Boston/Logan travel advice needed - what to do with rush hour arrival?

[zentraveler]

It has been a very long time since I have flown into or out of Logan and it was such a nightmare in those days (I think it was called the Big Dig) that I swore I would never do it again (I lived in CT in those days).

Fast forward a few decades and we are planning on a trip to Maine flying from SFO Tuesday April 15 - Saturday April 26 or Sunday April 27, 2025. The flights to Portland ME all connecting with terrible schedules, so I am actually, reluctantly, planning on flying SFO-BOS and renting a car there.

What are decent options for landing at Logan at 5:15 on a Tuesday? Stay at an airport hotel and set off Wednesday morning? Drive to Kennebunkport at 6 pm or so? Drive anywhere else on landing, or wait?

Would appreciate any suggestions. Even though we will be on west coast time, travel days get long with a 6 hour flight and have some priority for not sitting in impossible traffic after landing, getting baggage (yes we check them ) and picking up a car.

 

[WinniWoman]

It has been a very long time since I have flown into or out of Logan and it was such a nightmare in those days (I think it was called the Big Dig) that I swore I would never do it again (I lived in CT in those days).

Fast forward a few decades and we are planning on a trip to Maine flying from SFO Tuesday April 15 - Saturday April 26 or Sunday April 27, 2025. The flights to Portland ME all connecting with terrible schedules, so I am actually, reluctantly, planning on flying SFO-BOS and renting a car there.

What are decent options for landing at Logan at 5:15 on a Tuesday? Stay at an airport hotel and set off Wednesday morning? Drive to Kennebunkport at 6 pm or so? Drive anywhere else on landing, or wait?

Would appreciate any suggestions. Even though we will be on west coast time, travel days get long with a 6 hour flight and have some priority for not sitting in impossible traffic after landing, getting baggage (yes we check them ) and picking up a car.

We actually are flying out of there in a couple of weeks and we are getting a car service to take us from our home. We have an evening flight and will be right smack in the middle of rush-hour getting there. In fact, I’m thinking of calling the car service to pick us up a little bit earlier than scheduled.

If I was you, I wouldn’t want to drive out in the morning either because it’ll be just as bad with the commuting traffic. But it certainly would be better after getting a good nights sleep at the airport hotel rather than in the evening after a long flight.

Is it possible to fly into the airport in Portsmouth, NH? Or maybe Manchester, NH?

 

[TolmiePeak]

Looking at the typical traffic leaving Logan Airport at 6:30p on a Tuesday and driving towards Maine doesn't show very much traffic. I wouldn't let the traffic dissuade you.

 

[zentraveler]

We actually are flying out of there in a couple of weeks and we are getting a car service to take us from our home. We have an evening flight and will be right smack in the middle of rush-hour getting there. In fact, I’m thinking of calling the car service to pick us up a little bit earlier than scheduled.

If I was you, I wouldn’t want to drive out in the morning either because it’ll be just as bad with the commuting traffic. But it certainly would be better after getting a good nights sleep at the airport hotel rather than in the evening after a long flight.

I’d it possible to fly into the airport in Portsmouth, NH? Or maybe Manchester, NH?

Not in 6 hours NS and not in a way that is not phenomenally inconvenient. That is why I am resorting to BOS.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

planning on a trip to Maine

I grew up in Boston. I drove or took cabs from the North Shore to Logan w/o going thru Boston. I haven't been to Logan in a LOOOOONG time, but unless something changed drastically, if you're driving to ME, no reason to go thru he tunnel into Boston, then curl around the waterfront & then back out over the Tobin Bridge. Do Not Go Into The Tunnel. Stay to the right, look for Rt 1A (must be North 1A). Rt 1a. Go thru East Boston. It will look like a Good Will Hunting hood, but that was actually South Boston, but shhh, they look the same. (not to be confused with "the South End" which looks totally different) Then go thru industrial area, turns into Rt 16 I think. Less industrial. Maybe there is a traffic circle or 2. Eventually get to Revere and look for signs for Rt 1 (no "A"). It will be on the left, aka the west.
If you went into Boston & over the Tobin, Rt 1 is where you'd end up, but you just got there w/o the tunnel, or Boston proper or the bridge.
Eventually Rt 1 will bring you to Rt 95, aka 128 (at least back then). Head rigth, aka north on Rt 95 & you're headed for NH & ME.
Plenty of places to stay overnight on Rt 1 or Rt 128/95. I would rec anything in Peabody or north of that. There is always Portsmouth NH, kinda kute. Depends on how far you want to drive same day.
My basic assumption: if you're going to ME, you want Rt 95N, and the tunnel/city-center/bridge are the worst parts, but not necessary

1A to 1 to 95, north all the way

 

[zentraveler]

