Popular searches:
A Steamship Authority ferry in the Sound. On foot it is the cheapest ride to the island by a wide margin; with a car it is the single biggest line on most Vineyard budgets.
The cheapest way to get to Martha's Vineyard: walk onto the Steamship Authority at Woods Hole for $22 round trip, every other boat ranked by fare (Island Queen $30, Seastreak $55 same-day, Hy-Line $78), what Woods Hole parking and the Boston bus cost, the car question in dollars and the cheapest route from Boston, the Cape, Rhode Island and New York.
The cheapest way to reach Martha’s Vineyard is to walk onto the Steamship Authority ferry at Woods Hole: $11 each way, $22 round trip, no reservation, 45 minutes, every day of the year. Everything else on this page is about what it costs to get yourself to that dock, and whether one of the other boats is cheaper for where you are coming from. The one rule that saves the most money is the same in every case: leave the car on the mainland. A car on the ferry is $127 to $168 each way in summer before anyone inside it pays a fare, and on the island the bus is free.
Table of contents [Show]
Woods Hole has no parking at the terminal. The Steamship Authority’s lots in Falmouth (Palmer Avenue is the closest, then Thomas B. Landers and Cataumet) charge $25 a day from April to October and $20 a day in winter, first come, with a free shuttle to the pier; a week of parking is $175 on top of your $22 ticket. From Boston the cheaper move is the Peter Pan bus from South Station straight to the Woods Hole pier, $24 to $40 one way depending on the date and how far ahead you book, which makes a car-free day or weekend from the city about $45 to $60 a person in total, with zero parking. Our Boston to the Vineyard guide has the bus times and the day-trip guide the timings that give you a full day.
Routes 10 and 13 waiting at the Vineyard Haven terminal. Every VTA bus on the island is fare-free through June 30, 2027, which is why the cheapest trip is also the simplest one.
The island letter
Three island guides, free on arrival
The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall and Where to Stay, plus a short letter from the island when there is something worth telling.
One-click unsubscribe, and we never share your email.
Bringing a car in peak season (May 15 to September 14) costs $127 each way Monday to Thursday and $168 Friday to Sunday, so $254 to $336 round trip, plus a reservation that opens in early February and sells out for the summer weekends within hours. From September 15 every day is $127; in the winter months the car fare drops to $79 and then $73.50. Vehicle standby at Woods Hole has been suspended since November 2024, so there is no turning up and hoping. Leaving the car in Falmouth for a week ($175) and walking on ($44 for two) beats a midweek car crossing ($254 plus $44) by about $80, and beats a weekend crossing by more than $160; on the island the free bus, a rental bike or a rental car for one up-island day covers what the car would have done. The car-free guide is the full case.
Know Before You Go
Peter Pan bus to Woods Hole ($24 to $40) plus the $11 walk-on: $45 to $60 each way with no parking. Driving and parking in Falmouth is cheaper only for a group of three or more on a short trip.
If you are already on the Cape, the Island Queen from Falmouth is the bargain at $30 round trip, and its lot is $20 cash. From Hyannis the Hy-Line is convenient but $78 round trip.
Drive 30 minutes to New Bedford for the Seastreak: $55 same-day round trip or $84 standard, lot $15. The North Kingstown fast ferry is closer to home but roughly double the fare.
There is no cheap same-day option. The New Bedford Seastreak is about three hours’ drive from the city; the Manhattan Seastreak runs eight summer weekends at $175 one way; flying is $260 to $600 round trip. Come for a night at least. Our flying guide covers Cape Air and the summer jets.
Under 5 ride the Steamship free and 5 to 12 pay $5.75 each way, so a family of four walks on for about $67 round trip. The car is where a family budget breaks.
The Pied Piper at its Edgartown dock, the Falmouth boat that lands in the one harbor the others do not reach. Not the cheapest crossing, but it saves a bus and an hour if Edgartown is your base.
The Steamship boats are big: elevators, open-air decks, a snack bar and free Wi-Fi, and dogs ride free. The passenger catamarans are faster and smaller. On any of them the deck coming in past West Chop or East Chop is the first thing people remember about the trip, and it costs the same $11 as a seat inside. Once you land, the budget guide takes over: a week for two in September can be done for about $1,200, and the trip cost calculator prices the ferry, the bed and the rest for your dates. For how long to stay, see how many days you need.
A ferry off East Chop at the end of the day, seen from an Oak Bluffs garden. The $11 seat has this view.
Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. 
Step 2 · DaysDay-by-Day Trip PlannerMorning, afternoon and evening sketched for every day, events dropped in, emailed to you. 
Step 3 · CostTrip Cost CalculatorFerry, beds with the rooms tax, meals, getting around and activities in one honest range. Our own footage from the boats.
The Steamship Authority from Woods Hole on foot: $11 each way, $22 round trip, no reservation, year-round. The Island Queen from Falmouth is next at $30 round trip in season.
$127 each way Monday to Thursday and $168 Friday to Sunday from May 15 to September 14, $127 every day from September 15, and $79 or $73.50 in the winter months, plus the passenger fares. Summer reservations open in early February and the weekend slots go within hours; standby has been suspended since November 2024.
Not at the terminal, which has none. The Steamship’s Falmouth lots charge $25 a day from April to October and $20 in winter, first come, with a free shuttle to the pier. Palmer Avenue is the closest.
From Boston, the Peter Pan bus and the walk-on ferry for about $100 a person all in; from New Bedford, Seastreak’s same-day round trip is $55. From New York a day trip does not work.
Not for the three ferry towns and the main beaches. The VTA buses are fare-free through June 30, 2027 and meet the boats; bike rentals are in every port town; rent a car for one up-island day if you want it.
Fares are the operators’ published 2026 rates: Steamship Authority, Island Queen, Hy-Line (including its fuel surcharge), Seastreak, Pied Piper and Vineyard Fast Ferry, checked against their own sites in August and September 2026, with Steamship parking rates from the Authority’s parking page. Bus fares are Peter Pan’s booking engine ranges. Prices move with the season; confirm with the operator before you travel.
Island tip of the day Transport No. 11 of 86 New tip at midnight, island time
Uber and Lyft operate on MV but surge hard in peak season. Local taxis are often steadier: a typical cross-town ride runs about $28, van-pool style, and airport pickups add a small rideshare surcharge.
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 $15 parking at the dock, 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, $41 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.
The Island Queen ferry from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs: 35 minutes, $30 round trip, its own $20 lot 200 yards from the dock, seven sailings a day in summer, the 2026 season (May 22 to October 12) and fall timetable, fares for children and bikes, why it beats the Steamship for Cape day trips, and its honest limits (no cars, no dogs).
New York to Martha's Vineyard without a car, all four ways: fly from JFK, LaGuardia or White Plains in about an hour; Seastreak's summer weekend boat from East 35th Street (about five hours, $250 round trip); Amtrak to Providence plus the connecting bus to the New Bedford ferry; or the Peter Pan bus to Woods Hole and the $11 Steamship. Times, costs and which to pick.
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 and Where to Stay 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
1:48 PM island time
Four free downloads · 2026
The island guides, in your inbox
The Beach Guide, The Vineyard in the Fall, Where to Stay and What It Really Costs. No spam, one-click unsubscribe.
