From Boston To New York City: 4 Best Ways To Get There
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Both historical and fascinating in their own ways, the cities of Boston and New York are connected by several methods of transportation. From direct flights to express trains and low-cost buses, you have your choice when it comes to traveling from Beantown to the Big Apple.
Fly down for a whirlwind day to grab a delicious dinner and a Broadway show, hit the highway in your car or the bus for an overnight stay to catch a Yankees game, or take a scenic train ride to explore the city’s world-famous cultural institutions and attractions. New York City is 216 miles southwest of Boston, and it takes three-and-a-half to six hours to reach, depending on your preferred mode of transportation.
Regardless of the season, you can start planning your trip to New York City with our list of travel options. Once you arrive, join the locals on the subway and commuter trains to make your way around Manhattan and the other boroughs to enjoy all that the city has to offer, from diverse cuisines and happening neighborhoods to sensational entertainment.
Here are four of the best ways to get from Boston to New York City, along with insider advice on what to keep in mind with each option.
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Boston To New York Trains
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What To Expect Onboard
Saver Fares include all the Coach class perks we have to offer:
- Amtraks commitment to keeping you safe enhanced and more frequent cleaning on trains and in stations.
- Arrive at the station minutes before departure.
- Large seats with plenty of legroom.
- Four bags free. Yes, four. Yes, free.
- Free WiFi and power outlets at every seat.
- Power outlets at every seat to help you stay connected.
Saver Fares are also available on select Keystone Service to New York when you travel through Philadelphia and on the Pennsylvanian to connect you between New York and Pittsburgh.
- Offer applies to travel on the Northeast Regional train service only.
- Advanced reservations are required a minimum of fourteen days prior to travel on Keystone and Pennsylvanian and twenty-one for Northeast Regional.
- There is no travel permitted Friday or Sunday.
- Blackouts apply on the following dates:
- May 27, 2022.
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The Olympics Are Nearly Over: A Look At 15 History
She said passengers on the train weren’t kept informed as the hours progressed. Despite seeing more Amtrak workers on the scene, no one could fix the train,” Brown said.
As of 3:20 p.m., the train and its 106 passengers were back on the move, heading to Moynihan Train Hall in Manhattan, Abrams said.
Brown said when it did start moving again, there was a smell of smoke that made the last stretch of the journey scary. It was not a good situation, shame on Amtrak,” she said.
Passengers continuing on to Washington will get off in New York and take another train to their destination, Abrams said.
There were no reports of injuries to the 106 passengers and crew members, Abrams said, adding that water and snacks were provided while the train was stalled.
Taking The Bus From Boston To Nyc
IAMMRFOSTER.COM” alt=”Amtrak boston to new york > IAMMRFOSTER.COM”> Looking for the best prices for transportation? If you dont want to drive, the bus can be the best way to get from Boston to NYC on a limited budget. Bus tickets can be very affordable.
Youll find that there are several different bus companies that travel from Boston to NYC. These include the Peter Pan bus lines. Those buses leave from Bostons South Station bus station and arrive at the NYC Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan.
Theres also the Greyhound buses, which depart and arrive from the same stations. These are fairly similar, so look at pricing and the schedule to decide which to take.
Cheap bus tickets are also available on the Bolt Bus. These buses offer free Wi-Fi and power outlets, and depart from Bostons South Station.
They can definitely be very cost-effective but arent as fun or convenient with kids. Id recommend these options more for adults traveling without children or adults with older kids.
What is your favorite way to get from Boston to NYC with your family?
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Founding And Operation Of Amtrak
Reorganization and bankruptcy
Congressional
In December, 1967 the UAC TurboTrain set a speed record for a production train: 170.8 miles per hour between New Brunswick and Trenton, New Jersey.
In February, 1968, PRR merged with its rival New York Central Railroad to form the Penn Central . Penn Central was required to absorb the New Haven in 1969 as a condition of the merger, which brought the entire WashingtonBoston corridor under the control of one company.
On September 21, 1970, all New YorkBoston trains except the Turboservice were rerouted into Penn Station from Grand Central the Turboservice moved on February 1, 1971, for cross-platform transfers to the Metroliners.
