By bus
Megabus
Connecting Boston with New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
By bus
Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus serve many cities from South Station but are generally much more expensive than the so-called Chinatown buses, with Greyhound and PPB averaging $30 to the Port Authority bus terminal in midtown Manhattan New York City. However, eSaver fares available online make the Greyhound fare between Boston & NYC as low as $15 each way. The Chinatown buses, along with low-fare competitors Megabus and BoltBus, specialize exclusively in nonstop express service between Boston's South Station and various points in NYC from Chinatown to midtown Manhattan. Some Chinatown buses average $12.50 one way. BoltBus and Megabus also include free WiFi aboard most buses to New York City.
Lucky Star Bus
Between Boston's South Station and New York's Chinatown.
LimoLiner
A luxury bus transportation offering professionals business services between New York City and Boston.
BoltBus
Connecting Boston with New York City, Newark, and Philadelphia.
By ship
MBTA ferries (http://www.mbta.com/sched...) from Hingham, Hull, and Quincy.
Cruise ships dock at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, One Black Falcon Av., Phone: +1 617-330-1500 (http://www.massport.com/p...). The MBTA Silver Line bus serves the port.
By train
Amtrak, +1 800 872-7245, (http://www.amtrak.com), the national passenger rail service, serves Boston. Boston has three intercity rail stations, which serve both Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail trains.
South Station
Trains coming from west and south of Boston terminate here. Connections with the MBTA's Red Line and all branches of the Silver Line except the SL5.Back Bay
Many trains coming from west and south of Boston stop here and then continue to South Station. This station is convenient to the Back Bay neighborhood, and is served by the MBTA's Orange Line.North Station
Trains from north of Boston terminate here. This station is located underneath the TD Garden sports arena, and is served by the MBTA's Orange and Green Lines.The following Amtrak routes serve Boston:
Acela Express
runs daily high-speed service between Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.Downeaster
runs daily from Portland, Maine to Boston. Note that this is the only Amtrak route to teminate at North Station.Lake Shore Limited
runs daily from Chicago to Boston. The trip is about 21 hours, so bring a book!Northeast Regional
runs daily from Virginia up to Boston. Follows roughly the same route at the Acela Express, but with more local stops.There is no direct train service between Canada and Boston. The Amtrak schedule is arranged such that transfers are impractical, especially going from Canada to Boston. You can do it if you're willing to stay overnight in New York City, Albany, Syracuse, or Rochester, but you'll pay for two trips.
The local regional rail system is the MBTA Commuter Rail (http://www.mbta.com). If you are coming from Providence, the Commuter Rail is significantly cheaper $7.75 versus $16 and more frequent than Amtrak. Remember, the North-South rule applies to which station you use. Trains to Plymouth, Worcester, Providence and the South Shore leave from South Station note, Plymouth trains do NOT service Back Bay. North Station will get you to Rockport, Gloucester, Salem and all other points on the North Shore.
Arriving by train has the advantage of putting you within easy reach of most downtown destinations by public transit. Remember, Boston is NOT a city for cars!
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 usually cheaper than parking in the city. In particular, the Riverside Grove Street stop at the end of the Green D line is right off I-95, and is $5.75 to park ALL DAY. You can even park overnight for $6.75 each extra day. 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 usually call it "I-90", though they will know what you are refering to. 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 $3.50. 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. Driving conditions have improved after the completion of the infamous Big Dig, but it is still not recommended to those unfamiliar with the area.