RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority)
265 Melrose St. 401-781-9400
Covers most of Rhode Island.
Prices/pass information, schedules and maps on website and at Kennedy Plaza Passenger Terminal, downtown Providence. Current fare: FREE with RISD ID!
Peter Pan Bus Lines
129 Washington St. 1-888-751-8800 One-way to Boston: $7.95
Greyhound
102 Fountain St. 1-800-229-9424
Prices, schedules & maps on website.
Trolley
Providence LINK 401-781-9400
Trolley line affiliated with RIPTA.
Gold Line serves Capitol Hill and the South Side.
Green Line serves Federal Hill, the East Side and downtown, and goes to Eastside Marketplace on Saturdays.
Pass information, schedules and maps on website. Current fare: FREE with RISD ID!
Taxi Services
Airport Budget Cab: 401-453-4851 Airport Express: 401-521-4200 Arrow Cab Co.: 401-946-5333 East Side Cab: 401-521-8855 Providence Cab Co.: 401-521-4200 Red & White Cab: 401-521-4200 Yellow Cab: 401-941-1122
Airport Limousine Shuttle 401-737-2868
Runs 5am-7pm daily.
Stops at 30 Waterman St. at 20 minutes past the hour. Arrives at T.F. Green Airport at 50 minutes past the hour. Current fare: $9 each way
Trains
MBTA Commuter Rail
Amtrak/MBTA Station
100 Gaspee St. 1-800-392-6100
Prices/pass information, schedules and maps on website.
Student discounts available. One-way to Boston's South Station: $5.75
Amtrak
Amtrak/MBTA Station
100 Gaspee St. 1-800-USA-RAIL
Prices, schedules and maps on website.
Student and AAA discounts available.
Car Rentals
Rent to 25+: Avis: 401-521-6197 Hertz: 401-274-4043
Best way to get there: Bus or MBTA commuter rail (it's about an hour)
Why go? The cradle of the Revolution is (despite its age) a hip and happening town, from the MFA and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to the Red Sox at Fenway Park and the Boston Bruins at the Fleet Center, to Newbury Street and Harvard Square. Day trip it or crash with a friend at one of the city's many universities.
Hartford, CT
Best way to get there: Bus.
Why go? It may have a reputation as New England's scruffiest capital, but Hartford is a historical diamond in the rough: Museums and parks abound, and famous Americans like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe once lived there. Plus, it's close enough that you won't even have to find a place to stay overnight.
Newport, RI
Best way to get there: RIPTA buses or the Providence-Newport ferry (May-Oct). If you drive, parking is scarce, so be prepared to hoof it into town.
Why go? Once a playboy's paradise and the birthplace of U.S. Tennis, Newport is considered by many to be nothing more than a tourist trap. But they're wrong: The sunny seaside town may be clogged with visitors on summer weekends, but it's a beautiful city with ocean-side state parks and neighborhoods of grand mansions. Take a romantic stroll or party all night with your friends. Best of all, you can get back home in time for dinner (or breakfast).
New York City, NY
Best way to get there: Bus, or Amtrak if you have some extra change.
Why go? It's The Big Apple. Need we say more? It can get expensive though, so don't stay for too long -- or else get a relative or older sibling to cover for you.
Washington, D.C.
Best way to get there: Catch a ride with a friend. It's a long way and an expensive ride.
Why go? Politicize yourselve at the Capitol or on the Mall, visit one of the Smithsonian's many museums, or shop till you drop at any D.C.-area megamall. While it's too far for a day trip, D.C. is a fabulous city with a thousand things to do.
White Mountains, NH
Best way to get there: Rent (better yet, borrow) a car.
Why go? This northern outpost of the Appalachian Trail attracts hordes of would-be hikers in the summer, but few recognize that its peaks and valleys can be just as stunning (and a lot less crowded) in the off-season. Thanks to the Appalachian Mountain Club and the U.S. Forest Service, savvy hikers or skiers can reserve spots in their heated, well-stocked huts instead of tenting it (for about $60/night). And the vistas? You'll just have to see them for yourself.
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