In 1971, Amtrak began operations, and various state governments took control of portions of the NEC for their commuter transportation authorities. In January, the State of Massachusetts bought the Attleboro/Stoughton Line in Massachusetts, later operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The same month, the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority bought, and Connecticut leased, from Penn Central their sections of the New Haven Line, between Woodlawn, Bronx, New York and New Haven, Connecticut.
In February, 1975, the Preliminary System Plan for Conrail proposed to stop running freight trains on the NEC between Groton, Connecticut, and Hillsgrove, Rhode Island, but this clause was rejected the following month by the U.S. Railway Association.
What To See In Boston
More than 28 million people head to Boston each year, eager to explore this historical city. Boston played an essential role in the American Revolution, which can be explored by walking the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, of which a self-guided tour can cover many of the famous landmarks. Other popular Boston attractions include Quincy Market, the Boston Museum of Science, and Fenway Park. Predictably, the city is well-known for excellent seafood, such as lobster rolls and clam chowder, and also has excellent Italian food.
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Train #: Train 64 Albany
The Maple Leaf glides through the vast expanse of the State of New York, connecting the City to Niagara Falls, 480 miles away. And it does it all just about as fast as driving, especially on the 53-mile-per-hour, 141-mile run between New York and Albany.
In daylight, this is one of America’s prettiest train journeys. Sit on the right side heading south, and you spend most of your time watching the broad Hudson River.
It was pitch-black out when I boarded train 64, the Maple Leaf, at Albany back to New York City. Like train 190, each car on the Maple Leaf appeared to have two Acksys routers, one broadcasting 802.11ac and one for 802.11n. And like on the other trains, Amtrak’s Wi-Fi system was capped to 3Mbps.
There was an additional little insult, thoughâon this train, our YouTube test stopped working on the Wi-Fi. I don’t know if it was YouTube or Amtrak’s network configuration, but our YouTube stopped playing on the Wi-Fi while it still played on all three wireless carriers.
Voice calling on all three carriers was almost completely reliable on this route, but data coverage came and went. T-Mobile was by far the fastest network, but AT& T was once again the most reliable.
The run from Albany to New York carries legislators and commuters to and from the cities at both ends and the smaller towns and cities in the middle. With voice calling the most reliable function, it looks like this is a good train to call your spouse from and tell them you’re coming home.
How Much Does The Acela Cost
Booking as far in advance as possible will get you the best price on the Amtrak Acela. From Boston to New York City, advance fares are $59 for business class and $173 for first class. As the train fills up, the price will also go up. The price of a first class ticket include meals and drinks on the Acela. Business class passengers can purchase food in the Cafe.
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What Is The Difference Between Amtrak And Acela
Amtrak is the passenger rail system in the United States and Acela is one type of train that operates in the Northeast Corridor of the United States. The Acela is the fastest train in the United States. Acela trains can only be found on the Boston to New York City to Washington D.C. route.
Acela trains are day trains and do not have sleeper cars, as the trip only takes 6 hours & 45 minutes from Washington D.C. to Boston. Acela trains have business class and first class tickets.
Acela Amtrak Train From Boston To Nyc
I have always enjoyed taking the train, and Amtraks Acela train is a quick, convenient way to get from Boston to NYC. The Acela offers a snack car selling food and beverages, restrooms, plugs at the seats, and complimentary internet access.
Youll also have extra legroom so you can stretch out during the journey. Amtraks Acela Trains offer seats in business class and first class, and Ive found that I have much more room than with any other way to get from Boston to New York.
Seats in business class arent reserved by seat, so once you enter the train, youll need to walk along the train cars until you find seats together. If you are lucky, you may even find four seats together surrounding a table. If those are an option, I prefer them for my family so we can all sit together.
There are several Boston Amtrak train stations including South Station, Back Bay Station, and the Rt. 128 station in Westwood. If you need to park a car, the Rt. 128 station has a large parking garage that can be convenient.
Otherwise, the two Boston stops are pretty centrally located. If you are traveling during a busy time, it may be best to get on at an earlier station so that youll be able to find seats together.
In NYC, youll get the train at New Yorks Penn Station. From there, youll be able to get a cab or ride-share service to your hotel. Because New York Penn Station is in the city center, its quicker than flying once you land to get downtown.
