Cover

41 / 92

00 /
39 TRAVEL ING
It’s easy to get here and easy to get around once you arrive, and you’ll be pleasantly
surprised at just how close we are—just two hours north of Boston and less than four
hours from Hartford.
Airplane arrivals and departures
average 100 daily, many of which are
non-stop flights. The following
domestic commercial airlines serve
Portland: American, Delta, Elite, Jet-
Blue, Southwest, and United. Flight
and airline contact information is avail-
able at . The airport
is conveniently located just three miles
from downtown, and many hotels offer
free shuttle service. Rental car, taxi, and
limousine services are also available at
the Jetport.
For motorists traveling from north-
east cities, access by auto is a breeze
on Interstate 95. Greater Portland is
also serviced by national and regional
bus lines, offering numerous routes
to Maine. Or you can ride the rails to
Maine, on the “Downeaster,” Amtrak’s
passenger service between Boston and
Brunswick, with stops in Wells, Saco,
Old Orchard Beach, Portland, and
Freeport.
Portland has become a popular cruise
ship stop, so your next visit could be
planned around a vacation at sea.
Cruise ships dock right downtown,
letting passengers disembark to stroll
the Old Port or take a narrated city tour
or shore excursions to the villages of
Freeport or Kennebunkport. You can
zip between Portland and Nova Scotia
in just 5 1/2 hours on the new Cat ferry.
Once here, you will find the region easy
to navigate with very little traffic. The
Metro bus system offers convenient
public bus service from outlying areas
to downtown, and Casco Bay Lines pro-
vides regular ferry service to the nearby
islands. Portland Trails maintains a net-
work of bicycle and pedestrian routes
throughout the region such as the
Greenbelt Trail on which you can reach
several parks in South Portland.
Photo: Robert Witkowski
{ TRANSPORTAT ION }
CONVENTION + VISITORS BUREAU / 39
Hop a ferry to
explore the Casco
Bay Islands by foot
or bicycle—so
close yet a world
apart.