see all three. I'd recommend seeing all three at once rather than doing two, going somewhere else, then coming back for the third.

 

You could take the T to get from Government Center (right behind Faneuil Hall past city hall) to get to Fenway and skip the traffic completely. Unless of course you want to see the city itself (or you already have tickets for the bus for another reason).

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I agree with the idea of going to the North End (by taxi from the ship) first. You can start at the Old North Church and follow the Freedom Trail back to F. Hall. Then the Green Line (T) to Fenway (Kenmore Station). From there taxi/Uber back to the ship. Keep an eye on the clock.

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I agree with the idea of going to the North End (by taxi from the ship) first. You can start at the Old North Church and follow the Freedom Trail back to F. Hall. Then the Green Line (T) to Fenway (Kenmore Station). From there taxi/Uber back to the ship. Keep an eye on the clock.

 

 

 

We don't want to use all those different transportation means - subway, uber, taxi, bus. And we do want to use the trolley. I just want to know if it's doable.

 

 

 

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You Can combine the trolley and freedom trail walking. I used the Trolley for the Northern part of the trail - she my link in post #4. Here you will also find link to map of Freedom Trail as well as the trolley hop on hop off route. Trolley stop is 5 minutes walk from cruise terminal. See my review.

 

 

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We don't want to use all those different transportation means - subway, uber, taxi, bus. And we do want to use the trolley. I just want to know if it's doable.

 

 

It is doable. Last Friday we took the trolley from F. Hall and got off at Fenway (and went to the game). We also went to some other places along the way. A question is whether it is worth the $36 - $40 per person to do this when the T will get you from F. Hall to Fenway for $2.25 - $2.65 per person. A benefit of the trolley is that you will see a number of Boston sites along the way. After Fenway the trolley meanders through Cambridge before getting back to its starting point.

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You Can combine the trolley and freedom trail walking. I used the Trolley for the Northern part of the trail - she my link in post #4. Here you will also find link to map of Freedom Trail as well as the trolley hop on hop off route. Trolley stop is 5 minutes walk from cruise terminal. See my review.

 

 

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Excellent - thank you! That's what I wanted to know. We did hope to be able to do some walking as well as riding the trolley around for a bit. It seems like a fun way to see a bit of the city. We don't want to do multiple forms of regular city type transportation [emoji16]

 

 

 

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We don't want to use all those different transportation means - subway, uber, taxi, bus. And we do want to use the trolley. I just want to know if it's doable.

 

 

 

 

 

It is doable. Last Friday we took the trolley from F. Hall and got off at Fenway (and went to the game). We also went to some other places along the way. A question is whether it is worth the $36 - $40 per person to do this when the T will get you from F. Hall to Fenway for $2.25 - $2.65 per person. A benefit of the trolley is that you will see a number of Boston sites along the way. After Fenway the trolley meanders through Cambridge before getting back to its starting point.

 

 

 

The answer is yes - it's worth it [emoji16]. We're not interested in riding the subway or regular buses. I can do that at home! Thanks!

 

Personally I'd skip Fenway but DH is a baseball fan [emoji12]

 

 

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Great. That's what we did last week. We also stopped at the Tea Party Museum (discount with the Trolley ticket), which our 8 year old loved. The Trolley ticket also includes a harbor cruise.

 

 

I saw that and would like to fit it in if we have time. My priorities are the Old North Church, the Pau Revere house and a lobster roll. DH's is Fenway Park. I just wish both our priority lists were closer together geographically speaking [emoji16]

 

 

 

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Great. That's what we did last week. We also stopped at the Tea Party Museum (discount with the Trolley ticket), which our 8 year old loved. The Trolley ticket also includes a harbor cruise.

 

Where do you get on the harbor cruise? We are thinking about the HOHO as well. Can you still take pics of the Constitution - just not get on? What's the museum there like? Thanks for any info.

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Where do you get on the harbor cruise? We are thinking about the HOHO as well. Can you still take pics of the Constitution - just not get on? What's the museum there like? Thanks for any info.

 

Not only will you be able to take pictures of the Constitution, but you will be able to take pictures as few have been able, and see what "drydocking" a ship in the age of timber looked like. I remember during her last major overhaul, they worked to take a "hog" (sagging at bow and stern) out of her, and used ingenious keel blocks with sand filling that they could let out gradually to straighten the keel. The museum is great, very interactive. There is also the USS Cassin Young, a WWII Fletcher class destroyer there that is still open for tours.

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