Boston

Coupla thoughts:

You so do not want to drive in Boston, it's practically a contact sport. Park and lock. The trolleys and subways (called the T) will get you where you need to go, although you'll mostly be walking. The Freedom Trail is done on foot, for example.

The team is the Red Sox, don't mess with them. Fenway is a cool ballpark, go if you can.

Pick up a Fodors or Frommers guide, you'll find the info you need. They'll also suggest hotel locations. I would think, Government Center area or Back Bay would be handy.

I went to Boston last September and we stayed in the Downtown Crossing area. It was great! Very convenient to most places and the T. I wouldn't drive there.

You do not want to pay the high prices for parking in Boston during your stay.

If you can fly in and out of Boston, do it and don’t miss walking the Freedom Trail. Here are some good websites that will help make your trip better: https://www.frommers.com/destinations/boston, https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Boston and https://wikitravel.org/en/Boston.

I love Boston. Unfortunately I don’t have recommendations on where to stay as I always stay with my sister who lives nearby. You can get to Salem on the train so you don’t need a car for that. Take a walking tour or two while you’re there. If you can’t get to a Red Sox game see about a stadium tour. Definitely hit the Freedom Trail.

Parking is way less expensive at an MBTA parking garage than in the city. You can Google them to see which would be the most convenient for you. You then take the T a into the city. Boston is a wonderful city. Enjoy!

Boston has been renewed and has become a really fabulous city. Neighborhoods that were once rough have been rehabilitated.

It is very walkable and has great mass transit.

Hotels are shockingly expensive. You might want to try an Airbnb.

I love Copley Square but you could also look at The North End, South End, and South Boston.

I am considering going to Boston this summer also to visit friends but also to take the New England / Canada cruise.

As someone already posted, do not drive in Boston.

Boston is extremely walkable and transit friendly. We stayed in the Back Bay area and walked everywhere. Be prepared for sticker shock for hotel prices though.

Agree with using a parking garage at an MBTA station. Alewife (Cambridge) and Riverside (Newton) have hotels are good possibilities. Lodging nearby. Also good lodging options in Lexington and Waltham, also convenient to both those MBTA stations.

The last time I was in Boston, I stayed at the Hotel Commonwealth in what I believe is considered the Back Bay area. It was a beautiful boutique hotel, and I found a great deal through Priceline. It's a very close to Fenway Park, and we were able to get everywhere we wanted to be very quickly. Plenty of great restaurants close to the hotel as well.

My favorite areas for a hotel stay would be on the harbor or in the Back Bay. Back Bay would be my first choice. Lots of restaurants, shops, and walkable to MFA and all the historic sites. Downtown Boston is very walkable...at least I think it is re: distances, and it is a safe city. What's your budget? I have an inexpensive favorite that I use when I'm doing research in the Back Bay: Charles Mark Hotel and a more expensive one when I want to be more pampered at which I can use my Avios: Fairmont Copley. For the harbor and harbor location I would pick either the Marriott or Boston Harbor Hotel, which I prefer, but I don't suspect they are inexpensive suddenly. Even if you don't stay at the Boston Harbor Hotel, you might want to have lunch outside on their terrace...assuming you are going in warmer weather. Or relax and have a drink while watching their outdoor summer movies. Also, eat in the North End once as well, one block off Hanover Street.

Base on your Holiday Inn Express comment, I think you will find the Charles Mark Hotel fine. As I said, I often stay there, but not since Covid. It's a little more European with small rooms, but the price is lovely and the location is great. Boston has been a great city to walk around since at least the mid-1970's when I arrived.

Any terminus of the subway has parking or those I know anyway. Just check the rules for overnight parking as I don't know them. My preference would be to not stay outside the city, just leave your car outside. If you don't want to do that, an easy trip into the city would be from North Quincy T stop (15 minutes) and stay at the Best Western Adams Inn, Quincy, which will shuttle you to the subway, although it is not a hard walk, just not pretty... Also, if in Quincy, there is the National Adams Historic Park which is a very nice visit to the homes of the Adams Presidents, etc.

Last October, we stayed at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. It was nice and quiet and within easy walking distance of restaurants, the library (really nice place to visit) and one of the Green Line stops. Easy to access the T by cutting thru the mall which is handy if the weather is bad. We walked EVERYWHERE that week which is easy to do because the city is so compact. And important to do because the Italian food is SO good you need to walk off the calories. 😀