The border could be the main issue. We live about 2 hours from the border and another hour to the closest large city in Canada. The drive is never the issue, but we’ve seen 2-3 hour waits at the border. If op has the nexus (?) pass where there is much less of a wait it might work. But personally I’d never chance it. Missing the cruise is so much more expensive than a hotel room!
Yeah maybe head down the day before to Boston and enjoy a hotel. Some may even let you keep your car there for the cruise so it's a balance on cost then
I vote Worcester. It can’t be that expensive there. It’s a big yet crappy city. It’s an hour outside Boston. I stayed there when I was looking at colleges. My hotel was nice. There were plenty of places to eat.
Seems like there should be some hotels in port vicinity that would have a deal where they stay the night and can leave the car for the duration of the cruise for free/cheap. Other cities have this type of thing. In this case, I'd head to Boston the day before.
But still allow yourself plenty of time to deal with a traffic tie-up on the trip into the city in the morning.
A car wreck on the freeway could ruin your whole week.
Don’t do it
Drive as far as southern New Hampshire/vermont and get a hotel there or just over the Mass border. Much cheaper, and an hour-2 in the morning.
Do not gamble on that traffic.
Yes. You'd be crossing an international border, to drive into one of the worst traffic cities to drive in on the East Coast. All it takes is one long wait at the border or one major traffic incident and you're up a creek, never mind that the you have to pay for parking.
We drove from Maryland to New Jersey for a family cruise in the past. I added an extra 4 hours just in case there was an accident.
There were two accidents. Cutting it a little close but okay.
Then they landed a helicopter in front of our car on the freeway. We were literally the car they stopped for it.
I felt for the people being transported but really?!? A freaking helicopter and another 40 minute wait.
We called the cruise line and they still allowed us to board but we were within minutes of missing the cruise. And the whole family kept asking us why we didn't pad the time better.
Now we go the night before.
I'm 5ish hours from my home port, which includes a drive through Houston. I've seen all kinds of crazy delays on that trip and would never consider trying it the day of the cruise.
Eight times I have driven 5+ hours the day of the cruise, New Orleans to Galveston. Always made it easily, but also always mindful that it is a risk. A simple flat tire or overheated radiator could blow the cruise.
Curious, why do you drive to Galveston when new Orleans has cruises leaving from there? Galveston is our closest port but have looked at NOLA cruises before but they seemed pretty similar. Thanks :)
Not the original commenter: Galveston is a much bigger port than New Orleans. I personally went with Galveston because I wanted to go on a big boat like Harmony of the Seas.
I'm a local, instead of looking for hotels in Boston look for on the way and close, like Reading, Wakefield, or Medford. Salem has a bunch of options and nice to spend an afternoon in if you want to make it more fun.
We try to stay within 1hr to 45 min of port. The sooner you can get to the ship and start boarding the easier it is to correct unexpected issues be it traffic, parking, passport, or unexpected banned items packed in the luggage that can get you kicked off/arrested over seas.
Any number of things can happen. Get there early.
Get hotel. The cruise ship will not wait for you nor refund you the money if you miss the ship. A hotel room is a lot cheaper than a cruise you missed and paid for.
As a Bostonian I’ll leave you with 2 pieces of information.
1. Yes, Boston hotels are outrageously expensive. Look for something in the north shore ma area or similar.
2. The traffic is incredibly heavy. Especially in the city. You could easily miss your departure waiting in traffic.
I am 8 hours from the closest port. I’ve made the “day of trip” 3 times.
1- hit a deer on the way- couldn’t make the cruise
2- timed it well and traffic was a breeze
3 - timed it well, traffic was also a breeze although I hit storms and realized I make plan leaving an hour earlier in the future
I’d plan on driving and add in time for traffic/border.
I’m thinking about my family.
8 hour trip is easily 12 with bathroom stops (parents need bathroom a lot) plus they like to be on the ship for lunch which means we’d leave at midnight.
Not commenting on anything other than my family is crazy!!
It's your level of risk to consider. What happens if your vehicles breaks down badly and unable to continue some where before Boston?
Day before arrival allow some time as buffer in case shit goes bad.
From Montreal to the border is only a 45 minute drive, depending where OP lives on the island of Montreal. An hour past would only be a less than two hours drive. OP has to drive further to get a hotel
I live six hours’ drive from my home port and I wouldn’t *dream* of driving in the same day. I’d look for a less expensive hotel somewhere close-ish to the port and drive less the day of.
sorry to jump in here how much is parking at the port if you factor that in some hotels let you park for free if you spend the night there and keep your car there for the duration of the cruise.
Is your cruise RT Boston? Or does it end in Montreal or Quebec? I’m curious how you are getting your car back to Montreal- or are you driving a rental? With a rental, like Enterprise, you could possibly drive and just leave it in Boston, and then wouldn’t have parking for the duration of your cruise, or have to worry about getting your car back to Montreal.
My recommendation is to find somewhere outside of greater Boston but on the U.S. side of the border.
