From flight at Logan International to train at South Station in 90 minutes?

At that time of day should be no problem. Depends on how many international planes are arriving at that time of day.Customs/immigration in Boston is fairly efficient. The time consumming step is waiting for luggage. I would guess 30 min or so to get thru.
From the International terminal, you can get a cab or take a Silver Line bus that goes direct to South Station. Cab would be quickest.

I'd take the cab - they are lined up outside the terminals - at that hour you should not hit much traffic and it will be easier than you figuring out the bus, etc especially if your plane is delayed or you are rushing - the cab will bring you right to the door of South Station and you can walk in and easily find your Amtrak train - (but of course, I am a mother and look for the most direct route in case of delays, etc.....)

Also, IF you are delayed, and for whatever reason would not be able to make this train -
(you can get a refund later from Amtrak) but it might be worth your time to know a few of your other options - is there a later Amtrak train, is there a later bus option for you from Boston to your destination ? It might save you time and anxiety if you already had these options written down and with you so , plane travel being what it is, if you are delayed,
you'll have some back up plans -

have fun!

The main problem is -- immigration for foreign nationals is a crap shoot. Could take minutes, or could take an hour+

So you might make it -- or you might still be at Logan at 2145. Is there a later train? If not, is there a later train to somewhere else w/i a reasonable drive of your friends' home.

Iagree with earlier posters, Logan can be a mess, and it could take you longer than 30 minutes, and if your flight is delayed it could be very stressful.

Make contingency plans so you won't be stressing if things don't work out right, and if they do, then relax and enjoy the trip.

Are you a US Citizen or Green Card Holder? If yes, there's a very good chance you can make it. If not, it depends on how many Int'l flights are arriving at that hour, but I don't think it's too busy...

(Last time I arrived at Logan in the evening from UK, I was OUT at the curb 20 minutes after the plane landed. I even was sent for secondary search @ customs because I brought back foie gras. But, I had no checked luggage and I used the US Citizen/Green Card lanes.)

Cab fare is listed:
http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_taxis.html

Logan -> South Station is about 4 miles, so the total fare should be between $15-17.

I'm travelling with tourist visa so it could take longer I'm afraid. Anyway thanks for advise. I'll check for plans B and
What does a cab cost approximately?
Thanks!

Sorry, sorry. Just read the last entry with cab costs. Thanks

Where in CT do you need to go? There is a Peter Pan bus departing South Station at 10:30pm, arriving Hartford CT @ 12:20am

The good news is that your Lufthansa flight is the only international flight arriving in Logan at that time. There are no international arrivals for at least 2-3 hours before, so immigration officers will be there just for your flight. Hopefully you can sit as close as possible to the front of the plane. Walk fast and you may be one of the first passengers to be processed.

Have a greeat trip!

The good news is that your Lufthansa flight is the only international flight arriving in Logan at that time.

???

AA155 LHR-BOS, arrives 8:35pm
BA215 LHR-BOS, arrives 6:30pm
LX52 ZRH-BOS, arrives 7:45pm

I forgot about the LX flight.

The AA flight arrives 20 minutes later so no worries there and the BA flight almost 2 hours earlier. They will be long gone by the time the OP arrives.

So, I guess the LX flight might cause some delay in immigration processing but it's not that much to worry about. The OP should still be out of there in 30-45 minutes tops.

True, IF all the flights arrive on time in an ideal world. But what if OP's flight arrives 20 minutes late and the AA flight arrives on time?

And last Nov, one of my DH's relative was on the BA flight while I was on the AA flight, arriving on the same night from London. Her BA flight ended up being over 2 hours delayed and arrived 10 minutes after my AA flight. The immigration area was packed.

In any case, depending on where the OP is heading in CT, the 10:30pm Peter Pan Bus to Hartford can be Plan B.

S kostyanoy nogoy mozhet byt' trudno

Hi guys, thanks so much.
Well there seem to be a lot of IF's in this case....
I've never heard of the Peter Pan Bus but check for it right away I have to go to Stonington, next to Mystic...

Ask your friends to help you make a few "if" plans -
if you arrrive on time, get thru customs and grab a cab, great -
if late/delayed, you can have plan b and c ready to go -

Your friends should be able to help you if they live in CT determine what bus/other train options/ etc are available that work for them to meet you -

have fun -

Peter Pan also runs buses to Providence, RI. Buses leave at 10pm and 11pm nightly and the trip only takes 1:10. It's a shorter drive for your friends to pick you up in Providence than in Hartford.

Here's what I'd do:
1) DO NOT buy any tickets in advance
2) TAXI to South Station
3) AIM for the 9:45pm Amtrak train
4) If you miss the Amtrak train, take the 10pm Peter Pan bus to Providence RI instead. Peter Pan leaves from the South Station Bus Terminal, located next door to the South Station Amtrak Station.
5) Call your friend and ask him/her to meet you at the Providence Peter Pan Station if you miss the Amtrak train.

yk, that's exactly what I'm going to do!
Thanks everybody for great tips

If you obviously are going to miss the 9:45pm train, you can catch a Peter Pan bus at Logan Airport that will take you directly to Providence (there are buses from Logan to Providence at 9:30pm and 10:30pm).

