Should we drive from Boston Logan to Manchester Airport on a Friday night?

[boys2enough]

Please help: Should we drive from Boston Logan to Manchester NH on a Friday night with 2 kids that will probably be quite cranky? We have a big family reunion coming up in June near Manchester, NH. Out-of-towners will be staying at a hotel near the airport (MHT). After that weekend, we will be driving to Boston to visit DH’s aunt, and fly home (Chicago) from there. I just checked airfares from Chicago: Flying to MHT and flying out from BOS will be roughly $300; flying in and out of BOS will be $240. The difference for 4 people is quite obvious. We will have to take an evening flight (sometime after 5 pm I am guessing) out on Friday because I simply do not have enough vacation days. I googled the map/route and the two airports are less than 60 miles apart. But sometimes distance can be deceiving. I’ve heard that Boston traffic can be scary. DH also tends to get extremely stressed when driving in 1) traffic jam 2) unfamiliar places 3) routes with lots of tricky turning points 4) in the dark…

Anybody BTDT? Or living in the New England area that could share your thoughts with me? Any info, suggestions etc would be greatly appreciated. Thank you much!

Cheers, Lin
Mom to 2 wild boys
D 3/98
G 11/02

http://smilies.vidahost.com/kao/otn/pcomputer.gif

[Rachels]

I live in Boston and wouldn't do it. Friday traffic can be especially hairy. If you can go midday and just hang out, go for it, but there's no way I'd do it at rush hour.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
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Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
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"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[boys2enough]

>I live in Boston and wouldn't do it. Friday traffic can be
>especially hairy. If you can go midday and just hang out, go
>for it, but there's no way I'd do it at rush hour.
>
>-Rachel
>Mama to Abigail Rose
>5/18/02
>http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
>Nursed for three years!
>
>and Ethan James
>10/19/05
>http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg
>
>
>"When you know better, you do better."
>Maya

Rachel,

Thanks much for the advice. How about later in the evening? Say if we arrive at around 8-9 pm? Will the traffic be as bad?

Cheers, Lin
Mom to 2 wild boys
D 3/98
G 11/02

http://smilies.vidahost.com/kao/otn/pcomputer.gif

[Rachels]

It tends to let up around 6:30 or so, although Fridays can be a bit unpredictable. I'd feel more comfortable driving later rather than between 3 and 6. If you go later, you should be okay once you get away from the city regardless. It's all interstate out of the city and reasonably well signed, too.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya

[Bearhut]

If it were the other way, I would say don't even try! I think if you can get out of Boston by about 3pm you would probably be okay. The Manchester airport is very easy to get to (Boston definitely isn't). If it's going to save some big $$, I would travel back to Manchester.

[jesseandgrace]

Did you try Southwest? My laptop is about to run out of batteries so I might have missed what you said, but I think southwest might go from Chicago to Manchester. I agree, could be rough during rush hour - Boston traffic is pretty bad - but if it means the difference between going or not I would definitely do it!

[mattysmom]

Definitely check Southwest - they used to fly between Midway and Manchester and usually for a good price! DO NOT try to drive to NH on a Friday afternoon!!!

[Zansu]

Southwest flies Midway to Manchester, with RT fares starting at $150 all in.

[aguinn]

i live north of boston and would say that at that time of year (june) you should be ok later in the evening. although, if its a race weekend (at laconia, nh raceway), all bets are off. getting in and out of logan is easier these days, and roads and highways are well marked now (as opposed to a year ago when you were just as likely to end up in CT as NH!). boston traffic is icky, but you will only be skimming the edge of the city before you're headed north of town. i'd go for it!

;)amy
momma to DS#1 "Big Brother" (BB) and, finally, DS#2 "Little Brother" (LB)

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"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~ Neil Postman

[kss611]

Manchester is a much easier airport. I would definitely try to fly in and out of Manchester via Southwest. It is definitely worth driving back and forth to MHT. And car rental at Manchester is a thousand times easier than at Logan. We fly in and out of New England all the time and avoid Logan. It is usually much cheaper to fly into Manchester or Providence anyway.