What's the best/cheapest way to get to Terminal B at Boston's Logan Airport so that I'll make a 7 am domestic flight on a Tuesday?

July 9, 2009 10:36 PM

What's the best/cheapest way to get to Terminal B at Boston's Logan Airport so that I'll make a 7 am domestic flight on a Tuesday? When do I have to be there?

Here are roughly the two places I can start from (i.e. friends whose couches I can crash on), Corner of Fairbanks and Washington in Brighton and Valley Road Station, near Mattapan station.

I live in Providence, RI. The earliest bus from there doesn't arrive until 6:45 am at Logan and the earliest train doesn't arrive until 6:20 at South Station.

I'd prefer not have one of my friends drive me to Logan if I can help it and I'd prefer to avoid paying for a taxi if I can avoid it.

According to this pdf from MBTA these are the first trip times for:

Subway leaving Mattapan - 5:05
Silver Line to Airport from South Station - 5:35

I can't find a start time for the Mattapan rollercoaster (which Valley Road is a station on).

posted by Kattullus to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

I've never taken the early trains from Mattapan but I have come from Cambridge before to catch early flights. It takes 45 minutes if I'm really lucky, but usually closer to an hour, the T can be pretty variable. Did you try using the trip planner on the MBTA website to plan your trip? That will give you an approximate idea of whether you can make it.

If you don't need to check bags, and print the boarding pass and check in before leaving for the airport, then you can get there as little as 30 minutes before if you zip through the airport security lines, though I'd leave 45 minutes just to be safe.

If you do end up needing a ride, you could get dropped off at South Station instead of going all the way to Logan--in terms of taxi fare that's a decent chunk of change saved. The 5:35 Silver Line will get you there by 6 for sure.
posted by melvinwang at 12:39 AM on July 10

This might sound goofy, but I've done it and it wasn't a terrible time.

Why not go the night before as late as you can and snooze at the airport? There's a website that details comfortable areas within airports.

My wife and I did this for a super early flight from Logan a few years ago. We then napped on the flight.

Now, if you're doing a short hopper, this might not be worth it. We were flying to Houston, TX, which is about 3 hours.

Another thought is to go up the night before and stay at an airport hotel.
posted by tcv at 5:52 AM on July 10

I have done this from Brighton taking the T from Brighton is going to be tough, since the first train leaves Boston College at 5:01 am. However, I don't think it is impossible:

- Be on a platform by 5:05 am
- Take it to Government Center, arriving 5:30-3:35
- Take a Blue line train outbound to wonderland. They come every 5 minutes.
posted by nowoutside at 6:39 AM on July 10

whoops, let me finish that...
- Get off at the Airport stop, approximately 10-15 minutes later
- take the shuttle to the airport, maybe 5 -10 minutes
- Arrive between 6:00-6:15

So, it is doable to get there from Brighton, but not necessarily the best since there is a lot of room for error on the part of the MTBA and you won't have a ton of time to get to the gate. It will only cost $2.00.
posted by nowoutside at 6:44 AM on July 10

Hire a car to drive you direct.

There are van services, but they want to pick you up at like 4:00 AM sharp (and that's when I lived inside 128!). Just call one of those companies that send a car (Boston Coach? is that the one the Fidelity heirs started when they couldn't get a cab at logan?) and pay the $100 or whatever is costs.

Ugh, Logan. Living in northeast Rhodey, I go out of TF Green now: fewer choices and maybe a little more expensive but it certainly beats hauling up to Logan and back each time.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:15 AM on July 10

The trolleys in Brighton are fairly speedy in the morning. I agree with nowoutside. Get the first trolley and you should be at the airport at 6 at the earliest, 6:30 at the latest. Closer than I like to cut it, but not terrible.

Unfortunately the Mattapan trolley doesn't run very frequently, so I'd be worried that you'd just miss one and end up waiting while the minutes ticked away. Also, because the blue and red don't directly intersect, you're looking at either three train switches or a five minute walk through the tunnel between park and state that's going to end up costing your even more time with waits-- a blue line train WILL come and go while you're walking to State.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:53 AM on July 10

I agree with others that the green line is the way to go. Check in online the night before if you can, and avoid checking baggage.

if you want a more flexible option, look into shared vans - they are (I think) $25-30 bucks , and so cheaper than a cab.
http://www.massport.com/Logan/getti_typeo_share.html
posted by darsh at 12:16 PM on July 10

I've faced your early morning dilemma from Harvard Square (Red Line) many, many times.

Best bet is to take a cab and call the night before. The number of transfers and the random of power outages and delays on the Red Line worry me, especially that early in the morning.

Data point: from Harvard Square to the airport it's about 30 dollars early morning.

Here's another option: The Silver Route (bus service from South Station) is surprisingly reliable. All the more so I suspect very early in the morning.

So if money is really tight and you can't afford a cab all the way to the airport, take a cab to South Station for the Silver Route bus. That's a bet I'd make, but I wouldn't rely on the T at that time of day.

Money for a cab is money well spent if money is tight. You'll avoid fees for missing your flight and whatever you spend while hanging around the airport waiting for the next flight out.

Finally, if I were your friend, I'd gladly take you to the airport. The distances and traffic that early are just not that big of a deal. If they come from a place you need a car to survive (California, the Southwest, etc.) and distances are great, they'd probably not care so much. Not everyone feels that way though.

If you have to ask them for a ride, have them drive you to South Station for that Silver Line. They won't have to shell out fees to get in and out of the airport road.

Yeah, I've had to think way too much about traveling to Logan in my time. No fun.
posted by vincele at 9:55 PM on July 10

On preview: You could risk the first Silver Line. I wouldn't. You're going to hit peak business traffic. Just take a cab and don't give the money another thought. Arrange to get to the airport at 5:30. That's the time airline counters open.
posted by vincele at 9:57 PM on July 10

I'd take a shuttle. And I don't know if you could arrive the previous night & stay overnight.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:48 PM on July 10

Thanks everyone for your answers. I ended up getting a ride to the airport but since I fly out of Logan fairly often these answers will come in handy at a later point.
posted by Kattullus at 8:52 AM on July 15