TRAVEL TIPS
Taxi Travel
Cabs are available around the clock. You can find them outside most hotels and at designated cabstands around the city. 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. You can also call or use smartphone apps, such as Hailo or Uber to get a taxi or other hired car.
A taxi ride within the city of Boston costs $2.60 at entry for the first 1/7 mile, and 40¢ for each 1/7 mile 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. (Automatically added to your fare are 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.) Cab drivers may charge extra for multiple stops. One-way streets may make circuitous routes necessary.
Trying to hail a cab at 2 am, when most bars close, can prove difficult, and there will often be a 20- to 30-minute wait if you phone for one. Heading to a cabstand may be your most efficient late-night choice. Avoid "rogue taxis," those sleek black town cars aggressively offering rides on the street or at airports; their drivers often charge more than the agreed-upon rate, and may even be dangerous.
Taxi Companies
Independent Taxi Operators Association (ITOA). 617/426–8700; 617/268–1313; www.itoataxi.com.
Metro Cab. 617/782–5500; www.boston-cab.com.
