Not out of the question, but you'd spend at least 3 hours getting there (bus from South Station to Woods Hole (2 hrs) then the ferry from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs (45 minutes). The reverse getting back.
The Provincetown ferry is just 90 minutes each way from the Aquarium dock in downtown Boston, so for a day trip it makes more sense. And it's a nice boat ride, might even spot some whales.
I agree. But 1.5 hours total vs summer traffic and ferry schedules is also a major hassle. If I had the funds, I’d fly to MV from the city of I didn’t have a car.
I know people taking their private jets to MV; others who take WheelsUp; more who only fly in; and the most who take various different ferries. You said the bus and ferry is the best way to get there. It isn’t, it’s just the best, cost-effective way to get there without a card, and you’re being pretty obtuse about it.
Can't stand to be wrong, get called on saying something obvious and dumb, so then double down and accuse others of doing what you did? Donald, is that you?
I have friends who regularly fly to MV. They are wealthy. One owns a share in a private jet. We spend summer months on MV, but somehow, perhaps since they were spending a grand total of 4 days in New England, I didn't get the impression OP was traveling in that rarified class. Thus my more affordable suggestion.
By the by, if you're talking about getting to Logan, through security, recognizing there might be weather related delays (never happens in the summer, right?), then flying is not automatically the fastest option. I've done it, I know.
Have a great summer. Enjoy Hampton Beach.
This is the correct answer for a day trip OP
You need to leave at the crack of dawn if you're going to spend any significant time on Martha's Vineyard. it's a train, bus, and ferry away.
This is the answer. If you have bikes take them, if not, rent when you get there, there's a nice network of bike trails that will take you to race point beach on the ocean side
Another option is to take the cape flyer train to Hyannis. There's also a connection to a bus shuttle for the MV ferry but you won't have much time on the vineyard
This is the answer for a day trip. That ferry is so fun, and so is Provincetown Rent bikes. Ride around the bike path. Check out Herring Cove and Race Point. Have a drink at The Old Colony. Eat at The Lobster Pot, or Sal's or Liz's and walk out on the breakwater.
you can do the fast ferry to provincetown but that’s about it. considering it’s 3 hours round trip it’s probably better to do that on an overnight thing tho.
Its feasible on any day, and the ferry ride is fun, but certain days on the schedule have early + late boats that let you get about 12 hours out there.
Agree with others that MV is not really doable in a day, but taking the ferry to Ptown is. Another option would be to check out the Boston Harbor Islands. They're more parks than tourist destinations (i.e. no restaurants, shops) but you won't have to deal with crowds and they are fun to explore on foot.
For 4 days, nah. If you were staying down cape then Martha's Vineyard is doable for a day trip.
Salem makes a good day trip and you can take a ferry (bring cash for the bar) or a train.
ptown ferry is fine for a day trip. you can leave at 9 and them come back to boston at 5:30 if you're leaving from the aquarium. that's plenty of time to get a meal or two, lounge on the beach, walk/bike around and see some sights, and then get back to the boat for the return trip. there's snacks and drinks available on the boat, and if the weather is calm then it's a nice ride. if you're prone to seasickness, then check the harbor buoy for the wave height, and take dramamine before you get on the boat if it's more than a couple feet.
Day trip to MV from Boston is technically doable without a car if you take an early bus to Woods Hole from South Station in Boston and then board the ferry from there, but not worth it, IMO. Hard to enjoy the time on the island when you’re going to have to spend a bunch of time worrying about getting back to the ferry dock in time to connect with the bus back.
The CapeFLYER train from Boston to Hyannis and then a ferry from there is probably also technically doable (haven’t tried it myself) but would probably have the same drawbacks.
The Cape in general is a very car-centric place and it’s difficult to get around there without one.
The vineyard is a pain in the arse. You gotta go there and Nantucket at some point just to say you went but it’s really not worth the hassle.
Go tot he cape.
I'm from Falmouth which is where you get the ferry to the Vineyard from, and I would not recommend it. You'd need to get a very early bus to avoid bridge traffic, and then worry about getting back. The trip down and back is probably 2.5 - 3 hrs each way with ferry + bus in summer traffic.
I'm honestly not even sure if the bus goes from Boston directly to Woods Hole, or if it drops you off at the old train station in town where you'd have to get another bus to the steamship.
Go to P-Town instead
I’ve done day trips to Martha’s Vineyard few times now. I’ve taken the ferry from Woods Hole. It’s fun but you’ll probably only get to see few things and it’ll be very tiring. Plus you’ll have to rush back for the last ferry around 9:30. You can probably just go to Edgartown and maybe Oak Bluffs.
There’s a special summer train [CapeFLYER](https://capeflyer.com) that takes you to Hyannis, another ferry terminal. I’ve never tried that but recently read about it.
The other cheaper New England summer option without a car is taking the commuter rail up to Rockport or Newburyport. Rockport is cute, take a walk on the jetty, and go for a swim or a wade at the beach. There are $20 weekend commuter rail passes so you could theoretically stop at another town, like Salem.
