Boston may not be the "hub of
the universe," as Oliver
Wendell Holmes once said, but it
is the center of New England's
transportation networks. An
increasing number of direct
flights from Europe means that it
provides many visitors with their
first taste of America, while
efficient rail and bus services
from New York, Montreal and
further afield make this an
obvious starting point, wherever
you're heading in New England.
Air
Logan Airport (tel
617/561-1800 or 1-800/23-LOGAN),
constantly busy with both
international and domestic
services, is a mere three miles
from downtown Boston. It stands
on an artificial peninsula
jutting into Boston Harbor,
created by leveling three
islands and destroying
Revolution Wharf. As driving
within the city is not to be
recommended, it makes little
sense to rent a car at the
airport. A taxi into town
costs $10-20, plus an extra
$4.50 in fees and tolls; the
trip should take twenty minutes,
but most traffic passes through
the Sumner or Callahan tunnels,
which can get very congested.
The construction of the Ted
Williams Tunnel has alleviated
the problem somewhat. Between
5.30am and 1am, free shuttle buses
run every few minutes from all
terminals to the airport subway
station on the MBTA Blue line,
from where it's an easy
ten-minute ride to the city
center. Just as quick, and a lot
more fun, is the water
shuttle , which connects the
terminal buses with Rowe's Wharf
across the harbor, an easy
gateway into the heart of north
Boston (Mon-Fri every 15min
6am-8pm, Sat & Sun every
30min 10am-8pm; $10 one-way, $17
round-trip; tel 617/330-8680 or
1-800/23-LOGAN).
Trains
Amtrak (tel 1-800/USA-RAIL, )
trains along the Northeast
Corridor from Providence,
Washington, DC and New York, and
from Chicago and Canada via
Springfield, as well as the
summer-only Cape Cod specials,
arrive a short walk from
downtown Boston near the
waterfront at South Station
, Summer Street and Atlantic
Avenue. The renovated station
houses information booths,
newsstands, restaurants and a
fantastic old clock, though no
currency exchange. The Red
subway line inside the station
can whisk you to the center of
town or out to Cambridge. Some
Amtrak services also make an
extra stop at Back Bay
Station , 145 Dartmouth St,
on the Orange subway line near
Copley Square. North Station
is used only by MBTA commuter
trains.
Buses
Several bus companies
provide direct links between
Boston and the rest of New
England. Vermont Transit (tel
1-800/451-3292, ) covers western
Massachusetts, New Hampshire's
White Mountains, Vermont and
Montreal; while Concord
Trailways (tel 1-800/639-3317, )
runs to southern New Hampshire
and up the Maine coast. Heading
south, Bonanza Bus Lines (tel
1-800/556-3815, ) connects
Providence and Newport, Cape Cod
and New York City; and Peter Pan
Bus Lines (tel 617/343-9999, )
services New York and western
Massachusetts. Greyhound (tel
1-800/231-2222, ), with its many
connections, offers nationwide
service. Plymouth and Brockton
Bus Co (tel 508/746-0378, ),
serving Hyannis, has buses that
leave from Logan Airport; all
other buses leave from South
Station.
