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I need to get from Providence train station to Boston Back Bay around 12:30–1:00 am on a weekday. I will have one small bag. If the trains are done for the night, what is the normal, reliable way to do this without guessing on a random pickup? Is it usually a taxi from the station stand, or do people pre-book a car? I’m not asking is it safe in general just want a practical way to make sure I’m using a legit best option.

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    If trains are done for the night, why would there be taxis on the station stand? They will only be any if they expect people to have missed the last train. Even if there are it is obviously more reliable to book a car, since those on the stand might all have been taken. Commented 2 days ago
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    ... because they've arrived on one of the final trains and the trains to Boston Back Bay are done for the night? Commented 2 days ago
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    @WeatherVane Last train FROM Providence is at 11:25 pm (so too early for OP) but last train TO Providence arrives at 1:12 am so there could still be taxis waiting for those (though I'm not familiar with the station at all). It's also not certain a taxi would be willing to go for a 2h ride (back and forth) at that time. Probably best to book in advance, especially if the timing is due to attending some event which may result in a lot of demand for taxis. Commented 2 days ago
  • What did you end up deciding on? Commented 9 hours ago

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Public transportation is depressingly bad in the Boston area and not really an option for your trip.

Rideshare certainly works in Boston at that time of night. "Normal" price is about $100 but you may see significant surge pricing at night. Also, finding a ride from Providence to Boston on the fly might be risky. You can try to prebook on Uber and Lyft and see if they accept and what it costs. The safest option is a private car on sites like booking.com (no affiliation, but used successfully). It'll run you about US $200.

Personally I avoid regular taxis, because I find them unpredictable and have been cheated way too many times. This would be more of an option of last resort.

Another alternative would be to just stay the night and take an early train. For example there is a Homewood Suites by Hilton that's a 5 minute walk from the station and cost $150-ish tonight.

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  • This is such a useful answer, it almost clear my major concerns about travel. Commented yesterday
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Looking at the MBTA train timetable:

  • The last train from Providence is at 11:25 PM, (23:25), so if you're able to get to the station an hour earlier, you can catch that.
  • The first train is at 4:12 AM (04:25), so if you're willing to wait around for ~3 hours, that would work. Note however that the station closes overnight (between last and first train), so you'd have to find somewhere else to wait. There's a 24-hour IHOP an 18 minute walk away from the station, which is likely your best bet.

There are also Amtrak trains from this station to Boston, but the last trains are earlier and the first trains are later than the MBTA services — with the (alleged) exception of Acela 2174 on Friday nights/Saturday mornings, which the timetables say stops in Providence at 12:26 AM (00:26). However, I wasn't able to see that as a bookable option on the Amtrak site.

Other than that, your options are limited.

  • Regional bus services (Megabus, Grayhound, Peter Pan) only run during the day.

  • Local taxis may or may not be willing to do the 49 mile drive. From what I see online, meter rates will work out to around $175, so it won't be cheap.

  • I've checked on-demand Uber (at 1 AM,ET (01:00) on a Thursday night/Friday morning), and the app offered trips for $90 - $110, but I have no idea if you'd actually get a driver to accept that trip.

    You may have the best luck if you use Uber Reserve to book ahead — for Reserve trips, I'm seeing fares of $55 - $75 on a weekday next month. When you book ahead with Uber, prices can be (but are not always) cheaper, and you can generally count on the driver showing up at the appointed time. I've used Reserve several times when I need to get to the airport at 3-4 AM, and haven't had any issues with a driver showing up.

  • You could rent a car (drive yourself) for a one-way trip. The downtown rental offices close at 6 PM (18:00), so you'd need to pick the car up in the afternoon, or you could try the Providence airport, where some of the car rental offices are open until 1 AM (01:00), but getting to the airport would be a pain. You'd arrive in Boston around 2 AM (02:00) and would either need to find parking or drop the car off at Logan airport (where the rental offices are open 24 hours). A quick search for a one-way rental on a weekday booked a month out showed rental rates around $75, so depending on whether or not having car would be otherwise useful to you, Uber would be less of a hassle.

So:

  • If cost is your most important factor, make the 11:25 PM (23:25) train or wait for the 4:12 AM (04:12) train ($12.25 fare).
  • If speed is more important, use Uber Reserve to pre-book a ride.
  • If having a car would be useful to you in/around Providence and/or Boston, consider a one-way car rental.
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  • Please use the 24 hour clock if possible. If not, use at least AM and not a. Commented yesterday

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