Travel advisoryStorm Warning on the ferry waters until Sun 10 AM · Steamship Authority travel advisory · High Wind Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 AM · Coastal Flood Warning for Martha's Vineyard until Sun 8 PMThe Steamship Authority is continuing to monitor the forecast for the upcoming nor'easter that is expected to have significant effects for Cape Cod and the Islands through Sunday. We are waiving change and cancellation fees for travel scheduled for through Sunday, September 27.Steamship Authority · checked 1:00 PM ET
HomeTrip Planning GuidesGetting HereThe Hy-Line Ferry: Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard, With 2026 Fares, Parking, Connections and When It Is Worth It
Oak Bluffs · the harbor after darkPhoto by MV Vacation
Oak Bluffs harbor on a summer night, the lights of the harbor front doubled in the water. The Hy-Line lands in this harbor, and the evening boat home leaves from it.
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.
Hy-Line Cruises runs the high-speed catamaran from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs: about an hour across Nantucket Sound, $41 each way including the fuel surcharge, passengers and bikes only, from early May into October. It is the dearest of the Cape boats, roughly double the Island Queen and nearly four times the Steamship walk-on, and it is still the right boat for a particular kind of trip: anyone coming from the mid- or outer Cape, anyone arriving in Hyannis on the CapeFLYER train or the Boston bus, and anyone who wants to reach Oak Bluffs in the spring before the Falmouth boat starts. It also has the one thing the Steamship’s Woods Hole terminal does not, which is a parking lot at the dock. Here are the 2026 fares, the season, the lots, the train and bus connections, and the honest comparison with the two cheaper boats.
A high-speed catamaran from the Hy-Line terminal at 220 Ocean Street in downtown Hyannis, landing in the Oak Bluffs harbor. Passengers and bikes only; the Steamship from Woods Hole is the only car ferry.
Adult fares include the $2 fuel surcharge each way. Children 5 to 12 pay $25 one way and $47 round trip; a bicycle or e-bike is $8.50 one way and $17 round trip. Groups of twenty or more get a discount.
The 2026 season opened on May 2 with two round trips a day in spring; the summer timetable adds more. Hy-Line runs into October and had not posted its final 2026 date when we checked. Its inter-island boat between Oak Bluffs and Nantucket ended on September 7.
THE BOOKING Reserve; arrive 45 minutes early
Hy-Line says reservations are the only way to guarantee a seat, and the summer weekend boats sell out. Arrive at least 45 minutes before departure from the on-site lot, 45 to 60 from the off-site lots.
The on-site lot along Ocean Street runs $10 to $30 a day by season ($30 from mid-May to early September). The off-site lot at 183 Iyannough Road is $5 to $20 ($20 from May 14 to September 8), with an overflow lot at 33 Brooks Road and a free shuttle from April 23 to October 25.
If you are staying in Dennis, Chatham, Orleans or anywhere east of the Bass River, Hyannis is on your way and Woods Hole and Falmouth are an hour of Route 28 in the wrong direction. The fare buys back the drive.
BY TRAIN OR BUS FROM BOSTON
The CapeFLYER train runs from South Station to Hyannis on Friday evenings and weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day for $22 (the Saturday morning train leaves 7:50 and arrives 10:20), and Peter Pan serves Hyannis year-round. Both put you a short ride from the Ocean Street dock. Our Boston routes guide has the timings.
IN THE SPRING
Hy-Line started on May 2 in 2026, three weeks before the Island Queen’s May 22, and it lands in Oak Bluffs while the Steamship is still Vineyard Haven only. For a May visit to Oak Bluffs, this is the boat; the spring guide covers what is open.
WITH A CAR TO PARK
Woods Hole has no parking at the terminal, only the Palmer Avenue lots and a shuttle. Hyannis has a lot at the dock. On a summer weekend that is worth real time, and the parking guide notes the Hyannis boat has more capacity and fewer delays.
TWO ISLANDS IN ONE TRIP
Hy-Line is the company that also sails to Nantucket, and in summer its inter-island boat links Oak Bluffs and Nantucket directly (it ended September 7 in 2026). The Vineyard vs Nantucket comparison helps decide whether both belong in one week.
