How to switch from North Station to South Station

Getting from North Station to South Station in Boston is necessary if you are taking the train or bus from points north (for instance, Williams) and want to take the train to points south (for instance, New Jersey or Mystic), because no train goes through Boston. To expedite your travel, follow these directions.

Estimated time: 20 minutes. You will need five quarters.

Once inside North Station, follow signs to the T. (The symbol for the T is a black T with a circle around it.) You will take an escalator down. You want the orange line, inbound, towards Forest Hills. T map

There will be a line of turnstiles that accept tickets. To the left of this will be an office with a line in front of it. Immediately to the right of this office, on the left of the turnstiles, is a turnstile that accepts quarters. Put in your five quarters and go through the turnstile. Go down the stairs. You want the train on the left.

Take the orange line three stops: Haymarket, State, and then get off at Downtown Crossing. At Downtown Crossing, change to the red line. Take the red line towards Mattapan or Braintree, but NOT Alewife. (Mattapan and Braintree lines split off later; you are only taking the red line one stop.) Take the red line towards Mattapan or Braintree one stop. Get off at South Station.

• Note: If you look at a map of the T, you will see that there is an alternate way, by taking the green line three stops to Park St, and taking the red line two stops to South Station. This route is not recommended because not all the trains that come by go to South Station, so you have to wait for a bunch of trains to go by before yours comes (unless you're lucky). However, if there is a severe problem with Downtown Crossing, this route will get you there, albeit a bit slower.

• Note: The orange line's service is much more intermittent and unreliable than the green line's service, especially at late hours. I would recommend taking the green line route.