I grew up in Boston. I drove or took cabs from the North Shore to Logan w/o going thru Boston. I haven't been to Logan in a LOOOOONG time, but unless something changed drastically, if you're driving to ME, no reason to go thru he tunnel into Boston, then curl around the waterfront & then back out over the Tobin Bridge. Do Not Go Into The Tunnel. Stay to the right, look for Rt 1A (must be North 1A). Rt 1a. Go thru East Boston. It will look like a Good Will Hunting hood, but that was actually South Boston, but shhh, they look the same. (not to be confused with "the South End" which looks totally different) Then go thru industrial area, turns into Rt 16 I think. Less industrial. Maybe there is a traffic circle or 2. Eventually get to Revere and look for signs for Rt 1 (no "A"). It will be on the left, aka the west.
If you went into Boston & over the Tobin, Rt 1 is where you'd end up, but you just got there w/o the tunnel, or Boston proper or the bridge.
Eventually Rt 1 will bring you to Rt 95, aka 128 (at least back then). Head rigth, aka north on Rt 95 & you're headed for NH & ME.
Plenty of places to stay overnight on Rt 1 or Rt 128/95. I would rec anything in Peabody or north of that. There is always Portsmouth NH, kinda kute. Depends on how far you want to drive same day.
My basic assumption: if you're going to ME, you want Rt 95N, and the tunnel/city-center/bridge are the worst parts, but not necessary

1A to 1 to 95, north all the way

Thanks for all the detail although I hope this is not as complicated as it sounds! I will get a map or go online and take this one line at a time. It seems like getting out of town will take about as much effort as finding an airport hotel and dealing with the same thing on a weekday morning the next day.

 

[susieq]

Maybe if you leave the airport hotel the next day around 9 or 10 ....... Bonus too ... most hotels have a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, then next day shuttle back to airport for rental car, 1 day less rental!

 

[zentraveler]

I grew up in Boston. I drove or took cabs from the North Shore to Logan w/o going thru Boston. I haven't been to Logan in a LOOOOONG time, but unless something changed drastically, if you're driving to ME, no reason to go thru he tunnel into Boston, then curl around the waterfront & then back out over the Tobin Bridge. Do Not Go Into The Tunnel. Stay to the right, look for Rt 1A (must be North 1A). Rt 1a. Go thru East Boston. It will look like a Good Will Hunting hood, but that was actually South Boston, but shhh, they look the same. (not to be confused with "the South End" which looks totally different) Then go thru industrial area, turns into Rt 16 I think. Less industrial. Maybe there is a traffic circle or 2. Eventually get to Revere and look for signs for Rt 1 (no "A"). It will be on the left, aka the west.
If you went into Boston & over the Tobin, Rt 1 is where you'd end up, but you just got there w/o the tunnel, or Boston proper or the bridge.
Eventually Rt 1 will bring you to Rt 95, aka 128 (at least back then). Head rigth, aka north on Rt 95 & you're headed for NH & ME.
Plenty of places to stay overnight on Rt 1 or Rt 128/95. I would rec anything in Peabody or north of that. There is always Portsmouth NH, kinda kute. Depends on how far you want to drive same day.
My basic assumption: if you're going to ME, you want Rt 95N, and the tunnel/city-center/bridge are the worst parts, but not necessary

1A to 1 to 95, north all the way

I haven't looked at a paper map in years but got out my 2019 spiral bound map of the US and it was immediately clear what you are describing WaikikiFirst. Directions are very clear and will work if we decide to head out of town on landing or the next morning.

 

[Ski-Dad]

Look at Manchester, NH. Southwest flies there. Possibly a cheaper car rental than Logan, and it avoids all the Boston traffic.

It's a 45 min drive from the Manchester airport to Portsmouth, NH. Great place to spend a night. A fantastic downtown on the harbour with great local restaurants.

Portsmouth, NH is just off the I-95 and borders Kittery, ME. The Piscataqua River divides NH and ME at the coast.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

We also flew into Logan from the west coast, arriving during rush hour. We spent the night in a hotel near the airport with a free shuttle and were very glad we did. We took the free shuttle back to the airport the next morning and picked up the car around 10:00 AM.

I hate trying to navigate a strange city in the dark, especially when you are tired and a little jet lagged.

 

[Luanne]

We also flew into Logan from the west coast, arriving during rush hour. We spent the night in a hotel near the airport with a free shuttle and were very glad we did. We took the free shuttle back to the airport the next morning and picked up the car around 10:00 AM.

I hate trying to navigate a strange city in the dark, especially when you are tired and a little jet lagged.

We did exactly this years ago when we flew to Boston from California. Worked out well.

 

[beinggreen]

On a weekday there shouldn't be much traffic going up to Maine. Running it through Google Maps it is showing 90 minutes to two hours, leaving Logan Airport around 6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. puts you in Kennebunkport around 9 p.m. Although that's a lot after a long flight. It's a pretty drive along the coast too but you won't be able to see it well at that hour. As WaikikiFirst said if you decide to stay around Peabody or the North Shore there's a lot of places to stay in that area and it's about an hour's drive from there.