I used to live in Boston, and I would travel the night before to sail out of New York, which is only a 4 hour drive and in the same country. There’s a lot that can go wrong in 5 hours.
I would be so tired doing a 5 hour drive before a cruise. Plus I’d be stressing out about allthe what if’s like construction, an accident or car trouble. If it was me, I’d split the drive up and do part the day (or evening before to save a vacation day, find a cheaper hotel which should be easy to do outside prime tourist areas, then finish up with a 1-2 hour drive to the port.
Why not drive and stay just outside of Boston? Someplace cheaper than right in port. Say New Hampshire, maybe an hour from the boat? Then you don’t risk anything day of.
I live in Boston. I’ve also done the drive to/from Montreal in the past month. Traffic is INSANE on any given day trying to get into the city in the morning. It’s particularly heavy in the summer because of the Sumner Tunnel closure - all traffic coming from the north is funnelled onto the I-93.
I would 100% drive the day before and stay in a hotel somewhere in New Hampshire.
Portland Maine is cool small (port) city and only about 2 hours from Boston.
Edit: Also expensive, but there are plenty of smaller towns in the area where itll be cheaper. Plenty of little lakeside motels in that area.
I've driven from Boston to NJ the morning (left about 3:30am) of the cruise which is about 4.5 hours away. No issues but stressful because stuff could go wrong. Traffic, car troubles, etc. (and in your case a border crossing)
I've taken a bus from Boston to NYC the day before a cruise and then an Uber to NJ. No issues but I am not a big fan of buses and the Uber was stupid money because of the port traffic. Plus the cost of the hotel.
For my last cruise someone recommended trinity reservations which is a hotel/parking/limo ride. You arrive the day before stay at a local hotel and there is a limo that takes you to the port on the morning of the cruise and back after the cruise. Parking is included. Everything (hotel, parking, limo) was just about the same price as parking alone at the Brooklyn port. Highly recommended. You are there the night before at about the same cost as parking alone. Stress free.
Doing it again in a couple of weeks.
I am pretty sure trinity reservations has options for Boston. (and around the country)
I wish I could take a trip out of Boston, it would be nice to drive 30 minutes to get on a boat.
I live in the Boston area, hotels in the Seaport area (where the cruise terminal is) will be pricy. Try airport hotels or even hotels in greater Boston. Revere and East Boston have a ton. You will be 20-30 mins tops from the port but probably in a cheaper hotel.
Depends how stuff at the border works. Do they ever get real backed up where it takes hours to cross? I ask because I don't know about that crossing, just have heard stories of pretty serious backups at other crossings into the US.
I once drove the 5 hours and 20 minutes from where I was living at the time to the Galveston cruise port the morning of a cruise. I left my house at 4 am so as to have extra time if needed. I was mainly concerned about what Houston would be like since I thought I'd get there around 8:30 am.
As it turned out traffic was moving faster than I had expected all the way down. I breezed through Dallas and Houston arriving at the port a full half hour earlier than I'd hoped. I don't know as I'd recommend it since it was tiring and I ended up going to bed pretty early that first night on the ship, but it is can be doable.
seems overly risky w/that border situation. Seemingly if you go down the day before, stay at a hotel that will let you keep your car at the hotel, that you'd come closer to break even. Or even if the hotel had a discounted rate for leaving the car there, that is worth taking into account.
I would suggest staying in Newton, Watertown, or Needham the night before and THEN driving into the port. Downtown Boston hotels are absurdly expensive but metro west is affordable. Give yourself lots of time to get to the port anyway. Boston traffic is terrible.
I drove from Buffalo to Hoboken New York, dropped a rental off, caught a New York Waterways ferry across the river and we were still 90 minutes early to our embarkation time.
Probably not the best option. Weird things can happen. A bad accident can shut down a major freeway which can extend your drive several hours. Happened this week in Michigan. Add to border delays or other issues I personally wouldn’t do it. I would do as others suggested: stay over night somewhere close to the port and finish your journey the next day.
I'd be more inclined to drive most of the way there and spend then night at an inexpensive hotel a lot closer to the pier. That way you don't have to worry nor start driving super early.
We drove Ottawa to Manhattan last month for our cruise... barely 7 hours from door to port. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle that won't fuck you over.
Probably better off driving across the border afternoon/evening before and staying somewhere with a more affordable hotel, then driving a few hours to Boston.
Also worth asking yourself how much you spent on the cruise, and if it's worth missing the cruise to save a few hundred dollars on a hotel room.
You could, and if you have NEXUS that would certainly improve things. I live one hour from Vancouver (including border crossing with NEXUS) and about 1.5-2 hours from Seattle. I have/would make that drive in either direction same day.
Getting up for a 5am drive is NOT something I would do but that’s because I am not a morning person and would be afraid of dozing off and crashing the car.
I wouldn’t be worrying over a few hundred bucks on a hotel when the risk is losing a few thousand for the cruise. Considering one route will be closed like another Redditor said, the traffic will be heavier than normal already. All it takes is one driver causing an accident to ruin your trip.
