Getting Around

On Foot

If you can manage a fair amount of walking, this is the way to go. You can best appreciate Boston at street level, and walking the narrow, picturesque streets takes you past many gridlocked cars.

Even more than in a typical large city, be alert. Look both ways before crossing, even on one-way streets, where many bicyclists and some drivers blithely go against the flow. The "walk" cycle of many downtown traffic signals lasts only 7 seconds, and a small but significant part of the driving population considers red lights optional anyway. Keep a close eye on the kids, especially in crosswalks. And of course you're all wearing comfortable shoes, right?

By Public Transportation

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA (tel. 800/392-6100 or 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com), is known as the T, and its logo is the letter in a circle. It runs subways, trolleys, buses, and ferries in Boston and many suburbs, as well as the commuter rail, which extends as far as Providence, Rhode Island. The automated fare-collection system is a bit involved, but getting the hang is easy, and T employees stationed in every station can answer questions.

All's Fare on the T -- Boston has come a long way since the Kingston Trio sang about "Charlie on the MTA" -- the transit authority even has a different name -- but some things don't change: "Charlie" is the face of the T's automated fare-collection system. The CharlieTicket is heavy paper with a magnetic strip; the CharlieCard is a plastic "smart card" with an embedded chip. What's the difference? Both are stored-value systems, but fares are lower if you pay with a CharlieCard than if you use a CharlieTicket, and the CharlieTicket goes into the front of the turnstile and pops out of the top, while the CharlieCard registers when you wave it in front of the rectangular reader on the front of the turnstile. Self-service kiosks at the entrance to each subway station dispense CharlieTickets and allow you to "load" value onto tickets and passes, using cash or a credit or debit card. To get a CharlieCard, ask a T employee, order one in advance, or visit a retail location (check the website for a list of convenience stores, newsstands, and other outlets). Consider ordering CharlieCards or CharlieTickets online before you leave home; at press time, shipping is free, and you won't have to buy a ticket or pass immediately upon arriving.

Ride & Save (Maybe) -- The MBTA's 1-day and 7-day LinkPasses (tel. 877/927-7277 or 617/222-5218; www.mbta.com) can be a great deal -- but only if you plan to use public transit enough. Passes cover unlimited travel on the subway and local buses, in commuter rail zone 1A, and on the Inner Harbor ferry. The cost is $9 for 24 hours, which translates to an awful lot of riding before you start to save money. But the longer pass, which costs $15 for 7 consecutive days, is a bargain. At press time, passes must be loaded onto CharlieTickets. Check ahead to see whether you can put yours on a CharlieCard; that should be possible after the commuter rail and water transportation fare-collection systems are converted in late 2007. You can order passes -- long-term visitors may find one of the numerous commuter passes a better deal than a visitor-oriented LinkPass -- in advance over the phone or the Web (at press time, shipping is free), or buy them when you arrive at any kiosk or retailer that sells CharlieTickets and CharlieCards.

By Subway & Trolley -- Subways and trolleys take you around Boston faster than any other mode of transportation except walking. The oldest system in the country, the T dates to 1897, and recent and ongoing improvements have made it generally reliable. The trolleys on the ancient Green Line are the most unpredictable -- leave extra time if you're on the way to a vital appointment, because you may need to bail out and grab a cab. The system is generally safe, but always watch out for pickpockets, especially during the holiday shopping season. And remember, downtown stops are so close together that it's often faster to walk.

The subways are color-coded and are called the Red, Green, Blue, and Orange lines. The commuter rail to the suburbs is purple on system maps and is sometimes called the Purple Line. The Silver Line is a fancy name for a bus line; the Waterfront branch runs from South Station to the airport via the South Boston waterfront, including the convention center and the World Trade Center. The fare on the subway and the Waterfront Silver Line is $1.70 if you use a CharlieCard (transfers to local buses are free), $2 with a CharlieTicket. Children under 12 ride free with a paying adult. Route and fare information and timetables are available through the website (www.mbta.com) and at centrally located stations.

