Boston, Massachusetts - Getting There

Get in

By plane

• Logan International Airport, 800-23-LOGAN (56426), radio: AM 1650.[1].

Boston Logan International Airport is the main gateway to Boston and New England. It is located in East Boston a few kilometers from downtown. All major U.S. carriers serve Boston Logan with extensive flights to major cities across the country. Many European carriers also fly to Boston from their hubs including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic (London), Air France (Paris), Alitalia (Milan, Rome), Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich), Aer Lingus (Dublin, Shannon), Swiss (Zurich), Icelandair (Reykjavik) Iberia (Madrid) and NWA/KLM (Amsterdam). Getting to Boston from Asia will require at least a one stop connection.

The Silver Line is a low-floor articulated bus that stops at each terminal every 10 to 15 minutes, from 6AM to 12:45AM every day (5:35AM start M-Sa). From the airport the bus travels through the occasionally-clogged Ted Williams Tunnel, and then through a dedicated bus tunnel to an underground stop at South Station. Convenient transfers are available to the Red Line, south-side commuter rail trains, and southwesterly Amtrak trains. The fare is $1.70 with plastic CharlieCard, or $2.00 cash or CharlieTicket. The Silver Line is best if your final destination is on the Red Line.

To get to the Blue Line, MBTA boat, or parking, take a free Massport shuttle bus. Check the sign on front for the destination.

The Blue line requires a transfer at Airport Station to a free Massport shuttle to get to or from the terminals. On your way out of the city, check the signs to see which terminal you need and which route goes there. Blue Line fare is $1.70 with plastic CharlieCard, or $2.00 with cash or CharlieTicket. You can get a CharlieCard for free if you ask the customer service agent near the faregates at Airport station. This is a good deal; it gets you discounts on all MBTA trains and buses, and free transfers. You can get this discount on your first ride if you see the agent before you use the ticket vending machine. The last Blue Line train leaves Airport station shortly after about 12:30AM.

The Airport station was completely rebuilt in 2004. Change at Government Center for Green Line trains and at State Street for Orange Line trains. If you need a Red Line train, you could take a Green Line train from Government Center to Park Street, but the Silver Line (see below) is a better bet.

Taxis are more expensive than in many other cities. Fortunately, the airport is very near the city so the fare is not extremely expensive. It would be about $25 for fares to Boston, and less if you are staying downtown in the financial district. If you're not driving or being picked up, you'll need to take a taxis if you are at the airport when the T is not running.

Airporter, 781-899-6161, 877-899-6161 reservations@theairporter.com [2]. Between Logan and the suburbs, door to door.

Driving to Logan from the north, take the Callahan Tunnel; from the south or the west, take the Ted Williams Tunnel. Routes are well marked, and there is no toll in this direction. Driving from the airport to downtown Boston or to points north, including Interstate 93 northbound, take the Sumner Tunnel; for points south and west, including Interstate 93 southbound and Interstate 90, take the Ted Williams Tunnel. There is a $3 toll for either tunnel. Routes are well marked, but the airport road system is complex. Read the signs carefully and be sure you're in the correct lane, or you may be forced to swerve across several lanes of traffic to catch an unexpected off-ramp.

Alternative airports

Due to congestion at Logan, two regional airports have been designated as alternatives to Logan Airport. Flying into one of these airports may be an option for travelers visiting points north or south of Boston or those who wish to fly Southwest Airlines (which flies into both of these airports, but does not serve Logan). Unless one of those conditions applies, it is recommended that you just fly into Logan, as both airports are some distance from Boston and not well served by public transportation.

• Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, [3] is located in Manchester (New Hampshire)|Manchester, NH, approximately 50 miles north of Boston. A shuttle bus is available from the airport to the Sullivan Square T stop in Boston/Charlestown|Charlestown, with a stop at the Anderson Regional Transit Center in Woburn for connections to the commuter rail. If you do not wish to or cannot take the shuttle, the only ways to get into Boston aside from renting a car are a bus that runs every few hours or a very expensive cab ride. Note that this airport should not be confused with Manchester International Airport in Manchester|Manchester, England. (Yes, it has happened before. [4]) MHT serves NH and the northern suburbs of Boston.

• T.F. Green Airport[5] is located in Warwick (Rhode Island)|Warwick, RI, approximately 60 miles south of Boston. PVD tends to serve Providence/Newport and Boston's southern suburbs. For the moment, the best way to get into Boston by public transportation is to take a local bus or taxi to the train station downtown, and board a MBTA commuter train to Boston. If you do this, make sure to check the bus and train schedules in advance of your visit, as service can be very limited at times (especially on weekends and late at night). There are plans to build a new commuter rail station at the airport, but this is not expected to be completed until 2009.

General Aviation traffic is mostly served by Hanscom Field off Route 128/I-95 near Bedford/ Lexington (Massachusetts)|Lexington and Burlington (Massachusetts)|Burlington, northwest of Boston.

By train

Amtrak arrives at South Station, which intersects with the MBTA's Red Line and the waterfront branches of the Silver Line. You can take the Amtrak Northeast Corridor or Acela Express from South Station all the way to Washington D.C. and beyond. Average Acela time from Boston to New York City is 3 1/2 hours, while a trip to Philadelphia takes about 5 hours. Another popular Amtrak train is the Lake Shore Limited service between Boston and Chicago (requiring a layover in Albany). This isn't as high quality or high speed as the Acela, but at around $75, the price is right (note that in order to get the low-low fare, you have to purchase your ticket a few weeks in advance). All Amtrak, and most commuter, trains to South Station also stop at Back Bay Station, which is much smaller, but more convenient to Back Bay, Beacon Hill and the South End. It is on the Orange Line on the subway.

