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Boston without a car: a visitor's guide to the T (2026)

You can see Boston and take day trips without renting a car. Here is which T line goes where, the stop for each big sight, day trips by train and bus, and how to pay.

By Ahmad Haji, founder of Cobblehop · October 29, 2026

Quick answer: Yes, you can see Boston without a car. Four subway lines, the Red, Orange, Blue and Green, reach most sights, and Silver Line buses run to Logan Airport and the Seaport. Commuter Rail trains run to day-trip towns like Salem and Concord, and buses, ferries and walking fill the gaps. For example, the Red Line takes about 10 minutes from Park Street to Harvard Square, and the train from North Station to Salem takes about 32-35 minutes. To pay, tap a contactless card or phone: a subway ride is $2.40.

The T lines, and where they take you

Bostonians call the subway, and the MBTA as a whole, the T. The four main subway lines are named by color, and all of them stop near Boston Common, at Park Street, State, Government Center or Downtown Crossing. The Silver Line is listed with the subway lines, but it is a bus.

Line	Where it takes visitors
Blue Line	Logan Airport (Airport station, then a free shuttle bus), the New England Aquarium (Aquarium) and Faneuil Hall (State, Government Center)
Green Line	Boston Common (Park Street), Copley Square (Copley), Fenway Park (Kenmore), the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science (Science Park/West End) and TD Garden (North Station)
Red Line	Harvard and MIT in Cambridge (Harvard, Kendall/MIT), Beacon Hill (Charles/MGH), Boston Common (Park Street) and South Station
Orange Line	TD Garden (North Station), the North End (Haymarket), Downtown Crossing, Chinatown and Back Bay station
Silver Line SL1	A bus from the Logan Airport terminals to the Seaport (World Trade Center, Courthouse) and South Station, free from the airport

How to read the signs:

Trains show their last stop. For example, a Red Line train from Park Street to Harvard says Alewife, and one from Park Street to South Station says Ashmont or Braintree.
Inbound and outbound. Per the MBTA, inbound means toward Park Street, State, Government Center and Downtown Crossing. Outbound means away from them.
The Green Line has four branches, B, C, D and E. Green Line trains on all four stop at Park Street, Boylston, Arlington and Copley. Only B, C and D trains go to Kenmore, only E trains go to the Museum of Fine Arts, and most B and C trains end at Government Center.
Ask for your stop above ground. When the Green Line runs at street level, press the tape strip by the windows or a stop button. Underground, and on the Red, Orange and Blue Lines, trains stop at every station.

Which T stop for Boston's top sights

Per the MBTA, Boston Common is within walking distance of Beacon Hill, Government Center, Chinatown and Back Bay, and the Freedom Trail starts there and heads north through the North End and across the river to Charlestown. Here is the stop to use for each big sight.

Place	Get off at	Lines
Boston Common, the Public Garden and the start of the Freedom Trail	Park Street	Red Line Green Line
Beacon Hill and Acorn Street	Charles/MGH or Park Street	Red Line
Faneuil Hall Marketplace	Government Center	Blue Line Green Line
The North End and Paul Revere House	Haymarket	Orange Line Green Line D or E
New England Aquarium	Aquarium	Blue Line
The Seaport	Courthouse or World Trade Center	SL1, SL2, SL3 from South Station
Back Bay and Copley Square	Copley	Green Line
Fenway Park	Kenmore	Green Line B, C or D
Museum of Fine Arts and the Gardner Museum	Museum of Fine Arts	Green Line E
Museum of Science	Science Park/West End	Green Line D or E
TD Garden	North Station	Orange Line Green Line D or E
Harvard Square and MIT	Harvard or Kendall/MIT	Red Line

For the Charlestown Navy Yard, take the Charlestown ferry from Long Wharf (see ferries and buses). Step-by-step routes: South Station to the North End, South Station to the Seaport, Boston Common to New England Aquarium, Boston Common to Fenway Park, Boston Common to Museum of Fine Arts, South Station to Museum of Science, Boston Common to Harvard Square.

Day trips by train and bus

Commuter Rail trains leave from two Boston stations. Trains north, to places like Salem, Rockport and Concord, leave from North Station. Trains south and west, to Providence and Worcester, leave from South Station and also stop at Back Bay. Coach buses to Plymouth and Cape Cod leave from the South Station bus terminal.