Service begins at around 5:15am and ends around 12:30am. (The exception is New Year's Eve, or First Night, when closing time is 2am and service is free after 8pm.) A sign in every station gives the time of the last train in either direction.

By Bus -- The MBTA runs buses and "trackless trolleys" (buses with electric antennae) that provide service around town and to and around the suburbs. The local routes that you'll most likely need are no. 1, along Mass. Ave. from Dudley Square in Roxbury through the Back Bay and Cambridge to Harvard Square; no. 92 and no. 93, which connect Haymarket and Charlestown; and no. 77, along Mass. Ave. north of Harvard Square to Porter Square, North Cambridge, and Arlington. The Washington Street branch of the Silver Line, which runs from Temple Place, near Downtown Crossing, to the South End and Roxbury, is considered a bus line.

The fare on the local bus and Washington Street Silver Line is $1.25 with a CharlieCard (transferring to the subway costs 45¢), $1.50 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Children under 12 ride free with a paying adult. If you're paying cash, exact change is required.

By Ferry -- The MBTA Inner Harbor ferry connects Long Wharf (near the New England Aquarium) with the Charlestown Navy Yard -- it's a good way to get back downtown from "Old Ironsides" and the Bunker Hill Monument. The fare is $1.70, or show your LinkPass. Call tel. 617/227-4321 for more information.

By Water Taxi

One-way fares to stops around the harbor start at $10. City Water Taxi (tel. 617/422-0392; www.citywatertaxi.com) offers on-call service in small boats that connect a dozen stops on the Inner Harbor, including the airport. It operates daily April to November from 7am to 7pm. The Rowes Wharf Water Taxi (tel. 617/406-8584; www.roweswharfwatertransport.com) connects the airport ferry dock to Rowes Wharf, off Atlantic Avenue behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. It runs year-round from 7am to 7pm, with longer hours in the summer. Call ahead from the dock for pick-up by either service.

By Water Shuttle

Seaport Express (tel. 617/939-4802; www.seaporttma.org) is a weekday-only scheduled service operated by Rowes Wharf Water Transport . It connects Rowes Wharf, behind the Boston Harbor Hotel; the Seaport World Trade Center on the South Boston waterfront; and Central Wharf, behind the New England Aquarium. The one-way fare is $1.70; visit the website for the schedule.

By Taxi

Taxis are expensive and not always easy to find -- seek out a cab stand or call a dispatcher. Always ask for a receipt in case you have a complaint or lose something and need to call the company.

Cabs usually queue up near hotels. There are also busy cab stands at Faneuil Hall Marketplace (on North St. and in front of 60 State St.), South Station, and Back Bay Station, and on either side of Mass. Ave. in Harvard Square, near the Harvard Coop bookstore and Au Bon Pain.

To call ahead for a cab, try the Independent Taxi Operators Association, or ITOA (tel. 617/426-8700; www.itoataxi.com); Boston Cab (tel. 617/536-5010 or 617/262-2227); Town Taxi (tel. 617/536-5000; www.towntaxiboston.com); or Metro Cab (tel. 617/782-5500; www.boston-cab.com). In Cambridge, call Ambassador Brattle (tel. 617/492-1100) or Yellow Cab (tel. 617/547-3000). Boston Cab will dispatch a wheelchair-accessible vehicle upon request; advance notice is recommended.

The fare structure: The first 1/4 mile (when the flag drops) costs $1.75, and each additional 1/8 mile is 30¢. Wait time is extra, and the passenger pays all tolls, as well as a total of $6.50 in fees on trips leaving Logan Airport. Charging a flat rate is not allowed within the city; the police department publishes a list (available on the airport website, www.massport.com/logan) of flat rates for trips to the suburbs. If you want to report a problem or have lost something in a cab, call the police department's Hackney Hotline (tel. 617/536-8294).

By Bicycle

This is not a good option unless you're a real pro or plan to visit Cambridge, which has bike lanes. The streets of Boston proper, with their bloodthirsty drivers and oblivious pedestrians, are notoriously inhospitable to two-wheelers.

If you bring or rent a bike, be sure to lock it securely when leaving it unattended, even for a short time.