OT- Boston trip - help with MBTA

[JJ&JSMOM]

I know this is way off topic but we're going to Boston to see a couple RedSox games and staying right in Boston. We'll probably use the "T" quite a bit. I've been reading up on it and still confused. So I don't look like a total moron - does anybody have any advice for a newbie riding the "T"? Do I need a CharliesCard? If we use cash, do we need to transfer that to a CharlieCard?

Thanks for any help.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Depends on how long you'll be there, but if you plan to use the T a lot, it's more than worth it to buy a 7-day pass on a Charlie Ticket. $15 for 7 consecutive days of unlimited use per person is a great deal. If you opt to simply put money on a Charlie Card and use it on a per-trip per-person basis, one way rides which run $2.20 are discounted to $1.70.

If you arrive in Boston at Logan they will have MBTA fare machines located near the baggage claim. You can buy multi-day passes, buy/add value to Charlie Cards and purchase one-way fares there. You can use credit or debit cards or cash at the machine.

Buses take cash, but the T requires a Charlie Ticket or Card to make it through the turnstyles.

 

[kldmom2000]

I know this is way off topic but we're going to Boston to see a couple RedSox games and staying right in Boston. We'll probably use the "T" quite a bit. I've been reading up on it and still confused. So I don't look like a total moron - does anybody have any advice for a newbie riding the "T"? Do I need a CharliesCard? If we use cash, do we need to transfer that to a CharlieCard?

Thanks for any help.

I haven't ridden the T much since college years ago, but I did take my girls into the city in Feb. to go to the aquarium. You do need a Charlie card now but it's simple actually-there are machines in which you just put money in and it'll spit out a card for you As far as the T system itself, if you go to http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/ to see an overview of the subway system, it'll give you some idea of which stops are where. You'll have to transfer to different lines (ie. the red line or orange line, etc...) at designated stops.... if you get off at the wrong stop, you can hop back on the T to get to where you need to go so long as you don't exit through the turnstiles... if you do, you'll have to pay again. I made that mistake in February!! Print out the map to have on hand.... and plan out your route before you get on the T.... there are also maps in all the T stations as a guide.....

Good luck to you and have a good time!!!!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Wow - thank you. That was quick - I wasn't sure if I'd get any replies. We're arriving in Boston North Station via Amtrak. We'll take a cab to our hotel - Boston Sheraton. It looks like we should be able to walk to Fenway but I have to have a backup plan - rainy weather, etc. We are spending a day at the aquarium prior to coming home so I was concerned with the "T". I've printed off the information off the website so that should help but I'm sure they must have information available at the station or the hotel.

Thanks for all the great info. I didn't know we would have to have a CharlieCard or Charlieticket to ride the subway - I was going to pay cash. So I'll just load it on to the Charlieticket or card. NOt sure what we'll need yet.

Appreciate the help.

 

[seashoreCM]

"Paper or plastic?"

Charlie Tickets are paper surfaced with a magnetic stripe. The ticket machines issue these either in stored value (so many dollars worth) or multi-day (so many consecutive days) versions. Insert the card into the slot at the turnstile or on a bus fare box.

Charlie Cards are plastic and do not have a magnetic stripe. (There's a little thin computer chip inside.) You need to go to specific locations, namely some banks and convenience stores (I don't remember which) to get one. Sometimes a station agent will be doing a promotion and handing them out. They are for stored value (put on so many dollars worth of fares). Press the card on the black circle or rectangle about the same size on the fare box or turnstile, don't put it in a slot. Charlie Cards offer some per-ride fare discounts and bus transfers that Charlie Tickets do not offer.

To buy a ticket to ride the subway including light rail, do not press the "commuter rail" button on the machine. Choose subway/bus.

You can add more to stored value Charlie Tickets and to Charlie Cards whenever you wish using the same machines.

Even if the value is used up, hold on to the Charlie Ticket until the end of your ride. You may have to show it to a conductor or a station agent.

Wait for people near the turnstiles and exiting the station before going in.

If you haven't paid yet, enter only the front door of a light rail car (trolley) when using a stored value card; enter any open door when using a multi-day card.

On the Green Line, if your trip takes you through Park Street, take any train there and change to the actual train of your choice there. (If you wish to, you can wait at your original station for the train of your choice if one is supposed to stop there.) Even experienced T travelers get crossed up when a sudden or ad hoc schedule change is made without notice and trains that normally serve a particular station get turned back sooner.

