24 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

In advance of any announcement for our next RailFest, which is agreed to take place in the Boston area some weekend in March of 2020, we need to discuss details, such as which weekend is best.  As always, anyone is welcome to participate in any portion of the Fest if not all of it. 

 

To lay out what a weekend would entail by the proposed itinerary, Saturday would be spending all day riding the Downeaster round trip between Boston North Station and Brunswick, ME. By the current timetable departure would be shortly before 10 AM. There would be approximately 1 hour 15 minutes layover allowing off-train lunch.  Arrival back in Boston would be a little before 6 PM, at which time we could have dinner together.  Sunday would involve riding two commuter rail lines, namely the Fitchburg and Fairmount Lines. Sunday we would be involved with riding from about 8:30 in the morning until about 3 PM.  I also recently added a Monday morning trip to Foxboro (something not available on a weekend), following the debut of service on that line.   Monday's ride would be completed before 12 Noon, allowing participants to start travelling home midday.

 

For someone doing all the above, unless you live in the Boston area it would involve 3 nights in hotels, plus of course your travels to and from the city.

 

We need to discuss here what weekend this can be done. None of them are holiday weekends, thus we don't get the extra day for travel that we got with the MLK weekend in January.  There are 4 full "weekends" in March:

 

• Saturday-Monday March 7-9
• Saturday-Monday March 14-16
• Saturday-Monday March 21-23
• Saturday-Monday March 28-30

 

What we ultimately decide may be based on hotel availability and affordability which can be driven by other events taking place in the city (such as observance of St. Patrick's Day).  We should stay away from such events anyhow as they could tend to make the trains more crowded.  Anyone willing to do the homework involved in checking whether hotel rates are any better for one of those weekends would be doing us a big favor.

 

Let me know your thoughts, and hopefully I can make an announcement in the next few weeks.

 

 

Tentative Itinerary

[steve4031]

The weekend of 3/21-3/23 I have a commitment to go to Minneapolis for a family event. Im hoping the fest is in any other weekend.

[KevinKorell]

I just checked, and Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade is Sunday, March 15th.  Something to keep in mind.

[pennyk]

I have just checked the rates for 4 Hilton properties in Boston (Hilton-Fanuel Hall; Doubletree Downtown; Hilton Back Bay; Doubletree Bayside) for 4 weekends and a few Hilton properties in NYC for 3 Thursdays and 3 Sundays (I may only spend 2 nights in Boston).  After Kevin informed me that the St. Patricks Day parade is 3/15, I assumed that the corresponding weekend was out.

 

Here are my results (C=corporate rate; A=AAA rate):

 

3/6-3/8                        3/6-3/9              3/13-3/15        3/13-3/16        3/20-3/22      3/20-3/23            3/27-3/29       3/27-3/30

HFH - 167C                167C                 239C              255C               183C             183C                   223C             199C

DTDT - 238A               276A                 318A              392A                173A              207A                   238A             235A 

HBB - 247C                 247C                223C              183C                207C             207C                   324A             324A

DTB - 150A                  154A                150A               154A                113A              122A                   113A             122A

 

 

Hilton properties near NYP are most expensive the Thursday (3/26) before the last weekend in March and the Sunday after the last weekend in March (3/29).

[pennyk]

The best March fares for the Silver Meteor from ORL-NYP and back are the second and third weekends in March.

[steve4031]

The double tree by tufts medical center on the orange line has the best location imho.

[jacorbett70]

The middle of the month, likely including the third weekend, will likely be my spring trip to Florida.

[pennyk]

The double tree by tufts medical center on the orange line has the best location imho.

I think that is the Doubletree Downtown.  The reviews are about the same as for the Hilton (trip advisor 4)

[BillMagee]

I have a commitment for the weekend of 3/13-15 that precludes that one for me, The weekends before and after are OK, for now,

[bratkinson]

Like Bill, I have other commitments, but mine are the first weekend, March 7-9. 

 

Weekends are usually difficult for me to get away.  Even though I'm only 98 miles away from Boston, driving anywhere near rush hour periods is insane.  And 448/449 do a good job at 'not connecting' to planned activities.  So, I'll likely be limited to Monday only, driving out Sunday evening and driving back sometime Monday...probably after rush hour!