Over $550 for a Motel or $350 with a car?

I'm cheap. I'm flying to Boston, MA for a dinner. I'll be in the area for one full day and two nights.  I thought it would be best if I didn't get a rental car and just booked a hotel in Boston that had a shuttle to/from the airport. With added taxes and fees the price came out around $550. I kept trying to click "Submit" to accept the transaction, but just couldn't do it. I checked the price for a rental car (about $150) and a room in southern NH (just under $200). It's an hour drive to Boston in non-rush hour traffic.

I'm pretty sure I'll get the car and cheaper motel. Am I missing something here? I'm not an urban guy and I haven't been in Boston for over 10 years. I think I'm a lot better off driving in and out of town with $200 in my pocket than staying in the city. Yes/No?

that seems stupid high. Surely there has to be something cheaper and closer? I would try braintree. Last time I worked in Boston, that is where we stayed

Priceline is your friend here.  Uber can get you to the airport. 

Driving from NH to Boston can be a test of your sanity. I did that once on a business trip because everything in town was stupid pricing. I'd never do it again. It was a horrible experience and over 2 hours later I got there 30 minutes late. Grrrr.

Cheap hotel within 5-10 miles of the airport and uber (or a taxi if you're old school). Might still be a little bit more than the NH hotel/rental car price, but far less headache and wasted time.

Is work paying? If so, DGAF!!! If not, check out airbnb as well. 

Otherwise, I try not to play with traffic when I'm travelling. If it is for pleasure, well, traffic isn't pleasurable. If it is for work, then someone else is paying and I'm staying where it is convenient.

Not that it should stop you, but I have driven in many states and I have heard that “such-and-such state has the worst drivers.”  

I have never been wont to make such blanket statements   Until I drove in Boston. 

I picked my wife up from the airport there when she came to visit and was literally pulling out of the airport when I started to warn her about how bad so many drivers there were.  I didn’t even finish the sentence when I had to brake hard to avoid a car changing 2 lanes nearly into my driver’s door.  

I never had any incidents in the 2 months I was driving around, but offering as a small consideration as you make your decision. 

 Neveh use yer blinka, it gives comfort an information to tha enemy

Don’t look like I’ll be traveling to Boston.  

Boston is a pricey town, but driving in the northeast is something I would pay to avoid.  $250 per night doesn't sound too far out of line if it's a decent place. 

That's nuts, there has to be another option under half that price for a hotel with shuttle service. Try some of the comparison services you see advertised on TV to find a cheap one...and then check the hotel's website directly to see if the price is any cheaper there Use a fresh private browsing session for each task to avoid getting gouged.

If spending between 4-8 hours in a crappy rental (Boston, not rush hour, lol) seems fun, then I guess go for it.

Boston drivers are terrific. They pay far more attention to the road than anyone else.

In no other city will you find someone shooting a 3" gap between two other cars, going around a tight turn, in order to turn left across traffic onto a one-way road in the non-preferred direction, without going below forty or spilling a drop of their Dunkin' coffee.

It's going to be weekend travel, so I don't think traffic will be bad. My original attempt was with Orbitz and IHG (Holiday Inn motel chain 'club'), Priceline wasn't really any better unless I went further out of the city or committed to an undisclosed location. I've never Ubered and while I like the concept, for reliable night time transport I'm still more comfortable driving myself in a rental. One motel in Salem, NH said it was a 38 minute drive to the BOS airport. That must be a cruel joke.

I almost chose to just do two 12 hour days of driving each way instead of flying. I really enjoy a good road trip, but that's too much time out of a busy schedule.

Next time consider flying in to Manchester or providence you are going to stay outside of Boston anyway. 

Another vote for Priceline.  I’ve been using it for years and have gotten very good deals at nice places. We’ve gotten four star rooms in Manhattan and Philadelphia for under $200, I’d bet they could better your $550 room in Boston as well.

In reply to chaparral :

The last time I was driving into Boston during busy traffic I went in from Weston on 90. I had to keep telling myself, "It's just a rental car with $0 deductible." I don't see how people can do that every day, but I guess it gets to be normal. I've been fortunate to never have a bad drive to work other than lining up at the gate of a military base waiting for ID checks.

Guys!  It's not a $550. room.  OP says "two nights".  It's a $250 room, plus taxes and fees.  Pricey, but not crazy.

chaparral said:

Boston drivers are terrific. They pay far more attention to the road than anyone else.

 

In no other city will you find someone shooting a 3" gap between two other cars, going around a tight turn, in order to turn left across traffic onto a one-way road in the non-preferred direction, without going below forty or spilling a drop of their Dunkin' coffee.

I disagree, based on my experiences.  What you're describing is a New York City driver.  Boston drivers just plain DGAB.

1988RedT2 said:

Guys!  It's not a $550. room.  OP says "two nights".  It's a $250 room, plus taxes and fees.  Pricey, but not crazy.

Thank you for saying that.

Problem solved. I changed my flight to MHT (Manchester, NH) and I only have to go into Boston on a Sunday evening. Saved a couple hundred $ and some stress. Thanks for all the input.

Make sure you account for the toll costs for the ride down 95 and (potentially) tunnel tolls.  Make sure you ask about an EZ Pass transponder (which will cost at least $12/day).  I can't remember if they've converted to a license-plate autobill system yet...but you should check. I used to fly into Boston and drive to NH for work a few times/year. 

In reply to AAZCD :

Avoid that IHG hotel in Salem at all costs. It's a hole. Worse hotel I stayed at in 2 years and I average 75-90 nights a year in a hotel. It's cheap for a reason. 

bmw88rider said:

In reply to AAZCD :

Avoid that IHG hotel in Salem at all costs. It's a hole. Worse hotel I stayed at in 2 years and I average 75-90 nights a year in a hotel. It's cheap for a reason. 

Ladies and gentlemen.... you get what you pay for. 

My son lives in Boston- I just spent the week there in June. 

We took a lot of trains.  Hotels were crazy dollars.  

Enjoy the seafood.