Amtrak also uses North Station at the TD Banknorth Garden (previously called the Fleet Center) for its Downeaster service via Haverhill to New Hampshire and Maine, with the final stop in Portland (Maine)|Portland.

Remember, Boston's North and South stations are not linked, and are over a mile from one another. In order to travel in between, hop on the inbound Red Line subway at South Station and switch at Downtown Crossing to the Orange Line to North Station. You could always take a cab, but the subway (known locally as the T) is significantly cheaper. Your best option is to go between North Station and Back Bay station, since they are directly linked by the Orange Line.

If you have a first class Acela ticket, you may use the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge in the historic, renovated South Station. There is no lounge at Back Bay Station. You may use Quik Track machines to buy your ticket without standing in line, or to pick up tickets you have reserved online.

Arriving by train has the advantage of putting you within easy reach of most downtown destinations by public transit.

By bus

• Boston Deluxe, 175 Huntington Ave., 917-662-7552. [6] Connecting Boston with New York (city)|New York and Hartford.

• Fung Wah Transportation, 700 Atlantic Ave. (South Station), 617-338-8308. [7] general@fungwahbus.com. Connecting Boston's Boston/Chinatown|Chinatown neighborhood with New York (city)|New York's Chinatown (139 Canal St).

• Greyhound Bus Lines, 700 Atlantic Ave. (South Station), 617-526-1800. [8]

• LimoLiner, 888-546-5469. [9] A luxury bus transportation offering professionals business services between New York City and Boston.

• Lucky Star Bus, 700 Atlantic Ave. (South Station), 617-734-1268. [10] Between Boston's South Station and New York's Chinatown.

• Peter Pan Bus Lines, 700 Atlantic Ave. (South Station), 800-343-9999. [11]

• Megabus, South Station, 877 462-6342. [[12] fares start at just $1 when reserved far in advance Connecting Boston with New York (city)|New York.

• BoltBus, South Station, [13] fares start at $1 when reserved far in advance Connecting Boston with New York City.

Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus serve many cities from South Station but are generally much more expensive than the Chinatown buses, with Greyhound and PPB averaging $30 to New York. However, eSaver fares available online make the Greyhound fare between Boston & NYC as low as $15 each way. The Chinatown buses (AKA Dragon Buses) now use South Station also and serve Hartford, Connecticut and New York City. Fares are competitive, but not as low as they once were (for example, Fung Wah was $10 each way and is now $15). Some significantly lower quality Chinatown buses average $12.50 one way.

It should be noted that Fung Wah Transportation has recently been in the headlines for several accidents involving its buses. It has an extremely poor reputation around the city.

By car

If you are driving in, you may seriously want to consider dropping your car at a lot and taking the T in. If you're heading downtown for the touristy sites, you will consider having a car a curse rather than a blessing. Parking at MBTA commuter rail and terminal subway locations is dirt cheap. In particular, the Riverside (Grove Street) stop at the end of the Green D line is right off I-95, and is $3.75 to park ALL DAY. You can even park overnight for something like a dollar more. Commuter rail stations are even cheaper. See the Public Transit section in the Get around section below.

Boston has two major highways entering it, I-93 and I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike, or Mass Pike, or Pike; locals do not call it I-90). I-93 enters the city from the north and the south; the section running from Boston southward is referred to as the Southeast Expressway but the northern section is just 93 North. The Pike enters Boston from the west. The Mass Pike is a toll road - expect to pay $1.25 to enter the city via the Pike, in addition to the tolls charged when arriving at the I-90 / I-95 interchange in Weston, just outside the city (variable based on distance travelled, max price is $3.85 if you drive all the way from the automatic ticket machines near the New York border). Also, if you enter The Pike in East Boston (at Logan Airport) the toll is $3.00. There are minor roads, of course, that enter Boston as well, including Route 9 (Old Worcester Turnpike), Route 2, and US 1. Another major highway, I-95 (also known as Route 128) encircles the Boston area.

There are many car rental places around Boston, but one of the most unique is Zipcar, an hourly car rental service. If you don't plan to do much driving, this may be an economical alternative to owning a car. If you want to use Zipcar, you should try signing up in advance (students of universities in Boston may be able to get a discount). Rental fees and taxes differ between Boston and Cambridge, but the rental agencies at Logan Airport (in East Boston) are still usually less expensive and have a greater fleet of cars available.

In addition to the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), the Sumner Tunnel is a toll road (coming from the airport only), along with the Ted Williams Tunnel (from airport only), and the Tobin Bridge (southbound/from the North Shore only).

If driving on a major highway during rush hour, do not be surprised to see cars driving in the breakdown lane on the shoulder. This is permitted in certain areas, at certain times, as indicated by signs along the road.

As a general rule, especially as a tourist unfamiliar with the city, alternatives are favored over driving - even when just getting in or out of the city. Boston is one of the densest major cities in the U.S. - perfect for walking, biking, or using the collection of mass transit systems known as the T. Driving can be confusing and dangerous with numerous one way streets, narrow roads, and continuous road construction.

By boat

• MBTA.
• Cruise ships dock at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, One Black Falcon Av., 617-330-1500 [14]. The MBTA Silver Line bus serves the port.