Getting to and from Maine

Travel to Portland, Bangor or Augusta by Road, Rail, Air or Ferry

Jun 23, 2007

Maine is a remote state, at the northeastern tip of the US, road, rail ferries and regional airports all bring visitors to the area.

Maine is famous for stunning views, wonderful beaches and being the spiritual home of outlet shopping. An excellent vacation venue, Maine has something for everyone. At the southern end of the state the beaches of Kennebunkport, outlet malls of Freeport and city of Portland are all an easy drive from Boston. Further north, lakes, highlands, national parks, mountains and coastlines offer activities for the adventurous and beautiful scenery for the less active.

Maine is a rugged and isolated state, bordered by New Hampshire, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors arrive by road, rail, ferry and air, but the rural location restricts public transport, with limited bus and train services. The largest airports at Portland and Bangor have daily flights to major hubs across the country.

Airports

Portland International Airport

Conveniently situated between the I95 (exit 46) and I 295, Portland International Airport connects Maine with major hubs in the eastern US; including New York, Washington, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago and Detroit.

Bangor International Airport

Bangor International Airport provides direct links to Atlanta, Boston, New York (La Guardia and Newark), Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Detroit, with a summer seasonal service to Minneapolis.

Bar Harbor Airport

US Airways fly to and from Boston up to five times a day from this small airport, situated in the heart of the Acadia National Park.

Rail Services

Amtrak

Amtrak's Downeaster service links Boston North Station with Portland, where connecting buses run to Bangor. Connecting trains in Boston from New York or Chicago arrive at South Station making a trip across Boston necessary.

Bus Services

Greyhound Buses, together with Vermont Transit, run a service four times a day from Bar Harbor, Bangor, Augusta and Portland to Boston and New York, where connections to the rest of the US and Canada can be made.

Interstates

The major highway, the I95, runs through Maine for almost 300 miles from the Canadian border at Houlton to the New Hampshire state line. It then continues through another 14 states and serves many major cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Washington, before reaching Florida, almost 2000 miles away.

Ferries

Bay Ferries run a high-speed link to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, from Portland and Bar Harbor. The crossing times of 3 hours from Bar Harbor and 5½ hours from Portland considerably reduce journey times from Maine to Halifax and the rest of Nova Scotia and cut out hundreds of miles of driving.

Neighboring States

Other Things to do In New England

The copyright of the article Getting to and from Maine in Maine Travel is owned by John Oyston. Permission to republish Getting to and from Maine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.