How far is Harvard from major cities, and how do students typically get there?
I'm currently making a college list and trying to figure out logistics for possible campus visits this summer. If anyone has experience with Harvard, could you share how far it is from big cities like New York or Boston and what transportation options are easiest? If you're a student there or have visited before, did you fly, drive, or take a train?
I'm from the Midwest, so I'm trying to plan how many days I'd need for a trip and whether I'd need to rent a car. Any advice on travel time, costs, and especially how accessible the campus is for someone not from the region would be really helpful!
For others who've done college tours in the Northeast, do you usually stay in Boston and day-trip to places like Harvard, or is it better to stay closer? Just trying to understand what makes the most sense logistically.
I'm from the Midwest, so I'm trying to plan how many days I'd need for a trip and whether I'd need to rent a car. Any advice on travel time, costs, and especially how accessible the campus is for someone not from the region would be really helpful!
For others who've done college tours in the Northeast, do you usually stay in Boston and day-trip to places like Harvard, or is it better to stay closer? Just trying to understand what makes the most sense logistically.
6 months ago
•
692 views
Luis Nario-Malberg
• 6 months ago
Advisor
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is basically right next to Boston. The campus is extremely accessible from downtown Boston—it's about a 10-20 minute ride by car or subway (the "T" Red Line goes directly to Harvard Square). For most visitors, staying in Boston or Cambridge works just fine since there are plenty of hotels, and you can easily reach Harvard for a day trip or a campus tour.
Distance from major cities: From New York City, Harvard is roughly about 4-5 hours by car, depending on traffic. The Amtrak train from Penn Station to Boston’s South Station takes about 4-4.5 hours. Flights from NYC (JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark) to Boston Logan Airport are about 1 hour flight time, though you should budget extra time for getting to/from airports. From Logan, you can take the subway or a taxi to Harvard in 30-45 minutes. If you’re coming from the Midwest, direct flights to Boston are frequent from major hubs like Chicago, Detroit, or Minneapolis.
Most visiting students either fly into Boston Logan and use public transit or a ride-share/taxi from the airport. Renting a car isn’t really necessary in Boston/Cambridge as the city is compact, and parking can be expensive and hard to find. If you want to explore outside of Boston (like rural New England colleges), a car can be useful, but for Harvard and other Boston-area schools, it's easier to rely on transit.
A sample itinerary for a Midwest visitor could be: Fly into Boston Logan, take a cab or the MBTA Red Line to your hotel in Boston or Cambridge, then plan your Harvard tour as a day trip. Many people stay in Boston and commute to Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and other local schools for tours; you can fit in several schools in a couple of days without needing to switch hotels. For example, you could spend one day touring Harvard, another for MIT, and even squeeze in Boston College or Northeastern, all using the subway system.
If you want to visit colleges outside the immediate Boston area (like Yale, Brown, or Amherst), consider taking the train (Amtrak covers Boston to New Haven for Yale and Providence for Brown). Renting a car only becomes practical if you plan to see smaller towns or less transit-accessible campuses.
Distance from major cities: From New York City, Harvard is roughly about 4-5 hours by car, depending on traffic. The Amtrak train from Penn Station to Boston’s South Station takes about 4-4.5 hours. Flights from NYC (JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark) to Boston Logan Airport are about 1 hour flight time, though you should budget extra time for getting to/from airports. From Logan, you can take the subway or a taxi to Harvard in 30-45 minutes. If you’re coming from the Midwest, direct flights to Boston are frequent from major hubs like Chicago, Detroit, or Minneapolis.
Most visiting students either fly into Boston Logan and use public transit or a ride-share/taxi from the airport. Renting a car isn’t really necessary in Boston/Cambridge as the city is compact, and parking can be expensive and hard to find. If you want to explore outside of Boston (like rural New England colleges), a car can be useful, but for Harvard and other Boston-area schools, it's easier to rely on transit.
A sample itinerary for a Midwest visitor could be: Fly into Boston Logan, take a cab or the MBTA Red Line to your hotel in Boston or Cambridge, then plan your Harvard tour as a day trip. Many people stay in Boston and commute to Harvard, MIT, Tufts, and other local schools for tours; you can fit in several schools in a couple of days without needing to switch hotels. For example, you could spend one day touring Harvard, another for MIT, and even squeeze in Boston College or Northeastern, all using the subway system.
If you want to visit colleges outside the immediate Boston area (like Yale, Brown, or Amherst), consider taking the train (Amtrak covers Boston to New Haven for Yale and Providence for Brown). Renting a car only becomes practical if you plan to see smaller towns or less transit-accessible campuses.
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years