New York to Martha's Vineyard Without a Car: Fly, the Weekend Boat, Train and Bus, Compared (2026)

Most people assume the trip from New York to Martha’s Vineyard means a car, five hours on I-95 and a ferry reservation made in February. You can do it with just a ticket, four different ways: a flight of about an hour from JFK, LaGuardia or White Plains; a summer weekend boat that leaves from East 35th Street and lands in Oak Bluffs; a train to Providence with a connecting bus to the New Bedford ferry; and a through bus from the city to the Woods Hole pier. Each one puts you on an island where the buses are free and the towns are walkable, so you won’t miss the car. Below is how each route works, what it costs, how long it takes door to door, and which one suits a weekend, a week or a budget.

Flying: the only same-day option

For a short trip, flying makes the most sense. The summer jets put JFK and LaGuardia about an hour from the island, and a realistic day looks like a 9 AM departure, the beach by 11, and a 4 PM flight home, which is why we call it the only same-day option from New York in our day-trip guide; every surface route is five to eight hours each way. Delta flies from JFK and LaGuardia roughly Memorial Day to early fall, JetBlue from JFK from late June into October, American from Washington, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Chicago for the connecting crowd, and Cape Air from JFK in season on nine-seat Cessnas that fly low enough to see the boats. Tradewind runs eight-seat Pilatus flights from the private terminal at White Plains daily from May to November, up to fifteen a day, at a published $1,010 a seat. Fog is the main cause of delays at MVY, so a return with a connection needs some slack. The flying guide has every airline, the parking and the bus into town.

The weekend boat from 35th Street

For eight summer weekends a year Seastreak sails a fast ferry from the New York metro area straight to Oak Bluffs. It leaves Highlands, New Jersey at noon, picks up at the East 35th Street pier in Manhattan at 1:30 PM, runs out through Long Island Sound and across open water, and ties up in Oak Bluffs at about 6 PM, in time for dinner on the harbor. The return leaves Oak Bluffs at 3 PM on the Sunday or Monday. In 2026 the weekends were May 22, June 26, July 3, July 24, July 31, August 7, August 14 and September 4; adults paid $250 round trip, $320 on the holiday weekends, children $145, bikes $20 one way or $30 round trip. Highlands has the best parking deal of any terminal: free by day, and free overnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the regular spaces, with Sunday to Wednesday nights $20 in the overflow lot. It’s a weekend boat rather than a day trip, it sells out, and the open-ocean stretch beyond the Sound is the part of any of these routes where seasickness medication helps. Our Seastreak guide covers both of the company’s routes.

Train to Providence, bus to the boat

This route suits a midweek trip or a week-long stay, and it’s easier than it sounds. Amtrak’s Northeast Regional runs from Moynihan Train Hall to Providence in about three and a half hours (Acela does it in under three, with fewer stops); at Providence, Amtrak’s own connecting bus, run by DATTCO, continues to New Bedford with a stop in Fall River, morning, afternoon and evening, and it is booked on the same Amtrak ticket and waits if the train is late. The New Bedford stop is the Seastreak terminal on the waterfront at 49 State Pier, and from there the catamaran crosses Buzzards Bay in 50 minutes to Oak Bluffs, $49 one way or $84 round trip, with six or seven sailings a day in peak summer and two in the shoulder months, April 16 to October 12. Boats dock at Vineyard Haven in spring and Oak Bluffs from mid-May, and in 2026 they went back to Vineyard Haven from September 20 for the rest of the season. The alternative rail route runs to Boston South Station (about four hours) and then either the Peter Pan bus to Woods Hole, about an hour and forty-five minutes for $24 to $40, or the MBTA commuter train to New Bedford in about an hour and forty minutes for the same Seastreak boat. Our Boston routes guide has both in detail.

The bus all the way

Peter Pan sells a single ticket from New York to the Steamship Authority piers at 1 Cowdry Road in Woods Hole, with a change of coach on the way, and the fastest scheduled trip is about six and a quarter hours; seven is more typical, with a few departures a day and fares from about $60 when booked ahead. At Woods Hole the ferry is across the road: $11 to Vineyard Haven, 45 minutes, every day of the year, and the winter timetable still runs roughly every 75 minutes. Peter Pan says bus-to-ferry connections are not guaranteed, so it’s safer not to count on the last boat of the night, and in summer the Cape traffic that slows the cars slows the coach too. For the cheapest trip from the city, though, nothing else comes close: the cheapest-way guide puts the whole thing under $100 each way. The Woods Hole guide covers the village, the lots and the new terminal.

Which route, for which trip

Once you land

Every route ends in Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs, the two towns built around their terminals, and the VTA bus leaves from both, fare-free through June 30, 2027, to every town and the big beaches. Bike shops sit beside each terminal with island-wide delivery. The town you land in is the easy place to sleep, at least the first night; our where to stay guide covers both harbors, and the without-a-car guide is the manual for the rest of the trip. The how-many-days answer is three for a first visit, which from New York means one travel day each side and one full day in the middle, or a long weekend on the Seastreak boat.

Plan the whole trip, one step at a time

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 price range.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get from New York to Martha’s Vineyard without a car?

Fly from JFK, LaGuardia or White Plains in about an hour; take Seastreak’s summer weekend boat from East 35th Street (about five hours, $250 round trip); take Amtrak to Providence and Amtrak’s connecting bus to the New Bedford ferry (about six and a half to seven hours); or take a Peter Pan through-bus to Woods Hole and the $11 Steamship ferry (about seven hours).

Is there a ferry from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard?

Yes, on eight summer weekends: Seastreak from Highlands, New Jersey and East 35th Street in Manhattan to Oak Bluffs, about five hours, $250 round trip ($320 on holiday weekends). It is a weekend getaway boat, not a daily service, and it sells out.

How long is the train from New York to Martha’s Vineyard?

There is no train to the island. Amtrak reaches Providence in about three and a half hours, its connecting bus reaches the New Bedford ferry terminal, and the Seastreak boat takes 50 minutes to Oak Bluffs; plan six and a half to seven hours door to door.

What is the cheapest way from New York?

The Peter Pan bus to Woods Hole from about $60 plus the $11 Steamship ferry, under $100 each way. It takes about seven hours and the bus-to-boat connection is not guaranteed, so leave slack.

Can I do Martha’s Vineyard as a day trip from New York?

Only by air: a 9 AM flight gives five to six hours on the island before a 4 PM return, at $260 to $600 round trip. Every other route takes the whole day, so a night on the island works better.

How we checked this

Airline routes, seasons and typical fares are from the carriers’ 2026 schedules as recorded in our flying guide; the Seastreak weekend dates, times and fares are from Seastreak’s 2026 schedule; the Amtrak times are Amtrak’s published Northeast Regional and Acela schedules and its August 2023 announcement of the Providence–New Bedford connecting bus; Peter Pan durations and fares are from the company’s booking engine and aggregator listings for New York–Woods Hole, checked September 2026; ferry fares are the operators’ published 2026 rates. Schedules change with the season; confirm the day’s times before you leave.