Brits driving to Wrentham!! Help!!

Hi All,

I have hired a car for a day to go to Wrentham. Neither myself or hubby have driven on the ';left'; before so we are a bit nervous!

I have good directions from mapquest which indicates the journey is reasonably easy - mainly on Interstate roads, but I have 2 queries

Firstly, we are picking the car up from the airport the day we are going to Wrentham (only location open til late for us to return the car the same day) and the only complicated bit seems to be the junctions for getting onto the I90. There appear to be lots of roads merging then splitting - is it reasonably easy to navigate onto the I90??

Secondly, we would like to stop off for breakfast on our way there - anyone recommend any good places on the I90 / 93/95 to stop (don%26#39;t really want to divert off the roads as its our first time!).

Cheers guys

Sarah

Brits driving to Wrentham!! Help!!

Interstate 90 is also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike of ';Mass Pike'; in this area. Watch for signs for both ';I 90'; or by name. The route from the airport is via a new underwater tunnel (you won%26#39;t see the water via the highway). It is pretty straight forward. You will be under ground at the exit from I-90 onto I-93 south. You will find that almost all interstate exits in Massachussetts are from the right lane.

I have not travelled the exact route you are refering to, so I%26#39;ll let someone else step in and help with details, but I believe there is a toll between the airport and I-93. I just wanted you to be prepared so you have USD$ handy.

I don%26#39;t want to scare you, but the metropolitan Boston area is known for aggressive drivers and many people do not use turn signals as often as they should. You should be fine though. Since you are sticking to mostly highways, there is little chance you will end up on the ';wrong'; side of the road! Just remember... the right lane is the slow lane! haha

Have a great trip!

Brits driving to Wrentham!! Help!!

Hello Sarah,

WesternMass is correct! Listen to what he says about the exits being on the right! Stay over in the right hand lane most of the way, you%26#39;ll be fine. It sounds like your flight is getting in really early in the morning? They usually do from Europe. You know if I were you? I think your best bet for breakfast would be to have it right at the airport at the Hilton Hotel. It%26#39;s located at 1 Hotel Drive, there # is 617 568-6700. They have two places that open right at 5:30 AM every morning that are very good right in the hotel.

We%26#39;ve met people here at the Hilton for business meetings and it%26#39;s actually a really good location to start off from. One of the restaurants in here is the Berkshires and the other place is Cafe Presco; so just take your pick.

I just think where it%26#39;s your first time trying to drive on the right and getting acclimated to the rules of the road and everything else you have to do? I%26#39;d just relax and have breakfast at the Hilton right at the airport when you get in and get through Customs and you can get the car straightened out. I remember how I was driving on the LEFT for the first time! I have to say, I somehow got used to it, may be it was in my bones since my ancesters were from Europe!

You%26#39;ll really like the Wrentham Outlets!

You just need to remember you%26#39;re going SOUTH then SOUTHEAST to the Wrentham Outlets. So you%26#39;d use the MAPQUEST as you said, you%26#39;d leave Logan Airport and the Hilton by heading toward the ';Ted Williams'; Tunnel. It%26#39;s $3.00 one way in for the toll. You%26#39;d be on this all the way; don%26#39;t get off, you%26#39;ll see a LOT of construction going on early in the morning I%26#39;m hearing. Just do what they have you do if there%26#39;s any ';detour';. Don%26#39;t panic or anything if you see them working away, they%26#39;re going to be working on I93 %26amp; the I90 areas starting the week of October 3rd. Where you%26#39;ll be travelling so early in the morning; if you wanted to just relax and take your time at the Hilton when you%26#39;re having breakfast and then the key is to wait until around 9 or 9:30 any time after this time when all the people will be in there offices! Then you head out and you won%26#39;t be stuck in any type of back up or traffic.

So you left the airport and the Hilton Hotel and you%26#39;re merging out on that road now. Look for the Ted Williams I90 Tunnel, you%26#39;ll head south when you%26#39;re in this all the way and then as you come out of it you%26#39;ll be merging on the I93 southeast expressway. Keep going until you see the merge where over on the left it says CAPE COD/BRAINTREE you DON%26#39;T want this exit or ramp at all, remember you are over on the right either in the far right lane or the next lane over so you can%26#39;t get over there anyway! Continue on your way here until you see PROVIDENCE, RI I95---this is where you want to be. Then you%26#39;ll follow your directions for the Wrentham Mall that you have from MAPQUEST once you get on to the I95 exit toward Providence, RI., you%26#39;ll see the signs. Eventually you%26#39;ll see that The Wrentham Outlets aren%26#39;t very far from this point!

It%26#39;s not even a 35 minute drive from the airport! Once you see yourselves in the Outlet area you%26#39;ll realize how easy it was!

You%26#39;ll be like....PHEW...we%26#39;re here!

Good luck and enjoy your trip, have a wonderful time shopping!

Here%26#39;s the information regarding the construction they%26#39;re planning on starting this first week in October....

masspike.com/travel/construction.html#2418

Thanks guys for the reassurance.

Luckily we aren%26#39;t flying in that morning - we%26#39;ve just hired the car from the airport office of Alamo because the city centre offices shut at 5.00pm - and with all that shopping there is no way I would be back by 5pm!!!

So I aim to get the ';T'; out to the airport and drive from there. From what you say it seems pretty straightforward - also you all don%26#39;t drive as fast as us so I am hoping the traffic will work to our advantage going slower and giving us more time to see the signs!!!

So if on 28th November you see a British couple in a car looking a bit dim you will know who it is!!!

Cheers Sarah

PS Is the $3 toll on the way out and do we need exact change?

Hello Sarah,

You%26#39;ll only have to pay as you leave the Airport this way, you won%26#39;t have to be going back to the Airport when you drop the car off.

The Toll collector will have change for you just make sure you don%26#39;t go in the EZ-PASS lane, that%26#39;s completely different (it%26#39;s a program that has all of us with a little white ';transponder'; on our windshields near our rearview mirrors) that deducts the amount right from that little white transponder! I find it to be much easier, instead of figuring out change and the tolls.

But, for the travelers, if you need change they have Toll collectors right there towards the middle and to the right as you pull up to the glass booths, you%26#39;ll notice them all there, you can%26#39;t miss them.

Thanks NoMo01,

I know what you mean about the pass - my husband has one for the Severn Bridge between England and Wales and its much better than queuing at tolls!

I will watch out for the toll pass lanes on the way out - imagine holding up the traffic and trying the reverse out of that lane - we would be popular!!

Sarah