Oak Bluffs · the harborPhoto by MV Vacation
A summer morning in the Oak Bluffs harbor, a dog keeping watch from the bow of a moored boat. The harbor is where the Hy-Line ties up, five minutes from Circuit Avenue.
When it is not
From Falmouth, the Cape’s southwest corner, or anywhere on the Boston side of the Bourne Bridge, the cheaper boats win. The Island Queen from Falmouth is $30 round trip, 35 minutes, lands in the same Oak Bluffs harbor and parks for $20 a day cash within 200 yards of its dock. The Steamship walk-on from Woods Hole is $11 each way, runs all year, and lands in Vineyard Haven, where the fare-free bus meets every boat. A family of four pays $250 round trip on Hy-Line against $96 on the Island Queen and $67 on the Steamship; the Hy-Line hour is also longer than either crossing. And from New Bedford, the Seastreak is $84 round trip for 50 minutes; our Seastreak guide covers it. The cheapest-way guide puts all six boats on one table.
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BOOK BOTH WAYS
Reserve the outbound and the return; the last evening boat on a summer Sunday is the one that fills. Tickets are by the seat, so a child under five still needs to be on the booking.
THE LOT
Book parking with the ferry ticket in summer. The on-site lot fills; the Iyannough Road lot with the free shuttle is the fallback and is cheaper, but add the 45 to 60 minutes Hy-Line asks for.
LANDING
The boat comes into the Oak Bluffs harbor. Circuit Avenue, the Flying Horses, the Campground and the Inkwell are on foot; the fare-free VTA bus to every other town leaves from the Steamship terminal a few minutes’ walk away. Bike shops sit beside the harbor.
THE DAY TRIP
A morning boat and the last evening boat give a full day in the harbor towns. The day-trip guide has a plan that uses the bus and the bike path, and the Oak Bluffs guide covers the town you land in.
THE SHOULDER MONTHS
In spring and fall the timetable thins to a couple of round trips a day. Check the day’s sailings before you leave; the September guide and the after-Labor-Day guide explain how the whole fleet changes after the holiday.
How much is the Hy-Line ferry to Martha’s Vineyard?
$41 one way and $78 round trip for adults in 2026, including the $2 fuel surcharge each way. Children 5 to 12 pay $25 and $47, bikes $8.50 and $17.
How long does the Hy-Line take?
About an hour from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs on the high-speed catamaran, against 35 minutes on the Island Queen from Falmouth and 45 on the Steamship from Woods Hole.
Where does it leave from, and where can I park?
The Hy-Line terminal at 220 Ocean Street in downtown Hyannis. The on-site lot is $10 to $30 a day by season; the off-site lot at 183 Iyannough Road is $5 to $20 with a free shuttle from late April to late October. Arrive 45 minutes early, or 45 to 60 from the off-site lots.
When does Hy-Line run to Martha’s Vineyard?
May into October. The 2026 season opened May 2 with two round trips a day in spring and more in summer; the final autumn date is posted each year on Hy-Line’s site.
Is Hy-Line worth it over the Island Queen or the Steamship?
From the mid- and outer Cape, by train or bus from Boston, or for a spring trip to Oak Bluffs, yes. From Falmouth or the Boston side of the bridges, the Island Queen ($30 round trip) or the Steamship walk-on ($22 round trip) is the better buy.
How we checked this
Fares, the fuel surcharge, the reservation and arrival guidance, the terminal address and the parking lots and rates are from Hy-Line Cruises’ own 2026 fares, ferry and parking pages, read September 2026; the season start and spring frequency are from the company’s spring 2026 schedule as recorded in our spring guide; the inter-island end date is from our September guide; competing fares are the Island Queen’s, the Steamship Authority’s and Seastreak’s published 2026 rates. Confirm the day’s sailings before you drive to Hyannis.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general guidance only and was accurate at the time of writing. Beach conditions, hours, prices, lifeguard schedules, ferry fares, and business operations change frequently and without notice. Ocean swimming carries inherent risks including rip currents, undertow, and cold water shock. Always verify current conditions with official local sources before your visit. MV Vacation assumes no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience resulting from the use of this information. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, supervise children at all times near water, and follow all posted safety signs.
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