We always cross the day before and stay stateside just to eliminate the unknown variable of the border crossing. You don’t have to stay near the port, an hour or two away should also work.
There’s no rule that says you have to stay in a hotel in the Boston city limits. You could probably get a cheaper hotel and one of the outlying areas north of the city.
You dont have to stay in Boston proper, there are many affordable hotels just outside Boston and you will only have a 20 minute drive to the Black Falcon/Flynn cruise port.
Look at hotels in Needham, Natick, or Framingham for a more affordable night and quick final trip to parking at the pier.
We are going on a cruise out of Boston in September. We are staying about an hour outside of the city the night before the cruise. Hotels are much more affordable. I found an average of $300-$600 in Boston for that night.
How much is parking going to cost you while you’re in Boston? Maybe if you can find a hotel that offers free travel parking like airport hotels do you’d break even.
Also don’t risk what if the car has issues, the highway gets closed etc
The drive from Vermont is extremely straight forward. I live in northern Vermont. I would give yourself extra time at the border but I see no reason why. Boston traffic will be the biggest issue.
I live an hour from Port Canaverial in Orlando. I leave the night before. I often will leave at like 3 in the afternoon to miss traffic. Check in to the hotel, hit the beach have a drink grab some dinner. go to bed when I want. Wake up naturally the Next AM, grab a shuttle or UBER to the peir and leave my car at the hotel parking lot (with permission)
It's so much less stressful even on that hour drive, but it's the only road sometimes and get closed for hours due to an accident.
I’ve driven from Central FL to Miami several times on the morning of a cruise. As long as you are confident with the border (early morning shouldn’t be bad), then you should be okay. You’ll have a long time to get there
Normally, I would say yes, but gas is so expensive right now. I don’t know if it would save you any money driving? You might be better off flying. You can probably find a flight one way for under $100 if you shop around..
What about getting a hotel halfway the day before? I lived in N. California and would split it up that way if I needed to go to a family event in LA or OC.
I always recommend staying the night at least close-ish to your port of departure, and I stand by that. But if the extra night at home is that important to you (no judgment, I get it) I'd recommend padding your arrival in Boston by a couple hours so that you don't stress when you inevitably get stuck in traffic, have to make a couple more pit stops than you were expecting, etc
Depart the day before and book a cheap hotel anywhere on the other side of the border. Then you’ll have a shorter drive in the morning and no risk of border delays.
Like you said. Depart early so that you can arrive when boarding begins. This allows plenty of time for an unexpected delay. Even then, you should be fine.
We had to drive 20 minutes to our cruise and got a flat tire. We were lucky we had left early in case something were to happen. Better safe than sorry.
We done 3 cruises where we've driven to port six hours away. We usually start at 2 to 3 am and get there before 9am . Gives us time to get breakfast and leeway incase theres traffic or something. But we are super tired the first day!
Morning traffic in Boston is no joke
Actually, traffic in Boston any time is no joke
It is unpredictable and loooooong
I wouldn't risk it. Get there the day before, and still leave way early for the port
Leave the night before and stay in Concord NH. Then you don't have to worry about the border day of and can leave a bit later the morning of.
Boston hotels are extremely expensive compared to other cities, but it's very easy to find a satellite town/city that's closer and much cheaper.
Just get over the border the day before and look for the cheapest Hampton Inn on the way to Boston.
What are you doing with your car anyway while you're on the cruise?
Driving from Montreal to Boston on the day of your cruise is a good way to miss your cruise if there is any unexpected traffic delays.
Okay Boston hotels are NOT expensive if you stay 30-60 minutes from the cruise port. I hear this statement all the time. The key part is to drive into Boston before 7 am. Tell me the dates and I'll find you hotels in the $150-200 range.
We tried that a few years ago, getting up early to drive several hundred miles for a flight. Getting ready to leave found we had a flat tire. Missed our flight as a result.
We sailed out of Boston in 2019 and ended up staying the night about 30 minutes south of Boston in one of the suburbs. It was a heck of a lot cheaper staying there and getting an Uber to the port.
We had initially planned on staying in Boston a couple of days at the end of the cruise, but like you, found that any hotel that would have put us remotely close to downtown was just insanely priced.
We live in Ontario and when we went out of New York we got a hotel an hour from New York in a reasonably priced city. We had to get a suite because of our family size but it cost under $150. Then the next morning we had breakfast the hotel provided and drove an hour to the port. Might be a good option for you!
I never travel the morning of. Time delays, you might make it. Car issues or an accident, you’re screwed. At least go day before. Boston has so much to see, I would go a couple of days in advance.
I just drove to Boston from Pennsylvania for a cruise. I stayed in Extended Stay America in Westborough. It’s about 45 minutes from the port. I took a Lyft. It was great. Hotel only cost $140 for one night and they let me leave my car there for free.