Day trip	How to go	Ride
Salem	Newburyport/Rockport Line from North Station	About 32-35 min
Rockport	Newburyport/Rockport Line from North Station	About 75-80 min
Concord	Fitchburg Line from North Station	About 39-41 min
Lowell	Lowell Line from North Station	About 47-49 min
Providence	Providence/Stoughton Line from South Station or Back Bay	About 60-77 min from South Station
Worcester	Framingham/Worcester Line from South Station or Back Bay	Most trains about 80-100 min from South Station
Plymouth	Plymouth & Brockton bus from the South Station bus terminal, then a GATRA bus into town	About 55 min, then 12 min on the local bus
Cape Cod (Hyannis)	Plymouth & Brockton bus from the South Station bus terminal	About 1 hr 50 min

Weekends have fewer trains. On the fall 2026 schedule, Salem trains run about every hour on Saturdays and Sundays, and the Rockport, Concord, Lowell, Providence and Worcester trains about every 2 hours. Check the last train back before you sit down for dinner.
Plymouth on a Sunday? On the current schedule, the GATRA Mayflower Link bus from the Plymouth park-and-ride into town runs Monday to Saturday only.
North Station and South Station aren't connected. Between them, take the Red Line toward Alewife to Downtown Crossing, then the Orange Line toward Oak Grove. See South Station to North Station.
Cambridge needs no train ticket. Harvard and MIT are on the Red Line. See Boston to Cambridge: Harvard and MIT.
More trips: Boston to Gloucester, Boston to Manchester-by-the-Sea, Boston to Newburyport, Boston to Lexington, and Boston to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Track work. Buses sometimes replace trains, often on weekends. Per the MBTA, buses replace Framingham/Worcester Line trains between Framingham and Boston on November 7 and 8, 2026. Check MBTA this weekend before you go.

Ferries and buses

Charlestown ferry. This MBTA ferry crosses the harbor from Long Wharf (South), near Aquarium station, to the Charlestown Navy Yard, a stop on the Freedom Trail. The ride takes about 10 minutes and costs $2.40. Tap a card or phone at the reader by the ticket booth. On the fall 2026 schedule, boats leave Long Wharf every 15-30 minutes on weekdays, 6:30 am to 8 pm, and every 30 minutes on weekends, 10 am to 6 pm.
Most other MBTA ferries, like the Hingham and Hull boats and the Harbor Loop between North Station, the Aquarium, the Seaport and Logan Airport, run on weekdays only this fall.
Silver Line to the Seaport. SL1, SL2, SL3 buses run from South Station to the Seaport, stopping at Courthouse and World Trade Center. They cost the subway fare, and the SL1 continues to Logan Airport.
Massachusetts Avenue. Bus 1 runs every day from Back Bay over the river to MIT and Harvard Square. A local bus ride is $1.70. Tap your card or phone on the reader when you board.

Paying, and when the T runs

Paying. On the subway, buses and MBTA ferries, tap a contactless card, phone or watch on the Charlie reader. A subway ride is $2.40, a local bus ride is $1.70, and for two hours after your first tap you pay only the highest fare as you change, if you use the same card or phone. The Commuter Rail doesn't take tap to pay, so buy a ticket in the mTicket app, at a fare machine or at a ticket window, or get the $10 pass for unlimited rides on Saturday and Sunday. For passes and CharlieCards, see How to pay for the T in Boston (2026).

Hours. Per the MBTA, the subway typically runs from 5 am to 1 am Monday to Thursday, 5 am to 2 am on Friday and Saturday, and 6 am to 1 am on Sunday. For the last connections of the night, be at Park Street, Downtown Crossing, State, Government Center, Haymarket or North Station by 12:35 am Sunday to Thursday, or by 1:30 am on Friday and Saturday. Commuter Rail trains stop earlier. Last trains on every line are in When does the T stop running? MBTA last trains (fall 2026).

Planned work. The MBTA sometimes closes part of a line and runs shuttle buses instead. Per the MBTA, from November 7 to 15, 2026, no Green Line trains run between North Station and Kenmore, Heath Street, Babcock Street or Cleveland Circle. Free buses run from Back Bay instead, and the Orange Line links Back Bay with downtown and North Station. Check MBTA this weekend before you ride.

