Convention Center Car Service Boston | MCEC & BCEC

BCEC Car Service in Boston: Getting to the MCEC and the Hynes

The Boston convention center is one of the closest to its airport in the country, but on a big show morning the Seaport's streets fill up fast. A convention center car service matters most on exactly those mornings, which is why we recommend reserving your car in advance, especially if you're traveling with a team or exhibit materials.

Quick answer: Boston Pro Car Service provides convention center car service in Boston between Logan Airport, Boston hotels, and the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center (MCEC, formerly the BCEC) at 415 Summer Street in the Seaport. We track your flight, meet you at Logan, and drive you through the Ted Williams Tunnel to the convention center. The venue describes this as about an eight-minute ride, though show-day traffic can make it longer. We match the vehicle to your role: an executive sedan for solo attendees, an SUV for small teams, and a Sprinter or minibus for exhibitor crews and larger groups. For multi-day conferences, we schedule daily hotel-to-convention-center transfers. Our service runs 24/7.

The MCEC is the Seaport's main convention venue and one of the largest exhibition centers in the Northeast. It has 516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, 82 meeting rooms, and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. It opened in 2004 as the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. In July 2025 it was renamed in honor of former Boston mayor Thomas Menino. The venue hosted 136 events in 2024, bringing more than 500,000 attendees to Boston. Recurring shows held there include Seafood Expo North America and PAX East.

Our office is in East Boston, between Logan and the Ted Williams Tunnel, so the Logan-to-Seaport route is one we drive every week. What we've learned is simple: the distance is never the problem. The timing is. This guide explains how our convention center car service works: the route, which vehicle fits which traveler, and how we plan around the Seaport's busiest mornings.

Is the BCEC the same as the MCEC?

Yes. The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) and the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center (MCEC) are the same building at 415 Summer Street. The Massachusetts Legislature approved the renaming in fall 2024, and it took effect in July 2025. Many event badges, hotel confirmations and maps still say "BCEC," so don't be surprised if you see both names on the same trip.

Is "the Boston convention center" the MCEC or the Hynes?

Boston has two convention centers, so check which one your event uses before you book. Both are run by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority:

• MCEC (formerly BCEC): in the Seaport, close to Logan. Most large trade shows and conventions are held here.
• Hynes Convention Center: in Back Bay. It has about 176,000 square feet of exhibit space and connects to more than 3,100 hotel rooms and about 200 shops and restaurants.

The two venues are in different parts of the city, and the routes, drive times and drop-off points are completely different. When clients book with us, the first thing we confirm is the venue address.

How do you get from Logan to the Hynes Convention Center?

The Hynes is at 900 Boylston Street in Back Bay. From Logan, the route runs through the Ted Williams Tunnel and west on the Mass Pike (I-90), exiting toward Copley Square and the Prudential Center. Off-peak, plan on about 15–25 minutes. At rush hour, the Pike and the Back Bay exits slow down, so leave more time.

Drop-off is on Boylston Street at the main entrance. Many Hynes attendees stay at hotels connected to the building, such as the Sheraton Boston and the hotels at Copley Place. For them, the car matters most on arrival and departure days, and for dinners and meetings elsewhere in the city.

How far is the MCEC from Logan Airport?

Less than three miles, one of the shortest airport-to-convention-center trips in the country. From Logan, the route runs through the Ted Williams Tunnel (I-90), which comes out in the Seaport close to Summer Street. The venue itself describes this as about an eight-minute ride.

In our experience, 10–15 minutes is a realistic plan off-peak. On a big show's opening morning, when thousands of attendees, exhibitors and delivery trucks are heading to the same building, the short drive can take noticeably longer.

Our chauffeurs have more than 15 years of professional driving experience and know the Seaport's approach routes. On busy mornings they know which streets to avoid and when to leave extra time. We don't plan around the quiet version of this route. We plan around the busy one.

Flight tracking matters here too. We check your flight every 30 minutes, and as soon as you land, you get a text with your chauffeur's name and phone number. If your flight is delayed, the pickup time adjusts automatically. You don't have to call anyone. Many conferences draw international attendees; for those arrivals, see our Logan airport limo service.

What is the best way to get from Logan to the convention center?

It depends on who you are and what you're carrying.

• Solo attendee with light luggage: The MBTA Silver Line is a real option. It's free from Logan, stops at World Trade Center directly across from the MCEC, and runs from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
• Solo attendee who values time and comfort: A pre-booked car takes you door to door, with no transit map to figure out after a flight.
• Team: One SUV or van keeps colleagues together and drops everyone at the same entrance at the same time.
• Exhibitor: Cases, displays and marketing materials need cargo space, so you need a larger vehicle, such as a Sprinter. For corporate delegations, an Executive Sprinter adds executive seating and a center table.

Display cases and boxed materials take more room than a suitcase, so a full crew with booth items fits fewer passengers per vehicle. Tell us your case count, and we'll size the vehicle for both.

A few details make a show day easier. Our vehicles carry bottled water, USB charging ports, and hand sanitizer and wipes. Select vehicles also have Wi-Fi, which is useful if you need to check emails before the keynote. Some MCEC events are consumer shows that families attend. If you're coming with children, request a child seat when booking and we'll have it ready. For VIP speakers and executives, see our VIP business travel chauffeur guide.

