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Get In
Logan International Airport
The MBTA Blue line is reasonably convenient and inexpensive provided
that you are not carrying much luggage. Several free Massport shuttles provide
connectivity to rail, water transit, and parking. For the Blue Line, look for
the one with the electronic sign that says "SUBWAY". The fare is $1.25, and
exact change is not needed. The last Blue Line train leaves the airport shortly
after about 12:30 AM.
The Airport station has been recently renovated and is more uplifting,
but a poor job was done for the luggage sliders to help you get through the
turnstiles. 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 to take a
Green Line train from Government Center to Park Street, but the Silver Line (see
below) is a better bet.
The shiny new Silver Line began service to Logan airport in June 2005.
The large, low-floor articulated bus stops at each terminal roughly every 10
minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends. 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, westbound/southbound commuter rail
trains, and Amtrak trains. The fare is $1.25, exact change only.
Cabs are more expensive than in many other cities but because of the
close distance of the airport city, 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.
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 & 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.
General Aviation traffic is mostly served by Hanscom Field off Route
128/I-95 near Lexington and Burlington
By train
Amtrak arrives at South Station, which intersects with the MBTA Red 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
Philadelphia is about 5 hours, New York City in 3.5. 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 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 and most of the Commuter Rail lines that terminate at North
Station. Amtrak also uses North Station at the Fleet Center for their Downeaster
service to Haverhill, Peabody, and Maine.
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 Red Line subway
at South Station and switch to the Orange Line to North Station. You could
always take a cab, but the subway (known locally as the "T") is significantly
cheaper.
If you have a first class Acela ticket, you may use the Amtrak Metropolitan
Lounge in South Station. it is historic and renovated. 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
• The Boston Deluxe, connecting
Boston with New York and Hartford.
• The Fung Wah, connecting
Boston's Chinatown neighborhood with New York's Chinatown.
Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus also serve many cities from South Station but are
generally more expensive than the Chinatown buses, with Greyhound and PPB
averaging $30 to New York. 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 (Fung Wah was $10 each way, is now
$15. Some significantly lower quality Chinatown buses average $12.50 one way).
It is necessary to note that Fung Wah now departs and arrives South Station with
the other buses
By car
Boston has two major highways entering it, I-93 and I-90 (the Massachusetts
Turnpike, or "Mass Pike", or "Pike"). I-93 enters the city from the north and
the south; the Pike enters Boston from the west. The Mass Pike is a toll road -
expect to pay $1.00 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 traveled, max price is $3.60 if you drive all
the way from the automatic ticket machines near the New York border). 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. It is not instantaneous. 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.
The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) is a toll road, as is the
Sumner Tunnel (coming from the airport only), the Ted Williams Tunnel, 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.
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