Roadtrip to Boston for Red Sox/Jays Game

Hello all. First time to the Boston forum (and it will be our first time to Boston too!). We are beginning the planning stages of a trip for our family (DH and I and 2 sons ages 5 and 10). We are looking at coming the end of August to see a Red Sox and Jays game and to explore beautiful Boston.

We%26#39;re contemplating staying at the Westin Copley Place. Does that seem like a reasonable choice and close to Fenway? Should we drive and park at Fenway, or would we be better off catching a cab to the stadium ?

I%26#39;ll be heading out to get a guidebook shortly so I can do a little research first, but just wanted to get a general sense of whether our location choice seems okay.

Also, having never been the ones cheering for the opposing team, anyone have any indication as to how we (or more particularly our boys) will be treated arriving at Fenway dressed in Blue Jays attire :-) ?

Thanks in advance for any help (and I%26#39;ll probably have lots more questions)!

Roadtrip to Boston for Red Sox/Jays Game

The Westin is a perfect location for your stay. You can either walk to the park (20 minutes or so depending on pace) or simply hop on the T at Copley and take it 2 stops to Kenmore. Very convenient.

Where are your seats? In general, the only area I%26#39;ve seen opposing fans have any issue at all is the bleachers - that being said, I think it had as much to do with the behavior of the opposing fans. There%26#39;s always a chance you%26#39;ll be seated near some drunk meatheads and have to deal with the occasional dirty look if the game is not going well for the Sox. But honestly, as long as you%26#39;re respectful (i.e. don%26#39;t be obnoxiously over-the-top, taunt anyone, etc.), you%26#39;ll be treated with respect. And no offense, but the Blue Jays are not generally a team that inspires a lot of angst in Sox fans. You%26#39;ll be fine!

Roadtrip to Boston for Red Sox/Jays Game

';And no offense, but the Blue Jays are not generally a team that inspires a lot of angst in Sox fans. You%26#39;ll be fine!';

LOL, yes none taken. We keep hoping this will be the year the Jays turn it around though!

Thanks so much for your help. Glad to know the hotel seems a good choice, and we will take your advice about walking to the stadium (or catching the ';T';).

Generally speaking you don%26#39;t want a car any place NEAR fenway park on game day, so the plans sound like good ones!!!

Welcome to Boston%26#39;s forum. We love to answer questions and are blessed with a great group of people knowledgeable about the area.

Boston is a compact city and easy to get around by foot or by the %26#39;T%26#39;, our public transporation system. (www.mbta.com). The Westin is in a great location for your needs. Be sure to ask, however, how much it will cost to park your car. We often find that the additional fees sometimes surprise our visitors.

Do you already have tickets for a game? Just went on the Red Sox website and see there are no tickets for sale at the moment for the Toronto series at the end of August. Getting tickets is a hurdle you%26#39;ll have to pass. If you are not able to get them direct from the Sox www.redsox.com,, you%26#39;ll have to go through the re-sale route which means inflated prices -- check out www.acetickets.com, www.stubhub.com

As for the fans, the majority of us are nice! (Maybe not so much when the Yankees are in town). There are always, unfortunately, some liquored up folks that just lose it and don%26#39;t behave and I%26#39;ve seen that in many sections not just the bleachers. I would not be so concerned considering its the Blue Jays. One suggestion for your family would be to check out the alcohol free sections - Grandstand 32 and 33

Thank you all so much for this helpful information! I hope you don%26#39;t mind that I will be back with several more questions, I%26#39;m sure.

Thanks also for the links to the resale sites for the Red Sox tickets. I hope we can get them directly through the Red Sox though.

Also nice to know about the fans and that we should have no problems. But hey - things can change! The Jays are currently leading in the east! (Okay, so we%26#39;re only a week into the season, but I have to enjoy these things while I can...)

Any suggestions for the best guidebook to Boston? We will only be there for a few days, so we don%26#39;t need anything too extensive, but a book with some decent maps and a good overview of things to see would be great. Thanks again!

Some of us remember well when the Blue Jays were the monsters of the American League, and none of us should ever take them lightly--even in their first couple of seasons as expansion lightweights, they were known to give the Sox fits. Roy Halladay might be the best pitcher in the game.

Fenway is a fun and friendly place. You should have no issues at all. If you do run into any of the aforementioned drunken jerks, just contact a security guard--but I doubt very much you%26#39;ll have any occasion for it. Have a great visit.

Tickets to Sox games are actually much easier to come by this year than in the past. Ticket prices are sky-high and even though the Sox froze prices for the first time in forever, the recession is certainly effecting them. On top of that, overall interest is declining - viewership of the games was down last year by 20% from the year before, if you can believe it.

I would use a reseller as a last resort only, and really shop around, because you should be able to get a good deal. Check ebay.com I would be surprised if you can%26#39;t find something close to face value.

Regarding rowdy behavior, I would stay away from the bleacher seats, there is a lot of fowl language in that section after several beers. Pay attention to the screen before the game there, they will post a telephone number a fan can call to report unacceptable behavior. The Red Sox organization does not tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct or fowl language from rowdy fans any more, thankfully.

I doubt anyone will bother you wearing a Jay jersey, my nephew wore an Orioles shirt to a Baltimore game. He went over to the pitcher box (we were in bleachers) to encourage the team and one of them gave him a ball.