Help! Boston ship excursions.........Lexington, Concord?

[margeaux]

After looking over the ship choices, am thinking about the Lexington, Concord excursion in Boston. Has anyone any experience on this selection? If so, would you recommend or not? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Since this is an all day trip, would be disappointed to find we made the wrong decision. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Nitemare]

If you're into Revolutionary War stuff, then Lexington/Concord are for you. If you've never been to Boston, though, I'd recommend you spend your time in the city, there's SO much more to this area than riding a bus past a small battlefield and a few monuments.

[kenandlaura06]

I would agree. I love Lexington and Concord (and I am a history teacher), but unless your cruise will be here on Patriot's Day, I would choose Boston over Lexington and Concord. Take a tour of the city.

[Cleopatra]

Having lived in Lexington, I feel a sense of loyalty. That said, however, if you have not been to Boston, you really should focus your time there. Lexington and Concord are lovely to see, but not at the cost of missing Boston.

[CruisinMaterial]

I would definitely say stay in the City of Boston and do the Freedom Trail if you have never been to Boston before. Having said that, if you have been and done the entire Freedom Trail, by all means if you're a history buff do the excursion to Concord and Lexington. Also, these are towns that are not close to Boston as your initial post seemed to read like you were thinking they are. You drive up 93 North to 128. It's not a very scenic motorcoach ride getting there! But you'll get to enjoy the Big Dig! :D

[margeaux]

Thanks for all your helpful advice. It has certainly given me the info needed to decide against this excursion. You all recommend seeing Boston, but what is the best way? Do we take a ship excursion or do on our own? If on our own, should we rent a car, take a trolley, or take a taxi and then walk. Have to say Boston kind of scares me in regard to traveling the city. Am worried about traffic, parking, and navigating streets. Some have told me it is rather difficult finding your way around the city, but I don't know it that is true. We would like to stop and experience the sites, rather than just pass by in a bus. However, if it means encountering some of the above problems, we would have to give it some further thought. Want to really enjoy the city and remember the day pleasantly. Sorry to boggle you down with all these questions, but I do know this is where I will find the most helpful people with the most helpful answers. Thanks again. Really appreciate!

[CruisinMaterial]

Here's what to do if you're going into the city and it appears you haven't been in the City of Boston before. Tell the taxi to take you to the Statehouse. The statehouse is the FIRST stop on the Freedom Trail. I don't know where in the area of the Statehouse, unless it's within it when you enter, that you can obtain a map. It's easy to follow the Freedom Trail though because it's a red line on the sidewalk from start to finish. The start is the Statehouse on Beacon Hill and the end is Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT DRIVE! You'll go insane trying to figure out the streets. Parking is horrendously expensive and you'll not find a spot anywhere near where you are looking to go so you'll end up walkin anyway.

 

Boston is not that hard of a city to find your way around in. It's split up into districts and you can always navigate the city by the skyscrapers. If you're approaching a grouping of skyscrapers then you're in the financial district. If you only see the Hancock and the Prudential close to you, then you're in the Back Bay. The "T", our archaic public transit system is very helpful in getting you to most places, although it is no where close to where you'll be docking at Black Falcon Terminal (the closest one is South Station on the Red Line).

 

Hope all this helps!

~Jake

[kenandlaura06]

Boston is a walking city. There is also a great public transportation system. DO NOT RENT A CAR!!! That would be a big mistake. I would personally book a Duck Tour or take a taxi to the State House, tour the common, walk to Fanueil Hall and the North End.

[rfische1]

When we go down, we usually park at outlying T (subway) station and use mass transit to get around. I made the mistake of driving into and parking downtown for a few hours one day and ended up with a $20.00 parking fee in a garage. Remember the central city was laid out in colonial times and is very tightly packed.

[Bonnie&Rob]

You can also take the Beantown Trolley tour. This tour goes all over the city, and you can get on to explore at any point along the way, then catch the next trolley that comes by. You can see more information at: http://www.beantowntrolley.com/index.html

 

There is a "Go Boston" card that allows admittance to specific area attractions (the Boston Childrens Museum, USS Constitution Museum, etc) and discounts at others. A one day card is $45.00 for an adult, $25.00 for children. You can see more info at: http://www.gobostoncard.com/index.html

[TheWog]

As mentioned above, Boston is a great walking city. Boston Common and Public Gardens are only a short walk from Fanueil Hall. You can go for a ride on the swan boats and see the State House or have a beer at "Cheers". At Fanueil Hall you can check out the many shops and entertainers. These are just a short walk from the North End which has great food and pastries. You can see Paul Revere's house and then walk over to the New England Aquarium where you can catch the trolley. The trolley I believe allows you on and off as you wish. Duck Tours are a fun way to see the sights of the city, but they do not allow you to get on and off and require a taxi to get the starting points. www.bostonducktours.com The Freedom Trail as mentioned above is a great learning experience. So good luck deciding and have fun, but I too do not recommend renting a car and driving yourself. You will become very frustrated and will not have a pleasant memory of Boston.

[k2c2w]

I'll also suggest you to visit the web site www.prudentialcenter.com for some touring tips . I've always enjoyed the skywalk observatory.:D