Getting here

How to get to the island depends on where you are coming from, where you are going, and how long you plan to stay. The Steamship Authority has the most extensive schedule and is the one ferry service which can transport vehicles. Parking for the ferries is not free and more information is available on each website.

Travel from Cape Cod

Your point of origin and destination is the most important thing to think of when deciding how to travel to the island.

The Steamship Authority ferry service, can accommodate vehicles (advance reservations required in summer), operates from Woods Hole, and travels to and from both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. Depending on which town you are aiming to land in, it often makes sense to wait fifteen minutes for the boat to the proper town. The Oak Bluffs terminal is outside of the harbor and therefore inclement weather can close the terminal. The Steamship Authority has numerous lots on the mainland, pay attention to the traffic control signs and/or the website to determine which lot you need to park in.

Hy-Line is another ferry services which operates between Hyannis and Oak Bluffs. Hy-Line also has seasonal inter-island ferries, shuttling people back and forth from Martha’s Vineyard (Oak Bluffs) to Nantucket.

The Island Queen seasonal ferry service travels between Falmouth and Oak Bluffs and is what many people think of as the ferry to the island. Parking is right next to the dock and the ferry is a great way to get to the island from the Cape.

The Pied Piper is a seasonal ferry service which will operates between Falmouth to Edgartown.

The Quickwater is a year-round ferry service between Falmouth and Oak Bluffs with an extensive schedule and is frequently used if traveling to and from the island for work. If you miss the boat you can contact the water taxi through the same company. Private charters are also available.

CapeAir the flights to and from Hyannis are (surprisingly?) affordable. An option worth considering if ferry service is disrupted and you need to travel on or off the island.

Travel from New Bedford, Massachusetts

From New Bedford, Seastreak offers seasonal service (no vehicles) and so does Cape Air, if you want to fly.

Travel from New York City or New Jersey

In addition to the option of “driving to the cape and hopping on the ferry,” it is possible to either fly or ferry directly from New York City or New Jersey. Flight options include flights from NYC, Teterboro, or White Plains; TradeWind (private and scheduled from Westchester, NY), Elite (private). See “Flight information” below. MVY airport website

Seastreak offers ferry service from NJ, NYC,

Travel from Boston, Massachusetts

From Boston the options are bus or fly. The bus is likely the easiest (other than driving) is the Peter Pan Bus from both South Station and Logan Airport (BOS).

The buses run frequently and are coordinated with specific Steamship Authority ferry times. This is a good option depending on where on the island you are staying, to fly into Logan and bus to the island. If you are walking distance to town you can then just walk to your accommodations. Link to Peter Pan for buses here.

Cape Air flies regularly and JetBlue flies seasonally from BOS to MVY.

Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard

There are two seasonal inter-island ferry options. Hyline and Seastreak. Other options include transferring in Hyannis on the Hyline or flying CapeAir.

Flight information

The IATA code for the Martha’s Vineyard is MVY. There are regular flights from Boston, Hyannis, New York City (JFK); White Plains, NY; and Nantucket. There are seasonal flights from Charlotte, NC; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Teterboro, NJ; Barnstable, MA; and New Bedford, MA. A route map is available here.

Airline options include: CapeAir, American (seasonal), Delta (seasonal), JetBlue, TradeWind (private and scheduled from Westchester, NY), and Elite (private).

MVY airport website.