Some bikers we met at Badlands National Park, on our way through South Dakota
May is known as “Shoulder Season” on Martha’s Vineyard -- neither the peak of summer tourism nor the valley of winter. Still, we strongly suggest making your travel arrangements and accommodations as soon as possible, especially if you plan to bring a car to the island. If you have any questions about travel (because this can be complicated!), please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Recommended Travel from Houston
Step 1: Take Continental Airlines from IAH to Boston Logan Airport (BOS).
Then, either:
Step 2A: Bus, Limo, Shared Van (the cheapest option if you can coordinate a group), or Rental Car to Woods Hole Ferry (to Vineyard Haven)
OR
Step 2B: Fly Cape Air or US Air from Boston Logan to Martha's Vineyard
Recommended Travel from NYC/New Haven
Not taking a car to the island: Drive to Woods Hole, MA and park in the long-term lot of the Steamship Authority (see below for details). Take that ferry to Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs, whichever is first to depart; if you arrive in Oak Bluffs, take a taxi (10-15 minutes) to your hotel in Vineyard Haven). You can drive to the other ferries, but they are all significantly more expensive and have fewer departures than the Steamship Authority in Woods Hole.
*For NYC residents specifically: There is a bus company called Adventure Northeast that will pick you up in Manhattan and drive you straight to the New Bedford ferry. They charge $150 for a round trip, plus your ferry fare of $70 round trip (which should be booked in advance for this ferry). IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS OPTION, PLEASE EMAIL US ASAP SO WE CAN ORGANIZE A GROUP PICK-UP!
Taking a car to the island: Drive to Woods Hole, MA to the Steamship Authority (see below for details). Make sure you’ve reserved a spot for your car in advance! Take that ferry to Vineyard Haven (or Oak Bluffs, whichever departure works for your schedule; the hotels are in Vineyard Haven).
Ferry
Unless you fly to Martha's Vineyard, you have to take a ferry (or swim). Ferries to the island depart from the following locations. All our recommended hotels are in the town of Vineyard Haven, within walking distance of the ferry landing site, so your best bet is to take one of the first two ferries (Woods Hole or New Bedford) to Vineyard Haven. If you do take a ferry to Oak Bluffs, there is reasonably easy transportation (see below) from there to the hotels in Vineyard Haven. Still, it’s better to arrive in Vineyard Haven. For bus and car information from Boston to the ferries, see “Bus & Car” below.
Woods Hole, MA - Steamship Authority
(4 1/2 hour drive from NYC; 1 hour, 45 minute drive from Boston)
www.steamshipauthority.com / 508.477.8600
$7.50 each way for pedestrian passengers.
The Woods Hole ferry is the only ferry that provides service for cars. Reservations are required for cars but not for walk-on passengers. If you plan to take a car on the ferry, make your reservations EARLY, since they can book up far in advance. Note: they will start taking reservations for May 2009 in January 2009. If you are not taking your car over be sure to save time to park your car in one of the ferry lots and take the shuttle to the boat (can take 30 minutes); parking information is available at the ferry website. The ferry ride takes 45 minutes. It arrives on Martha's Vineyard in the town of either Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs.
New Bedford, MA - New England Fast Ferry
(4 hour drive from NYC; 45 minute drive from Providence)
www.nefastferry.com / 866.453.6800.
$70 round trip. Recommend advance purchase.
Reservations for the New Bedford Fast Ferry may be purchased in advance online. The ferry ride takes 60 minutes. Ferry arrives on Martha's Vineyard in the town of either Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs. Parking is 0.5 miles from the ferry (with a free shuttle) and costs $10/day (credit cards accepted).
Falmouth, MA - Island Queen
(4 1/2 hour drive from NYC; 1 hour, 45 min drive from Boston)
www.islandqueen.com / 508.548.4800.
$18 round trip. Fewer departures than Woods Hole Steamship Authority.
The ferry ride takes 45 minutes. It arrives in Oak Bluffs. Parking is nearby for $15/day, cash only.
Quonset Point (Kingston), RI - Vineyard Fast Ferry
(20-30 minute drive from Providence)
www.vineyardfastferry.com / 401.295.4040.
$69 round trip with advance purchase / $74 walk-on. Limited number of departures.
Reservations for the ferry are suggested. Departure times are limited. The ferry ride takes 90 minutes. It arrives in Oak Bluffs only. Parking is nearby for $10/day but is cash only on arrival.
Airplane
Cape Air and US Air
www.flycapeair.com / www.usairways.com
Both Cape Air and US Air have direct service to the island from Boston, Hyannis, Nantucket, New Bedford, New York, and Providence, RI. The Martha’s Vineyard airport (MVY) is approximately 20 minutes from Vineyard Haven. As of late June 2008, CapeAir was showing a fare around $300 for Memorial Day Wknd 2009. For taxi shuttle service to your hotel you can contact any of the several taxi companies on the island. See “Bus & Car” below.
Continental
Continental Airlines flies direct to Boston’s Logan Airport from Houston. We are looking into a group rate and will keep you posted. You can connect in Boston to CapeAir to fly direct to Martha’s Vineyard. Or you can take a bus, shared car, or rental car to the Woods Hole Ferry -- remember, if you plan to take a car on the ferry, you should make the reservation well in advance. Please note that Continental and CapeAir are in different terminals at the airport, so allow enough time to make the transfer.
Bus & Car
*Note: We will provide transportation to and from all wedding events!
From Boston - Peter Pan Bus (Bonanza Line)
www.peterpanbus.com / 800-343-9999
Bus service is available to the Woods Hole Steamship Authority Ferry from Boston’s Logan Airport (2 hrs, 20 min; $27 one-way, $47 round-trip) and Boston's South Station (1 hr, 45 min; $21 one-way, $42 round-trip). The bus leaves about every two hours from Logan and South Station.
Car Service
If you fly into Boston’s Logan Airport, you can either take a bus (see above) or arrange for a car to take you to the ferry in Woods Hole or Falmouth. We recommend the following car service:
www.capecodlimo.com / 800-546-6786
They can take up to 14 passengers. If you can coordinate with a small group, this is the cheapest way to get from Boston to the ferry. For example, Cape Cod Limo hires a 14-passenger van for $165 -- that’s only $12 per person!
Car Rental
(We’ve listed the Vineyard Haven phone numbers, but these vendors have other locations on the island, such as Oak Bluffs and the airport.)
A-A Island Auto Rentals: www.mvautorental.com / 508-696-5300
Adventure Rentals: www.islandadventuresmv.com / 508-693-1959
Hertz: www.hertz.com / 508-693-4196
Budget: www.budgetmv.com / 508-693-1911
Taxi and Bus Services on Martha’s Vineyard
Once on the island, you might need one of the following taxi services or public buses if you want to explore other parts of the island.
Adam Cab: (508) 627-4462
All Island Taxi: (508) 693-2929
Atlantic Cab: (508) 693-7110
Vineyard Transit Authority: public buses between towns on the island