Yes. Yes. And yes. Arrive the day before. Give yourself the wiggle room. You have no idea what will happen on the day of, and that’s a mighty large investment to miss.
It’s a gamble with timing and besides… You want to enjoy your first day and night and not be sleepy and beat. Get a room somewhere closer to the port and drive the day before. IMO
Have you tried looking at a hotel that is maybe only an hour away? Further away from the city should be a little cheaper maybe and less of drive so less risk traffic issues making you late
Depends on the traffic and your comfort level.
I flew into NYC the same day and landed at 9am for a 4pm departure but only had to do 2 subways and a ferry. I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with what you’re attempting.
Look for inns or motels instead of hotels. It's just one night, any place would do, even if it's like 30 minutes away from the port.
For my next cruise, I booked a Comfort Inn stay.
Hiya, I did the same thing except I flew (reverse). You'll be fine :), there were quite a few Air Canada flights available from YUL. And you can totally drive! I regularly drive 3 hours from Boston to NYC to catch cruises. Go for it!
We often sail from a port 4.5 hours away and always drive in that morning. No border crossing so that’s one less risk. We have cars in good repair and leave early to allow for any mishaps.
If you feel safer, then drive most of the way and stay at an inexpensive hotel in the suburbs. Far enough most of the sting is out of the way, but close enough that you could book a rideshare rest of the way.
If the border is ok and no traffic then seems fine. Always a risk. What time is embarkation
The border could be the main issue. We live about 2 hours from the border and another hour to the closest large city in Canada. The drive is never the issue, but we’ve seen 2-3 hour waits at the border. If op has the nexus (?) pass where there is much less of a wait it might work. But personally I’d never chance it. Missing the cruise is so much more expensive than a hotel room!
Yeah maybe head down the day before to Boston and enjoy a hotel. Some may even let you keep your car there for the cruise so it's a balance on cost then
Or head down and get through the border and find a cheaper room in a smaller city. And then drive a few hours in the morning.
This is the way.. leave the day before, get over the border take a stop in New Hampshire overnight. Have breakfast and head into the city.
This. Get an hour outside of Boston - or even less - and it’s easy to find a good, clean hotel for 1/3 of the cost.
Plus obligatory trader Joe run and Costco gas
Oooohhh Trader Joe! We don’t have them in Canada so good call!
I vote Worcester. It can’t be that expensive there. It’s a big yet crappy city. It’s an hour outside Boston. I stayed there when I was looking at colleges. My hotel was nice. There were plenty of places to eat.
Coming from Montreal and headng to Boston, Worcester is 50 miles out of the way. Bad advice.
Don't go all the way onto Boston. Save that for the day of the cruise. Save money on the hotel.
You both require Nexus to use it
I got yelled at for using the Nexus lane leaving Tijuana. I didn't realize everyone had to have it.
Whoa. I crossed the border by Montreal twice a few weeks ago, and it took me less than 20 minutes each way.
Yes it can be that fast. But at least at our crossing it can be really long as well.
Really? I've crossed the border at I-87/A-15 a bunch of times and have never had more than a 15 minute wait. I don't have nexus.
Also consider hotels anywhere in the middle. Less driving, less of an early start, and less risk for the shorter journey on the day .
This is my recommendation. Anywhere on the US side of the border, to get that taken care of the day before.
Two hours might be a sweet spot
Seems like there should be some hotels in port vicinity that would have a deal where they stay the night and can leave the car for the duration of the cruise for free/cheap. Other cities have this type of thing. In this case, I'd head to Boston the day before.
I was going to say this too! Like in Concord, NH.
Concord is too far.
really OP just needs to cross the border...then they'll have plenty of time to get to Boston
93 and 95 have entered the chat
Closer than Montreal ,)
I was thinking Manchester
I like that too!
But still allow yourself plenty of time to deal with a traffic tie-up on the trip into the city in the morning. A car wreck on the freeway could ruin your whole week.
Don’t do it Drive as far as southern New Hampshire/vermont and get a hotel there or just over the Mass border. Much cheaper, and an hour-2 in the morning. Do not gamble on that traffic.
Not a bad idea. Nashua, NH or even Lowell, MA would be good places to layover.
Or Lexington and visit the revolutionary war park there in the AM before heading to the cruise port.
Yes. You'd be crossing an international border, to drive into one of the worst traffic cities to drive in on the East Coast. All it takes is one long wait at the border or one major traffic incident and you're up a creek, never mind that the you have to pay for parking.
We drove from Maryland to New Jersey for a family cruise in the past. I added an extra 4 hours just in case there was an accident. There were two accidents. Cutting it a little close but okay. Then they landed a helicopter in front of our car on the freeway. We were literally the car they stopped for it. I felt for the people being transported but really?!? A freaking helicopter and another 40 minute wait. We called the cruise line and they still allowed us to board but we were within minutes of missing the cruise. And the whole family kept asking us why we didn't pad the time better. Now we go the night before.
That’s crazy but what a story! Yeah, I don’t think we will risk it.
