From: BOSTON | NEW YORK
Getting to Martha’s Vineyard From Boston
FROM BOSTON – BY AIR: There are plenty of ways to get to Martha’s Vineyard from the Boston area. The first three options involve not having a car. There are daily flights from Logan Airport to Martha’s Vineyard Airport year round on Cape Air. Flight time is forty minutes, which is the obvious advantage but fares can be expensive. The Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) is located in the middle of the island. Taxis, Uber, and busses to the OB Inn are readily available.
FROM BOSTON – BY LAND AND SEA: The next way to get to the island without a car is by bus. There are two busses from Boston, The Plymouth Brockton and Peter Pan Bus both companies run trips from Logan Airport and South Station to Woods Hole and Hyannis, reservations are encouraged. The Plymouth Brockton bus is new as of 2021 and usually has fewer people on it. If you travel plans involve staying on Cape Cod, The Hyline Ferry is an option, if not staying on Cape Cod, don’t take this ferry. If you are going via Hyannis MA there are nine trips a day to Hyannis and seven trips a day returning. The bus trip is one and a half hours from South Station. Fares are $43 round trip. The bus depot is an eleven minute walk to the Hyline Ferry.
The Hyline Ferry travels from Hyannis harbor to Oak Bluffs harbor. Service run 4 times a day off season and 6 times a day in season and sail time is 1 hour. Fares are $59 for adults / $39 for kids (5-12) round trip.
The other option on Peter Pan Bus is to go from Logan Airport or South Station to Woods Hole MA. There are eight trips a day and six trips a day. Vineyard Haven is three miles away from Oak Bluffs and there are taxis, busses and Uber to get around.
Getting here by car: the first option is The Seastreak Ferry in New Bedford MA. Service runs from mid May to late October. Ferries travel three times a day off season and seven times a day in season and on holidays. Sail time is an hour and the ferry has a snack bar. Parking is provided at The Whale’s Tooth Parking Lot, a 7 minute walk from the terminal. You might want to drop off bags and passengers at the terminal so only one person has to walk. This ferry is three times the cost of the other two ferries so there are two main reasons to take it. One, you either live near New Bedford or two, you want to avoid traffic on the two bridges to Cape Cod where the next two ferries depart from.
- Adults $70 round trip / $40 kids (3-12). Same day return is $50.
- Bicycles $14 round trip.
- Parking $15 per calendar day. Valet parking is offered for $20 a day midweek and $25 weekend.
- Sail time is 1 hour.
- Ferry docks at Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority Port.
- Walking map to the Inn.
The next few ferries require going over The Bourne or Sagamore Bridges. Busy summer days can lead to traffic delays so plan accordingly and use navigation ala Waze. The first ferry you come to after either bridge is The Island Queen in Falmouth MA. Service runs from mid May to mid October. Seven trips a day in season with two bonus runs on weekends. Off season it’s five trips on the weekend and three mid week. Parking is located 200 yards from the boat. Drop off passengers and luggage then park the car.
- Adults $22 round trip / $14 kids (5-12).
- Bicycles $8 round trip.
- Parking is $20 per calendar day, cash only.
- Sail time is 35 minutes.
- Ferry lands at Island Queen dock in Oak Bluffs.
- Walking map to the Inn.
The Steamship Authority from Woods Hole is the only way to bring your car across. It’s also the only year round ferry. Service starts at 6AM and continues every hour to hour and fifteen minutes till 9:45 PM. Reservations for the car are highly recommended. Even if you don’t get the exact times you want, book the ferry and keep calling for better times. You can also show up early and try to go stand by. If you’re not bringing the car, parking is available at The Palmer Lot and a free shuttle brings you to the boat. On busy weekends, sometimes outer lots are used. Check the website or look out for road signs on the side of the road for up to date parking info. If the ferry is full of passengers on board, find out which door you disembark from and go there a half hour into the voyage. This way you get off of the boat first. Ferries are staggered between two island ports, seasonally in Oak Bluffs and year round in Vineyard Haven. So if you show up as a passenger, and there are two ferries loading, ask to find out which one is going to Oak Bluffs.
- Adults $17 round trip / $9 kids (5-12).
- Cars in season $162 under 17′ in length, $182 over 17′.
- Bicycles $8 round trip.
- Parking $15 midweek, $20 weekend.
- Sail time is 45 minutes.
- Ferry docks at either Oak Bluffs SSA Port or The Vineyard Haven SSA.
- Walking map to the Inn if boat docks in Oak Bluffs.
If you are staying in Edgartown, The Pied Piper ferry from Falmouth is the way to go. Service runs from late May to early December. Four trips a day with a bonus on Friday nights in season, three trips a day off season. It is more expensive so weigh your options.
- Adult $30 round trip / $20 kids (6-12).
- Bicycles $5 round trip.
- Parking $50 the first day, $25 per calendar day after.
- Sail time is 1 hour.
- Ferry lands at Memorial Wharf in Edgartown.
From: BOSTON | NEW YORK
Getting to Martha’s Vineyard from New York
FROM NYC – BY AIR: There are flights from JFK on Delta and Jet Blue directly to Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY). There are also flights from Westchester Airport (HPN) on Cape Air. Flights are seasonal.The upside is no traffic and under one hour flight time. The disadvantage: it can be expensive. The Martha’s Vineyard Airport is located in the middle of the island. Taxis, Uber, and busses are available to deliver you to the Oak Bluffs Inn.
