The major domestic carriers that serve Boston's Logan International Airport (usually just called "Logan"; airport code BOS) are AirTran (tel. 800/247-8726; www.airtran.com), American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), America West (tel. 800/235-9292; www.americawest.com), ATA (tel. 800/225-2995; www.ata.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), JetBlue (tel. 800/538-2583; www.jetblue.com), Midwest (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestexpress.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.ual.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com). Many international carriers also fly into Boston.

Logan is in East Boston at the end of the Sumner, Callahan, and Ted Williams tunnels, 3 miles across the harbor from downtown. For a preview and real-time flight arrival and departure information, visit the website (www.massport.com/logan).

At press time, Logan's new Terminal A was nearing completion after several years of construction. Its opening, scheduled for mid-2005, returned the facility to its full complement of five terminals. Each terminal has ATMs, Internet kiosks, pay phones with dataports, fax machines, and an information booth (near baggage claim). Wireless Internet access is available all over the airport for $8 a day through Logan WiFi (tel. 617/561-9434; www.loganwifi.com). Terminals C and E have bank branches that handle currency exchange. Terminal C has a children's play space, and its information booth is a visitor service center where staff members have gone through concierge training and can help make hotel and restaurant reservations, plan tours, provide convention information, and buy theater and sports tickets.

Getting Into Town From the Airport

The Massachusetts Port Authority, or MassPort (tel. 800/23-LOGAN; www.massport.com), coordinates airport transportation. The toll-free line provides information about getting to the city and to many nearby suburbs. It's available 24 hours a day and is staffed weekdays from 8am to 7pm.

The ride into town takes 10 to 45 minutes, depending on traffic, your destination, and the time of day. Except at off hours, such as early on weekend mornings, driving is the slowest way to get into central Boston. If you must travel during rush hours or on Sunday afternoon, allow plenty of extra time or plan to take the subway or water taxi (and pack accordingly).

You can get into town by subway (the T), cab, van, or boat. The subway is fast and cheap -- Government Center is just 10 minutes away, and the fare is $1.25. Free shuttle buses run from each terminal to the Airport station on the Blue Line of the T from 5:30am to 1am every day, year-round. The Blue Line stops at Aquarium, State Street, and Government Center, downtown points where you can exit or transfer to the other lines.

Just getting into a cab at the airport costs $8.25 ($6.50 in fees plus the initial $1.75 fare). The total fare to downtown or the Back Bay runs $20 to $30. Depending on traffic, the driver might use the Ted Williams Tunnel for destinations outside downtown, such as the Back Bay. On a map, this doesn't look like the fastest route, but often it is. You can also try the Share-A-Cab booths at each terminal and save up to half the fare.

The Logan Airport website (www.massport.com/logan) lists numerous companies that operate shuttle-van service to local hotels. One-way prices start at $11 per person.

The trip to the downtown waterfront in a weather-protected boat takes about 7 minutes and costs $10 one-way. The free no. 66 shuttle bus connects the airport terminals to the Logan ferry dock. A commuter ferry and two on-call water-taxi services serve downtown (though the dedicated water shuttle is defunct). The ferry company, Harbor Express (tel. 617/222-6999; www.harborexpress.com), runs to Long Wharf behind the Marriott Long Wharf hotel. It operates every 20 minutes on weekdays from 7am to 8pm (Fri until 11pm), and every 30 minutes from 10am to 6pm on weekends. Hours are shorter in the winter.

The City Water Taxi (tel. 617/422-0392; www.citywatertaxi.com) connects about a dozen stops on the harbor, including the airport ferry dock. The Rowes Wharf Water Taxi (tel. 617/406-8584; www.roweswharfwatertaxi.com) serves Rowes Wharf, off Atlantic Avenue behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. Months and days of operation for water taxis are subject to change; at press time, only the Rowes Wharf taxi operates year-round. Call ahead from the dock for water taxi pickup.

Some hotels have their own shuttles or limousines; ask about them when you make your reservation. To arrange private limo service, call ahead for a reservation, especially at busy times. Your hotel can recommend a company, or try Carey Limousine Boston (tel. 800/336-4646 or 617/623-8700), Commonwealth Limousine Service (tel. 800/558-LIMO or 617/787-1110), or Dav-El of Boston (tel. 800/343-2071 or 617/884-2600).

Unless you need it right away, seriously consider waiting to pick up your rental car until you're starting a day trip or other excursion. You'll avoid airport fees, tunnel tolls, hotel parking charges, and, most important, Boston traffic.

Let's Make a Deal

The domestic discount airline Southwest (tel. 800/435-9792; www.southwest.com) doesn't serve Boston. But by redefining "Boston-area airport," it has helped create two magnets for budget-conscious travelers. They're not nearly as convenient as Logan (bus service into Boston can be slow), but fares to either of these airports -- on Southwest and other national carriers -- can be considerably cheaper than those to Logan.

T. F. Green Airport (tel. 888/268-7222; www.pvdairport.com; airport code PVD) is in the Providence suburb of Warwick, Rhode Island, about 60 miles south of Boston. Bonanza (tel. 888/751-8800; www.bonanzabus.com) offers bus service between the airport and Boston's South Station seven times a day; the fare is $20 one-way, $36 round-trip. Allow at least 90 minutes.

Manchester International Airport (tel. 603/624-6556; www.flymanchester.com; airport code MHT) is in southern New Hampshire, about 56 miles north of Boston. Vermont Transit (tel. 800/552-8737; www.vermonttransit.com) runs buses to Boston's South Station eight times a day; three continue to Logan Airport. The trip takes 60 to 90 minutes and costs $15 one-way, $25 round-trip.