Rhode Island Getting there & around

Getting there & around

By American standards, Providence has excellent transportation options. Elsewhere in the state, things can be tricky unless you have your own wheels.

Bus & tram

Bus

Regional buses operated by Greyhound (800-231-2222; www.greyhound.com) and Peter Pan (800-343-9999; www.peterpanbus.com) will connect you to destinations elsewhere in New England and to New York City. You’ll find the most frequent service in Providence, though stops are also made in Newport and at TF Green Airport. For travel within Rhode Island, the better and cheaper bus option is the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority ((RIPTA; 401-781-9400, 800-221-3797; www.ripta.com), which links Providence’s Kennedy Plaza with the rest of the state for $1.25.

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Air

The state’s major airport, TF Green State Airport in Warwick, is a 20-minute drive from downtown Providence and a 45-minute drive from Newport. Tiny as Rhode Island is, you can save time by flying to Block Island from the Westerly State Airport rather than taking a ferry.

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Car & motorcycle

Most people arrive by car. I-95 cuts diagonally across the state, providing easy access from coastal Connecticut to the south and Boston to the north. If you’re coming from Worcester, you should take Rte 146 to Providence. Distances are not great – it takes less than an hour to drive through Rhode Island on I-95. Cars are easily rented in Providence and at TF Green airport.

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Boat

From mid-May through October, ferries run between Providence and Newport. Between July and early September, season ferries also run between Newport and Block Island. Ferries run to Block Island year-round from Galilee and seasonally from New London, Connecticut.

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Train

Regional Amtrak (800-872-7245; www.amtrak.com) trains stop in Westerly (five daily), Kingston (eight daily) and Providence (eight daily) running along the track that connects Boston and New York. Amtrak operates additional high-speed Acela trains along this track, but these stop only in Providence.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA; 617-222-3200; www.mbta.com) operates an inexpensive commuter train between Providence and Boston.

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