Rental Car Return near Boston Cruiseport

[pbenjamin]

Assuming the cruise happens, we would be dropping off a rental car on Friday October 1st near the Boston port.  Are there convenient rental car locations nearby?  With shuttle to port?

[Nitemare]

There are off site rental car locations near the port.  Enterprise will probably drive you to the port, the others are unlikely to, but it would be a very cheap cab or Uber ride

[PelicanBill]

Are you picking up and dropping off in Boston or is it a one-way rental? Are you asking who is close to the port or have you selected a rental company?

 

Even the airport, with all its choices, is an acceptable Uber or taxi ride away.

[1025cruise]

I believe most people just rent from the airport.

[pbenjamin]

5 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

Are you picking up and dropping off in Boston or is it a one-way rental? Are you asking who is close to the port or have you selected a rental company?

 

Even the airport, with all its choices, is an acceptable Uber or taxi ride away.

Dropping off.  Renting at EWR and visiting family in NY, then driving to Boston the day of the cruise.  Have not selected a rental company as yet.

[PelicanBill]

There is a Budget/Avis location in the Seaport District, across from the Seaport Hotel, and an Enterprise location that shows temporarily closed.

 

There are some locations downtown, but driving there is challenging.

 

With the I-90 tunnel, the airport is a very viable location and a 10 minute ride.

 

If you are so inclined, the MTA Silver Line's SL1 route picks up at the airport on buses that are luggage friendly, and the second stop on the other side of the harbor is Silver Line Way. From there it is a 1/2 mile easy walk if you are portable with your luggage.  $2.40 cash per person or buy Charlie Cards at vending machines.

 

 

[pbenjamin]

1 hour ago, PelicanBill said:

There is a Budget/Avis location in the Seaport District, across from the Seaport Hotel, and an Enterprise location that shows temporarily closed.

 

There are some locations downtown, but driving there is challenging.

 

With the I-90 tunnel, the airport is a very viable location and a 10 minute ride.

 

If you are so inclined, the MTA Silver Line's SL1 route picks up at the airport on buses that are luggage friendly, and the second stop on the other side of the harbor is Silver Line Way. From there it is a 1/2 mile easy walk if you are portable with your luggage.  $2.40 cash per person or buy Charlie Cards at vending machines.

 

 

Thanks

[princeton123211]

3 hours ago, pbenjamin said:

Dropping off.  Renting at EWR and visiting family in NY, then driving to Boston the day of the cruise.  Have not selected a rental company as yet.

New York City or New York State? The reason I ask is the fastest and easiest way by far from NYC to Boston is going to be Amtrak. If its New York State then totally get why you would rent a car but since you are flying into EWR thought it might be worth an ask. 

[pbenjamin]

22 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

New York City or New York State? The reason I ask is the fastest and easiest way by far from NYC to Boston is going to be Amtrak. If its New York State then totally get why you would rent a car but since you are flying into EWR thought it might be worth an ask. 

Near NYC but the train connections are more than I want to deal with on the day of the cruise and we will already have a rental car. 

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, pbenjamin said:

Near NYC but the train connections are more than I want to deal with on the day of the cruise and we will already have a rental car. 

I get what you're saying but 95 (or the alternate route through Hartford) can be brutal sometimes depending on the time of day and its such a bland drive. The train is literally 3h 45m door to door dropping you off within a 5 minute Uber of the cruise terminal vs a 5+ hour slog in the car. 

 

I would build in a healthy cushion if you are going to drive that the same day as the cruise departure. If I were driving I would personally go up the night before and spend the night in Boston. 

[pbenjamin]

2 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

I get what you're saying but 95 (or the alternate route through Hartford) can be brutal sometimes depending on the time of day and its such a bland drive. The train is literally 3h 45m door to door dropping you off within a 5 minute Uber of the cruise terminal vs a 5+ hour slog in the car. 

 

I would build in a healthy cushion if you are going to drive that the same day as the cruise departure. If I were driving I would personally go up the night before and spend the night in Boston. 

Thanks, I will look into it, but the last time I tried to catch a train from Nanuet station (operated by NJ Transit for some reason) I was in a crowd of people who were disappointed to learn that the train was cancelled and replaced by a bus that the station had no directions to.  Google Maps claims that the drive is 3 hours 22 minutes.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

I get what you're saying but 95 (or the alternate route through Hartford) can be brutal sometimes depending on the time of day and its such a bland drive. The train is literally 3h 45m door to door dropping you off within a 5 minute Uber of the cruise terminal vs a 5+ hour slog in the car. 

 

I would build in a healthy cushion if you are going to drive that the same day as the cruise departure. If I were driving I would personally go up the night before and spend the night in Boston. 

Excellent advice, and if you are staying west of the Hudson you could get an Amtrak train to Boston in Newark - or, if east of the Hudson, in Stamford CT.   The drive from NYC area to Boston is best avoided.

[Nitemare]

10 hours ago, pbenjamin said:

Thanks, I will look into it, but the last time I tried to catch a train from Nanuet station (operated by NJ Transit for some reason) I was in a crowd of people who were disappointed to learn that the train was cancelled and replaced by a bus that the station had no directions to.  Google Maps claims that the drive is 3 hours 22 minutes.

That estimate would be without traffic.

[PelicanBill]

For a good idea of traffic, take a look at google maps with traffic turned on for the I-95 corridor from EWR across the Bridge and the Bronx to Connecticut.

 

When I make trip through there I allow for a full hour of delay which I encounter at least 50% of the time.

 

Although Amtrak has cut back on service for now, there are normally a number of trains that travel directly from the Newark Liberty Airport Station, through New York and on to Boston South Station, where you are a 5 minute taxi from the port. At this time, the first train of the day passing by Newark is 12:23pm then 3 more about every 2 hours.

 

I think you would need to be flying in the day before for the train to work, so car rental is best if you are flying same day as the cruise leaves.

[1025cruise]

Another thing to keep in mind, you're going to get hit with a fee by the car rental agency for returning it out of market.

 

If you are going to drive, I would plan to do it the night before and spend the evening in the Boston area.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

...

 

If you are going to drive, I would plan to do it the night before and spend the evening in the Boston area.

Sound advice - of course it also applies if you are flying or taking the train.

 

In fact, if you do not live a certain three hours or less away from the port, your transportation mode is immaterial.

[pbenjamin]

Thanks.  No longer relevant since the cruise will be cancelled due to Canada's announcement of not allowing cruise ships in port through February of next year.

[1025cruise]

Sorry. Unfortunately, seems to be the way things are....