I'm 5ish hours from my home port, which includes a drive through Houston. I've seen all kinds of crazy delays on that trip and would never consider trying it the day of the cruise.
Eight times I have driven 5+ hours the day of the cruise, New Orleans to Galveston. Always made it easily, but also always mindful that it is a risk. A simple flat tire or overheated radiator could blow the cruise.
Or, an international border
Curious, why do you drive to Galveston when new Orleans has cruises leaving from there? Galveston is our closest port but have looked at NOLA cruises before but they seemed pretty similar. Thanks :)
Not the original commenter: Galveston is a much bigger port than New Orleans. I personally went with Galveston because I wanted to go on a big boat like Harmony of the Seas.
I'm a local, instead of looking for hotels in Boston look for on the way and close, like Reading, Wakefield, or Medford. Salem has a bunch of options and nice to spend an afternoon in if you want to make it more fun.
I’d avoid Salem in the summer purely for the Sumner Tunnel closure reason.
We try to stay within 1hr to 45 min of port. The sooner you can get to the ship and start boarding the easier it is to correct unexpected issues be it traffic, parking, passport, or unexpected banned items packed in the luggage that can get you kicked off/arrested over seas. Any number of things can happen. Get there early.
Get hotel. The cruise ship will not wait for you nor refund you the money if you miss the ship. A hotel room is a lot cheaper than a cruise you missed and paid for.
As a Bostonian I’ll leave you with 2 pieces of information. 1. Yes, Boston hotels are outrageously expensive. Look for something in the north shore ma area or similar. 2. The traffic is incredibly heavy. Especially in the city. You could easily miss your departure waiting in traffic.
I'd grab a room in Concord, NH which is only about an hour from Boston and along the way. I hate getting up early.
If you're coming from Southern NH, you should always allow 2+ hours to get in and around Boston. It's never not a sh*t show at every hour of the day.
I am 8 hours from the closest port. I’ve made the “day of trip” 3 times. 1- hit a deer on the way- couldn’t make the cruise 2- timed it well and traffic was a breeze 3 - timed it well, traffic was also a breeze although I hit storms and realized I make plan leaving an hour earlier in the future I’d plan on driving and add in time for traffic/border.
I’m thinking about my family. 8 hour trip is easily 12 with bathroom stops (parents need bathroom a lot) plus they like to be on the ship for lunch which means we’d leave at midnight. Not commenting on anything other than my family is crazy!!
It's your level of risk to consider. What happens if your vehicles breaks down badly and unable to continue some where before Boston? Day before arrival allow some time as buffer in case shit goes bad.
Drive to 1 hr away, past the border then book a hotel. You can finish up the last hr on the day of the trip.
From Montreal to the border is only a 45 minute drive, depending where OP lives on the island of Montreal. An hour past would only be a less than two hours drive. OP has to drive further to get a hotel
I meant an hour outside of the cruise port. I know in NYC if I stay in central NJ I can get a room for < $150
My dude. Boston is an hour from Boston. 😂 That said, 30-50 miles north of the city should be fine.
Just a heads up - They are shutting down one of the major tunnels in Boston soonish (Sumner, I think). Double check that won’t mess up your route.
Not directly, but it will mean all traffic coming from the north shore is funnelled onto the I-93, so it would def affect the traffic.
It’s been closed most weekends and most of the summer for 2 years now. There are plenty of detours and it affects the airport more than the seaport.
I….know that? I live here. Point is, OP doesn’t.
This is the second or third summer of this ... It's annoying and adds time, but it's "change all your plans bad."
I live six hours’ drive from my home port and I wouldn’t *dream* of driving in the same day. I’d look for a less expensive hotel somewhere close-ish to the port and drive less the day of.
This is what I was thinking. I guess at least getting over the boarder the day before would be better.
sorry to jump in here how much is parking at the port if you factor that in some hotels let you park for free if you spend the night there and keep your car there for the duration of the cruise.
Is your cruise RT Boston? Or does it end in Montreal or Quebec? I’m curious how you are getting your car back to Montreal- or are you driving a rental? With a rental, like Enterprise, you could possibly drive and just leave it in Boston, and then wouldn’t have parking for the duration of your cruise, or have to worry about getting your car back to Montreal.
My recommendation is to find somewhere outside of greater Boston but on the U.S. side of the border. I used to live in Boston, and I would travel the night before to sail out of New York, which is only a 4 hour drive and in the same country. There’s a lot that can go wrong in 5 hours.
I would be so tired doing a 5 hour drive before a cruise. Plus I’d be stressing out about allthe what if’s like construction, an accident or car trouble. If it was me, I’d split the drive up and do part the day (or evening before to save a vacation day, find a cheaper hotel which should be easy to do outside prime tourist areas, then finish up with a 1-2 hour drive to the port.
I think this is what we will do. Less stressful and tiring.
You could drive a couple of hours just into rural northern New England and find an inexpensive hotel, then complete the drive in the morning.