From Logan Airport

Take the Silver Line SL1 bus from the arrivals level of your terminal to South Station. Per the MBTA, it is free from the airport, and the change to the Red Line at South Station is free too.
For the Aquarium, State or Government Center, take the free Massport shuttle bus to Airport station, then the Blue Line toward Bowdoin. The train costs $2.40, and Aquarium is about 4-5 minutes from Airport station.
Need help? Per the MBTA, transit ambassadors in bright red shirts or jackets work at Airport station and can help with fares and directions.

All the options, with times, are in Logan Airport to downtown Boston. Step by step: Logan Airport to the North End, Logan Airport to Back Bay Station, Logan Airport to Fenway Park, Logan Airport to Harvard Square, Logan Airport to Salem.

Step-free travel and elevators

Per the MBTA, all buses are accessible, and most, but not all, subway and Commuter Rail stations are.
Every subway and Silver Line station in the line and sights tables above is listed as accessible in MBTA data. Some nearby stations are not: Boylston and Hynes Convention Center on the Green Line, and Bowdoin on the Blue Line. Symphony, on the Green Line E branch, is closed for accessibility work until spring 2029. Of the day trips, Concord station is not accessible.
Elevators break. Check the MBTA's elevator and escalator alerts before you go, or call the MBTA elevator and escalator hotline at 617-222-2828.
On the Red, Orange and Blue Lines, MBTA staff can put a bridge plate between the platform and the train. Ask staff or use a station call box. On the Green Line, press the blue and white wheelchair button on the side of the train.
Per the MBTA, ferries and docks are accessible, but high or low tides can cause barriers.
For help planning a step-free trip, call MBTA Customer Support at 617-222-3200.
In Cobblehop, turn on step-free routes in Settings. Your routes then use accessible stations and vehicles only, and warn you about elevator outages on the way.

Boston without a car: common questions

Can you get around Boston without a car?

Yes. The subway, buses and ferries reach most sights, and Commuter Rail trains and coach buses run to day-trip towns like Salem, Concord, Providence and Hyannis on Cape Cod. Per the MBTA, parking in Boston can be limited and expensive, and private garages can cost as much as $40 for a few hours.

What's the easiest way from Logan Airport to downtown Boston?

The Silver Line SL1 bus. It stops at every terminal and goes to South Station, with stops in the Seaport on the way, and it is free from the airport. For the Aquarium, State or Government Center, take the free Massport shuttle to Airport station, then the Blue Line toward Bowdoin.

Do I need a car to visit Salem?

No. Take the Newburyport/Rockport Line from North Station. The ride takes about 32-35 minutes. On the fall 2026 schedule, trains run about every 30-60 minutes on weekdays and about every hour on weekends. Check the time of the last train back before dinner.

How much does the T cost for a visitor?

A subway ride is $2.40 and a local bus ride is $1.70, and children 11 and under ride free. A 1-day pass is $11 and a 7-day pass is $22.50. Commuter Rail tickets cost $2.40-$13.25 one way, depending on the distance, and a $10 pass covers unlimited Commuter Rail rides on Saturday and Sunday.

Does the T run all night?

No. Per the MBTA, the subway typically runs from 5 am to 1 am Monday to Thursday, 5 am to 2 am on Friday and Saturday, and 6 am to 1 am on Sunday. There are no overnight trains, so plan your last train home, or ask Cobblehop for the last trip.

Can I get to Cape Cod without a car?

Yes. Plymouth & Brockton buses leave the South Station bus terminal for Hyannis about every hour, every day, and the ride takes about 1 hour 50 minutes. The CapeFLYER train to Hyannis runs only in summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, per the MBTA.

Official sources

Cobblehop is independent and isn't affiliated with the MBTA, MassDOT or the other agencies and operators below. Lines, stations and times come from MassDOT/MBTA schedule data. Check these pages for the latest service:

Published October 29, 2026. Lines, stations and times were checked against the MBTA's fall 2026 schedule data and the Plymouth & Brockton and GATRA schedules, and fares and service notes on mbta.com, on October 29, 2026. Service changes, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.

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