Best way to get to airports from South Coast? (Boston: coupons, hotels)

[jurisdoctorette]

Hey all,

I did a search on this but didn't see much of anything. For those who live in the south coast area, what (in your opinion) is the best way to get to either PVD or BOS without paying a fortune for overnight/long term parking?

I'm open to anything - driving to the end of the T lines and taking that, taxicabs, shuttles, etc. - but I'd love to hear from someone who's actually made the trips and the pros and cons of the options.

Thanks!

V.

[snatale1]

If I were on the South Coast I would never consider using Logan. PVD all the way!

[bgrasser]

Coming from Weymouth; I take a cab to the Quincy water Shuttle to Logan.
Cab $10
WS $16

[bigfatturkey]

we fly a lot from logan and tfgreen. i live near the cape. after researching on the various options...we've decided to just drive ourselves to the airports and use PreFlight Airport Parking which is available near both airports. i usually get a decent long term parking rate using the prepaid reservaton or coupons. we have explored the option to drive-park-ride an airport shuttle bus but the bus ride ain't cheap (about $41/pax roundtrip) and there's 2 of us traveling all the time so it'd come close to the airport parking price. moreover, the bus schedule is very unpredictable and often late...and i'm talking VERY late like 30-45min delays. airport limo service to both logan and tfgreen is easily over what we pay for long term parking and sometimes they charge you all sorts of other fees above the "published" rate which is irritating. some limo service aren't that dependable too.

[lrfox]

From the Fall River area, which airport we would use depended on fares/ routes. Providence is easy in/out, but it's a much smaller airport and has fewer destinations which means most routes connect just to hubs. Outside of major hubs, only a few other cities are served. So most of the time, Boston has the cheaper, more direct flight. Kayak.com is a good way to check both at the same time (though Southwest has a big presence at both and only posts fares on their own site). Jetblue is starting TF Green service this fall as well which is a nice addition (Jetblue is the largest carrier out of Boston).

With airport travel, you have a number of options, and all depend on the length of your stay and which airport you're flying out of. I'll list some options:

For both airports:

-Getting a ride. From the Fall River area, many people will be willing to do this favor for you for the cost of gas and a coffee. Especially to PVD. So start sucking up to coworkers early! TF Green is really only 30 minutes from Fall River.

Providence:

- Nearby lots. The Preflight Lot is literally adjacent to the airport. You can prepay for 25% off the standard rate (which is $13/day $62/week). There are a few others nearby.

-Bus/Train (or bus). You can take the Peter Pan bus from Fall River to Providence (downtown) for around $25 round trip. From and MBTA commuter rail from Providence Station to TF Green airport (15 minute ride, $6 round trip). So for $31 round trip, you can take the bus from Fall River and connect to the train in Providence without worrying about parking. The down side is scheduling. You'll have to check Peter Pan's schedule and the MBTA schedule to see if you can get it to work right (allow at least 30 minutes between bus arrival time and train departure time in PVD). An alternative to the commuter rail from PVD is to take a RIPTA bus from Kennedy Plaza (where Peter Pan drops off) to T.F. Green. The #14 bus goes right to the airport and is about a 20 minute ride. The #40 also goes to the airport but it's a local bus. These will run more frequently than the commuter rail, but the train is faster and more comfortable with bags.

-Airport Valet has discounted daily rates from $10 and weekly from $48 online.

Boston:

-MBTA subway (Red Line). You can park overnight at Quincy Adams ($8/ daily for overnight parking... up to 1 week) and take the Red Line to South Station and switch there to Silver Line (free transfer) to Logan. That's $4 round trip for the subway ride. It's pretty easy. And since Quincy Adams is one of the first stops on the Red Line, it's never difficult getting on with your bags. The Silver Line is designed for airport passengers and has luggage racks near the doors. The only harrowing part can be on the return. If you return around rush hour, squeezing on an outbound Red Line train at South Station with bags can be difficult but not impossible. If you'r unfamiliar with the Red Line, make SURE you get on a "Braintree" train at South Station. There are also Ashmont trains coming through which don't go back to Quincy Adams (or Braintree). Heading into Boston is no problem. Any train works. You can also park at Braintree which I think may actually be cheaper, but it's a smaller lot. It's about 1/2 hour or 40 minutes to Quincy Adams from Fall River and another 40-45 on trains to Logan.

-Logan Express. You can drive to Braintree and park for $7/ day and take the Logan Express bus ($22 Round Trip). It's a little pricier than the Subway option, but it's a little more direct.

- Peter Pan to South Station, Silver Line to Logan. Peter Pan Bus has direct service from Fall River to South Station in Boston. It's around $40 round trip. At South Station you can get on the Silver Line right to Logan. It's $2-4 round trip on the Silverline ($2 right now because the Logan-South Station leg is currently free). This way could help you avoid all parking costs. The problem is that this option may not work at all with your flight schedule.

-Park/Fly Hotel. Many Logan area hotels offer Park and Fly packages for around $100-150. This is a great choice for convenience. You can park at the hotel and use leave your car for usually around 10-14 days included in the rate (usually $10 per each additional day after those days). You can sleep there so getting to the airport is less of a hassle since you can just wake up and go (most hotels have free shuttles to the terminals). Here's a site with a list of airports offering park/fly packages in Boston. I would actually call each hotel directly before booking online since many of them reduce the rate further for students, AAA members, etc. Sometimes they have special offers. It's worth calling.

Which option you choose and which airport will most likely depend on available fares. Unless you're getting dropped off, the cost of parking and getting to/from the airport is usually comparable at both. Logan may be a little more of a hassle to get to, but it often offers better flight options for less money which is why I flew out of Logan a lot more when living in that area.