Your Exploration Guide from South Station, North Station, & Back Bay

If you’re lucky enough to live in Boston, you’re surrounded by incredible sights, attractions, restaurants, and museums. But there’s so much outside of the city that you should take the time to explore. If you don’t own a car or you don’t want to risk giving up your hard-earned parking spot for the sake of a day trip, just take the train!

South Station, Back Bay, and North Station are three major transportation hubs for the Commuter Rail, delivering inbound travelers to the city and outbound travelers throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you’re looking to travel outbound, a $10 Weekend Pass allows unlimited use of all of the Commuter Rail Lines. With this, you can get on and off at any stop throughout the entire weekend, including holiday weekends. That’s a lot cheaper than a tank of gas and parking fees, and you’ll get to explore as many places as you please. Just remember that not all train lines have weekend service, so check the schedule as you plan your trip.

Outbound from South Station

Located in downtown Boston, South Station is within a mile of such iconic locations as the Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, the starting point of the Freedom Trail, and the Seaport District. Lines leaving from South Station share several station stops where you can find incredible attractions as you travel outbound. 

Fairmount Line

All stations on the Fairmont Line, with the exception of Readville, are Zone 1A, meaning riders can travel any distance one-way for $2.40, which is the same as a subway fare. This makes it the ideal route to travel if you’re looking for an inexpensive day trip any day of the week. Use this line for a day of family fun or a day out with friends, as you’ll have easy access to places like Franklin Park Zoo, Ron’s Gourmet Ice Cream and Twentieth Century Bowling Alley, and Canvas Studio Boston.

Greenbush Line

Each stop along the Greenbush Line has 200 to 500 parking spaces, except for Greenbush Station, which houses 1000 spots in order to serve commuters driving from Hanover, Norwell, Marshfield, and Duxbury. This is an ideal line for going sightseeing along the South Shore, with World’s End and Osprey Overlook Park offering incredible views. Bicycles are allowed on the Greenbush Line at all times, with high-level platforms at each station. Be sure to go to Cohasset Station where you can bike along the mile-long Whitney Spur Rail Trail. If you’re fashion-forward, take the Greenbush line to put together a new wardrobe, stopping at incredible shops in Scituate, Hingham, and more.

Kingston Line

Connecting downtown Boston with the South Shore and Plymouth, you’ll want to use this line to plan an outing with friends outside of the city. You’ll be able to hit breweries like Old Colony Brewing and Dorchester Brewing Company, as well as the Museum of Bad Art and Sunset Lake for some relaxing fun. If you love presidential history, you’ll want to take this line to the JFK Presidential Library and Museum and the United First Parish Church, known as “The Church of the Presidents.”

Middleborough/Lakeville Line

You can find fun on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line by heading to various breweries or exploring the great outdoors. It’s a great line to discover the influence of the Adams’ family, with places to visit like Adams National Historical Park and United First Parish Church “The Church of the Presidents”. For those who have more contemporary interests, you can get to the Fuller Craft Museum from both the Brockton and Montello Stations. If you’re looking for black-owned businesses with great products, you’ll find several near Brockton Station.

Outbound from Back Bay

Located within a mile of the Charles River Esplanade, Newbury Street and the Prudential Center, Back Bay Station is your route to visit if you’re looking to get to Foxboro or Rhode Island. All of the lines out of Back Bay bring you to famous attractions like Fenway Park, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

Framingham/Worcester Line

The Framingham/Worcester Line is the third longest and third busiest line in the MBTA Commuter Rail system, covering 17 stops. This is a line for anyone who loves museums, as you can experience both the major Boston museums and the Worcester Art Museum, as well as several smaller, niche museums in between. If you’re a baseball fan or want a family day out, you can use this line to go between Fenway Park and Polar Park.

Franklin Line

On the Franklin Line, plan a weekend trip to get active or see incredible artwork in museums and sculpture parks. See comedy shows and concerts at the Norwood Theater, explore the MFA Japanese Garden, or grab a drink at Roundhead Brewing Company. This is also the line to take to get to Foxboro Station, where you’ll be able to visit Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place, both as part of the weekday train service and during special services available on game days.

Providence/Stoughton Line

You don’t have to limit your car-free day trip to just Massachusetts. From Back Bay you can get on the Providence/Stoughton Line to go all the way down to Rhode Island cities like Providence, Warwick, and North Kingstown. This makes it the longest Commuter Rail Line, getting you the furthest. Plan an entire day exploring the attractions, restaurants, and shopping in Providence, or travel along the line to visit the various breweries near the different stations all the way from Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom in Boston to Proclamation Ale Company in Warwick.

Needham Line

The Needham Line might be the second-shortest line on the Commuter Rail, but it’s packed full of fun travel opportunities. With beautiful and romantic places like the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden, it’s a must for Bostonians who want to plan a date outside of the city or who love nature and wish to explore more of the parks and gardens along the line.

Outbound from North Station

Located right by the North End, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, TD Garden, and Boston Public Market, as well as connecting to the Green and Orange subway lines, North Station is a hub of activity in Boston. However, if you’re the kind of person who loves getting out into the world and exploring new attractions, you’ll find North Station to be your guide outbound from Boston to experience Salem, the North Shore, and more. 

Lowell Line

Taking you from Boston all the way to the Merrimack Valley, the Lowell Line can be your escape to incredible attractions and events outside of Boston. Use the Commuter Rail to get to annual events like the Lowell Summer Music Series and Winterfest, plan a romantic weekend trip with your date, or discover American history at various museums.

Fitchburg Line

The second-longest Commuter Rail Line, the Fitchburg Line makes going car-free easy for a lot of great weekend getaways. Most notable is the specially equipped seasonal “ski train” to Wachusett Mountain for skiing and snowboarding during winter weekends. But even when there isn’t snow on the ground, you’ll find great reasons to take the train. You can take a brewery tour all the way from Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville to Wachusett Brew Barn and Thirsty Robot Brewing Company in Wachusett. If you’re looking for kid-friendly things to do, take the train to the Discovery Museum and Great Wolf Lodge Water Park.

Haverhill Line

Bringing you from downtown Boston to the North Shore suburbs, the Haverhill Line is a relaxing way to get out and visit friends and family without getting stuck in traffic. You can bring your kids for a family day out to Lake Quannapowitt and the Stone Zoo. If you have the urge to find hidden musical gems outside of the city, music lovers can take the Haverhill Line to check out record stores and live music events.

Newburyport/Rockport Line

The best route to take to visit popular tourist cities like Rockport, Gloucester, and Salem, the Newburyport/Rockport Line will help you beat the traffic during the busy seasons. In the summer, you can avoid the hassle of finding a parking spot at the beach, and during the fall, enjoy increased weekend service to and from Salem during the month of October for Haunted Happenings. Enjoy easy access to sightseeing and shopping year-round with this line, bringing you to unbeatable attractions like Bearskin Neck, Motif Number 1, the Real Pirates Museum, and the Salem Witch Museum.