FROM NYC – BY SEA: The Seastreak Ferry from E 35 St. in Manhattan directly to Martha’s Vineyard. Service runs from May 24 to September 2. This boat leaves on Friday afternoon and gets to Martha’s Vineyard in the evening and leaves Sunday afternoon back to NYC. The ferry starts its journey from Highlands, NJ at 2:30 PM and then heads to E 35 St. in Manhattan for a 4 PM departure to Martha’s Vineyard. There are no assigned seats so it’s recommended to queue up early or, if possible, get the ferry in NJ. It’s a 5 ½ to 6 hour ride so try to get a seat near an electrical outlet for charging. There is a snack bar but bringing your own food is recommended. Alcohol is also served on the ferry. Each passenger is allowed two medium size bags. Advantages: it’s easy to get to if you are in Manhattan and no driving/traffic. Disadvantages: it’s a long time to be on a boat ride and only has one trip/time option in each direction. It’s normally not a problem but If you are prone to seasickness, it’s better to be prepared. If the weather is really bad, the ferry line charters a motor coach.
- Round Trip Fare is $240 & $310 on holiday weekends.
- Bicycles can be accommodated for a small fee.
- Sail time is 5 ½ to 6 hours.
- Parking is not available at port.
- Ferry docks at Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority Port.
- Walking map to the Inn.
FROM NYC – BY LAND AND SEA: If you are not flying into Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) or taking the Seastreak Ferry, you will be looking at a combination of land + sea travel.
The first ferry driving north on I-95 is The Vineyard Fast Ferry located in North Kingstown R.I. Service runs from mid May to mid October. Ferries leave two to three times a day depending on peak and off peak days. Read the schedule carefully because it can be confusing. Parking is adjacent to the dock. Go to their website for up to the minute pricing and there is a $5 for not booking in advance. An obvious advantage is this ferry takes out a lot of driving. The next few ferry ports are forty five minutes or one hour and twenty minutes away respectively. The disadvantage is limited runs. The ferry is also fifteen minutes from the Providence Airport. Shuttle Service is provided for $15 a person and can be picked up on baggage claim level to the right of the exit doors. Reservations are required. Amtrak also provides train service from Penn Station to Providence Station. From there, take the Shuttle for $22 a person to the ferry. Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance.
- Adults $89 round trip / $66 kids (3-11).
- Bicycles $16 round trip.
- Parking $10 a calendar day. Cash only, pre pay.
- Sail time 1 and ½ hours.
- Ferry lands at Island Queen dock in Oak Bluffs.
- Walking map to the Inn.
The next ferry you come to traveling north is The Seastreak Ferry in New Bedford MA – the same company that offers weekend service form NYC. Service runs from mid May to late October. Ferries travel three times a day off season and seven times a day in season and on holidays. Sail time is an hour and the ferry has a snack bar. Parking is provided at The Whale’s Tooth Parking Lot, a 7 minute walk from the terminal. You might want to drop off bags and passengers at the terminal so only one person has to walk.
- Adults $70 round trip / $40 kids (3-12). Same day return is $50.
- Bicycles $14 round trip.
- Parking $15 per calendar day. Valet parking is offered for $20 a day midweek and $25 weekend.
- Sail time is 1 hour.
- Ferry docks at Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority Port.
- Walking map to the Inn.
The next few ferries require going over The Bourne or Sagamore Bridges. Busy summer days can lead to traffic delays so plan accordingly and use navigation ala Waze. The first ferry you come to after either bridge is The Island Queen in Falmouth MA. Service runs from mid May to mid October. Seven trips a day in season with two bonus runs on weekends. Off season it’s five trips on the weekend and three mid week. Parking is located 200 yards from the boat. Drop off passengers and luggage then park the car.
- Adults $22 round trip / $14 kids (5-12).
- Bicycles $8 round trip.
- Parking is $20 per calendar day, cash only.
- Sail time is 35 minutes.
- Ferry lands at Island Queen dock in Oak Bluffs.
- Walking map to the Inn.
If you are staying in Edgartown, The Pied Piper ferry from Falmouth is the way to go. Service runs from late May to early December. Four trips a day with a bonus on Friday nights in season, three trips a day off season. It is more expensive so weigh your options.
- Adult $30 round trip / $20 kids (6-12).
- Bicycles $5 round trip.
- Parking $50 the first day, $25 per calendar day after.
- Sail time is 1 hour.
- Ferry lands at Memorial Wharf in Edgartown.
The Steamship Authority from Woods Hole is the only way to bring your car across. It’s also the only year round ferry. Service starts at 6AM and continues every hour to hour and fifteen minutes till 9:45 PM. Reservations for the car are highly recommended. Even if you don’t get the exact times you want, book the ferry and keep calling for better times. You can also show up early and try to go stand by. If you are not taking a car, the pros of taking this boat are, it leaves early and late. You can also take The Peter Pan Bus from The Port Authority in Manhattan to it. If that’s not the case, it’s recommended to take one of the ferries previously discussed. Parking is available at The Palmer Lot and a free shuttle brings you to the boat. On busy weekends, sometimes outer lots are used. Check the website or look out for road signs on the side of the road for up to date parking info. If the ferry is full of passengers on board, find out which door you disembark from and go there a half hour into the voyage. This way you get off of the boat first. Ferries are staggered between two island ports, seasonally in Oak Bluffs and year round in Vineyard Haven. So if you show up as a passenger, and there are two ferries loading, ask to find out which one is going to Oak Bluffs.
- Adults $17 round trip / $9 kids (5-12).
- Cars in season $162 under 17′ in length, $182 over 17′.
- Bicycles $8 round trip.
- Parking $15 midweek, $20 weekend.
- Sail time is 45 minutes.
- Ferry docks at either Oak Bluffs SSA Port or The Vineyard Haven SSA.
Walking Map to the Inn if boat docks in Oak Bluffs.
