HOW DO I GET TO THE ISLAND? Martha's Vineyard is served by a system of ferries. The Steamship Authority serves the island from Falmouth, Ma, transporting people as well as cars and cargo. Parking is also provided on the mainland side, and passengers are shuttled to the ferry terminal, where walk-on tickets can be purchased. Ferries alternate between island ports, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. Check the seasonal schedule for more information. Please visit: https://www.steamshipauthority.com/ for more information. Check out the Travel and Things To Do pages for more Island info.
The sooner the better! We recommend booking at the very least six months in advance. January would be a great time to start considering your accommodations. Unfortunately, Martha's Vineyard does not have last minute deals so waiting any later may lessen your experience on the island.
While having a car on the island may be convenient, it is certainly not necessary. If you would like to bring your car on the island, consider booking well in advance, as the boat reservations fill up quickly. Reservations open January 1st, 2025. Please see the 'Travel' page for further information. NOTE FOR CAR RESERVATIONS: If the reservation time/date you are looking for is full, consider waitlisting if you have flexibility in your travel schedule. Typically, more ferries/times are added during weekends/holidays to meet demand. NOTE FOR WALK ON PASSENGERS: If you do not bring your car and choose to walk on the ferry, everything you bring with you will have to be carried on the boat. Consider packing light, or driving on if you know you will need more items than you can carry.
If you are traveling with the Steamship Authority (Woodshole) and plan to bring your car over on the boat, you can purchase a car reservation starting January 1st, 2025. If you plan to leave your car behind in one of the parking lots and walk on the boat, you cannot purchases tickets in advance. For, High Speed Ferries from Hyannis, Quanset Point & New Bedford do not transport cars and will take walk-on ticket reservations in advance. See our Travel page for more info on the types of ferries.
For the Steamship Authority, short term parking is located at 22 Technology Park Drive, East Falmouth, MA 02536 for $15/day MON-FRI $20/day SAT-SUN. Plan to arrive to the lot at least 30 minutes prior to targeted boat trip, to allow for time to shuttle to Woodshole, and time to buy ferry tickets. For the Hyline Cruises Fast Ferry out of Hyannis, parking is located at 220 Ocean St, Hyannis, MA 02601 for $28/day. For the Seastreak from New Bedford, parking is located at 49 State Pier New Bedford, MA 02740 for $15/day. For Rhode Island Fast Ferry from Quonset Point, parking is located at 1347 Roger Williams Way, North Kingstown, RI 02852 for $15/day. Not sure which ferry is right for you? Learn more about the types of ferries to the Island on our Travel page.
September is one of the best months to visit the island because the busy summer season has ended and the weather is still beautiful.