BY PLANE

Boston’s Logan International Airport is in East Boston, 3 miles (4.8km) from downtown and across the Boston harbor. Logan is served by all the major U.S. airlines and several international carriers as well. For information, including real-time flight arrivals and departures, go to www.massport.com/logan-airport. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the airport.

Between the Airport & City Center

Massachusetts Port Authority, or MassPort (tel. 800/235-6426), coordinates airport transportation. Public Service information booths are located near baggage claim on the first-floor arrivals level of every terminal.

There are two options for taking public transport from Logan into Boston. The Silver Line SL1 bus stops at each airport terminal and runs to downtown Boston’s South Station, which has connections to the Red Line subway and the commuter rail to the southern suburbs. The 20-minute ride is free and includes a transfer to the Red Line. The other public transport option is to take the free airport shuttle bus (either Route 22, 33, 55, or 66) to the stop “MBTA Blue Line” to pick up the subway on the Blue Line. The Blue Line runs daily from approximately 6am to 12:20am. Subway fare is $2.75 with a paper CharlieTicket from a vending machine. See this for details about the subway system and its fare collection system.

Taxis are available at each terminal. Between airport fees and the initial drop the starting price is about $10; the total fare to downtown runs $25 to $45. There are designated areas at Logan for pick up by Lyft and Uber drivers. Travelers using one of these “Transportation Network Companies” should look for the designated pickup areas on the lower level (Arrivals) and the sign “App Ride/TNC.” The fare will include a $3.25 airport fee.

The Logan Airport website lists private van services that pick up at the airport and serve local hotels. One-way prices start at $15 per person and can include extra fees. 

Because Logan is located just across the Boston harbor from the city, travelers have the option of taking a ferry or water taxi from the airport to downtown. The Harbor Express ferry trip from Logan to Long Wharf on the downtown waterfront takes about 7 minutes and costs $18.50 one-way. The free no. 66 shuttle bus connects airport terminals to the Logan ferry dock. Boston Harbor Cruises Water Taxi (tel. 617/227-4320) and Rowes Wharf Water Transport (tel. 617/406-8584) also serve the airport, the downtown waterfront, and other points around the harbor, for a fare of $12 (kids ages 3–11 ride for just $2 on the Boston Harbor Cruises water taxi). Leaving the airport, ask the no. 66 shuttle-bus driver to radio ahead for water-taxi pickup.

BY TRAIN

Boston has three transportation centers. The biggest, South Station, at 700 Atlantic Ave., is a nexus of Amtrak trains, MBTA commuter trains, bus lines, and stops on the subway’s Red and Silver Lines. The two other centers are North Station, at 135 Causeway St. on the first floor of the TD Garden stadium, and Back Bay Station, at 145 Dartmouth St. Amtrak (tel. 800/USA-RAIL) has stops at all three stations, each of which is also an MBTA subway stop. 

Boston’s commuter rail operates out of both South Station and North Station (located about a mile apart). South Station serves points south and west of Boston, including Plymouth, MA, and Providence, RI. North Station serves points north and west, including Concord, Ipswich, and Rockport. This rail network is run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA (tel. 800/392-6100 or tel. 617/222-3200), which also manages the subway system.

BY BUS

The South Station Bus Terminal is at 700 Atlantic Ave., adjoining the train station.

BY CAR

Three major highways converge in Boston. I-90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike or “Mass Pike,” is an east-west toll road. I-93/U.S. 1 goes north. I-93/Route 3, the Southeast Expressway, heads south and toward Cape Cod. 

I-95 (Massachusetts Rte. 128) becomes a beltway that circles Boston about 11 miles from downtown, connecting the city to highways in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York to the south, and New Hampshire and Maine to the north.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.