Easily get from Boston Logan Airport to Amtrak Downeaster station? (Malden: transfer, buy)

[nicole.cpp]

A. I will be flying into Boston on Saturday, August 17, arriving at 3:15 PM if all goes well.

B. I then have a train ticket to Portland, ME that departs at 5:00 PM from Amtrak's Boston North Station.

What's the best way to get from A to B on time?

[sponger42]

Taxi. Otherwise you can look forward to dragging yourself and your luggage through a minimum of 3 transfers:
Bos-shuttle-blue line-red line-north station,
Or
bos-silver line-red line-north station, but this takes you on a long bus through south Boston.

[sponger42]

Taxi. Otherwise you can look forward to dragging yourself and your luggage through a minimum of 3 transfers:
Bos-shuttle-blue line-red line-north station,
Or
bos-silver line-red line-north station, but this takes you on a long bus through south Boston.

On the plus side for the silver line loop, it's free, so if you're not in a hurry you can save 2.45

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by nicole.cpp

A. I will be flying into Boston on Saturday, August 17, arriving at 3:15 PM if all goes well.

B. I then have a train ticket to Portland, ME that departs at 5:00 PM from Amtrak's Boston North Station.

What's the best way to get from A to B on time?

A cab will be the most direct and fastest way of getting from Logan to North Station. However, if you want to save some money you can easily take the MBTA to get over to North Station. Lots of people use to MBTA to get to/from Logan on a daily basis.


When you land and get your luggage, head out to the roadway and wait for the shuttle bus that will take you the short trip to the Blue Line. Take the Blue Line (inbound) towards Government Center. From the Airport Station to Government Center is 4 stops and will be a pretty quick ride. Get off at Government Center and head upstairs for a Lechmere (outbound) bound train. It will be 2 stops to North Station from there and a very quick ride.

You can buy your Charlie Ticket either at Logan (they have kiosks in each terminal) or at the Airport Station. The shuttle bus that takes you from the airport to the station is free and it's a short ride. You will also only need 1 one-way ticket as the transfer from the Blue to the Green Line is free and an easy transition to make.

You'll be flying in on a Saturday so the trains should not be too crowded.

[TAM88]

MBTA.com > Official Website for Greater Boston's Public Transportation System

The MBTA's website also has a nice trip planner tool where you can lay out your journey, see it on the map and get all the info about lines, times, etc.

[ParadiseInMaine]

I am doing the opposite: Coming from Portland via Amtrak Downeaster to North Station and need to get to Logan Airport.

This is what the MBTA's trip planner tool says:

Get on train North Station Inbound Orange Line
Get off train at State Street

At State Street, Get on Blue Line EastBound
Get off at Airport Station

From Airport Station I can take a Shuttle to Logan Airport

Does this sound correct?

[timberline742]

Yes

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by ParadiseInMaine

I am doing the opposite: Coming from Portland via Amtrak Downeaster to North Station and need to get to Logan Airport.

This is what the MBTA's trip planner tool says:

Get on train North Station Inbound Orange Line
Get off train at State Street

At State Street, Get on Blue Line EastBound
Get off at Airport Station

From Airport Station I can take a Shuttle to Logan Airport

Does this sound correct?

Yup, it's pretty straightforward. When you exit the train and enter the main station area, go left. Walk to the exit doors, and go right once outside and you'll see the entrance to the Orange Line (and Green Line) station. You want an Inbound (to Forest Hills) train which you'll take for two stops to State Street and switch to an Eastbound Blue Line (to Wonderland) and take it to the Airport stop (3 stops). You'll catch the shuttle which stops at each terminal. Everything is well marked at the stations.

As others have mentioned, a Cab would save you quite a bit more time and hassle with luggage. Depending on the time of your arrival in Boston, it could take 40 minutes or more to get to Logan via Orange/Blue/Shuttle when you factor in wait times at transfers.

It's also worth noting that the Downeaster is late more often than not. It's third priority to both Freight and local MBTA commuter trains, so sometimes the Downeaster will stop at a pullout and wait for 20+ minutes for another train to go by. If you take the Downeaster, make sure you give yourself PLENTY of time on the Boston end to account for transfer times and the possibility (probability) that the Downeaster will be late.

Out of curiosity, why would you take the Downeaster instead of Concord Trailways which stops right at Logan? The Downeaster says the route from Portland to Boston is about 2.5 hours. It's good to budget at least 3 (sometimes more). And then you have to allow for another 40 minutes or so for the three transfers to Logan. The bus is about 2.25 hours to South Station, 2.5 to Logan. Even if you get caught in traffic, you are still in much better shape on the bus which costs about the same (less if you factor in the cost of a cab or transit from North Station to Logan). Concord Trailways leaves from the same station as the Downeaster.

[ParadiseInMaine]

Thank you for pointing out the ease of using Concord Trailways. I have never taken the bus but I love the train. I lived in Malden when I was a kid so I remember using the T once or twice and thought if it was easy enough to use the T then that would be my preference.

The drawback to using Concord Trailways is that they do not give discounts to people with disabilities. Cost of bus is $28 for me - cost of train is $11 plus maybe $2 to get on the T. This would be a good idea if I'm traveling light.

Have to weigh the pros and cons though - bus is more convenient, but costs more.

Thanks for your input

[wxjay]

Does the bus really "cost" more? Think about the hassle and time of getting from the airport to North Station, etc. etc. Time and stress could be quantified. You might find the convenience of the bus to be well worth the extra money. If the bus was $100, that would be a different story.