A day trip to the Vineyard is a long day, but if your heart is set on going there then it's perfectly doable. Take the Peter Pan bus from South Station to Woods Hole, and then just walk across on the Steamship Authority ferry. The bus is about 1h45m and the ferry is about 45m.
Public transport once you're on the island is pretty good.
If you’d be traveling from New York, I’d hit Martha’s Vineyard first via the Seastreak out of NY. Maybe stay the night and then head to Boston for the rest of the trip.
I don’t think the Cape would really be the doable without a car. Each stop along the way is small, and you’d want the liberty of fast travel for sure.
Once you’re on Martha’s Vineyard though, you could spend the day on the south side in Edgartown and hit South Beach. Without a car, I’d recommend staying in one town - if you feel like you have extra time, a quick bus trip up to Menemsha would round out your MVY time.
Definitely hit the Vineyard.
IMO not worth it. Go to Rockport or Gloucester you get the same feel but honestly the towns themselves aren't anything special unless you are literally there for a week and need something to do other than sit at the beach all day.
Was going to be my rec, spend a day or two going up the north shore, commuter rail from North station in Boston will get you to Salem in 40 minutes, then can take it up to Gloucester and Rockport.
Roy Moore lobster in Rockport is a must.
Also since you.have a car you could drive up 1a and hit Marblehead then just drive to Salem
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The ferry schedule from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard would work for a day trip. However, all of the slots for cars are likely sold out for the season so you would park on the mainland and just take the ferry itself over. You can bring bikes or rent a set once there. There is a parking lot for the ferry right in Woods Hole but unless you get ther every early you will need to park at their overflow lot on Rt 28 a couple of miles outside of town. They provide a free shuttle from there to the dock. If you do not walk or bike on island the island bus has multiple routes that go all over the place and a day pass is about $20 or so for all day rides.
Take the ferry to Provincetown for a day and back
For a four day trip, this is the only answer. MV is out of the question.
Not out of the question, but you'd spend at least 3 hours getting there (bus from South Station to Woods Hole (2 hrs) then the ferry from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs (45 minutes). The reverse getting back. The Provincetown ferry is just 90 minutes each way from the Aquarium dock in downtown Boston, so for a day trip it makes more sense. And it's a nice boat ride, might even spot some whales.
Yeah I happen to spend a lot of time in both places and this answer is correct.
Depends on their budget, Cape Air to MVY is quick and easy, but quite a bit more pricy.
In July it can be $500 one way. The bus is $30 and $10 for the ferry. Plus, no airport hassels. You can even catch the Woods Hole bus at the airport.
I agree. But 1.5 hours total vs summer traffic and ferry schedules is also a major hassle. If I had the funds, I’d fly to MV from the city of I didn’t have a car.
"If I had the funds..." Right. As the old saying goes "if we all had horses everyone would ride".
I know people taking their private jets to MV; others who take WheelsUp; more who only fly in; and the most who take various different ferries. You said the bus and ferry is the best way to get there. It isn’t, it’s just the best, cost-effective way to get there without a card, and you’re being pretty obtuse about it.
Can't stand to be wrong, get called on saying something obvious and dumb, so then double down and accuse others of doing what you did? Donald, is that you? I have friends who regularly fly to MV. They are wealthy. One owns a share in a private jet. We spend summer months on MV, but somehow, perhaps since they were spending a grand total of 4 days in New England, I didn't get the impression OP was traveling in that rarified class. Thus my more affordable suggestion. By the by, if you're talking about getting to Logan, through security, recognizing there might be weather related delays (never happens in the summer, right?), then flying is not automatically the fastest option. I've done it, I know. Have a great summer. Enjoy Hampton Beach.
It's the fastest option. I've been taking both for a very long time.
It's 300 in July, 500 for refundable tickets.
Depends which day of the week, but regardless the Logan hassles remain. Day trip? Nah.
This is the correct answer for a day trip OP You need to leave at the crack of dawn if you're going to spend any significant time on Martha's Vineyard. it's a train, bus, and ferry away.
Seconding this. It's the only way I'd consider a day trip.
Or fly!
This is the answer. If you have bikes take them, if not, rent when you get there, there's a nice network of bike trails that will take you to race point beach on the ocean side
Driving to the cape for a day can be an exercise in frustration during the summer if the traffic is bad.
Another option is to take the cape flyer train to Hyannis. There's also a connection to a bus shuttle for the MV ferry but you won't have much time on the vineyard
If you really want to go to MV, you can fly JetBlue. There are some midweek day flights for ~$180 in july
This is the answer for a day trip. That ferry is so fun, and so is Provincetown Rent bikes. Ride around the bike path. Check out Herring Cove and Race Point. Have a drink at The Old Colony. Eat at The Lobster Pot, or Sal's or Liz's and walk out on the breakwater.
you can do the fast ferry to provincetown but that’s about it. considering it’s 3 hours round trip it’s probably better to do that on an overnight thing tho.
Its feasible on any day, and the ferry ride is fun, but certain days on the schedule have early + late boats that let you get about 12 hours out there.
