Boston Logan Airport, Boston Transportation

Boston Logan Airport tower and terminals; credit BOS Airport

Boston Transportation

Airport

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is one of America’s busiest passenger airports with lots of domestic, Canadian and European flights. MBTA Blue Line subway travels from BOS Airport to State Street and Government Center in downtown Boston. BOS Ferry to Downtown: You can also take the ferry from BOS Airport to the Downtown Rowes Wharf, which is a viable option to reach waterfront hotels.

To reach the ferry, first, visit the nearest information desk in a BOS terminal. BOS AIRPORT TERMINAL MAP

Taxis: From the lower level roadway of BOS airport to the closest points downtown. Around town, taxis are usually abundant, but large conventions often draw many of them away from downtown to Prudential Center, Copley Square, and the main convention center near South Boston. The Car Rental Center is located on BOS premises for walkable access to airport terminals.

Boston South Station

Boston South Station hostons Amtrak and rapid transit trains; credit Tony Hisgett/Wiki Commons

Train Station

South Station multimodal transportation center teems with Amtrak trains, commuter rail, heavy rail, Greyhound, Peter Pan buses, regular buses, and a major taxi depot. South Station is a people-place for historic architecture, cafes, shops, and art exhibits. A. Phillip Randolph, who strengthened the railroad labor union for Black workers, has a monument in the station.

Boston South Station hosts these Amtrak routes:

Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Northeast Regional: DC-Baltimore-Wilmington-Philadelphia-Newark-NYC-Stamford-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Lakeshore Limited: Boston-Springfield-Rochester-Buffalo-Cleveland-Toledo-Chicago

Anthony Burns Tour in Boston

Amtrak Acela and Amtrak Northeast Regional trains run between New York City and Washington every 20-30 minutes. Acela and other Amtrak trains going to NYC leave every hour from Boston. Coach class features comfortable seating with at least 39 inches of legroom, outlets for your laptop, complimentary WiFi, and extra storage space for luggage. Budget-minded travelers can take advantage of Amtrak Saver Fares and save when they book Coach seats 21 days or more in advance.

Northeast Regional Business class features even more extra legroom, extra Amtrak Guest Rewards Points an extra car dedicated to them, extra flexibility with an easily refundable ticket for those last-minute changes, reserved seating, and a complimentary beverage.

In fall 2023, Nextgen Acela high-speed trains will run up to 160 mph on smoother tracks, run more frequently, and feature more amenities for a better passenger experience in Amtrak Northeast Corridor. The same upgraded infrastructure will improve Amtrak Northeast Regional service too.

More big upgrades are coming to the Northeast Corridor infrastructure by 2030 and 2035 that will increase train speeds, frequency, and reliability. See Amtrak Acela progress towards world-class service.

Boston MBTA Blue Line at the Airport Station

MBTA Blue Line at the BOS Airport Station; credit Derek Yu

Rapid Transit

MBTA Rail Transit and commuter train service is abundant and a great compliment to this walking-friendly city. Known as the “T”, the nation’s oldest and 4th busiest Metro Heavy Rail (Subway) and light rail system have several downtown Boston stations that are not air-conditioned. They can be hot during the summer.

Familiarize yourself with four T lines that intersect downtown and have stations at or near 90% of tourist sites. Avoid driving and parking in downtown Boston, if possible. The Green line splits into four (B, C, D, E) branches southwest bound after the Copley Square station, but only the B and E are listed: MBTA RAIL SYSTEM MAP

Blue Line: Airport, Aquarium, State Street, Government Center
Orange Line: North Station, Haymarket, State Street, Downtown Crossing, Chinatown, South Station, Massachusetts Ave, Roxbury Crossing
Red Line: JFK/U. of Massachusetts, South Station, Downtown Crossing, Park Street, Kendall/MIT, Harvard
Green Line: Science Park, North Station, Haymarket, Government Center, Park Street, Boylston, Arlington, Copley, Prudential, Symphony, Northeastern U., Museum OR Hynes Convention Center, Kenmore, Boston U, Boston College

The Green Line is extended several stations northwest in 2023 with more expansion anticipated in the future.

