Fastest way to get from NYC to Boston?

I've found that the Amtrak Acela service is very fast - for me, it's faster and more convenient than taking a plane.

The Acela Express from New York to Boston takes about 3 1/2 hours. The 12:03 pm from NY Penn Station arrives in Boston South Station at 3:35 pm.

While the plane might cover the distance faster, the train station is in downtown New York City, while the airports (Laguardia + JFK) are out in Queens, a long cab or train ride from downtown. So you have to count this as part of the travel time...

On a day with a lot of traffic, a cab could take an hour or more to reach the airport. Also, they tell you to arrive at the airport at least an hour before your flight, to allow for baggage check, security check, etc.

The Acela train ends up being faster when you factor all this in.

Well a plane might be faster, but you have to get out there like an hour before your flight. Not to mention the extra drive to LGA and everything. Not to mention the fact that planes are delayed about half the time. Then you have to get from Boston airport to downtown which can take a while.

In the end, its probably about the same.

My friend, the plane will be faster. A fight from LaGuardia to Boston-Logan will on take about an hour. However, if you preferred not to deal with security and the long delays at LGA, my advice take the train.

Both the Acela and the Northeast Regional will get you there in about 3 and a half hours.

Good luck

Despite Amtrak's ad campaigns, most business travelers who aren't particularly concerned about cost or the environment prefer to fly, because that's faster IF you don't encounter any delays in the airport or in traffic leaving the airport. How much faster depends on how early you get to the airport, whether you're able to squeeze on an earlier flight standby, and where you're starting/ending in each city relative to the airport/train station.

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