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Bus Fares

Local Bus One-Way

Local buses travel within Boston and communities in the immediate area. Silver Line routes SL4 and SL5 are local bus routes. Routes SL1, SL2, and SL3 are priced as subway fares.

bus

Local Bus One-Way

$1.70

with CharlieCard, CharlieTicket, contactless payment, or cash

$0.85

with reduced fare card

Fare Calculator

Choose your origin and destination to calculate your fare with our Trip Planner.

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Express Bus One-Way

Express Buses travel in suburbs and communities outside the city and make stops in downtown Boston.

Note: Contactless payment readers on Express Buses only charge Express Bus fare. To pay Local Bus fare on an Express Bus, notify the bus operator and pay with cash or a CharlieCard at the farebox.

bus

Express Bus One-Way

$4.25

with CharlieCard, CharlieTicket, contactless payment, or cash

$2.10

with reduced fare card

Tap to Ride

Learn more about contactless payment

Transfers

Subway and Bus

For Local Bus, Express Bus, Silver Line, and/or Subway, transfer up to two times and pay only the cost of the highest-priced service.

Commuter Rail and Ferry

Certain monthly Commuter Rail passes printed on a CharlieTicket include unlimited transfers to any mode. Single-ride Commuter Rail and ferry tickets generally do not include free transfers.

Note: Transfers are not available with store value CharlieTickets or cash payments. Transfer rules still apply to travel with contactless payment.

Learn more about transfers

Perq

A rider tapping a Perq card at a fare gate

Get monthly passes—at pre-tax rates—through your employer.

Learn more about Perq

Passes

1-Day and 7-day passes purchased on CharlieTickets are valid from the date and time of purchase. Those purchased on CharlieCards are valid from the first tap at a fare box or fare gate.

You can buy monthly passes at fare vending machines starting the 15th of the prior month or you can sign up for Auto-pay.

1-Day Pass

$11.00

Unlimited travel for 24 hours

CharlieCard and CharlieTicket valid on:
bus Local Bus
subway Subway
silver line Silver Line

Commuter Rail Zone 1A Pass on CharlieTicket also valid on:
commuter rail Commuter Rail Zone 1A
ferry Charlestown Ferry
ferry East Boston Ferry (seasonal)

7-Day Pass

$22.50 

Unlimited travel for 7 days

CharlieCard and CharlieTicket valid on:
bus Local Bus
subway Subway
silver line Silver Line

Commuter Rail Zone 1A Pass on CharlieTicket also valid on:
commuter rail Commuter Rail Zone 1A
ferry Charlestown Ferry
ferry East Boston Ferry (seasonal)

Monthly Local Bus Pass

$55.00

Unlimited travel for the remainder of the month

Valid on:
bus Local Bus
silver line SL4 and SL5

Monthly LinkPass

$90.00

Unlimited travel for the remainder of the month

CharlieCard and CharlieTicket valid on:
bus Local Bus
subway Subway
silver line Silver Line

CharlieTicket also valid on:
commuter rail Commuter Rail Zone 1A
ferry Charlestown Ferry
ferry East Boston Ferry (seasonal)

Monthly Express Bus Pass

$136.00

Unlimited travel for the remainder of the month

CharlieCard and CharlieTicket valid on:
bus Local and Express Bus
subway Subway
silver line Silver Line

CharlieTicket also valid on:
commuter rail Commuter Rail Zone 1A
ferry Charlestown Ferry
ferry East Boston Ferry (seasonal)

Auto-pay Monthly Passes

Sign up for Auto-pay so you never have to worry about reloading your CharlieCard again. Signing up is quick and easy, and your pass renews automatically each month.

Learn more about Auto-pay

How to Pay Your Bus Fare

First, choose how you’ll pay your fare

The right way to pay for you depends on how often you ride the T.

CharlieCard

Best for frequent bus and subway riders 
Online card management via MyCharlie
Easily tap into stations and vehicles
Use up to four times at once for one-way fare

Valid on:
subway Subway
bus Bus
silver line Silver Line

CharlieTicket

Best for visitors
Purchase at any subway station
Load with cash value or passes
Limited transfers with cash value
No online card management

1-Day Pass, 7-Day Pass, and cash-value CharlieTickets valid on:
subway Subway
bus Bus
silver line Silver Line

Monthly LinkPasses valid on:
subway Subway
bus Bus
silver line Silver Line
commuter rail Commuter Rail Zone 1A
ferry Charlestown Ferry
ferry East Boston Ferry (seasonal)

 

Contactless payment

Best for visitors and regular bus and subway riders 
Easy to tap and go
Can connect with reduced fare benefits
Online card management
Not valid on Commuter Rail or ferry
Not compatible with daily, weekly, or monthly passes
Cannot use to pay Local Bus fare on an Express Bus  

Valid on:

subway Subway
bus Bus
silver line Silver Line
mattapan line Mattapan Line

You can also pay in cash or add cash value to a CharlieCard at onboard fare boxes, or use your EBT card to load value or passes onto a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket at fare vending machines, the Charlie Service Center, or MBTA retail sales locations that accept EBT cards.

Learn how to pay with your EBT card

Then, choose where to buy your ticket or pass

When you’re ready to board the bus

For issues with payment or purchase at any fare point please call 617-222-3200.

Reduced Fares

Some riders are eligible for reduced fares or can ride the T for free.

Learn more about reduced fares

CharlieCard

CharlieCards are reusable plastic cards that can be loaded with cash value or 1-Day, 7-Day, or monthly passes.

Learn more about CharlieCards

Fare Calculator

Choose your origin and destination to calculate your fare with our Trip Planner.

There was a problem performing your search; please try again in a few minutes.

Tap to Ride

Learn more about contactless payment

Perq

A rider tapping a Perq card at a fare gate

Get monthly passes—at pre-tax rates—through your employer.

Learn more about Perq

Reduced Fares

Some riders are eligible for reduced fares or can ride the T for free.

Learn more about reduced fares