What vehicle do exhibitors need at the MCEC?

For exhibitor crews, a Sprinter works best, carrying both the team and its hand-carry items. Large booth freight goes through the show's own contractor. This distinction matters. MCEC rules route exhibitor move-in through the loading docks, and each show sets its own hand-carry rules in its event guide.

In practice, that works like this:

• Large booth structures and pallets are usually shipped through the show's official general service contractor.
• Crew, suitcases, laptop cases, small displays and marketing materials travel with the team, and a Sprinter carries all of that in one trip.

Before booking, check your show's hand-carry rule, then tell us how many people and cases you'll have. We'll size the vehicle to match.

How does group transportation for trade shows work?

It works best as one planned program rather than a series of separate rides. Trade show group transportation usually covers three kinds of movement:

• Exhibitor logistics: moving the booth crew and hand-carry items between Logan, the hotel and the convention center.
• Team transfers: moving the company's staff between the hotel and the show floor on a fixed schedule.
• Client hosting: a car on standby to take clients and partners to dinners, side meetings and events.

When we have the event schedule in advance, we can assign vehicles for move-in morning, sequence the morning transfers, and keep a car on standby for VIP guests. The team coordinator gets email and SMS updates as each car heads out, so there's no need to call around asking which car is where. This kind of multi-vehicle planning is where a convention center car service shows its real value.

Our event transportation and executive and corporate car service pages cover this kind of coordination. For client hosting, hourly car service keeps the same car and chauffeur with you for as long as you need.

Where are drop-off and parking at the MCEC?

The designated pick-up and drop-off area for ride services is on East Side Drive, off Summer Street. Parking is in the South Lot. According to the venue, the MCEC has about 1,300 attendee parking spaces, with separate rates for standard and oversized vehicles.

On the busiest show days, the parking lot and drop-off areas fill up quickly. That's one of the main reasons many attendees choose not to drive themselves: no looking for a space before the keynote, and no walking from a garage. A driver who knows the approach routes and the show's drop-off pattern saves you real time.

Does it matter where you're staying?

Yes. Your hotel's location changes how you plan daily transfers.

• Seaport hotels: The Westin next door connects to the MCEC by skybridge, and the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is less than a quarter mile away. From here, a morning ride is a short hop. Still, on show days a scheduled pickup is more reliable than hoping to find an app ride.
• Back Bay or downtown: You cross into the Seaport every morning. The MCEC is about a one-minute drive from I-90 and I-93, but morning show traffic builds up exactly around that approach. Scheduled daily transfers make this commute predictable.

For a multi-day show, we try to assign the same chauffeur and vehicle every morning. At the same time, in the same car, every day, transportation stops being something you have to think about.

Why use a convention center car service instead of the Silver Line or Uber?

Not every trip needs one. A solo attendee with a carry-on can easily take the free Silver Line from Logan or book an app ride, and many do. On a light-luggage, budget trip with no client to meet, that's a sensible choice. On show days, though, app rides at Logan come with their own delays.

A pre-booked car makes more sense in these situations:

• exhibitors carrying materials
• a team that needs to arrive together
• when you're hosting a client
• a keynote or session you can't be late for
• a multi-day schedule you don't want to improvise every morning

The right question isn't "which option is cheapest" but "what does this trip actually need." At Boston Pro Car Service, prices are set out clearly in advance, with no hidden fees, so you can make that comparison upfront.

What mistakes cause problems on convention trips?

Most problems come from underestimating the short route. The ones we see most often:

• Too little buffer on opening morning. A short distance doesn't mean a short drive on a big show day.
• Choosing a sedan for booth materials. Check the cases and the passenger count together.
• Not confirming the venue. The MCEC and the Hynes are in different parts of the city.
• Booking a new ride every morning. For multi-day shows, scheduled transfers are far more reliable.
• Not sending the flight number. Without it, early landings and delays can't be followed.

Nearly all of these mistakes can be avoided by booking your convention center car service in advance and sharing the full show schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I arrange transportation for a conference in Boston?Book your Logan arrival with your flight number, then schedule hotel-to-BCEC transfers for each day of the event. Book a sedan for one person, an SUV for a team, or a Sprinter for exhibitors with hand-carry gear. Booking the whole trip at once lets dispatch plan around show-day Seaport traffic.

What's the best way to get to the BCEC from the airport?A solo traveler with a carry-on can take the free SL1 Silver Line to the World Trade Center stop, directly across from the MCEC. Teams, exhibitors, and anyone hosting clients are better served by a pre-booked car or van, since the Ted Williams Tunnel makes it a 10–15 minute drive off-peak.

Can I bring booth materials in the car?Yes, for items your show allows as hand-carry, such as pop-up displays, cases, and collateral. Larger freight usually has to go through the show's general contractor, so check your exhibitor kit before booking.

Can I book convention transportation for my whole team at once?Yes. Send us the arrival flights, hotel, show schedule and number of cases, and we'll plan the arrivals, daily transfers and evening events as one program.

Is there parking at the MCEC?Yes. The South Lot has about 1,300 spaces. On busy show days it fills up quickly, so a drop-off at East Side Drive is often the faster option.