Why the MBTA Red Line Beats South Coast Rail for a Boston Sunday Trip

The MBTA's Red Line beats South Coast Rail if you are looking to spend some downtime on the weekend in Boston.

I enjoy spending Sunday afternoons walking around Boston. There's so much to do in a relatively small area: you can get your daily steps in, find a good bookstore or two, have lunch, and partake in one of my favorites, people watching. It's all there.

There are so many fun places to people watch: the Boston Common, the Public Garden (complete with Swan Boats and the "most romantic" spot in Boston), Quincy Market, the Esplanade along the Charles River, Beacon Hill (home to the most photographed street in America), and the Italian North End, to name a few.

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There are several options for travelling to Boston from Greater New Bedford. One of them, of course, is to drive. I long ago lost my appetite for driving in Boston, even on a Sunday, so I enjoy taking public transportation. Besides, parking in town is outrageous.

The Red Line To Boston Is Better And Cheaper Than South Coast Rail

South Coast Rail: Schedule, Costs, and Travel Time

South Coast Rail is one option, but the commuter train dumps off at South Station, meaning a short walk to Downtown Crossing or the Faneuil Hall area. You can hop the Red Line at South Station and ride two stops to the Boston Common at Park Street.

It costs $4 to park for the day at the MBTA lot at Church Street Station in New Bedford. Roundtrip tickets to Boston for my wife and me cost $24 each. That's $54.00. Not bad.

READ MORE: Barry's First South Coast Rail Trip

Sunday South Coast Rail departures that make sense for spending an afternoon in Boston are at 8:26 a.m., 10:39 a.m., 1:09 p.m., and 3:26 p.m. The ride from Church Street to South Station takes about 90 minutes.

Return trips that make sense take another 90 minutes and include 4:52 p.m. and 6:10 p.m.

The Red Line To Boston Is Better And Cheaper Than South Coast Rail

The Quincy Alternative: Why the Red Line Wins

Another way is the Red Line from the Quincy Adams MBTA subway station in Quincy. Parking is free all day, and a round-trip subway pass from Quincy to Boston Common is $4.80 each ($9.60 total).

The Quincy Adams MBTA station is a roughly 50-minute drive from New Bedford, and the subway ride from Quincy to the Boston Common is about 25 minutes. The drive to Quincy and back might cost you $5 in gas.

READ MORE: The Reasons Behind Boston's Color-Coded MBTA Lines

The thing about the Red Line is that there are no set departure times like South Coast Rail. When you are ready to go, hop on the subway and head back to the Quincy Adams station and your car.