Four Amtrak routes travel to Boston: Downeaster, Acela, Lake Shore Limited and the Northeast Regional. The Downeaster travels to/from Maine, the Lake Shore Limited travels between Boston and Chicago through the Midwest, and Acela and the Northeast Regional travel along the East Coast. If your starting station isn’t near one of the stations on these routes, you’ll have to ride more than one train to reach Boston. You can view all your options by using the Find Trains feature on the Amtrak.com homepage.
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Schedule
There are multiple Acela, Northeast Regional and Downeaster trains that travel to Boston each day. The Lake Shore Limited travels to Boston daily with an arrival in th evening. Start the ticket booking process on the Amtrak.com homepage to view current schedule information.
Things to Know
- Boston has three Amtrak stations: North Station (used by the Downeaster), South Station (in downtown Boston) and Back Bay (next to Copley Place).
- It’s easy to connect to local transit (MBTA) once in Boston. The orange subway line stops at North Station and Back Bay, and red line trains stop at South Station.
- There is an overnight Northeast Regional train to Boston, but travel time is longer than daytime trains. However, you’ll hopefully be sleeping and not notice the time difference.
- Get a discount on Boston attractions with CityPass.
From NYC
From New York Penn Station, you can board an Acela or Northeast Regional train to reach Boston. The Acela will get you to Boston about 40 minutes faster. Travel time is less than four hours on the Acela and more than four hours on the Northeast Regional to South Station (Back Bay also an option). Meals are included if you purchase a first class ticket on the Acela.
From DC
From Washington D.C., you can book tickets on the Acela or Northeast Regional to reach Boston. You’ll arrive in Boston at least one hour faster on the Acela. Travel time is about seven hours on the Acela and over eight hours on the Northeast Regional. Choose from the Back Bay Bay and South Station as your destination.
From Philadelphia
Like other cities on the East Coast, you can take the Acela or Northeast Regional train from Philadelphia to Boston. The Acela is about one faster. Trip time is five hours on the Acela and six hours on the Northeast Regional. You have the option to exit the train at the Back Bay or South Station.
From Newark
Trains to Boston stop at Newark Penn Station and Newark Airport Station. Only Northeast Regional trains stop at the airport station with a travel time of about five hours. From Newark Penn Station you can book tickets on the Acela or Northeast Regional. Travel time on the Acela is about four hours and 15 minutes. It takes 30 minutes to one hour longer to ride the Northeast Regional to Boston depending on the time of day.
From Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut is about three hours away from Boston on the Acela and 4.5 on the Northeast Regional. Select Back Bay or South Station as your final destination.
From New Haven
Acela trains travel from New Haven to Boston about 30 minutes faster than the Northeast Regional trains. Plan for a two-hour trip on the Acela and 2.5 hours on the Northeast Regional.
From Providence
It’s a short train trip from Providence, Rhode Island to Boston. Travel time is about the same on the Acela and Northeast Regional (about 50 minutes), so choose the cheapest ticket option to save money. Note that some Northeast Regional trains might be slower due to traffic on the tracks at different times of the day. Late morning, midday and afternoon are generally the best times to ride.
From BWI Airport
If you’re flying into the BWI Airport, you can take a shuttle to the Amtrak station. Acela and Northeast Regional trains are options for traveling to Boston. Travel time is 6.5 hours on the Acela and around an hour longer on the Northeast Regional.
From Chicago
You’ll travel overnight on the train if you are traveling from Chicago to Boston on the Lake Shore Limited. Travel time is about 22 hours and you’ll arrive in the evening. You can choose a coach seat or book a roomette or bedroom, plus select Back Bay or South Station as your destination.
Amtrak Guide 