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Portland, Maine Transportation | |
| Car, train, bus, plane, ferry to Nova Scotia: all ways to go to and from Portland, Maine. | ||
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Portland is 108 miles (174 km) northeast of Boston MA (about a 2-hour drive) and 161 miles southwest of Bar Harbor ME (4 to 5 hours by car) (map). CarComing from Boston and New Hampshire, the Maine Turnpike (I-95), a toll road, is the fastest route to Portland. South of Portland, I-295 branches off from I-95 and takes you north right through the heart of the city, including to the Portland Transportation Center. The Portland Transportation Center, 100 Thompsons Point Road, just west of I-295 Exit 5 (map), houses the Amtrak train station and the Concord Coach Lines bus terminal. It's less than three miles (5 km) from the Portland International Jetport. BusConcord Coach Lines operates 14 buses daily in each direction between Boston and Portland. The trip takes about two hours. Some departures from Portland are express buses directly to Logan Airport with no stops; other departures go to both Logan Airport and Boston's South Station Bus Terminal. Concord Coach also operate a premium service between Portland and New York City, by advance reservation only, with tickets bought online. More... Concord Coach Lines buses arrive at the Portland Transportation Center, off Interstate 295 Exit 5A, at Congress Street (map), which also holds Portland's Amtrak train station. Greyhound buses arrive at the Greyhound Station at 950 Congress Street, between St John and Valley streets (map), closer to the city center. TrainAmtrak's Downeaster train travels five times daily on the 2-1/2-hour journey between Boston's North Station and Portland ME (Portland Transportation Center), stopping at Woburn and Haverhill MA; Exeter, Durham and Dover NH; Wells, Saco and Old Orchard Beach ME. The Downeaster continues past Portland to Freeport and Brunswick ME. More... Train fare is a few dollars more than bus fare, and the train trip is a bit longer, but it's a more comfortable ride, with snack-and-drink service available. FlightsPortland International Jetport, 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the city center off I-95 and I-295, serves flights by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Elite Airways, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, with nonstop flights to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Myers, New York City (JFK, Laguardia & Newark), Orlando-Melbourne, Philadelphia, RAleigh-Durham, Tampa, Vero Beach, and Washington DC (Dulles & Reagan National)—in short, to most major airline hubs east of the Mississippi. Portland Metro Bus 5 connects the Jetport with Portland Transportation Center and the Maine Mall. FerryboatPortland has a number of different ferry docks to the northeast of the city center. Casco Bay FerriesCasco Bay Lines operates ferries to the islands in the bay east of Portland from the Maine State Pier on Commercial Street at Franklin Street. More... Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia FerryInternational car ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, operates from June to October from the International Marine Terminal (also called Ocean Gateway Pier) on Commercial Street at Hancock Street. More... Portland City BusThe public bus system in Portland is operated by the Greater Portland Transit District and generally called Metro. The buses connect all of Portland's transportation stations, including the ferry and cruise terminals and the Portland Transportation Center (Amtrak and Concord Coach intercity buses). Bus Route 1 will take you from the Portland Transportation Center along Congress Street through the city center to the East End. More... —by Tom Brosnahan
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Above, Amtrak's Downeaster between
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