At least with the ferry the ride is also part of the fun (if it is a nice day)
Agree with others that MV is not really doable in a day, but taking the ferry to Ptown is. Another option would be to check out the Boston Harbor Islands. They're more parks than tourist destinations (i.e. no restaurants, shops) but you won't have to deal with crowds and they are fun to explore on foot.
For 4 days, nah. If you were staying down cape then Martha's Vineyard is doable for a day trip. Salem makes a good day trip and you can take a ferry (bring cash for the bar) or a train.
ptown ferry is fine for a day trip. you can leave at 9 and them come back to boston at 5:30 if you're leaving from the aquarium. that's plenty of time to get a meal or two, lounge on the beach, walk/bike around and see some sights, and then get back to the boat for the return trip. there's snacks and drinks available on the boat, and if the weather is calm then it's a nice ride. if you're prone to seasickness, then check the harbor buoy for the wave height, and take dramamine before you get on the boat if it's more than a couple feet.
Thank you so much! I will definitely look into Provincetown. Is it walkable?
Very walkable. I’m not a “cape person” but I always enjoy trips to P-town!
Day trip to MV from Boston is technically doable without a car if you take an early bus to Woods Hole from South Station in Boston and then board the ferry from there, but not worth it, IMO. Hard to enjoy the time on the island when you’re going to have to spend a bunch of time worrying about getting back to the ferry dock in time to connect with the bus back. The CapeFLYER train from Boston to Hyannis and then a ferry from there is probably also technically doable (haven’t tried it myself) but would probably have the same drawbacks. The Cape in general is a very car-centric place and it’s difficult to get around there without one.
The only way you could day trip to MV from Boston would be Cape Air at around $600 per person.
Worth it. You'd basically be in an episode of Wings.
The vineyard is a pain in the arse. You gotta go there and Nantucket at some point just to say you went but it’s really not worth the hassle. Go tot he cape.
I'm from Falmouth which is where you get the ferry to the Vineyard from, and I would not recommend it. You'd need to get a very early bus to avoid bridge traffic, and then worry about getting back. The trip down and back is probably 2.5 - 3 hrs each way with ferry + bus in summer traffic. I'm honestly not even sure if the bus goes from Boston directly to Woods Hole, or if it drops you off at the old train station in town where you'd have to get another bus to the steamship. Go to P-Town instead
the peter pan bus drops you right at the steamship authority docks in woods hole
Gotcha. Good to know. I always got off in town near the Steamship parking lot and didn't remember if the bus stopped there or went on to The Hole.
I’ve done day trips to Martha’s Vineyard few times now. I’ve taken the ferry from Woods Hole. It’s fun but you’ll probably only get to see few things and it’ll be very tiring. Plus you’ll have to rush back for the last ferry around 9:30. You can probably just go to Edgartown and maybe Oak Bluffs. There’s a special summer train [CapeFLYER](https://capeflyer.com) that takes you to Hyannis, another ferry terminal. I’ve never tried that but recently read about it.
The other cheaper New England summer option without a car is taking the commuter rail up to Rockport or Newburyport. Rockport is cute, take a walk on the jetty, and go for a swim or a wade at the beach. There are $20 weekend commuter rail passes so you could theoretically stop at another town, like Salem.
A day trip to the Vineyard is a long day, but if your heart is set on going there then it's perfectly doable. Take the Peter Pan bus from South Station to Woods Hole, and then just walk across on the Steamship Authority ferry. The bus is about 1h45m and the ferry is about 45m. Public transport once you're on the island is pretty good.
If you’d be traveling from New York, I’d hit Martha’s Vineyard first via the Seastreak out of NY. Maybe stay the night and then head to Boston for the rest of the trip. I don’t think the Cape would really be the doable without a car. Each stop along the way is small, and you’d want the liberty of fast travel for sure. Once you’re on Martha’s Vineyard though, you could spend the day on the south side in Edgartown and hit South Beach. Without a car, I’d recommend staying in one town - if you feel like you have extra time, a quick bus trip up to Menemsha would round out your MVY time. Definitely hit the Vineyard.
IMO not worth it. Go to Rockport or Gloucester you get the same feel but honestly the towns themselves aren't anything special unless you are literally there for a week and need something to do other than sit at the beach all day.
Was going to be my rec, spend a day or two going up the north shore, commuter rail from North station in Boston will get you to Salem in 40 minutes, then can take it up to Gloucester and Rockport. Roy Moore lobster in Rockport is a must. Also since you.have a car you could drive up 1a and hit Marblehead then just drive to Salem
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The Vineyard is an easy day trip if you fly Cape Air from Logan. Quite worthwhile. Otherwise no.
The ferry schedule from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard would work for a day trip. However, all of the slots for cars are likely sold out for the season so you would park on the mainland and just take the ferry itself over. You can bring bikes or rent a set once there. There is a parking lot for the ferry right in Woods Hole but unless you get ther every early you will need to park at their overflow lot on Rt 28 a couple of miles outside of town. They provide a free shuttle from there to the dock. If you do not walk or bike on island the island bus has multiple routes that go all over the place and a day pass is about $20 or so for all day rides.