Popular searches:
White water churning along the hull, seen from a ferry window. A window seat and a coffee are half the pleasure of the crossing.
A boat ride on the Steamship Authority ferry to Martha's Vineyard: open water, the island coming into view, and what the crossing is like.
The Steamship Authority ferry from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard is how most visitors reach the island, a 45-minute crossing through Vineyard Sound that runs 365 days a year.
Filmed May 2024The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
Table of contents [Show]
Passengers (one-way): Adult $11.00, Child (5–12) $5.75, Under 5 free. Bicycle $5.25. A round trip is double.
Cars (one-way, car + driver, under 17ft): Winter $79 (November 1 to December 31; the January to March 2026 rate was $73.50), Shoulder $115.50–$127.00, Peak Fri–Sun $168.00 (May 15–Sep 14), about 5% more than in 2025.
Foot passengers don't need a reservation. Tickets are sold at the terminal and in the eFerry app, and on busy weekends it's worth arriving 30 minutes early.
Cars need a reservation ahead of time. Summer bookings opened February 3, 2026, and they sell out fast. There's no general standby line; a wait list checks for cancellations automatically.
Before you book
What Martha’s Vineyard really costs, free
Ferry fares by the day of the week, the room tax every town charges and four whole trips added up. Free with the island letter, together with our Beach, Fall and Where to Stay guides.
One-click unsubscribe, and we never share your email.
Year-round: Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven (45 min, up to 14+ daily sailings).
Summer (May 14–Oct 22): Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs (also 45 min). Sailings alternate between VH and OB through the day, so it's worth checking which port your boat goes to.
Vineyard Sound through a ferry window in May 2024, salt spots and all, with a low line of land on the horizon.
M/V Island Home (2007): ~1,200 passengers, 76 vehicles, elevator, snack bar, Wi-Fi. M/V Martha's Vineyard (1993): ~1,274 passengers. The larger boats have a café with beer, wine and hot food, indoor seating and an outdoor deck.
Seats along the open upper deck of the M/V Nantucket on a clear day in May 2024, with a coin-operated viewer at the rail.
There's no parking at the terminal itself. Off-site lots have free shuttle buses: Palmer Avenue Lot (closest), Thomas B. Landers Lot, or Cataumet overflow lot. Daily rate $25 (April through October) or $20 (winter). All shuttles are wheelchair-accessible with bike racks. Parking info: (508) 457-PARK.
Pets ride free, on a leash or in a carrier, though not in the food areas. The major boats are fully ADA accessible with elevators, and an Accessibility Pass gets you discounted fares.
The new $37 million Woods Hole terminal building opened on June 25, 2026, with geothermal heating and cooling.
Reaching Martha's Vineyard without a car, including bus connections from Boston, is covered in our car-free travel guide. Once on-island, the VTA bus is fare-free through June 30, 2027.
Where Martha's Vineyard is, with our own maps: an island in Dukes County, Massachusetts, under four miles across Vineyard Sound from Woods Hole on Cape Cod, 75 miles from Boston and 70 from Providence by road. How big it is, the six towns, up-island and down-island, every way to get there and where the name comes from.
The twelve things that catch first-timers on Martha's Vineyard, from car reservations and the two ferry terminals to resident-only beaches, the last bus from Aquinnah and cash for the Chappy Ferry, each with an easy fix, plus the fall and winter dates.
Parking for the Woods Hole ferry: there is none at the terminal, so here are the three Steamship Authority lots (Palmer Avenue, Thomas B. Landers, Cataumet), the 2026 rates ($25 a day April to October, $20 otherwise), the free shuttle timed to every sailing, when to arrive, the annual and off-season permits, the drop-off rule and the cheaper Island Queen lot in Falmouth Harbor.
How to get a Steamship Authority car reservation to Martha's Vineyard: the February opening and its virtual waiting room, the residents' head start, the five-reservation limit, the wait list that works, the 2026 fares ($127 midweek, $168 summer weekends), the free first change and the 14-day refund rule, no standby, and why most visitors should leave the car in Falmouth.
Providence and Rhode Island to Martha's Vineyard without crossing Cape Cod: the Seastreak from New Bedford (50 minutes, $84 round trip, 30 minutes from Providence) and the Vineyard Fast Ferry from Quonset Point (95 to 105 minutes, from $115, dogs ride free), both with parking from $15 a day, plus Amtrak's connecting bus for a car-free trip. Which boat, when, and what it costs.
The Hy-Line ferry from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs: about an hour, $42 each way with the fuel surcharge, children and bike fares, the 2026 season, the Ocean Street terminal and its $10 to $30 lots and shuttle, the CapeFLYER and bus connections from Boston, and an honest comparison with the cheaper Island Queen and Steamship boats.
Island tip of the day Timing No. 61 of 79 New tip at midnight, island time
Visit Edgartown on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Same beautiful town, maybe 30% of the weekend crowds. Most restaurants have availability without reservations.
The free island library · 2026
Beach reports, events worth a day, ferry heads-ups. Sent when there is something worth telling. The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall, Where to Stay and What It Really Costs arrive with your welcome email.
Get the free guides
Island prices, hours and details change often. Please verify with businesses before you go. Full disclaimer
The island right now
6:30 AM island time
The free island library
Four guides to the whole island
The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall, Where to Stay and What It Really Costs. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.
