Searching for a Logan airport shuttle turns up several quite different services. Massport's Logan Express buses run to Back Bay and four suburban park-and-ride sites. The MBTA Silver Line SL1 runs from every terminal to South Station, free from the airport. A free Massport shuttle links the terminals to the Blue Line. And the two big ride apps run scheduled, fixed-route shuttles to central Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, at under US$20 a seat.
Boston is one of the few cities where we tell many travellers to take the shuttle. For one or two people with ordinary bags going to Back Bay or South Station in the daytime, the public options are excellent and often free. A private car starts to win with a larger group, a late flight, small children, a destination off the routes, or a schedule that cannot wait for the next departure. This comparison from the Elly8.net desk sets out the real numbers.
What are the Logan airport shuttle options, and what do they cost?
Logan Express to Back Bay is free from the airport and US$3 back, with buses every half hour. The suburban Logan Express sites charge US$9 each way. The Silver Line SL1 is free from the airport. App-run shuttles cost under US$20 per person. A private Elly8.net car to Back Bay is US$130, fixed, per vehicle.
The Logan Express and app-shuttle details come from Massport's own pages for Logan Express and shared-ride shuttles, and the Silver Line rule is stated on the MBTA's Logan Airport page. Our own prices are on the Boston limo service page, and the general trade-offs are on our chauffeur vs shared airport shuttle page.
Option by option
Logan Express to Back Bay
The Back Bay Logan Express is a remarkable deal for travellers staying nearby: Massport states that the ride from the airport to Back Bay is free, and tickets to the airport are US$3. Buses run every half hour, seven days a week. Trips leave Logan from 6 am to 10 pm, and leave Back Bay from 5 am to 9 pm.
From the airport, the bus stops on Stuart Street near the Dartmouth Street entrance to Back Bay Station, and at 800 Boylston Street. Going to the airport, you board at 800 Boylston Street, near the Boylston Street entrance to the Prudential Center, or in front of the Dartmouth Street entrance to Copley Place. Tickets are bought online.
Best for: anyone staying in or near Back Bay, Copley Square or the South End, arriving between 6 am and 10 pm, with bags they can manage on and off a bus.
Logan Express from the suburbs
Massport runs four suburban sites, Braintree, Danvers, Framingham and Woburn, with parking at US$7 a day. The fare listed on the Logan Express page is US$9 each way, marked as a limited-time offer, and children ride free with a ticketed family member. Massport has also announced that the Braintree stop is moving to the MBTA Quincy Adams Garage. For suburban travellers who would otherwise park at the airport, this is a strong option.
The Silver Line SL1 and the Blue Line
The SL1 bus picks up and drops off at every Logan terminal and runs to South Station, with connections to the Red Line and Commuter Rail. The MBTA states that service from the airport is always free. The free Massport shuttle connects every terminal to Airport station on the Blue Line, which reaches Government Center and State; from there you pay the subway fare, US$2.40 on the MBTA's fare table, to continue. The MBTA also lists ferries from the Logan Airport Ferry Terminal to Long Wharf, Lovejoy Wharf, Hingham and Hull, with service that changes by season.
Best for: one traveller with a carry-on going downtown, to South Station for a train, or to a hotel near a station.
App-run scheduled shuttles
Massport lists two app-run shared shuttles. Uber's runs two fixed routes: a Central Boston route with stops at Boston University on Mountfort Street, Kenmore Square on Commonwealth Avenue and North Station on Beverly Street, and a Cambridge route via Harvard Square, Central Square, MIT on Albany Street and Kendall Square. Lyft's serves Porter Square, Somerville and Lechmere Station. Massport describes the fares as under US$20 per person, with seats reserved in the apps; an Uber booking can be made up to three days ahead and covers you and up to four other passengers.
Best for: students, visitors and commuters travelling to those specific stops on a schedule that matches the departures.
A private car
An Elly8.net airport transfer from Logan to Back Bay is US$130 in a business sedan, US$170 in a business SUV, US$210 in a First Class SUV, US$230 in a First Class Sedan and US$340 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and all-in, per vehicle. It includes flight tracking, a chauffeur waiting inside arrivals with a name board, standard gratuity and taxes; tunnel tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Cost, wait and comfort side by side
| Option | Price from Logan | Typical wait | Where it goes | Luggage and comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Express, Back Bay | free from the airport; US$3 to the airport | up to 30 min, buses every half hour | Back Bay Station and 800 Boylston St | coach seat; you handle bags |
| Logan Express, suburbs | US$9 each way, kids free with family | by schedule | Braintree, Danvers, Framingham, Woburn | coach seat; parking US$7 a day |
| Silver Line SL1 | free from the airport | by MBTA schedule | South Station | standing room at busy times |
| Massport shuttle and Blue Line | free shuttle, then US$2.40 subway fare | shuttle plus train | downtown stations | changes with bags |
| App-run shuttles | under US$20 per person | by app schedule | fixed stops in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville | shared van; set stops only |
| Elly8.net business sedan | US$130 per car | none; met inside arrivals | any address | 3 passengers, 2 bags |
| Elly8.net business SUV | US$170 per car | none | any address | 6 passengers, 6 bags |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$340 per car | none | any address | 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Where the private car starts to win on price
The shuttle comparison changes fast once you count people instead of seats. Shared shuttles charge per person; a private car charges per vehicle.
