Boston runs on the T — the oldest subway system in the country, and still one of the most useful. Four color-coded lines converge downtown, a fare-gate tap gets you almost everywhere, and a free bus covers the ride in from the airport.
The basics
The subway has four lines, all named for colors and all meeting near Boston Common downtown:
- Red Line — Cambridge (Harvard, MIT) through downtown, splitting south into two branches toward Braintree and Ashmont/Mattapan.
- Orange Line — Malden through downtown to Jamaica Plain.
- Blue Line — Revere and the airport into downtown, ending near Beacon Hill.
- Green Line — a light-rail network with branches (B, C, D, E) fanning west and north from downtown; it also runs the historic Mattapan Trolley, a branch of the Red Line worked by vintage streetcars.
Around the subway, the Silver Line is bus rapid transit priced like the subway (it’s the way in from the airport — more below), local and express buses cover the rest of the city, the Commuter Rail reaches well out into the suburbs, and ferries cross the harbor.
How to pay
Tap to ride — there’s no honor system here, the subway has real fare gates. You’ve got a few ways to pay:
- Tap a contactless bank card or your phone (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) at the reader on the fare gate or bus door, and wait for the green “Go” screen.
- Get a CharlieCard, a reusable plastic tap card, from fare vending machines in most subway stations, Boston-area public libraries, the Charlie Service Center, or several city halls around Greater Boston.
- Buy a CharlieTicket (a paper tap ticket) from station vending machines, or pay cash on the bus.
One thing to know: free transfers between the subway and bus only work with a CharlieCard or contactless tap — a stored-value CharlieTicket or cash payment doesn’t get you a transfer.
Fares
| One-way | Reduced | |
|---|---|---|
| Subway | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Local bus | $1.70 | $0.85 |
| Express bus | $4.25 | $2.10 |
| Silver Line (SL1–SL3) | $2.40 (subway fare) | $1.10 |
Tap a CharlieCard or contactless card and you can transfer up to two times, paying only the cost of the highest-priced leg. Reduced fares apply to seniors, riders with disabilities or Medicare, and students enrolled in the MBTA’s programs; kids 11 and under ride free.
Passes, if you’re staying a while: a 1-Day Pass is $11, a 7-Day Pass is $22.50, and the monthly LinkPass is $90 — all cover subway, local bus, and the Silver Line (not express buses). Commuter Rail and ferry fares vary by zone/route, roughly $2.40–$13.25 and $2.40–$9.75 one-way.
Getting from the airport
From Logan Airport, the easy way in is the Silver Line SL1 — it’s free from all four terminals (A, B, C, E) straight to South Station and the Seaport, with a free transfer onto the Red Line if you’re continuing on. (You’d only pay the regular $2.40 fare heading back out to the airport.)
Alternatively, a free Massport shuttle bus (Route 88) connects every terminal to the Blue Line’s Airport station, from which the regular subway fare applies — useful if you’re headed toward the North Shore or need the Orange or Green Line (transfer at State or Government Center).
Official sources don’t publish a travel time for either route, so we won’t guess — check MBTA Go or Transit for a live estimate when you land.
Apps to download
- MBTA Go — the official app for real-time arrivals, vehicle tracking, and service alerts.
- MBTA mTicket — buy and hold Commuter Rail and ferry tickets on your phone.
- Transit — a solid third-party option for step-by-step trip planning with live T data.
When it runs
Subway hours run 5am–1am Monday through Thursday, 5am–2am Friday and Saturday, and 6am–1am Sunday. Service is most frequent during rush hour, roughly 6:30–9am and 3:30–6:30pm on weekdays. To catch the last trains, be at a downtown station by 12:35am (Sunday–Thursday) or 1:30am (Friday–Saturday).
Heads up if you’re riding the Red Line the week of July 21–30, 2026: see the alert above — it’s closed between Alewife and Park Street for track work, with shuttle buses covering the gap.
Accessibility
Most subway and trolley stations are accessible, and the MBTA is continuing to add elevators system-wide (call 617-222-2828 to report an outage). Every bus is low-floor for easy boarding. The RIDE is the MBTA’s door-to-door paratransit service for riders who can’t use fixed-route bus or subway service; sign up through the Mobility Center.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap in only — unlike some systems, you don’t need to tap again when you exit the subway; sensors open the gates automatically as you approach from the paid side.
- The Mattapan Trolley runs vintage 1940s PCC streetcars as a branch of the Red Line — a nice detour if you like transit history, not just a Red Line spur with a different name.
- Stand right, walk left on escalators, and let riders off before you board — Bostonians will let you know if you don’t.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement: the MBTA issues a written warning for a first fare-evasion offense within three years, then $50 citations (rising to $100 on the fourth and later). Using a reduced-fare card you’re not entitled to carries its own escalating fines, starting with card forfeiture and a warning, then $75 rising to $150.
- The T is in the middle of a maintenance push. Beyond the July Red Line closure above, expect periodic weekend shutdowns and reroutes on other lines through 2026 for track and signal work — check mbta.com/alerts before you travel if your trip depends on a specific line.