Back Bay Station and North Station are important commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail and taxi stations to locals. Four daily commuter rail lines extend from those stations deep into metro Boston suburbs:

Framingham/Worcester Line
Needham Line
Franklin Line
Providence/Stoughton Line

Boston Siteseeing Tour  Trolley

Boston Siteseeing Tour Trolley; (c) Soul Of America

Tours

Black Heritage Trail
Self-guided walking tour of African American historic sites in Beacon Hill. Sites include Underground Railroad stations, former schools and homes, 54th Regiment Memorial, African Meeting House; brochures available at African National Historic Site.
ADDRESS: 46 Joy Street, Boston, MA
PHONE: 617-742-5415

Cambridge African American Heritage Trail
Self-guided walking tour of American historic sites; sites include the former home of W.E.B. Du Bois, the former home of the nation’s first African American novelist, William Wells Brown, and the former home of Maria Baldwin.
PHONE: 617-441-2884

Anthony Burns Tour in Boston

Freedom Trail
A 3-mile walking trail through Boston that connects 16 historical sites linked to the American Revolution; informative and engaging costumed characters travel the Trail during the summer; Tours: June 29-September 1; Saturdays and Sundays 11am & 1pm; Tours last 90-minutes and begin at the Boston Common Visitor Center.
FEES: $12 Adults, $6 Children
ADDRESS: 3 School Street, Boston, MA
PHONE: 617-227-8800

Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail
Only an hour north of Boston in New Hampshire, Portsmouth has a lovely historic district located on New Hampshire’s 27 miles of seacoast; the Black Heritage Trail provides a brochure outlining a self-guided walking tour of 24 marked sites, interpreting 350 years of Black history in New Hampshire and a comprehensive resource book.
WEBSITE: http://www.friendsofthepearl.org

Cruiseport

Cruise Lines
Running April-November, the cruise season boasts numerous vessel calls, sailing north along the New England and Canadian coastline, south to Bermuda, or across the Atlantic to Europe. These major cruise lines depart from Cruiseport Boston, which is only 10 minutes from the airport:

– Holland America
– NCL
– Princess
– Royal Caribbean International
– Celebrity
– Cunard

Cruiseport Boston
ADDRESS: One Black Falcon Avenue
PHONE: 617-330-1500

Moonlight Cruises
A great after-dinner treat! Marvel at the sunset to nightlife transition of Boston’s skyline from the harbor; theme-oriented Replica Steamships provide historic tours of Boston Harbor, every 60 minute-on-the-hour tours, 90-minute Sunset Cruises, and 90-minute Moonlight Cruises; Live entertainment cruises.
DAYS & HOURS: most cruises start at 8 pm from late May-early October
ADDRESS: Boston Steamship Company at 60 Rowes Wharf
PHONE: 617-542-8000

Spirit of Boston Cruises
Abundant seafood and dancing bring you a lively cruise experience of Boston Harbor. Lobster lunch & dinner cruises May-Oct; holiday cruises, Nov-Jan; special rates Jan-April. Air-conditioned and holds up to 600 passengers; 6 hours of complimentary parking at the Seaport Hotel parking garage.
ADDRESS: World Trade Center, Suite 75 at 164 Northern Ave
PHONE: 800-8-SPIRIT

Boston Harbor Cruises
Whale watching cruises, Harbor Islands ferry, or harbor sightseeing tours from Boston; whale watch is Boston’s only 3-hour trip; ride a high-speed catamaran or Sunset Cruise; cruises run May-October.
ADDRESS: One Long Wharf
PHONE: 617-227-4321

Freeways

Boston Freeways: Central Artery and Ted Williams Tunnel to BOS airport, and bridges have all finally completed. It is now possible to leave BOS airport via I-90, bypass the traffic at Sumner Tunnel and go to Copley Square or points west. Zakim Bridge over the Charles River speeds you to points north of Boston. Memorize these freeways, tollways, and tunnels:

Return to BOSTON

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