Help plan Boston vacation (for college tours)

[Anonymous]

Timing is perfect to take our 10th grader to Boston over spring break to visit a few colleges. I am thinking that we would stay in a central location and take the metro/train out to a different school each day, and then return that evening to sleep. DH does not want the stress of renting/driving a car. We would use public transportation or Uber.

These are the places we want to visit on our daily outings – Harvard Square, Northeastern University, Boston University, Tufts, and Providence RI. (Maybe BC but DS isn’t really interested right now.)

Once I figure out the order, and which days, I will try to schedule the 4 official college tours where available (not Harvard; just want to see and walk around it if we can.)

so specifically, I need suggestions of a central location for our home base - names of specific neighborhoods that I can start researching hotels.
Also, can we easily do 2 visits in one day? I am thinking No, because it seems like each school is in a different area and we would want additional time to explore before/after the tour. We definitely don’t want to be on a tight schedule. This is a fun family bonding trip.

[Anonymous]

This is what Chat GPT says:

Stay at the Liberty Hotel.

Day 1: Explore Boston

Morning: Start your day with a visit to Boston Common and Public Garden.
Afternoon: Head to the historic Freedom Trail, exploring landmarks like Faneuil Hall and the Old North Church.
Evening: Enjoy dinner at one of the restaurants in the vibrant North End.
Day 2: Harvard Square

Take the Red Line from Charles/MGH station to Harvard Square.
Explore Harvard University and its surrounding area.
Visit Harvard Yard, Harvard Art Museums, and enjoy the shops and cafes in Harvard Square.
Day 3: Northeastern University and Boston University

Take the Green Line from Charles/MGH station to Northeastern University.
Explore the Northeastern campus.
Afternoon: Head to Boston University; visit attractions like BU Beach and Marsh Plaza.
Day 4: Tufts University

Take the Green Line to Lechmere station and transfer to the 80 bus to Tufts University.
Explore the Tufts campus and nearby Davis Square.
Evening: Relax in Cambridge or return to Boston for dinner.
Day 5: Providence, RI

Take an Amtrak train from North Station to Providence.
Explore WaterFire Providence, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum, and the historic Federal Hill neighborhood.
Evening: Enjoy dinner in Providence before taking the train back to Boston.
Day 6: Back in Boston

Morning: Visit the Museum of Fine Arts or Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Afternoon: Explore the Back Bay area, including Newbury Street for shopping.
Evening: Have dinner in the Back Bay or nearby neighborhoods.
Day 7: Relaxation and Departure

Spend your last day relaxing in the Boston Public Library or along the Charles River Esplanade.
Check out from the hotel and depart at your convenience

[Anonymous]

Chat gpt has good suggestions but I would stay either in back bay or along the waterfront. I would explore back bay + public garden + Boston common + beacon Hill the first day. Go up to the top of the Pru for view.

I would also make sure to spend an evening in seaport, the newest neighborhood in Boston. Lots of great dining options there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chat gpt has good suggestions but I would stay either in back bay or along the waterfront. I would explore back bay + public garden + Boston common + beacon Hill the first day. Go up to the top of the Pru for view.

I would also make sure to spend an evening in seaport, the newest neighborhood in Boston. Lots of great dining options there

Op here….
I do love how detailed your ChatGPT response is. I actually played around with that initially, and it said to stay in BackBay, and when I tweaked the prompt it gave me Kenmore(?). So here I am.

Both of your responses are really helpful, especially as a starting point. Thank you!! I have a lot of time to plan this, but I’m little type A, so I like as much info as Possible.

[Anonymous]

You can definitely see NEU and BU on the same day. Check their tour schedules. I recommend NEU in the morning. Then, grab lunch and go to BU. You honestly could walk between them on a nice day.

[Anonymous]

We stayed in an Airbnb in Somerville and then took the train to get around.

Be careful with spring break. The tours fill really fast, sometimes as soon as they are released.

[Anonymous]

Amtrak to Providence is out of South Station or Back Bay, not North Station.

[Anonymous]

NP, I agree that the tours will fill super fast for spring break weeks.

I agree you can do NE and BU on the same day.

Kenmore would be central but its really not that scenic of a location, Back Bay would be ideal.

I would give yourself enough time at each school to get a sense of the neighborhood. I went to Harvard for undergrad and we spent very little time in Boston proper and likewise for my friends who went to Tufts. Take some time to poke around Harvard Square and Somerville.

[Anonymous]

We did something similar last spring break. Echo the warning that tours will fill up fast.
That’s a lot of schools to see on one trip— be prepared for burnout, and prioritize the ones you think your child would be most interested.
We rented a car, so our strategy was a bit different. We stayed at a Residence Inn near the airport. It was convenient both for travel to/from the airport and getting on roads to schools.
A practical warning: Tufts is super hilly, and Brown is, too, if you walk down to the river in Providence. Be prepared for a lot of stairs and uphill on those tours!

[Anonymous]

Chapt gpt apparently doesn’t know that Tufts has a new T stop on the green line.

I think staying convenient to the green and red lines is a good idea so the Liberty isn’t a bad idea— kid might like that it’s the former jail— but also someplace closer to Park st like the Parker House might work too.

[Anonymous]

We did something similar but had a car so we added Boston college at the last minute. It was our kid’s favorite so if you have time, it’s worth taking a look.

[Anonymous]

You could easily do Harvard and Tufts on same day, too. Take the green line T from Liberty Hotel (Science Park stop) to Tufts (Tufts stop). Tour Tufts. Walk into Davis Square and explore. Take redline T from Davis Sq to Harvard Square. (Lunch in either David Sq or Harvard Sq. I’d pick Harvard Sq.)

[Anonymous]

When you are there go to Anna's Taqueria!

[Anonymous]

Proximity:

Tufts + Harvard Square

BU + Northeastern

Not that you need to double up but if you’re not touring Harvard then you can probably do Harvard square and tufts in the same day. Also there are a bunch of inns / B&B’s in Cambridge if you’re interested

[Anonymous]

I'd try to narrow down a bit...if you're visiting Harvard you probably also want to see MIT. Northeastern and BU/BC. Tufts and Babson/Brandeis/Wellesly. PC and Brown (or Bryant/Roger williams/URI) might be a separate trip.