Tufts Blogs

For most Jumbos, matriculating to Tufts marks their first time living away from home. The familiar routines of living with parents and perhaps siblings are temporarily broken, replaced with vibrant life on the Hill.

However, do not fear — you will return home. For Thanksgiving, winter and summer breaks, and maybe even a long weekend, you’ll find yourself returning to your customary bed at home. Still, these trips are not without headaches. After all, they tend to come during the busiest travel times each year. So, I’ve prepared an unofficial guide, based on my experience, for how to get to and from Tufts and home, during breaks and holidays. 

I will preface my transportation thesis by disclosing that I live in New Jersey. While not immediately next to Medford, it is on the Eastern Seaboard and is well-connected to the greater Boston area. While I can’t speak to the experiences of locals or international students, I think I'm located in a sweet spot for evaluating the best transport methods.

Planes:

For my first two years as a student, my most-used method of getting to Tufts was through the air. My local airport, Newark Liberty International, offers plenty of direct flights to Boston Logan International. It is a short flight, lasting only around 45 minutes. Nonetheless, delays are not unusual. Assuming all goes to plan, though, Logan is an easy airport to navigate, and there are plenty of Ubers or Lyfts waiting to shepherd you back. Also, the MBTA, or the “T,” has a Blue Line stop at the airport, which you can hop on and then transfer to the Green Line to get back to Tufts. The Blue Line takes around 40 minutes, while ride-shares can last as little as 15 minutes without traffic. Overall, considering the short flight duration, flying has probably been my preferred vehicle for going between Tufts and New Jersey. Flights are often filled with businesspeople and fellow students. Moreover, Logan is straightforward to manage, and the security lines are never long. Still, if you’re in a time crunch, you may want to consider other options, as delays and rescheduling, which is the case with all air travel, are commonplace. 

Trains:

Amtrak is the closest option to a “sure thing” for students traveling to campus. It usually arrives and departs on time, it runs frequently, and it has plenty of stops, from Virginia to New England. My local Amtrak station is Metropark in Woodbridge, NJ. From there, I take the Northeast Regional to South Station, the final stop. South Station houses a Red Line T stop that can take you directly to Davis Square, and, as always, there are plenty of ride-share opportunities for returning to campus. I traveled home via Amtrak earlier in the fall semester for a family event and very much enjoyed my experience. It was quiet, a smooth ride, and, though the Wi-Fi was hit-and-miss, I was able to get some homework done. My only gripe was the time of the journey, five hours, which felt longer on a train than it does on a plane. Quicker trips are possible through the Acela brand. Simply, a hassle-free and oftentimes calming trip, Amtrak offers a great option for getting to Tufts. 

Automobiles:

The third modus operandi I have used to venture between my home and Tufts is driving. My parents drove me and enough dorm items to fill the ocean up for Pre-O as a first-year, but I did not have a car on campus until my junior year. Car policies vary by where you’re living, both on campus or off, and in Medford or Somerville. My off-campus house, in Somerville, has three parking spaces in its driveway, so I was able to bring my car for the fall semester. Driving to Tufts is the easiest option in terms of logistics. No bookings are necessary; you can pack as much luggage as your car can fit, and you can leave at your own leisure. Be prepared, though, that a five-hour-plus ride, with wildly varying traffic, alone is no small feat. Be sure to have plenty of music, podcasts, snacks, and caffeine on hand. Also, if your ride is similar in time to mine, I would only recommend driving over Thanksgiving or during the winter and summer breaks. For a three-day weekend, a minimum of 10 hours in the car does not make logistical sense. Nonetheless, if you’re able to bring a car to campus, and driving is within the realm of possibility, I’d opt for it, since you can set your own schedule and, best of all, overpack. 

So there you have it, Max Druckman’s Ultimate Guide to Getting To and From Tufts. Obviously, my experience is not universal, as students live in all corners of the globe and will have varied tales about their adventures. Irrespective of your journey to Tufts, though, it is inarguable that you will find a home on the Hill. After all, home is where the almost 7,000 smiling Jumbos are (That’s the saying, right?).

Photo Credit: Alonso Nichols, Tufts Now