Guide to Boston public transportation: Explore Boston with MBTA (2024)

America’s first subway, the T is easy to use, efficient and inexpensive, though delays often cause grumbles. Transfers between subway lines are free, but transfers from subways to buses are only free with a CharlieCard. Trains run from 5.15am to 12.30am Mon–Sat and from 6am to 12.30am on Sundays. Free T maps are available from the larger stations.

Boston has three major railstations: South Station, North Station and Back Bay Station. The MBTA Commuter Rail runs from all three, serving the Greater Boston area and Massachusetts, as far away as Providence, RI. Tickets can be bought on the train, but it’s cheaper to buy them at the station.

Taxis and rideshares (like Uber and Lyft) can be hailed at any time of day or night, although sometimes it can be difficult to land a ride once the bars get out after 1am. Taxi ranks can be found near major hotels, big train stations and in Harvard Square in Cambridge.

Boston was once consistently rated one of the worst cities in America for bikers by cycling magazines, but lots of designated bike lanes have made things much better. Overall, however, the roads are often narrow and hilly and drivers are still getting accustomed to sharing the road. Cambridge is a bit better, but we recommend that all but the most hardened urban cyclists should stick to special bike trails such as the Paul Dudley White Charles River Bike Path and the Minuteman Bikeway.

Boston is not called “America’s Walking City” for nothing. You can easily cover the city centre on foot, and walking through the different neighborhoods is a pleasurable way to explore them.