Wondering how to get to Provincetown from Boston? From flying and driving to ferries and trains, traveling between the two cities is quite easy!
Provincetown, P-Town, New England New Orleans… whatever you want to call it, is one of the most fun places a person could visit not only in New England and Cape Cod Bay, but in the entire country. The food, the people, Race Point Beach the art galleries, and the bar and restaurant scene are all amazing. Plus, there’s plenty to do for the entire family, it’s filled to the gills with history, and it is home to a thriving LGBTQ community.
Located at the very tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is famous for the Pilgrim Monument and does somewhat of a frontier feel to it as it isn’t always the easiest place to get to… if you don’t know what you are doing.
Fortunately, this brief guide will outline all the possible ways to get to P-Town. And while it’s not exactly New York City when it comes to public transportation, there are some great options! The only thing it doesn’t do is tell you how to deal with the sadness of having to leave magical Commercial Street and all the other fun.
5 Ways To Get To Provincetown From Boston
As mentioned, Provincetown is located on the outer Cape. Many folks talk about how the Cape looks like an extended arm, making a fist. Well, Provincetown is at the end of the fist part.
The main question visitors have is whether or not to drive to P-Town, because while it makes getting there very convenient, you largely don’t need a car once you’re there. Provincetown is very walkable and when you consider how bustling and narrow the streets are, riding and parking a car would just take up too much of your time to do other fun stuff!
There are parking lots when you get to the center of town, but in peak season they can fill up quickly. Street parking is not plentiful either as residents often fill them up, and as mentioned, the streets are narrow.
Pedicabs and bicycles are everywhere though and can be great options if you have tired legs.
Driving up to Provincetown is mostly only achievable via Highway 6. It’s a small highway and on popular holiday weekends like July 4th, there can be tens of miles of traffic backed up and down its lanes. You’ve been warned!
Fortunately, flying or catching a ferry, train or are good alternatives.
Flights from Boston to Provincetown
There are year-round direct flights to Provincetown from Logan International Airport in Boston. It is only a short, 30-minute flight to Provincetown Airport too. Flights are through either Cape Air or JetBlue, but the latter often will not do direct flights, so stick with Cape Air if you want to fly in.
Driving from Boston to Provincetown
It’s important to know that unlike getting to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard via the Cape mainland at Hyannis, there is no car ferry operator from Boston to Provincetown. Drivers will have to endure the potentially dreaded Cape traffic all the way past the Sagamore Bridge and up Highway 6 to get there.
The irony is that to get around Cape Cod, you typically need a car. But when you get up to Provincetown, most people walk everywhere!
Driving from Boston to Provincetown takes almost 3 hours on a quiet day. Add on plenty more time if it’s a Friday afternoon in the summer or a holiday weekend. Once again… you’ve been warned, so fingers crossed you time your trip right!
Provincetown Ferry
The Provincetown Fast Ferry, run by the good folks at Bay State Cruise Company, offers a ferry service from Boston to Provincetown. While it is a seasonal service, typically running mid-May to early October, they have added a late Fall schedule that runs from mid-October through early December. This makes it a great direct route for Thanksgiving visits to Cape Cod!
During the seasonal schedule, the high-speed ferry runs three times per day, 7 days a week. The trip duration is around 1 hour and 30 minutes and adult fares start at $108 round trip, children aged 3-12 are $85 round trip and seniors aged 65 and over can expect to pay fares starting from $98 round trip. There is free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, a full cash bar on board and snacks available for purchase too.
Hop on at Rowes Wharf in Boston (tickets are available at the Boston Harbor Cruises site or kiosk), enjoy the fresh air during the ride and you’ll arrive at MacMillan Pier in P-Town in a flash. It’s only a very short walk to bustling Commercial Street when you arrive too!
Train from Boston to Provincetown
If you’re more of a traditionalist when it comes to travel, then the Cape Flyer train provides a great option for most of the journey from Boston to Provincetown.
The Cape Flyer is seasonal and runs from Memorial Day through Columbus Day annually. Your train journey begins at South Station in Boston and can take you as far as Hyannis. From this last stop, you would then need to transfer to a bus service. This is taken care of by Peter Pan Bus Lines.
The Cape Flyer takes 2.5 hours to get from Boston to Hyannis, with fares starting at $22 one-way or $40 round-trip for adults.
From the Hyannis Transportation Center to Ryder Street in Provincetown, expect another 1 hours and 30 minutes of travel time (on a quiet day) with fares typically costing under $5.
Bus from Boston to Provincetown
As with getting to Cape Cod, at any time of year, a trusty bus from Boston is the best way. With this method of transportation, you can expect affordability and reliability, whether it’s peak season or not!
Like the Cape Flyer train option, taking a bus will require a transfer at the Hyannis Transportation Center to get to Provincetown (with Peter Pan Bus Lines). You can catch a bus in Boston to get to Hyannis again with Peter Pan Bus Lines or the great folks of Plymouth & Brockton. Either company is fantastic and their buses have comfortable seating, courteous drivers and will help you with your luggage.
Catch a bus either at South Station or as soon as you get off the plane at Logan International Airport Boston.
Adult tickets (one way) start at $29, and children (under 12) pay $24. Two bags are included in the fare, with each additional bag costing an extra $5.
