We are thinking of a trip from Boston to Bar Harbor in Sept. and are considering using Amtrak to get to Maine as opposed to renting a car and driving. Any pros or cons? All info is appreciated!

Which station is closest to Bar Harbor, and how will you get around once you get there? In general the train is more expensive than driving especially if there are two or more people traveling.

We are thinking we would leave from on the Amtrak train out of Boston North Station to Portland for a two and a half hour train ride for approximately $100/person, rent a car and drive from Portland to Bar Harbor. The other option would be to rent a car in Boston and drive to Bar Harbor. I couldn't find any posts about the Amtrak option, that's why I posted the question. With the gas prices as they are, we wanted to look at alternatives to driving.

Portland is only about 100 miles from Boston. Unless gasoline reaches $20 per gallon or you're driving your own bus, it will be cheaper and less hassle to just drive the whole way.

Con? It's AMTRAK!

Hi. You can also take the bus from South Station (or Logan) to Bangor and then rent a car from the Bangor Airport which is less than a mile from the bus station. We have found the bus to be a great alternative to driving, clean and relaxing. The tix are $65 RT. Hope this helps and have a great trip.