Transportation to Wrentham Premium Outlets from Boston
by Stevie Williamson
(N. Ireland)
What is the best/easiest way to get to the out of town shopping area at Wrentham Common? Staying in Marriott Copley Place at the beginning of February this year. Thanks - Stevie
Susan's reply: Especially if you're not familiar with driving in Boston, the easiest (we'll get to "best" in a moment) way to get to the Wrentham Premium Outlets is by public transportation.
In short, there are two options for this, and they each have their pros and cons:
- Take the Commuter Rail from Boston (closest to your hotel would be the Back Bay station - just a very short walk away) to Franklin, the closest station to the Wrentham Outlets, and take a cab from there.
- Or, take one of the tour bus trips leaving from Boston and going directly to the Wrentham shopping mall - there are several ways to do that, including a couple that will save you money, so more about that in a moment.
You can find detailed information about both of these options on our Wrentham Outlets page.
Pros and cons: The commuter rail/cab option is a little more trouble because you do have to call the cab and perhaps wait a few minutes for it. You also have to keep an eye on the train schedule and not miss your train. However, you can determine, within the parameters of the train schedule, how long you stay.
The bus option is easier (no cab to call) but the length of your shopping trip is determined by the bus schedule - usually you'll get about 5 hours at the mall, which may be plenty anyway - or not, depending on your interest in finding bargains.
If you do decide to take a bus, you can save money in a couple of ways. If you're planning to do any other sightseeing and can do it on days adjacent to your Wrentham Outlets trip, a Boston discount card - specifically, a Go Boston card - will typically save you a lot of money because once you buy the card, you get free admission to museums, etc., and free tickets for cruises, and tours - which includes the Wrentham Premium Outlets bus. However, if you can only use the card for 1 day, you're better off skipping it and simply paying the fare.
Also, some hotels offer shopping "packages" which means that for a slightly higher room rate, they throw in an free bus tour and sometimes other amenities. The tours run about $40, so the differential between the regular and package rates should be less than $40 in order to be a good deal. I don't believe that the Marriott Copley Plaza normally offers this package, but you could check with them to make sure.
Barring these two options, you're usually better off going directly with the Gray Line bus office (just a 10 minute or so walk from your hotel) rather than going through the concierge, as some hotels will charge a small mark-up on the tickets if they sell them directly.
Finally, back to your mention of "best." If you want ultimate flexibility over the timing of your visit, a rental car may be the way to go, and if you're going with other people, it may also be the cheapest option on a per-person basis. You can rent cars fairly easily for just a day here in Boston by renting from an agency with in-city pickup/dropoff - check our rental car page for options. I believe that the Hertz location may be closest to your hotel, but the concierge can tell you for sure.
Please note that I'm not necessarily recommending driving (our Boston driving tips page will tell you why. Aside from the um, challenges, of navigating Boston streets in order to get out of the city, February weather can be tricky, with snow, ice, black ice, etc. - so having someone else behind the wheel who’s more familiar with local conditions can definitely be advantageous, plus since you're visiting Boston from another country, there's no need to get an international drivers license.
Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip, and happy shopping!
Susan
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