From the airport to the city centre Boston

Boston has one major advantage: its international airport is just a few minutes from downtown. There are several ways to get to Boston from Logan Airport. The subway is undoubtedly the easiest: the Airport station, located on the Blue Line, serves the Financial District and is accessible from the various terminals thanks to a free shuttle system. From Terminal A or B, take shuttle 22; from Terminal C or E, take shuttle 33. Shuttles 55 and 66 connect all terminals to the Airport station. To get downtown, head for Bowdoin and get off at Downtown Boston.

Alternatively, you can take the Silver Line buses from all airport terminals to South Station. The trip is free of charge. Beyond that, for Chinatown, Back Bay and South End, you'll have to pay US$4.25. Connection at South Station with Red Line. Buses run between 5.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

GO Airport shuttles (www.goairportshuttle.com), which wait outside arrival terminals, are convenient and economical when you're traveling alone and want to be dropped off directly in front of your hotel. Book your ticket in advance on the website. A trip to Downtown costs around US$115 (vehicle for 3 passengers and 3 baggage maximum). The shuttles make several stops to drop off other passengers, and run between 6 a.m. and 11.30 p.m. every day.

Finally, one of the quickest and most pleasant options during the day is to take the ferry! To reach the ferry terminal, take shuttle 66 (about every 15 minutes) to Logan Dock. The MBTA ferry will drop you off at Long Wharf, in downtown Boston. If your hotel is located in Downtown or North End, you can easily reach it on foot (provided, of course, you have a rolling suitcase!). The fare is US$9.75.

Arrival by train Boston

Boston's main train station is South Station (www.south-station.net). It is served by Amtrak trains (www.amtrak.com), which is the main operator of destinations to the rest of the United States, and by commuter trains of the MBTA network. If you take the train from another U.S. city, you will arrive here, unless your departure city is in Maine or New Hampshire, in which case you will arrive at North Station. This is a smaller station for trains arriving from the north. In any case, South Station and North Station are both close to Downtown. All you have to do is take the underground or, if you are staying in the centre, walk to your hotel.

Arrival by boat Boston

Depending on your departure city, you may be lucky enough to arrive in Boston by boat. From Provincetown, for example, you can take the Bay State Cruise Company ferries (www.baystatecruisecompany.com), which run from May to September. A single trip costs US$70. From Salem, hop aboard the Salem Ferry (www.cityexperiences.com) and you'll reach Boston's Long Wharf in 50 minutes. The one-way fare is US$26. Ferries are rarely the cheapest form of transport, but they certainly offer the best views!

Public transport Boston

The MBTA is the organization that manages the city of Boston's public transport system: subways, buses, ferries and commuter trains. The Boston subway, whose icon is a black "T" on a white background, serves the entire city, as well as its nearby suburbs (notably Cambridge and Brookline). A single subway ticket costs US$2.90, or US$2.40 with the Charlie Card, a free card that can be topped up at will. It is also possible to buy a day pass (US$11) or a week pass (US$22.50), valid on the metro and bus network. There are five metro lines (blue, orange, green, grey and red) that branch off in different directions, indicated by letters. They serve the 74 stations in the network. To find your way around, remember that Outbound (under the station name) means you're leaving the city, Inbound means you're entering the city. The Boston subway is open from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. every day of the week.

The bus network is also managed by the MBTA. The fare is US$1.70 with the Charlie Card. Please note that subway and bus tickets are not interchangeable, unlike the pass. As with the metro, Haymarket station is where you'll find the largest number of buses. However, it's not easy to find your way around, so it's best to plan your journey and find out the bus number and stop, because in Boston, taking the bus is less intuitive than taking the subway. Bus stops are indicated by a small kerbside sign showing the numbers of the buses serving that stop, but the name of the stop is rarely displayed. Timetables are available at the most important stations (Haymarket, but also South Station and Back Bay).

Commuter rail is the name of the commuter train. It comprises 12 lines, serving a number of nearby towns to the north and south of Boston. For example, if you want to take public transport to Salem or Plymouth, you'll need to use this network. All trains depart from South Station or North Station, and fares vary according to the area in which the destination is located.

Bike, scooters & co Boston

Boston is a pleasant city to discover by bike, even if there aren't many cycle paths. Along the Charles River, in the Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighborhoods, you can take advantage of separate roads for pedestrians and cyclists. Bluebikes (bluebikes.com), the city's bike-sharing service, is well worth a visit, as there are many stations throughout the city. A ride of up to 30 minutes costs US$2.95, then an additional US$0.25/minute. The 24-hour pass at US$10, which gives access to an unlimited number of 2-hour trips, is particularly attractive. Last but not least, there's no shortage of rental agencies offering a wide variety of bikes: mountain bikes, city bikes, electric bikes, children's bikes and tandems.

With a driver Boston

While it's a little easier to find a cab in Boston than in New York, the number of vehicles is still substantial and, if you're in the center of town during the day, it will take you a few minutes to find a driver. If you're staying at a hotel, ask the staff to hail you a cab - it's very common. Several cab companies coexist in Boston, the main ones being Boston Cab Association (www.bostoncab.us) and Metro Cab (www.metro-cab.com). Just make sure that the cab you're about to take has the illuminated banner on the roof, common to all licensed vehicles. Journeys are not very expensive if you stay in the city center. You'll need to spend around US$10 to get to the Seaport District from North End, for example. A trip from Boston Logan Airport to Cambridge costs around US$50. Don't forget, tipping is compulsory: 10% of the minimum fare, and 20% if you're very satisfied.

Even more practical than cabs are the mobile applications Uber (www.uber.com) and Lyft (www.lyft.com), which allow you to find a private driver in a matter of minutes. Knowing the fare before confirming the trip is a definite advantage. The other strong point of mobile applications is their reliability, whatever the time of day or the area you're in. Finally, payment is only by credit card via the app, and there's no need to leave a tip.

By car Boston

We don't recommend driving to Boston. For one thing, the city is best explored on foot or by public transport. On the other hand, parking can be complicated and horrendously expensive. Even hotels charge for parking: you can expect to pay between US$25 and US$50 per day on top of your room rate! Street parking is possible and relatively inexpensive: an hour's parking costs between US$2 and US$3.75 (free on Sundays and public holidays), but you still need to find a parking space.

Accessibility Boston

In most major U.S. cities, including Boston, every effort is made to make life easier for people with disabilities. Almost all MBTA subway stations, with the exception of the Bowdoin stop on the Blue Line, are accessible. Subway cars and buses have reserved space for wheelchairs. Elevators and ramps are available in stations. The visually impaired can use the Braille indications on the vast majority of buttons and push-buttons.