- One traveller to Back Bay: Logan Express is free. The car is US$130. Take the bus.
- Two travellers to Cambridge: two app-shuttle seats are under US$40 together if the stops suit you. A sedan to Cambridge is priced in the web booker. If you are going to Kendall Square at 2 pm, the shuttle is the sensible choice.
- Four adults with luggage to a Seaport hotel: a business SUV at US$170 is about US$43 each, door to door, bags in the back, no transfer at South Station.
- Six family members, two car seats: a business SUV at US$170, under US$29 each, with the seats fitted before you land.
- Ten colleagues arriving together for a conference: an Executive Sprinter at US$340 is US$34 each and delivers the whole team to one hotel at once.
At four or more people, the per-head cost of a private car is often close to the shuttle, and the trip is direct.
Wait time, the hidden cost
Shuttles run on a schedule, so the wait depends on when you reach the stop. Logan Express buses leave every half hour, so a traveller who just misses one waits close to 30 minutes, and the last departures from the airport are at 10 pm. App shuttles have their own departure times. The Silver Line runs on the MBTA's schedule.
A pre-booked car works the other way. We track the flight and the chauffeur times the pickup to the actual landing, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. For an 11:30 pm arrival, after the Logan Express has stopped, the car is waiting when you come out of baggage claim.
Comfort and the last mile
Comfort is not only the seat. It is how many times you lift your bags. A Logan Express trip means carrying bags to the bus, loading them, and then walking from Back Bay Station or Boylston Street to your hotel. The Silver Line ends at South Station, and the Blue Line involves a shuttle and a train. For a light traveller that is nothing. For a family with two large cases, a stroller and a child asleep on a shoulder, it is the hardest part of the journey.
With a private car the bags are lifted once at the carousel and once at the hotel door, and nobody needs to know where the stop is. Child seats are available on request when you book, which no shared shuttle offers. For the step-by-step of how a Logan pickup works, see car service from Boston Airport.
Our honest verdicts
Take Logan Express if you are staying in Back Bay, arriving between 6 am and 10 pm, and can manage your bags. It is free from the airport.
Take the Silver Line if you are going to South Station, the Financial District or a train, alone or with a partner and light bags.
Take an app shuttle if your destination is one of its stops and the departure time suits you.
Book a private car for groups of four or more, late arrivals, families with car seats, clients, destinations off the routes such as Brookline or the North Shore, and any trip where arriving on time matters more than saving the fare. For a whole day in the city, an hourly chauffeur at US$100 an hour in a business sedan (3-hour minimum) keeps the car with you; our Boston private driver guide explains when hourly beats a transfer. Groups of eight to twelve should read the Boston Sprinter van rental guide.
Rides in Boston are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, with refunds to the original card. Travelling on from Boston? Providence and New York City are bookable as city-to-city trips.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free shuttle from Logan Airport to downtown Boston?
Yes. The MBTA Silver Line SL1 is free from every Logan terminal to South Station, and the Massport shuttle to the Blue Line's Airport station is free. Logan Express from the airport to Back Bay is also free, with buses every half hour from 6 am to 10 pm.
How much is the Logan Express?
The Back Bay Logan Express is free from the airport and US$3 to the airport. From the suburban sites, Braintree, Danvers, Framingham and Woburn, Massport lists US$9 each way as a limited-time fare, children ride free with a ticketed family member, and parking is US$7 a day.
Is a private car cheaper than a shuttle for a group?
Often, once there are four or more people. An Elly8.net business SUV from Logan to Back Bay is US$170 for up to six passengers, and an Executive Sprinter is US$340 for up to twelve, so a group can pay US$30 to US$45 each, door to door, with bags.
What if my flight lands after the shuttles stop?
The Back Bay Logan Express lists its last departure from the airport at 10 pm. A pre-booked car tracks your flight and waits inside arrivals however late you land, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing, so a delayed evening flight does not leave you looking for a ride.
Do shuttles from Logan offer child seats?
Shared buses and app shuttles do not fit child seats for individual passengers. With Elly8.net, child seats are available on request when you book, and the right seat is fitted before the chauffeur meets you. A Business SUV leaves room for seats, strollers and luggage together.
Which option is fastest from Logan to Back Bay?
On a clear road a car reaches Back Bay in about 13 minutes, and there is no wait for a departure. Logan Express buses leave every half hour, so the wait for a departure is part of the trip. At the evening peak every road option slows through the tunnels, while a fixed price means the delay costs time, not money.