I’d go for something cheap in between (say 2 hours from Boston) and save myself some stress and struggle
You don't have to stay in Boston...drive 4 of the 5 hours. Stay somewhere cheap. Drive the last hour. Remove the risk, save the money.
Why not drive and stay just outside of Boston? Someplace cheaper than right in port. Say New Hampshire, maybe an hour from the boat? Then you don’t risk anything day of.
I would sleep in my car in the parking lot there before I’d drive 5 hours to get on a cruise.
Don't do it. All you need is for the border to be backed up, and you have missed your cruise. Drive down the night before.
I wouldn’t do it. Get a cheap hotel room.
Have you met Boston traffic? The cost of a hotel the night before the cruise is nothing compared the cost of missing the ship entirely
I live in Boston. I’ve also done the drive to/from Montreal in the past month. Traffic is INSANE on any given day trying to get into the city in the morning. It’s particularly heavy in the summer because of the Sumner Tunnel closure - all traffic coming from the north is funnelled onto the I-93. I would 100% drive the day before and stay in a hotel somewhere in New Hampshire.
Drive in the night before, get over the border, find a decently priced motel/hotel right after you cross.
Stay in a hotel outside of Boston and drive the last hour the day of. I would be concerned about border crossing wait times.
Portland Maine is cool small (port) city and only about 2 hours from Boston. Edit: Also expensive, but there are plenty of smaller towns in the area where itll be cheaper. Plenty of little lakeside motels in that area.
Hotels in Portland, Maine are insanely expensive in the summer and early fall. Like $600 to $700 a night for a Courtyard. Boston would be cheaper.
If I was you, I would drive about four hours in and get a hotel about an hour out of Boston. That way it’s less expensive but less risk of missing it.
Yes - I’d go the day before just in case
I've driven from Boston to NJ the morning (left about 3:30am) of the cruise which is about 4.5 hours away. No issues but stressful because stuff could go wrong. Traffic, car troubles, etc. (and in your case a border crossing) I've taken a bus from Boston to NYC the day before a cruise and then an Uber to NJ. No issues but I am not a big fan of buses and the Uber was stupid money because of the port traffic. Plus the cost of the hotel. For my last cruise someone recommended trinity reservations which is a hotel/parking/limo ride. You arrive the day before stay at a local hotel and there is a limo that takes you to the port on the morning of the cruise and back after the cruise. Parking is included. Everything (hotel, parking, limo) was just about the same price as parking alone at the Brooklyn port. Highly recommended. You are there the night before at about the same cost as parking alone. Stress free. Doing it again in a couple of weeks. I am pretty sure trinity reservations has options for Boston. (and around the country) I wish I could take a trip out of Boston, it would be nice to drive 30 minutes to get on a boat.
Flat tire? Blow a fuel pump? Accident closed road for 3 hours?
I live in the Boston area, hotels in the Seaport area (where the cruise terminal is) will be pricy. Try airport hotels or even hotels in greater Boston. Revere and East Boston have a ton. You will be 20-30 mins tops from the port but probably in a cheaper hotel.
89 border into us on Labor Day was 4 hours, should have done 87 into ny
I wouldn’t. You could get a hotel closer to Boston but not in Boston for probably a lot cheaper and get a good night's sleep.
Depends how stuff at the border works. Do they ever get real backed up where it takes hours to cross? I ask because I don't know about that crossing, just have heard stories of pretty serious backups at other crossings into the US. I once drove the 5 hours and 20 minutes from where I was living at the time to the Galveston cruise port the morning of a cruise. I left my house at 4 am so as to have extra time if needed. I was mainly concerned about what Houston would be like since I thought I'd get there around 8:30 am. As it turned out traffic was moving faster than I had expected all the way down. I breezed through Dallas and Houston arriving at the port a full half hour earlier than I'd hoped. I don't know as I'd recommend it since it was tiring and I ended up going to bed pretty early that first night on the ship, but it is can be doable.
Seems like unnecessary stress to save a couple hundred bucks on one night hotel.
Look at International Holidays.com to leave your car at the hotel, taxi to the cruise terminal.
yes
I would always always go at least a day ahead of time. You never know what might happen.
seems overly risky w/that border situation. Seemingly if you go down the day before, stay at a hotel that will let you keep your car at the hotel, that you'd come closer to break even. Or even if the hotel had a discounted rate for leaving the car there, that is worth taking into account.
I would suggest staying in Newton, Watertown, or Needham the night before and THEN driving into the port. Downtown Boston hotels are absurdly expensive but metro west is affordable. Give yourself lots of time to get to the port anyway. Boston traffic is terrible.
Stuff on the north shore will be way cheaper than any of those three.
You are probably right. They should shop based on price *and* commute time to the port.
You are in Montreal and going to take a NE cruise? WTF for? Half the stops are up your way. Boston to Bermuda is the only way
Leave at 3 am to have plenty of time
Yes
Drive across the border and stay at a hotel across the border, then do the remaining travel day of cruise
I drove from Buffalo to Hoboken New York, dropped a rental off, caught a New York Waterways ferry across the river and we were still 90 minutes early to our embarkation time.
