Extra Trains, Ferry to Help Halloween Visitors Avoid Driving to Salem

The thousands of visitors headed to Salem to celebrate Halloween on Friday night are being encouraged not to drive, and there are plenty of other options.

Salem Ferry will end its 2014 season on Halloween with regular Friday service. Ferries will leave Long Wharf in Boston at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30, 5:30 and 9 p.m.

If you take the Salem Ferry to Salem and plan to stay until the end of the festivities (10:30 p.m.) plan to take the MBTA commuter rail back to Boston or make other plans. The last ferry leaves Salem at 8 p.m. Also, if you plan to enjoy most of the celebration, make sure you take the 5:30 p.m. ferry or earlier. The 9 p.m. ferry from Salem will get to Salem just as the festivities are ending.

A roundtrip ticket is $29 for adults, $24 for seniors and children. A one-way ticket is $17 for adults and $14 for senior and children.

The MBTA has added seven additional trains on Halloween to get visitors in and out of Salem on Halloween. In addition to the regular weekday schedule, an additional train headed for Salem will leave North Station in Boston at 6:30 p.m.

The event officially runs from 3-10:15 p.m. and organizers suggest visitors get to Salem by 8:30 p.m. “ to make the most of your Halloween experience in Salem.” Regular MBTA commuter rail service to Salem offers a dozen trains from Boston to Salem on Friday afternoon and evening, leaving North Station at 3:20, 4, 4:20, 4:45, 5, 5:15, 5:30, 5:40, 5:55, 6:15, 6:45 and 7:40 p.m.

Headed back to Boston after the festivities, the MBTA had added five additional trains. Anyone who plans to leave before the fireworks, additional trains will leave Salem at 7:49, 9:04 and 9:49 p.m. After the fireworks, trains leave for Boston at 10:30, 11:05 and 11:24 p.m. The last train to Boston leaves Salem at 11:24 p.m.

For train riders that may want to come to Salem from the north, an additional train has been added, leaving Salem at 11:45 p.m. headed for Newburyport. Other outbound trains from Salem will leave at 8:59, 9:59, 11:11 and 11:25 p.m. and 12:38 a.m. on Saturday. If you are headed further than Beverly, make sure to check whether it is a Newburyport or Rockport train.

A roundtrip train ticket from Boston to Salem is $15. Fare for other stops (such as Beverly, Swampscott and Lynn) vary from $5.50 to $9.50 roundtrip depending on the originating station. If you are riding one of the extra train, you can only get a ticket at North Station, Beverly Depot or on the extra trains, according to the T.