Boston: Should I park nearer to the cruise terminal, the airport or in the middle?

[Birdnutty]

We are cruising to Canada from Boston in September, and flying back to Boston to pick up our car and head back to CT.  We'll be gone for 11 days and flying back on a Saturday.

 

Is there a parking area that is in a preferred spot for this scenario?  Closer to airport or to cruise terminal?  I'm of course interested in security for the car as well as price.  We shouldn't have to worry about time restraints on either end - there are no real deadlines.

 

Thanks in advance!

[navybankerteacher]

In that scenario, I would opt for parking at the airport, making my trip home easiest at the end, rather than easy at the beginning - when anticipation and enthusiasm is high enough to easily accept the hassle.

[1025cruise]

This is one of the reasons I have yet to do one of these one way cruises. As a local, I just need to get home, but the logistics of where to park and getting back and forth just confuse me.

[Keith At Sea]

I have a related challenge and question (concerning Boston area parking).  Hopefully, someone can help.

 

My upcoming cruise also departs from Boston, in July.  I'll be driving up from NJ the prior day to ensure arrival for embarkation the next morning.  So, I need to deal with an overnight hotel stay in/near Boston (expensive!!) AND long-term parking for the duration of the cruise (not cheap). 

 

I'm hoping that I can save some money by finding a hotel 15-20 miles outside of Boston; if I could also park there, great.  Otherwise, I would need to locate a long-term parking facility somewhat nearby. Then, on cruise day, I would take Uber directly to the cruise port. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on areas that might offer hotel and parking options that would be significantly less costly than Boston? Thanks!

 

 

[princeton123211]

6 minutes ago, Keith At Sea said:

I'm hoping that I can save some money by finding a hotel 15-20 miles outside of Boston; if I could also park there, great.

Would highly recommend the Marriott Quincy-- about 15-20 minutes outside of town and can be booked in advance sometimes for the low $100s. There is ample parking there but not sure if you can long term park there for a cruise. I've had to stay here a few times to visit a nearby company for work and while its not in Boston, you can get to Boston quite easily and inexpensively via Uber and its always very reasonably priced for Boston. 

 

9 minutes ago, Keith At Sea said:

Otherwise, I would need to locate a long-term parking facility somewhat nearby. Then, on cruise day, I would take Uber directly to the cruise port. 

I believe there are some private satellite long term parking facilities that service Logan in the Quincy area (although have not used one). 

 

Also, are you set on driving? You can easily take Amtrak from New Jersey to Route 128 Station and the hotel I recommended is a short 10 minute Uber. An advanced fare on Amtrak could be dramatically less expensive than driving/parking and much less headache. On return you could depart from Boston South Station which is a 5 minute drive from the ship. 

[Keith At Sea]

Excellent thoughts!  Thanks for the recommendations (and speedy response)!  Much to think about now...

[lx200gps]

29 minutes ago, Keith At Sea said:

I have a related challenge and question (concerning Boston area parking).  Hopefully, someone can help.

 

My upcoming cruise also departs from Boston, in July.  I'll be driving up from NJ the prior day to ensure arrival for embarkation the next morning.  So, I need to deal with an overnight hotel stay in/near Boston (expensive!!) AND long-term parking for the duration of the cruise (not cheap). 

 

I'm hoping that I can save some money by finding a hotel 15-20 miles outside of Boston; if I could also park there, great.  Otherwise, I would need to locate a long-term parking facility somewhat nearby. Then, on cruise day, I would take Uber directly to the cruise port. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on areas that might offer hotel and parking options that would be significantly less costly than Boston? Thanks!

 

 

We're doing exactly that for our Princess trip in July, though we are driving down from up north. With the astronomical cost of hotels near the cruise port we're staying up in Burlington, at a Marriott property for less than half the rate of hotels near the port and driving to the port on the Sunday morning. Driving into downtown around 9AM on a Sunday shouldn't be too difficult, traffic-wise. All the cruise parking options very close to the terminal come to around $30/day, a lot better than Manhattan and Brooklyn's $45/day.  We don't want to risk parking in the open at our hotel for a week so we're driving right to the port and will use one of the lots there, probably the multi-story ABM Parking Garage one block from the Terminal.

[Keith At Sea]

Good thought.  Thanks for the detailed response.

 

I am familiar with Burlington; I'll check it out.  Ideally, though, I'd stay one night outside of Boston - - Burlington or elsewhere - - and leave my car there for the duration of the cruise.  I've lived (and driven!!) in Boston in the past.  I could be very happy not driving into that city again. P. S.  My cruise departs on a workday, not Sunday.  Ouch! 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Keith At Sea said:

Excellent thoughts!  Thanks for the recommendations (and speedy response)!  Much to think about now...

Do price out the Amtrak alternative- perhaps even consider train up the same day.   If you are willing to accept the risk of massive driving delay from a “nearby” hotel that morning, the risk of major Amtrak delay is not much greater.

 

[1025cruise]

Your route should bring you into Boston via the Mass Pike. I would get off at 495 and look for something in the Westborough area on route 9. There are a good number of hotels right by the highway. Then just do a straight shot in the next day to the port. Forget looking for a non-existent park and cruise or a hotel that will offer long term parking and just use the port parking.

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, Keith At Sea said:

Good thought.  Thanks for the detailed response.

 

I am familiar with Burlington; I'll check it out.  Ideally, though, I'd stay one night outside of Boston - - Burlington or elsewhere - - and leave my car there for the duration of the cruise.  I've lived (and driven!!) in Boston in the past.  I could be very happy not driving into that city again. P. S.  My cruise departs on a workday, not Sunday.  Ouch! 

I mentioned Burlington as we are driving in from the Great White North, and so Burlington was right on the line between home and the cruise terminal. Hotel prices are still much cheaper there than near the port, but since you are coming in from Jersey, areas to the north of Boston would be far out of your way. That being said, when I use Tripadvisor's great map utility, I'm amazed at how $$$ hotels are even far outside of Boston to the south and west. For some reason, hotels to the north are quite a bit less money (at least for our July 13-14 stay). I had also thought of just parking at the hotel in Burlington and Ubering to the ship, but I'm not a fan of leaving our car in an exposed hotel parking lot for a week. I would much rather pay quite a few  dollars and park in a relatively secure lot like the covered garage we plan to use near the terminal.

[DanJ]

23 hours ago, Birdnutty said:

We are cruising to Canada from Boston in September, and flying back to Boston to pick up our car and head back to CT.  We'll be gone for 11 days and flying back on a Saturday.

 

Is there a parking area that is in a preferred spot for this scenario?  Closer to airport or to cruise terminal?  I'm of course interested in security for the car as well as price.  We shouldn't have to worry about time restraints on either end - there are no real deadlines.

 

Thanks in advance!

I would look into alternate arrangements that don't involve having to return to Boston to get the car. But if that's what you want to do, definitely at the airport, not the cruise port.

[Nitemare]

Westborough was what I was going to suggest.  And maybe look into the Logan Express for parking and transfers if money is an issue.  It will be slightly annoying to take a bus from the lot in Framingham to the airport and then take transit or a cab/uber to the port, but it will be much cheaper than parking at the airport or at the port.  Then, when you return, do the opposite to get back to Framingham

 

Versions of this might work for @Keith At Sea and @Birdnutty

[Keith At Sea]

Thanks, Nitemare!