Boston may not be the "hub of the universe," as Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, but it is the center of New England's transportation networks. An increasing number of direct flights from Europe means that it provides many visitors with their first taste of America, while efficient rail and bus services from New York, Montréal and further afield make this an obvious starting point, wherever you're heading in New England

Logan Airport (tel 617/561-1800 or 1-800/23-LOGAN), constantly busy with both international and domestic services, is a mere three miles from downtown Boston. It stands on an artificial peninsula jutting into Boston Harbor, created by leveling three islands and destroying Revolution Wharf. As driving within the city is not to be recommended, it makes little sense to rent a car at the airport. A taxi into town costs $10-20, plus an extra $4.50 in fees and tolls; the trip should take twenty minutes, but most traffic passes through the Sumner or Callahan tunnels, which can get very congested. The construction of the Ted Williams Tunnel has alleviated the problem somewhat. Between 5.30am and 1am, free shuttle buses run every few minutes from all terminals to the airport subway station on the MBTA Blue line, from where it's an easy ten-minute ride to the city center. Just as quick, and a lot more fun, is the water shuttle , which connects the terminal buses with Rowe's Wharf across the harbor, an easy gateway into the heart of north Boston (Mon-Fri every 15min 6am-8pm, Sat & Sun every 30min 10am-8pm; $10 one-way, $17 round-trip; tel 617/330-8680 or 1-800/23-LOGAN).

Train

Amtrak (tel 1-800/USA-RAIL, ) trains along the Northeast Corridor from Providence, Washington, DC and New York, and from Chicago and Canada via Springfield, as well as the summer-only Cape Cod specials, arrive a short walk from downtown Boston near the waterfront at South Station , Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue. The renovated station houses information booths, newsstands, restaurants and a fantastic old clock, though no currency exchange. The Red subway line inside the station can whisk you to the center of town or out to Cambridge. Some Amtrak services also make an extra stop at Back Bay Station , 145 Dartmouth St, on the Orange subway line near Copley Square. North Station is used only by MBTA commuter trains

Buses

Several bus companies provide direct links between Boston and the rest of New England. Vermont Transit (tel 1-800/451-3292, ) covers western Massachusetts, New Hampshire's White Mountains, Vermont and Montréal; while Concord Trailways (tel 1-800/639-3317, ) runs to southern New Hampshire and up the Maine coast. Heading south, Bonanza Bus Lines (tel 1-800/556-3815, ) connects Providence and Newport, Cape Cod and New York City; and Peter Pan Bus Lines (tel 617/343-9999, ) services New York and western Massachusetts. Greyhound (tel 1-800/231-2222, ), with its many connections, offers nationwide service. Plymouth and Brockton Bus Co (tel 508/746-0378, ), serving Hyannis, has buses that leave from Logan Airport; all other buses leave from South Station.

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