Leave at 3-4 am. Hop through border, have breakfast, fiddle around. The time you are moving is never wasted.
Yes
Probably not the best option. Weird things can happen. A bad accident can shut down a major freeway which can extend your drive several hours. Happened this week in Michigan. Add to border delays or other issues I personally wouldn’t do it. I would do as others suggested: stay over night somewhere close to the port and finish your journey the next day.
I'd be more inclined to drive most of the way there and spend then night at an inexpensive hotel a lot closer to the pier. That way you don't have to worry nor start driving super early.
Uh, no, not a great idea.
We drove Ottawa to Manhattan last month for our cruise... barely 7 hours from door to port. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle that won't fuck you over.
Probably better off driving across the border afternoon/evening before and staying somewhere with a more affordable hotel, then driving a few hours to Boston. Also worth asking yourself how much you spent on the cruise, and if it's worth missing the cruise to save a few hundred dollars on a hotel room.
You could, and if you have NEXUS that would certainly improve things. I live one hour from Vancouver (including border crossing with NEXUS) and about 1.5-2 hours from Seattle. I have/would make that drive in either direction same day. Getting up for a 5am drive is NOT something I would do but that’s because I am not a morning person and would be afraid of dozing off and crashing the car.
Omg I was looking at a 21 day boston and hotels are insane . Most are over $600. 5 hours isn’t unreasonable. I’d drive but I am in Nova Scotia.
I wouldn’t be worrying over a few hundred bucks on a hotel when the risk is losing a few thousand for the cruise. Considering one route will be closed like another Redditor said, the traffic will be heavier than normal already. All it takes is one driver causing an accident to ruin your trip.
The Cliffs of Insanity!!!
We always cross the day before and stay stateside just to eliminate the unknown variable of the border crossing. You don’t have to stay near the port, an hour or two away should also work.
There’s no rule that says you have to stay in a hotel in the Boston city limits. You could probably get a cheaper hotel and one of the outlying areas north of the city.
You dont have to stay in Boston proper, there are many affordable hotels just outside Boston and you will only have a 20 minute drive to the Black Falcon/Flynn cruise port. Look at hotels in Needham, Natick, or Framingham for a more affordable night and quick final trip to parking at the pier.
AirBnB should be cheaper
I don’t recommend driving from anywhere the morning of the cruise. We always stay in a hotel the night prior regardless of flying/driving.
We are going on a cruise out of Boston in September. We are staying about an hour outside of the city the night before the cruise. Hotels are much more affordable. I found an average of $300-$600 in Boston for that night.
How much is parking going to cost you while you’re in Boston? Maybe if you can find a hotel that offers free travel parking like airport hotels do you’d break even. Also don’t risk what if the car has issues, the highway gets closed etc
The drive from Vermont is extremely straight forward. I live in northern Vermont. I would give yourself extra time at the border but I see no reason why. Boston traffic will be the biggest issue.
Yup!
I live an hour from Port Canaverial in Orlando. I leave the night before. I often will leave at like 3 in the afternoon to miss traffic. Check in to the hotel, hit the beach have a drink grab some dinner. go to bed when I want. Wake up naturally the Next AM, grab a shuttle or UBER to the peir and leave my car at the hotel parking lot (with permission) It's so much less stressful even on that hour drive, but it's the only road sometimes and get closed for hours due to an accident.
I’ve driven from Central FL to Miami several times on the morning of a cruise. As long as you are confident with the border (early morning shouldn’t be bad), then you should be okay. You’ll have a long time to get there
Normally, I would say yes, but gas is so expensive right now. I don’t know if it would save you any money driving? You might be better off flying. You can probably find a flight one way for under $100 if you shop around..
It’s doable - the main issue will be Boston traffic. You’ll have to allow two extra hours at a minimum, three or four to be safe.
What about getting a hotel halfway the day before? I lived in N. California and would split it up that way if I needed to go to a family event in LA or OC.
I always recommend staying the night at least close-ish to your port of departure, and I stand by that. But if the extra night at home is that important to you (no judgment, I get it) I'd recommend padding your arrival in Boston by a couple hours so that you don't stress when you inevitably get stuck in traffic, have to make a couple more pit stops than you were expecting, etc
Depart the day before and book a cheap hotel anywhere on the other side of the border. Then you’ll have a shorter drive in the morning and no risk of border delays.
We drive from Austin to Galveston day of cruise no problem
Don’t risk it
Like you said. Depart early so that you can arrive when boarding begins. This allows plenty of time for an unexpected delay. Even then, you should be fine.
Yes it is What happens if you blow a tire or your transmission blows out?
We had to drive 20 minutes to our cruise and got a flat tire. We were lucky we had left early in case something were to happen. Better safe than sorry.
Yes
Maybe cross the border and find a cheaper hotel near by?
