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By Air

Boston's major airport, Logan International (BOS), is across the harbor from downtown, about 2 mi outside the city center, and can be easily reached by taxi, water taxi, or subway (called the "T") via the Silver or Blue Line. Logan has five terminals, identified by letters A through E. A free airport shuttle runs between the terminals and airport hotels. Some airlines use different terminals for international and domestic flights. Most international flights arrive at Terminal E. Most charter flights arrive at Terminal D. A visitor center in Terminal C offers tourist information. Green Airport, in Providence, RI, and the Manchester Airport in Manchester, NH, are both about an hour from Boston.

Carriers

Flying to Boston takes about 1 hour from New York, 1 1/2 hours from Washington, DC, 2¼ hours from Chicago, 3¾ hours from Dallas, 5 1/2 hours from Los Angeles, 7 1/2 hours from London, and 21-22 hours from Sydney (including connection time). Delta and US Airways have many daily shuttle flights from New York and Washington.

Tip: Check out the Boston Convention and Visitor Bureau's Web site, www.bostonusa.com, with direct links to 19 airlines that service the city. You can book flights here, too.

Major Airlines

ATA Airlines (800/225-2995. www.ata.com). Aer Lingus (800/474-7424. www.aerlingus.com). AeroMexico (800/237-6639. www.aeromexico.com). Air Canada/Air Canada Jazz (888/247-2262. www.aircanada.com). Air France (800/237-2747. www.airfrance.com). AirTran (800/247-8726. www.airtran.com). Alaska Airlines (800/252-7522. www.alaskaair.com). Alitalia (800/223-5730. www.alitalia.com). America West/US Airways (800/235-9292. www.americawest.com). American Airlines/American Eagle (800/433-7300. www.aa.com). British Airways (800/247-9297. www.britishairways.com). Cayman Airways (800/422-9626. www.caymanairways.com). Continental (800/525-0280. www.continental.com). Delta (800/221-1212. www.delta.com). Frontier (800/265-5505. www.frontierairlines.com). Icelandair (800/223-5500. www.icelandair.com). Independence Air (800/359-3594. www.flyi.com). JetBlue Airways (800/538-2583. www.jetblue.com). KLM/Northwest (800/225-2525. www.klm.com). Lufthansa (800/645-3880. www.lufthansa.com). Midwest Airlines (800/452-2022. www.midwestairlines.com). Northwest (800/225-2525. www.nwa.com). Olympic Airlines (800/223-1226. www.olympicairlines.com). Song (800/359-7664. www.flysong.com). Swiss (877/359-7947. www.swiss.com). US Airways/US Airways Shuttle America West (800/428-4322. www.usairways.com). United (800/241-6522. www.united.com). Virgin Atlantic (800/862-8621. www.virginatlantic.com).

Smaller Airlines

Cape Air (800/352-0714. www.flycapeair.com). Colgan Air (800/428-4322. www.colganair.com). Comair (800/354-9822. www.comair.com).

Airlines & Airports

Airline and Airport Links.com (www.airlineandairportlinks.com) has links to many of the world's airlines and airports.

Green Airport (Off I-95, Exit 13. 888/268-7222 or 401/737-8222. www.pvdairport.com). Logan International (I-90 east to Ted Williams Tunnel. 800/235-6426. www.massport.com. [f21]Airport). Manchester Airport (Off I-293/Rte. 101, Exit 2. 603/624-6539. www.flymanchester.com).

Airport Transfers

For recorded information about traveling to and from Logan Airport, as well as details about parking, contact the airport's ground-transportation hotline. Traffic can be maddening; it's a good idea to take public transportation to and from the airport.

If you're driving from Logan to downtown Boston, the most direct route is by way of the Sumner Tunnel ($3 toll inbound; no toll outbound). On weekends and holidays and after 10 PM weekdays, you can get around Sumner Tunnel backups by using the Ted Williams Tunnel ($3 toll inbound; no toll outbound), which will steer you onto the Southeast Expressway south of downtown Boston. Follow the signs to 93 northbound to head back into the downtown area.

The subway's Blue and Silver Lines run from the airport to downtown Boston in about 20 minutes. The Blue Line is best if you're heading to North Station, Fanueil Hall, North End/Waterfront, and Back Bay (Hynes Convention Center, Prudential Center area). Take the Silver Line to South Station, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Seaport World Trade Center, Chinatown Theater, and South End areas. From North and South Stations, you can reach the Red, Green, or Orange lines, or commuter rail. The T costs $1.25 for in-town travel. Visitor passes good for one day ($7.50), three days ($18), and seven days ($35) are also available for unlimited travel on all subway lines, the Silver Line, local crosstown buses, and inner harbor ferries. You must pay a double fare if you're headed to some suburban stations such as Braintree; pay the second fare as you exit the station. Free 24-hour shuttle buses connect the subway station with all airline terminals. Shuttle Bus 22 runs between the subway and Terminals A and B, and Shuttle Bus 33 runs between the subway and Terminals C, D, and E.

Several companies offer shared van service to many Boston-area destinations. J.C. Transportation, Logan/Boston Hotel Shuttle, and Ace American provide door-to-door service to several major Back Bay and Downtown hotels. (Check their Web sites for a listing of hotels.) Reservations are not required, because vans swing by all terminals every 20 minutes to half hour. One-way fares run about $12 per person. Easy Transportation runs from the airport to the Back Bay Hilton, Radisson, and Lenox hotels from 7 AM to 10 PM. Star Shuttle operates vans from the airport to the Marriott Copley Place and Sheraton Copley, every hour on the half hour, from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM. Logan Express buses travel from the airport to the suburbs of Braintree, Framingham, Peabody, and Woburn. One-way fares are $11.

Taxis can be hired outside each terminal. Fares to and from downtown should be about $15-$18, including tip. (Major traffic jams or taking a longer route to avoid traffic will add to the fare.)

Bus & Van Service

Ace American (800/517-2281). Easy Transportation (617/445-1107). J. C. Transportation (781/598-3433 or 800/517-2281. www.jctransportationshuttle.com). Logan Express (800/235-6426. www.massport.com). Logan/Boston Hotel Shuttle (877/315-4700). Star Shuttle (617/230-6005).

Subway

MBTA (617/222-3200; 800/392-6100; 617/222-5146 TTY. www.mbta.com).