Once in awhile, a portion of a subway line is out of service due to a mishap or for maintenance and passengers must transfer substitute buses. It is customary not to get out your fare card when transferring to these buses and, if you are to transfer back to the subway, you walk through an open turnstile gate without getting out your fare card again.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Make sure you have enough nickles to get off the train

The only really tricky thing about the Boston subways is that there are 4 "flavors" of the green line. Make sure you know which one you need. So, for Fenway, don't get on an E. B and C work fine (get out at Kenmore). And, obviously, the Fenway stop on the D is good.

There's no uptown or downtown. The direction the train is going is indicated by the last stop. So if you are taking a green line back into town from Fendway, you are going towards "Lechmere". Just to throw a curve ball at you, they have a habit of doing odd things, such as making Government Center the last stop on a green line rather than Lechmere. Lots of announcements will be made. When in doubt, ask people. They'll help you out.

PS - Yes, it's very walkable from the Sheraton to Fenway. That's basically where I park when I drive in. The streets are a bit twisty, but you can pretty much just follow the crowd. Just pay attention so you know how to get home. Subways are *packed* after games, so better to walk.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

Great information - thank you. So glad to read it is walkable to Fenway - I figured it must be but its been years since I've been to Boston and Fenway. I was a little kid so I didn't really pay attention - I just followed my Dad.

Thanks for all the advice on the "T".

 

[buzz5985]

Great information - thank you. So glad to read it is walkable to Fenway - I figured it must be but its been years since I've been to Boston and Fenway. I was a little kid so I didn't really pay attention - I just followed my Dad.

Thanks for all the advice on the "T".

Your less than 1 mile away from Fenway. It will be faster to walk. Boston is a very walkable city.

 

[Best Aunt]

Haven't been to Boston in a long time, but from what I recall:

If you're at Copley and you want to go in the direction of Kenmore (Fenway Park), you go in one entrance. But if you want to go in the direction of Park Street, the entrance is across the street. Confusing if you're not expecting it, because usually a T stop has just one entrance, no matter which way you want to go.

Although now that I think of it... wouldn't OP's hotel be closest to Prudential, and doesn't that stop have exits on two different streets? If so, you'd need to make sure you're using the exit you think you're using.

Locals, please help! (Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut! Oh, well.)

Love the Aquarium... and the Red Sox.

 

[mousefan1972]

Wow- this thread sure has brought back memories for me! BU grad here, lived on the green line for 5 years. (undergrad and grad school) That was in the pre-Charlie card days, so tokens only.

Boston is very walkable; definitely walk to Fenway from your hotel. I hope you have a great time! Boston is a great city.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

The Sheraton is connected to the Prudential - thats one reason why I picked the Sheraton. Being close to the Prudential Mall. Not that I want to shop but just to be close to some eateries. I have no idea whats around there to eat but I would think theres plenty of places. I think we will definitely walk - the "T" seems a little complicated but we are going to go to the Aquarium one day so we'll just use it once.

After we check out our last day we'll go to the Aquarium - hopefully the hotel will hold our bags as we don't have a vehicle to store our luggage. We'll go back to the hotel and get our things before we go to North Station to catch Amtrak home. Are there lockers where we can store our bags somewhere?

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, My DS goes to BU and we sometimes take a ride to Boston(we live in RI) and meet him for lunch at the Prudential Mall. They have a California Kitchen which is VERY GOOD!! Joan

 

[seashoreCM]

The Prudential stop has (or had) two entrances that tie together with a common mezzanine with one set of turnstiles and two sets of stairs go down another level to the platforms.

The Copley, Symphony, Boylston, Kendall, Chinatown, and Central stops have separate entrances for inbound and outbound that do not tie together.

 

[linzbear]

No one's mentioned this, but I wanted to note it - if you're taking the T from the Sheraton to Fenway, you need to go INBOUND to Arlington first (Copley requires you to pay to switch sides, so go to Arlington), get off, switch over to the OUTBOUND side and get on any B, C, or D train (they will be marked) to Kenmore (NOT Fenway - Fenway train station is in relation to the streetname, not the ballpark, and is a lot farther away than Kenmore is).

The OUTBOUND trains from Prudential (E trains) only get farther away from Fenway Park, they never stop at Kenmore.

 

[linzbear]

Oh, and there's a really good breakfast diner called Thornton's that is across Huntington Ave from the Prudential T stop Used to eat there all the time when I was in college!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

You guys are great! Thank you so much!