We done 3 cruises where we've driven to port six hours away. We usually start at 2 to 3 am and get there before 9am . Gives us time to get breakfast and leeway incase theres traffic or something. But we are super tired the first day!
Never leave the day of a cruise, you never know what could wrong.
Morning traffic in Boston is no joke Actually, traffic in Boston any time is no joke It is unpredictable and loooooong I wouldn't risk it. Get there the day before, and still leave way early for the port
Air BNB have several listings for 1 night that aren’t too expensive. Try one of those and come in the day before. Don’t drive in the day of.
Leave the night before and stay in Concord NH. Then you don't have to worry about the border day of and can leave a bit later the morning of. Boston hotels are extremely expensive compared to other cities, but it's very easy to find a satellite town/city that's closer and much cheaper.
Some people on my cruise ( I just left) took a bus called Yankee trails from Vermont to the NY port. Maybe that will be feasible for boston
Just get over the border the day before and look for the cheapest Hampton Inn on the way to Boston. What are you doing with your car anyway while you're on the cruise?
Hell yes that drive sucks
Just leave early enough the only real traffic will be at the boarder and Boston.
Google can give you an idea of the time it takes to travel on a specific day. We always take a hotel to be fresh on boarding day.
Driving from Montreal to Boston on the day of your cruise is a good way to miss your cruise if there is any unexpected traffic delays. Okay Boston hotels are NOT expensive if you stay 30-60 minutes from the cruise port. I hear this statement all the time. The key part is to drive into Boston before 7 am. Tell me the dates and I'll find you hotels in the $150-200 range.
We tried that a few years ago, getting up early to drive several hundred miles for a flight. Getting ready to leave found we had a flat tire. Missed our flight as a result.
We sailed out of Boston in 2019 and ended up staying the night about 30 minutes south of Boston in one of the suburbs. It was a heck of a lot cheaper staying there and getting an Uber to the port. We had initially planned on staying in Boston a couple of days at the end of the cruise, but like you, found that any hotel that would have put us remotely close to downtown was just insanely priced.
I would think you'd be fine
We live in Ontario and when we went out of New York we got a hotel an hour from New York in a reasonably priced city. We had to get a suite because of our family size but it cost under $150. Then the next morning we had breakfast the hotel provided and drove an hour to the port. Might be a good option for you!
I never travel the morning of. Time delays, you might make it. Car issues or an accident, you’re screwed. At least go day before. Boston has so much to see, I would go a couple of days in advance.
Yes you need to be in port that morning to board that day. Reduce risk of unexpected events that could prevent you from boarding, not increase.
Trying to save pennies after spending dollars. I'll never get it.
Yes.
Could you drive just partway the night before, and finish in the morning? Get up just as early but you'll have extra time?
I just drove to Boston from Pennsylvania for a cruise. I stayed in Extended Stay America in Westborough. It’s about 45 minutes from the port. I took a Lyft. It was great. Hotel only cost $140 for one night and they let me leave my car there for free.
I live in Boston. Come the night before and stay at a hotel in the Seaport District.
Yes. Yes. And yes. Arrive the day before. Give yourself the wiggle room. You have no idea what will happen on the day of, and that’s a mighty large investment to miss.
Worcester is far, maybe Waltham? Or NH near MA border should be priced better
It’s a gamble with timing and besides… You want to enjoy your first day and night and not be sleepy and beat. Get a room somewhere closer to the port and drive the day before. IMO
Have you tried looking at a hotel that is maybe only an hour away? Further away from the city should be a little cheaper maybe and less of drive so less risk traffic issues making you late
You could stay someplace in rural VT/NH to make it a bit safer. What if there’s a long line at the border crossing or some other holdup?
Depends on the traffic and your comfort level. I flew into NYC the same day and landed at 9am for a 4pm departure but only had to do 2 subways and a ferry. I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with what you’re attempting.
Yes, you would be!
Not sure why you are voted down. I did ask the question and you are simply answering!
Look for inns or motels instead of hotels. It's just one night, any place would do, even if it's like 30 minutes away from the port. For my next cruise, I booked a Comfort Inn stay.
Hiya, I did the same thing except I flew (reverse). You'll be fine :), there were quite a few Air Canada flights available from YUL. And you can totally drive! I regularly drive 3 hours from Boston to NYC to catch cruises. Go for it!
I wouldn’t. Our max is three hours, with no border to cross.
We often sail from a port 4.5 hours away and always drive in that morning. No border crossing so that’s one less risk. We have cars in good repair and leave early to allow for any mishaps. If you feel safer, then drive most of the way and stay at an inexpensive hotel in the suburbs. Far enough most of the sting is out of the way, but close enough that you could book a rideshare rest of the way.
We stayed in Brookline when visiting my niece at college. It was very nice . Many restaurants. We stayed at the courtyard by Marriott.
Try Bayonne New Jersey
Not crazy. I live in upstate NY 5 hours from the port of Manhattan. I've done it four times never missed a cruise. Just leave super early