Get a CharlieCard. CharlieCards are plastic, credit-card-sized cards that are available at any below-ground "T" stop, and at most convenience stores and supermarkets in the city. The CharlieCard will save you approximately 15 percent off the one-way fare of a paper CharlieTicket. At every below-ground "T" stop, there are automated machines that allow you to add money to your CharlieCard or buy a CharlieTicket.
Know the layout. The central "T" stop in the center of Boston is the Government Center stop. Every line services this stop. Think of it as the north star of the "T" system: Every time you are traveling toward Government Center, you are heading inbound, or toward the center of the city.
Memorize your colors. The "T" is broken down into five colored lines: red, blue, green, orange and silver. The silver line is a bus line that runs in a small circle. The other lines are below-ground subways that travel to a number of different suburbs. The red, orange and blue lines all travel above ground when they leave the city and enter their respective suburbs.
Learn the hierarchy. The green line is the most popular line because it goes from downtown Boston to Boston College, stopping at Boston University and all the popular tourist attractions in the city along the way. The green line can be the most confusing line: Once it goes above ground, it splits into the lettered lines B, C, D and E. Make sure you know which line you need when you head outbound on the green line; it is frustrating to be stranded somewhere in Brookline when you needed to get to Newton.
Know where you are going. Some "T" destinations are self-explanatory, such as the Museum of Fine Arts stop. But others can be misleadingly named. Visit the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority website (see Resources) to determine where you need to go.
