Transportation from New York to Boston

[BethV114]

Hello all. DH and I toying with the notion of a cruise from Boston this fall. Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get to the Boston Cruise Port from the New York Metro area (we live in Westchester County, which is a suburb of NYC). We could obviously drive and park at the port, but I was wondering if there are any other options that others have used (i.e. train, bus, etc.). I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences, etc. Thanks!!:D

[jag27]

Hello all. DH and I toying with the notion of a cruise from Boston this fall. Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to get to the Boston Cruise Port from the New York Metro area (we live in Westchester County, which is a suburb of NYC). We could obviously drive and park at the port, but I was wondering if there are any other options that others have used (i.e. train, bus, etc.). I'd love to hear your thoughts, experiences, etc. Thanks!!:D

 

You can take the bus or train from NYC into South Station, which is near the cruise terminal in Boston (you can get on the Silver Line or catch a cab). There are some discount bus rides between NYC and Boston that will cost much less than parking in Boston for a week.

[janetz]

Here is a new service from NY to Boston :)

 

 

www.megabus.com

[lambchoplady]

The train will take you to South Station which is only a few miles from the pier. There is public transsportation (Silver Line) from South Station to the pier.

[Got2Cruise]

I think the bus is much cheaper than Amtrak.

[138east]

I'd drive. It's about 200 miles from Westchester, so that's 400 miles round trip. That's about $80 in gas. Parking is $14/day for 7 days = $98. Tolls will be no more than $10.00. It should take you no more than 3 1/2 hours to drive.

 

Train will be more than that for 2 people. Even if you get a cheap bus fare, you then have to get from Westchester into NYC to catch the bus and back to Westchester when you get home and you will have cab fare from South Station to the port and back. That will add at least another 2 hours each way to your trip - for me it would not be worth it.

 

You just get on the Merritt Parkway to I-91 north to 84E at Hartford. The end of 84E is the Mass Turnpike, which is a straight shot into South Boston just blocks from the pier. You follow the signs to Logan Airport and take the South Boston exit.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/Scarsdale+NY/%5B1-99%5D+Black+Falcon+Ave+Boston+MA+02210/#a/maps/l:::Scarsdale:NY::US:41.005001:-73.785004:city:Westchester+County/l::[1-99]+Black+Falcon+Ave:Boston:MA:02210:US:42.3443:-71.0307:street:/m::5:41.674649:-72.407851:0::/io:1:::::f:EN:m:/e

[mike91911]

I'd drive. It's about 200 miles from Westchester, so that's 400 miles round trip. That's about $80 in gas. Parking is $14/day for 7 days = $98. Tolls will be no more than $10.00. It should take you no more than 3 1/2 hours to drive.

 

Train will be more than that for 2 people. Even if you get a cheap bus fare, you then have to get from Westchester into NYC to catch the bus and back to Westchester when you get home and you will have cab fare from South Station to the port and back. That will add at least another 2 hours each way to your trip - for me it would not be worth it.

 

You just get on the Merritt Parkway to I-91 north to 84E at Hartford. The end of 84E is the Mass Turnpike, which is a straight shot into South Boston just blocks from the pier. You follow the signs to Logan Airport and take the South Boston exit.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/Scarsdale+NY/%5B1-99%5D+Black+Falcon+Ave+Boston+MA+02210/#a/maps/l:::Scarsdale:NY::US:41.005001:-73.785004:city:Westchester+County/l::[1-99]+Black+Falcon+Ave:Boston:MA:02210:US:42.3443:-71.0307:street:/m::5:41.674649:-72.407851:0::/io:1:::::f:EN:m:/e

 

Not sure what you mean about adding 2 hours with the taxi ride from the pier to south station. I work at South Station and walk to the pier regularly. I can do it in about 10 minutes. Not to mention the Silver Line which goes directly to South Station.

 

Before I reccomend the train, I should tell you I work for Amtrak so my opinion is biased. I'm not going to get into pricing because there are just to many variables (sales, special rates etc). I will say this, on a train, you can get up and walk around. Use a bathroom, buy a meal or a snack and see some really nice scenery. You can set up your laptop or DVD player. You get to Boston relaxed and really close to the pier. Always plenty of cabs at South Station as well as the Silver Line (MBTA). Also plenty of hotels and stuff to do should you want to get to Boston a day early. Museums, shopping, historical places, night clubs, you name it. Hope this helps.

[138east]

Sorry I wasn't clear - for them to go from Westchester to NYC to catch the bus AND to go from South Station to the pier in Boston will add at lease 2 hours to the trip. I'd allow at least 1 1/2 hours to get from Westchester to the bus in NY. At South Station they have to get off the train and get their luggage to the cab stand or the Silver line. This will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

 

You're right - the Amtrak ride can be pleasant and relaxing. They could go from New Rochelle or Stamford. However, Amtrak can also be late. The trains don't run as frequently as the buses.

[mike91911]

Sorry I wasn't clear - for them to go from Westchester to NYC to catch the bus AND to go from South Station to the pier in Boston will add at lease 2 hours to the trip. I'd allow at least 1 1/2 hours to get from Westchester to the bus in NY. At South Station they have to get off the train and get their luggage to the cab stand or the Silver line. This will take between 15 and 30 minutes.

 

You're right - the Amtrak ride can be pleasant and relaxing. They could go from New Rochelle or Stamford. However, Amtrak can also be late. The trains don't run as frequently as the buses.

 

Any form of transportation can be late. On a trip from Penn Station, NY to South Station, Boston it would be very rare to be so late you'de miss the ship. That's taking into consideration you left on a train getting into boston long before sailing time. (I'm in NYC around 9am the day of a 4pm cruise departure). So what I'm saying is that even if the worst happened and your train broke down in all but the rarest of cases would you have any real concern about missing the boat. This goes for any way of traveling to the pier wether it be plane, train, bus or car, you have to give yourself "wiggle" room. In some cases that means traveling the day before. On a train trip from NYC to Boston I would say that wasn't a must (unless taking a later train) but if you did, as I mentioned in a previous post, there is lots to do.

 

The busses do have more departures but Amtrak has more than enough:

 

On a Friday from NY-BOS: 22 Departures

BOS-NY: 19 Departures

 

On a Sat from NY-BOS: 11 Departures

BOS-NY: 11 Departures

 

On a Sun from NY-BOS: 13 Departures

BOS-NY: 13 Departures

 

Also, most (not all) of these trains stop in Stamford as well.