Boston: Getting there & around

Orientation

Boston is on a small peninsula in the middle of Massachusetts' Atlantic Coast, a little over 320km (200mi) northeast of New York City. Most of the city's sights are contained in less than 8 sq km (5 sq mi). Cambridge (home of Harvard and MIT) is a short drive or subway ride north across the Charles River.

The North End, occupying the northeastern tip of the peninsula, is the historic city centre. The North End and the eastern waterfront used to be separated from the rest of the city by the John F Fitzgerald Expressway (I-93). The expressway is now underground as a result of the 'Big Dig', allowing easier access to this historic part of the city. Just south of the expressway are Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Government Center. The Financial District is a few blocks further south, Beacon Hill directly west, Boston Common (the city's main park) and Chinatown to the southwest. The Back Bay, South End and the Fenway are further to the southwest. Anyone in reasonable shape could walk from the North End to the Fenway - allowing for wandering, eating and shopping - in half a day or less.

Getting There

• bus

  Boston has a modern, indoor, user-friendly bus station just south of the Financial District, conveniently adjacent to the South Station train station and above a T stop for the Red Line. Greyhound, Trailways and other bus lines serve the bus station.

• train

  Amtrak, the national railway system, stops at South Station, Back Bay Station and North Station. The Acela Express , Amtrak's new fast train, will get you to New York in three hours (two hours faster than the old express service), but you'll have to pay premium for it.

• plane

  Logan International Airport (BOS), a few kilometres from downtown in East Boston, is the city's major airport. BOS is served by most major national and international carriers and getting a flight into Boston should present no problems. It's a short drive into town from Logan International Airport, though the subway is the easiest way into the city. There's also a water shuttle from the airport to Boston's Rowes Wharf on the northeastern waterfront.

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Getting Around

• car

  The city is infamous for setting the teeth of out-of-town drivers on edge and you'll have a more relaxed time if you stick to the subway. For most excursions you will need a car, since commuter trains only go to some outlying areas (like Concord). Boston has all the major rental agencies.

• walking

  Boston is a compact city easily covered on foot. There are also numerous walking trails through urban heritage districts and nature zones. If your feet peter out there's always a subway station nearby.

• ferry

  Ferries go to several points around Boston Harbor. Taking a ferry is a nice option for an excursion. It's a three-hour ferry ride or a three-hour drive from Boston to Provincetown on Cape Cod.

• underground rail

  For getting around the Boston-Cambridge area you're best off catching the T, the oldest subway in the country and one of the best. The T serves most areas of the city and Cambridge, and several lines head to outlying suburbs.

• Disabled Travellers

  Boston attempts to be wheelchair accessible (with curb cuts, ramps on public buildings, and a special T van service), but it falls short for such a (so-called) world-class city.

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