What would be the easiest, most convenient, least confusing way to get me and my family from the airport in Boston to downtown Salem, and back? Is there a train that goes between them? A bus? I’d like to be able to not have to make transfers (bus to bus; or bus to train). Is there a way to do this? I suspect a cab would be too expensive….my fall back position is to impose on a friend there and treat her to dinner.
Back when I was a student I took a bus from downtown Boston to Salem. I suspect they still run, but I haven’t done it in ages.
To get from Logan to Salem you’d have to go in to Boston and then catch the bus (if it still exists). This will involve much transfering, no matter what you do. It’d be best to get someone to drive you, which means either a can or a friend. Any cab will do it, but it’s be in exdess of $25 for one person. Have your friend do it and pay him/her off in a meal. They might even show you around salem.
You could take the MBTA to North Station and then a commuter train to Salem, but if it’s just a day trip or an overnight, I would just rent a car (no transfers, and if a few people are sharing, it’s about the same price or cheaper)
Train is probably the easiest. However there is a Boston/Salem ferry which could be rather scenic, if tourism is your intent. The same people run a Boston/Logan shuttle, but I don’t know if there’s an easy way to get from the airport to the Salem shuttle.
The 459 bus runs about fifteen times a day between Salem and Logan (terminal C). At $2.20 each way (if I’m reading it right), you won’t find a cheaper way. Takes about an hour. See the MBTA website for more information: http://www.mbta.com/
Actually, it’s a breeze to get from the Airport to the ferry. Take the shuttle from the Airport to Airport Station, then take the Blue Line two stops to Aquarium Station. The ferry docks about a block away.
By the way, the southern auto tunnel out of Logan currently hits a detour before reaching the central artery or downtown. There’s some tunnel problems (falling multi-ton concrete block- type problems. Unfortunately fatal in this case.).
Probably not an issue if you’re going Logan to Salem (northern exits are fine, as is the subway tunnel, and the northern auto tunnel), but if your trip ends up involving buses, you might want to double check they’re still running regular schedules.