Transport Boston - Brattleboro?

July 24, 2007 10:54 PM

What is the cheap easy way to get from Logan Airport, Boston, to Brattleboro, Vermont? With heavy luggage.

Failing that, any rough estimate what taxi fare would be?

posted by Meatbomb to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

I don't think that many taxi services would take you that far ... I think you'd be talking less about a "taxi" in the conventional sense than hiring a car from a limo service. That's almost a 150 mile trip depending on which route you take. (Google Maps takes you out the Pike and up 91, not sure if that's the best route or not.) The Massport page doesn't list fares to cities outside MA, but to Bernardstown (which is south of Brattleboro by about 15mi) it's $266. Charlemont, which looks to be about the same distance away, but still in MA, is $300. So I think that's going to be about what you're looking at.

Last time I hired a car I think they started at around $40-60 an hour plus mileage and tolls, but I could be off. Not sure if they'd charge you extra for going to VT or not. I think some of the low-cost limo/car companies might be able to beat the cab fare, and maybe get you under $200. At the very least it's worth calling around or Googling.

If you're coming back into Logan in less than a week or so it'll probably be cheaper to rent a car. I can't imagine parking in Brattleboro is that problematic. A one-way trip is going to be expensive any way you cut it.

Cheapest method possible is going to be a Greyhound bus but you'll probably have to go by way of Springfield and it'll take hours. Same with Amtrak.

Maybe an unconventional solution is best: is there anyone you know in Brattleboro who would come and pick you up for $100 plus gas? Might be worth asking around on Craigslist-Boston and see if anyone is going in the same direction, too.

The other thing that might be worth considering is if you can get a flight into Bradley instead of Logan (assuming you're arriving from a domestic flight); that'll cut a lot of distance out and basically you're looking at just a straight shot up 91.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:28 PM on July 24, 2007

Thomas Transportation runs airport shuttle service from Logan to Brattleboro.

http://www.thomastransportation.com/bostonlogan.shtml

$131 plus tip (15%) according to their website for that trip as long as they're not currently adding a surcharge and you're not in the middle of the night or have more than 2 suitcases and a carryon. (Those things would add extra fees.) I haven't used them in about 10 years, but back then they were great.
posted by Jahaza at 1:15 AM on July 25, 2007

Thomas Transportation! It's perfect for you!
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:12 AM on July 25, 2007

i used to do something similar a lot when i went to school in vermont. vermont transit is new england's bus lines. you can take a cab from logan to the greyhound station, and a bus to brattleboro. might be cheaper then thomas, which i have never used.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 5:29 AM on July 25, 2007

The shuttle is the easist though not the cheapest.

Taking Vermont Transit with the changing buses in Springfield is probably the cheapest but it might be a pain with bags. You'd basically get Greyhound to Springfield and switch to VT Transit to get to Brattleboro.

Amtrak is cheapish BUT you have to get yourself and your bags from Logan to South Station (bus/train terminal) and then take the to Springfield and then switch trains and it's a four hour schlep, minimum.

Basically it's a classic "can't get there from here" scenario even though Brattleboro isn't that far from Logan.

If you're coming in on a day I'm free, I'd be glad to pick you up in White River Junction (if you take Greyhound) or Lebanon NH (if you take Dartmouth Coach, which I'd recommend, very civilized) and drive you down there. It's going north to go south a little bit but we all drive all the time around here anyhow. Email in profile, etc.
posted by jessamyn at 7:04 AM on July 25, 2007

Lester's bus suggestion is the cheapest. You could also rent a car one way if you are staying in Vermont.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:05 AM on July 25, 2007

I was going to say "make Jessamyn drive you" but she beat me to it.
posted by palegirl at 9:10 AM on July 25, 2007

Oi wow. Thanks all of you for the detailed advice and kind offers of assistance.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:49 AM on July 26, 2007