Northeast airports with the easiest connections to Amtrak

Combining a flight and an Amtrak train trip is a great way to expand your travel options. The Northeast United States in particular has many Amtrak stations near airports, so you can make this connection without a car, or shop around for the cheapest flights, as a neighboring city along an Amtrak route might offer better prices and flight times.

To start planning your trip, here are the Northeast airports with the easiest connections to Amtrak stations.

Boston

There isn’t a train that travels between Boston Logan International Airport and Amtrak, but there is a rapid transit bus. Called the Silver Line, these buses travel between the airport terminals and Boston South Station. It is a free service if you are leaving the airport and heading into Boston. Fares apply if you are traveling to the airport.

Commute time is about 13 minutes, with connections to Amtrak’s Acela, Northeast Regional and Lake Shore Limited routes. Providence, Rhode Island is 50-minutes away on the Northeast Regional in case you need to start or end your trip there.

Newark

A free Airtrain connects Newark International Airport with the Newark Airport Station, where you can transfer to and from NJ Transit and Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Keystone Service routes. Travel time is about 15 minutes between the airport and the train station, and the Amtrak trip to New York Penn Station is only 30 minutes.

Philadelphia

The SEPTA Airport Line travels between all terminals at the Philadelphia International Airport and the 30th Street Station in about 25 minutes. A large number of Amtrak trains stop at 30th Street, and you can get to and from Wilmington, Delaware and Trenton, New Jersey in 30 minutes on one of these trains. Other Amtrak commute times from Philadelphia: 1 hour to Newark and 1.5 hours to Manhattan.

Baltimore

Flying in or out of Baltimore? There is a free shuttle between the Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Amtrak’s BWI Airport Station. The Acela, Northeast Regional, Palmetto and the Vermonter trains stop at the station, and you can reach downtown Baltimore in 15 minutes, Washington D.C. in 35 minutes and Wilmington, Delaware in 1 hour on Amtrak.

Washington DC – Reagan

The Alexandria Amtrak Station is 11 minutes away from the Washington-Reagan Airport via the WMATA Metro blue and yellow rail lines. Use the King Street and Reagan Airport WMATA stations for this trip (view map). Choose from the following Amtrak routes at Alexandria: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor and Silver Star.

Note that Amtrak tickets might be cheaper if you use the DC Union Station instead. This station is also accessible via WMATA, but a subway transfer is required and travel time is around 40 minutes.