Note also that Peter Pan has two stops in Providence ("Kennedy Plaza" and "Terminal", according to their web site) so make sure you are clear on where your friends need to pick you up if you have to go to Providence.

http://www.peterpanbus.com

Cranachin, I am a bit confused about the Peter Pan stops in Boston. In one drop down you get Logan Airport at an option but on another list there was only south station as a stop. Are you quite sure that there's a stop?

What is the URL where you only get South Station?

Both

http://www.peterpanbus.com

and

http://www.peterpanbus.com/tickets/schedules-and-fares.php

have BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT MA and BOSTON SOUTH STATION MA as choices.

The terminals page (http://www.peterpanbus.com/tickets/terminal-listings.php) does not list Logan Airport, but that is because the airport is not a bus terminal. It also does not list T.F. Green Airport in the Providence area as a terminal, but Peter Pan goes there as well, and TF GREEN AIRP RI is on the drop-down menus on the home page and the schedules page. As another example, MYSTIC CT is also a stop (in the drop-down menus) but is not listed on the terminals page.

Unfortunately, the last bus from Boston to Mystic is in the afternoon, but if you return to Logan from Mystic you might be able to take the Peter Pan bus (there is one from Mystic to Logan at 10:30am and another at 4:30pm)

Many thanks! That helps! Last question: is maybe T.F. Green Airport easier to reach from Mystic than the stop in down town Providence?

T F Green is easier to get to from Mystic than going into Providence. Green is about 45 minutes, all highway from Mystic.

TF Green is about 10 miles south of downtown Prov, so it's that much closer to Mystic. At that hour, traffic and parking will not be an issue.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the potential for a really serious delay, not just an extra 20 minute in immigration. My daughter took a flight out of Logan earlier this week that was delayed over two hours. So another option to consider is to plan to stay at the hotel on the airport grounds or elsewhere in Boston overnight, then take the bus to Mystic in the morning.

The main cause for delay _out_ of Logan is weather somewhere else.

International arrivals are rarely delayed significantly unless (1) Logan itself is closed by thunderstorms or wind, in which case they will be slowed over the Atlantic or, if fuel is an issue, diverted to Bangor to wait things out or (2) there is a delay on the Europe end, much more likely at CDG (greves) and LHR/LGW (industrial actions).

You can't plan for any of these. You are leaving from a good place (FRA), arriving at a good time, and are coming to stay with friends. When asked the purpose of your visit, tell the immigration officer that "I am here to visit friends." I think you will make it.

The last Peter Pan bus from Boston to TF Green leaves Logan Airport at 5:30pm and South Station at 6:00pm, so that is not an option for an evening flight into Logan.

If you do get stuck in Boston, there is an Amtrack station in Mystic and there are two or three trains that stop there daily.

Cranachin, the last useful Peter Pan bus runs from Logan to Providence (the city, not TF Green airport) at 10:30 PM.

One option that hasn't been mentioned yet is the MBTA Commuter Rail, which offers trains from South Station to Providence on weekdays at 9:05, 10:25 and 11:59 PM, and at 11:10 PM on weekends. Cheaper than Amtrak, uses the same train stations, and runs later than Amtrak or Peter Pan.

Oops, I meant to include MBTA schedule info:

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU&direction=O&timing=W&RedisplayTime=Redisplay+Time

Anonymous, I mentioned the Peter Pan buses at 9:30pm and 10:30pm in my 12:06pm posting on June 24, but it was nice of you to point them out again.

Also nice of you to mention the MBTA trains to Providence. They are good choices if BabaYaga tries to make it to South Station but misses the Amtrak train to Connecticut.

IF it is fairly obvious that there is no way to make the Amtrak train, however, I think the best alternative would still be the Peter Pan bus from Logan to Providence. It has the fewest hassles (no need to worry about getting a cab or public transit to South Station - although I guess the MBTA Silver Line is not bad). It also looks like the bus from Logan stops at South Station before going on to Providence, so why not just take it from the start?

I agree with the above regarding taking the Peter Pan Bus directly from Logan Airport. that is definitely a better option than heading to South station.

Does anyone know - I assume - the Peter Pan Bus makes a stop at each terminal at Logan?

The website for MassPort (operator of Logan Airport) has the following information on the page about trains/South Station (http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_south.html):


All buses share the same pick up point at the lower level curb of each terminal as follows:

Terminal A: outside of baggage claim
Terminal B: outside of US Airways and American Airlines baggage claims
Terminal C: outside of baggage claim
Terminal E: middle island, "Scheduled Buses"


Terminal E is where international flights arrive.

Don't panic that Peter Pan is not listed under Regional Bus Service on that page. Bonanza Bus Lines (which IS listed) was bought by Peter Pan, and the link to Bonanza redirects you to Peter Pan's website.

You can always e-mail Peter Pan just to be sure (info@peterpanbus.com).

Hey Cranachin, Anonymous, YK and everybody,
thanks so much again. I think no one can possibly be better informed now about all the options than me
I agree that Amtrack is unlikely an realistic option (but still, IF flight is on time, IF immigration goes fast..., I might try), the MBTA seems to be a good coice too. If I should be very late I just wait for the Peter Pan bus. No tickets beforehand! I hope all trains/busses allow to still buy them on the train/bus.
Hotels at airport or city are pretty expensive so I try to avoid this.
Thanks and have a good time everybody,
BabaYaga

Have a good trip; and come back and let us know what happened!

You'd better check with Amtrak; I don't think they sell tickets on board. If that's the case, you'd need some time AT South Station to buy the ticket.