World Cup: How to get to Gillette (aka 'Boston') Stadium

If you visit FIFA's official World Cup website, it says games will be played at "Boston Stadium."

We wish.

"Boston Stadium" is what locals know as Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which is famously not in Boston. In fact, it's more than 25 miles from downtown Boston.

You have two main options to make the trek: Leave early and sit in traffic or catch an MBTA Commuter Rail train to Foxboro Station. (Keen-eyed visitors may have done a double-take reading the above, but it's true: While the town is officially is called Foxborough, the MBTA and lots of locals prefer the shorthand Foxboro. It's the same place, trust us.)

Rail is likely to be a popular option among tourists and travelers who don't have their own wheels or a burning desire to experience the soul-crushing crawl down Route 1. The MBTA said tickets for special match-day commuter rail trains will go on sale starting April 8. To snag a seat, you'll have to download the mTicket app.

For the would-be speculators out there who see an opportunity to resell train seats at a mark-up, we have bad news: The T will require purchasers to prove they have tickets to a World Cup match. If you're interested in learning more, you can sign up for updates on the MBTA website.

The agency has committed to ferry up to 20,000 patrons each match day. And crews are hustling to complete a platform overhaul at Foxboro Station before the tournament begins.

That 20,000-rider commitment is good to get about a third of the expected patrons to the stadium.

The rest of the spectators will likely have to brave Boston's byzantine roadways to get to Foxborough. If you're from out of town and rented a car, just be prepared: What's normally a 40-minute drive in off-hour conditions can take upwards of two hours or more when there's an event at Gillette. And once you get there, parking will be limited: More than half of the usual lots will be cordoned off for security and other World Cup requirements.

Given the thousands of cars will also want to park next to the stadium, just getting out of the facility can take more than an hour. That's just to get to the exit gate and back onto Route 1. And if you do drive, you may have to pay more than you want to park near the stadium. If you're not from the U.S., this World Cup may be your crash course into the value of tailgating.

Charter transportation companies are already offering "express" bus service to the matches, complete with pick-up locations and provisions for tailgating. Given the crush of traffic heading to the stadium, pick-up times are scheduled upwards of five hours before kick-off, making this a whole-day affair.

Regional transportation agencies outside of Boston are expected to step up bus service as well.

It's unclear whether FIFA, Boston 26 or other promotors will provide rides to the stadium.