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Train #: Train 190 New York
I rolled out of New York around 7 a.m., headed to Boston on one of the nation’s oldest and busiest commuter lines.
Our Ekahau software showed us two or three Acksys-branded access points in each car, with at least one 802.11ac and one 802.11n. There were also a few TP-Link 802.11n routers mixed in, although our device never connected to them. Signal strength didn’t really change depending on where I was in the carâthe cars are covered pretty evenly.
It’s not tough to get work done on this train, no matter what network you’re on. If you’re making phone calls, AT& T, Verizon, and T-Mobile were all basically reliable the whole way.
For data, my T-Mobile and Verizon connections dropped from time to time, but would generally recover quickly. You wouldn’t be able to notice any problems with e-mail or Web browsing. T-Mobile had about 10 minutes of dead time around Greenwich, CT, and both T-Mobile and Verizon had some trouble in the Providence train station.
All of the cellular networks were so much massively faster than the Amtrak Wi-Fi system that the occasional dropout was worth it. AT& T and Verizon averaged more than 50Mbps down and 10Mbps up, and T-Mobile was at 143Mbps down and 25Mbps up. Those kinds of speeds let you download entire Netflix shows or buffer videos while Amtrak’s Wi-Fi just crawled along.
I got into Boston at 11 a.m., relaxed and comfortable.
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Boston To New York Bus Options & Comparisons
Red-hot competition among Boston – New York bus companies means you’ll find a lot of bargains . . . and Go Buses’ service from Cambridge and Newton gives you even more choices.
For NYC to Boston travel, bus fares with free WiFi and luxury extras almost always cost less – sometimes MUCH LESS – than you’d pay for Amtrak Acela train tickets or the even cheapest flight to New York.
Which Boston – New York bus service is best?
Although all 5 choices reviewed on this page get you back and forth between Boston and New York, amenities range from comfortable to no-frills. Sadly, Boston’s luxury bus to New York is no longer in business – but it was also the most expensive, so you’ll still find plenty of choices with cheap-to-affordable tickets.
Most of the buses have on-board restrooms. Travel time listed on this page is based on what the bus companies state. In reality, traffic may add another 1 to 1.5 hours each way.
You typically need to be at your bus departure point about 30 minutes before boarding.
Fares are for 1-way only. In some cases, round trip tickets may cost less.
Where Is The Cafe Car On Amtrak Acela
The cafe car on the Acela is located in the middle of the train so it can be reached by all passengers. Cafe food is available to all passengers. First class passengers will have meals included but can purchase extra meals in the cafe car.
If you are in First Class your attendant will bring your meals to your seat. If you want to buy extra food and you are unsure which direction to walk to reach the cafe car, just ask your attendant and they will tell you where to go.
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How We Tested Amtrak Wi
To uncover the secrets of Amtrak’s Wi-Fi, we brought in some heavy-hitting software. Ekahau makes devices designed to measure enterprise Wi-Fi, and the Ekahau Sidekick lets you map the Wi-Fi cloud around you and use comprehensive statistics to improve your network. The new Ookla Wind tests not just network speed, but also dropped calls, video streaming, and even which frequency bands a network uses in a given place. We’ll be using Wind more throughout the year, including in our flagship Fastest Mobile Networks testing stories.
Editors’ Note: Ookla and Ekahau are owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company.
From Boston To New York By Plane
Flights between Boston and New York run frequently, and getting on a plane is the fastest option between the two cities. Although long security lines and transfers to and from the airports take time, the actual flying time is just 35 minutes. The best part is that airfares are typically cheaper than train tickets. Airlines like JetBlue, American, Delta, and United operate flights from Boston to JFK, LaGuardia , and Newark airports daily and have comparable fares.
If you are traveling to JFK, you can take the AirTrain and connect to the Long Island Rail Road or the subway in Queens to make your way to Manhattan or any other areas. LaGuardia Airport is just eight miles from midtown Manhattan you can take the M60 bus from any of the terminals to 125th Street, connecting to the subway to your final destination.
Alternatively, you can take an Uber or Lyft ride to the heart of the city. From Newark International Airport , New Jersey Transit trains will bring you to Penn Station. For a private shuttle service from any of the NYC area airports, choose NYC Airporter or Go Airlink NYC .
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Train Trips To New York