Taxi Travel

Cabs are available around the clock. You can also call for a cab or find them outside most hotels and at designated cab stands around the city that are marked by signs. Taxis generally line up in Harvard Square, around South Station, near Faneuil Hall Marketplace, at Long Wharf, near Massachusetts General Hospital, and in the Theater District.

A taxi ride within the city of Boston starts at $2.60, and costs 40¢ for each 1/7 mi thereafter. Licensed cabs have meters and provide receipts. An illuminated rooftop sign indicates an available cab. If you're going to or from the airport or to the suburbs, ask about flat rates. (Be aware that you'll also need to pay a $5.25 toll and a $2.75 airport fee when leaving the airport, and a $2.75 airport fee when traveling to the airport in a cab.) Cabdrivers sometimes charge extra for multiple stops. One-way streets often make circuitous routes necessary and increase your cost.

Note that if you're in need of a cab at around 2 am, when most bars close, hailing one can prove difficult and there will often be a 20- to 30-minute wait if you call for one. Heading to a cab stand is the most efficient late-night choice.