Boston area colleges

Spending a couple days visiting colleges. The plan is to see Clark on Monday, Boston U. %26amp; Boston College on Tuesday, and Tufts on Wednesday. Flying out Wednesday afternoon. Wondering if it%26#39;s possible to achieve without car rental but using public trans. instead?

Transportation from Boston to Clark U.: is it possible to leave on train(?) in a.m., visit the college, and return to Boston in the evening?

Also, budget-minded hotel recommendations, best areas to look for one based on above info.?

Thanks for any assistance.

Boston area colleges

Hi,

Let me suggest two hotels. Both are in Brookline which is perfectly located in between BU and BC, and they both sit on the Green Line subway line.

The Holiday Inn Boston/Brookline. Right on Beacon Street, across from the subway.

Courtyard By Marriott Boston/Coolidge Corner. Located a short walk to the subway.

Both hotels have received mixed reviews on TA (they%26#39;re listed under ';Brookline';).

I would suggest renting a car to get out to Clark. It%26#39;s about a 45-50 minute drive down the Pike with no traffic.

Boston area colleges

You can take the Commuter Rail to Worcester. Check under mbta.com Commuter Rail for the Framingham-Worcester Line. The train leaves from South Station and makes a stop in Back Bay Station, so you would have to take the subway there first from Brookline. Also, you really can%26#39;t conveniently get to Tufts on public transportation from Brookline. You%26#39;d have to come in all the way in town as well.

As an alternative, you could stay in a hotel like The Omni Parker House, a very centrally located historic hotel right on the Freedom Trail in Downtown. It is only a block from Park Street Station, so you could just hop on the Green Line for BU and BC or the Red Line for Tufts. It%26#39;s also within walking distance of South Station, so you could hop down there for the Commuter Rail to Worcester. That would be my recommendation.

If you use public transportation to go to Worcester you will need to take a bus once you arrive to get to Clark. Check out this site: www.therta.com which has maps of Worcester%26#39;s bus system. Personally, I think this would be a long day. (A lot of waiting around for buses and trains.) You would be better off to rent a car that day.

You might also consider staying in Medford where Tufts is. Do a search for AmeriSuites on this site - they have a shuttle to local places in the area, including the T station so that you could go to BC and BU. It would be cheaper than staying at the downtown hotels. They may even provide transportation to the airport.

Hopefully you haven%26#39;t already traveled- if so, notes for future college visit-ers:

Keep in mind these logistics when deciding which college to choose - I went to BU so I%26#39;d be IN the city instead of waiting for/sitting on trains going TO the city :)

BU and BC are right off the subway on the B Branch of the Green Line. BU is about 15/20 minutes from city center, BC is about 20-30 minutes from there- it%26#39;s not very far but the train stops A LOT.

--Side note BU: When I was there BU had a program where you could accompany a student to class. If you can work this in (which you may be able to in your half-day by doing an 8/8:30am class or later afternoon class), I%26#39;d recommend it. I volunteered for it and they didn%26#39;t give us any talking points at all, we were just told to be friendly and helpful, so you%26#39;ll get honest, albeit subjective, answers to your questions from a current student. Sign up in advance with admissions.--

Tufts is not too hard to reach on public transit. Take the T to Davis Square (about 30 minutes from city center)- nice area with food and bars, the main hangout area for Tufts students. Then you can take a Tufts shuttle bus (check with admissions or web on running time %26amp; make sure it%26#39;s not spring break), or there are also public buses that run there, or it%26#39;s about a 20 minute walk.

Probably can just get a cab from the commuter rail in Worcester to get to Clark- but I%26#39;d run that by the admissions folks and make sure you have directions and address where you are going and the phone number for a cab. If Clark is a serious candidate you%26#39;ll want to give yourself a little time to see the area as well- I%26#39;d leave time to visit downtown and get lunch or dinner there before heading back, but certainly no need to stay overnight. Renting a car for a day is a drag, and you won%26#39;t need it for the rest of your stay.

If you don%26#39;t have much luggage you could go straight from the airport to Worcester or vice versa because in addition to the regular subway stop at the airport there is also a express-ish bus, called the Silver Line, that departs from the airport terminal curbside. It takes about 15-20 minutes to arrive at the last stop-South Station, which is where you catch the commuter rail to Worcester (or the red line).

You can also catch the same commuter rail line at Back Bay station (on the orange line or a 2 block walk from the Copley stop on the Green Line) which is 4 blocks or so from the many hotels in the Copley/ Hynes Convention Center area.

As for where to stay, since you%26#39;re on the Green Line one day for BU/BC, and the red line for Tufts, and commuter rail for Clark and going to/from the airport, I%26#39;d say a central location in Boston is probably your best bet - all the subway lines converge in the center, and that way you%26#39;ll see the city as well (unless you%26#39;ve already visited plenty, in which case just go cheap).

My family has found good rates in the past at :

Park Plaza Hotel

old-school, lot of chandeliers, wants to be grand but a little old, several restaurants nearby

T: 1 block if that from Arlington T stop on Green Line, 2 stops from Red Line

Marriott Cambridge on Main Street and the Courtyard around the corner

Legal Seafood 1 block away, hit or miss on demand, sometimes $110, sometimes $350.

T: Literally right out front is Kendall/MIT Red Line Stop, 2 stops from Green Line

Colonnade

Across from Prudentially Center, near Copley Mall, lots of chain dining options and a few unique.

T:1-2 blocks from the Prudential Stop on the E Branch of the Green Line, 4 blocks from Copley on main Green Line

Good luck.

Still finalizing plans...

We will be staying at the Millennium Bostonian Hotel, 26 North Street. Hope to visit 5 schools in three days.

Arrive at 9ish A.M. on a Monday and thinking your suggestion of heading straight to Clark would be a good one. Advice on public trans. from airport to Clark?

In the next two days would like to visit 2 schools per day. Our list includes: Tufts, Northeastern, Boston C, and Boston U. Is this feasible? If so, which 2 pairs work best together with public trans. for A.M./P.M. visits?

Also, not to make things completely crazy, might like to walk around Harvard campus one evening just because we%26#39;re there. Would that work best to cover after Clark? Trans. from Clark to Cambridge?

Just tell me if I %26#39;m way off base with this schedule!

Thanks much.

Boston College and Boston University are on the same Green Line Branch (B), so I guess that it makes some sense to do both of those in the same day. You can get on the Green Line at Haymarket, which is just a short walk from your hotel.

Northeastern is on the Green Line E Branch. Tufts is the opposite direction, on the Red Line at the Davis Square Station. You can take the Green Line to Park Street and then transfer to the Red Line towards Alewife. By the way, that%26#39;s also the way to get to Harvard Square.

Not sure if there%26#39;s a bus to Worcester from the Airport, but you could ask Clark. Otherwise, you can take the Silver Line from the Terminal to South Station, then take the Commuter Rail to Worcester.

All the ';T'; information, including both the subways and the commuter rail, is available at mbta.com.

Your plan is doable, but you won%26#39;t have much time to sightsee in Boston. Can you add aday to get some enjoyment in??