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 1:45 PM ET
Midtown Manhattan on a clear morning. From here the island is an hour by air, five hours by the summer boat, or most of a day by train and ferry, and none of it needs a car.
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.
New York to Martha’s Vineyard is a trip most people assume needs a car, five hours on I-95 and a ferry reservation made in February. It needs none of those. There are four ways to do it with nothing but a ticket: 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 the car you did not bring is never missed. Here is how each route works, what it costs, how long it really takes door to door, and which one to pick for a weekend, a week, or a budget.
Delta from JFK and LaGuardia and JetBlue from JFK, roughly late spring to early fall, typically from $130 to $170 one way; Cape Air from JFK in season, about 73 minutes, from about $299. The island terminal is small and single-level and the free VTA bus stops outside it.
Seastreak’s Manhattan boat: Highlands, New Jersey at noon, East 35th Street at 1:30 PM, Oak Bluffs about 6 PM; back at 3 PM. Eight summer weekends in 2026, $320 on holiday weekends, and it sells out. The 2027 dates post in spring.
Amtrak to Providence (about three and a half hours on the Northeast Regional, under three on Acela), Amtrak’s connecting DATTCO bus to the Seastreak terminal in New Bedford, then 50 minutes across Buzzards Bay to Oak Bluffs for $49 one way, April 16 to October 12.
Peter Pan sells a through ticket from New York to the Woods Hole pier with a change on the way, a few departures a day, and the Steamship Authority ferry from there is $11 with no reservation, year-round, every day. The cheapest route there is, and the slowest.
If the trip is short, fly. 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 one thing that delays MVY; build slack into a return with a connection. The flying guide has every airline, the parking and the bus into town.
Manhattan · Times SquarePhoto by MV Vacation
Times Square after dark. The island’s version of nightlife is a bandstand and a dive bar with a blues band, and after a week here that is the point.
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 each way. Highlands has free daytime parking and $10 a night overnight, the best deal of any terminal, if someone drops you there. It is a getaway boat, not a day trip, it sells out, and the open-ocean stretch beyond the Sound is the one place on any of these routes to take seasickness medication. Our Seastreak guide covers both of the company’s routes.
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Train to Providence, bus to the boat
This is the route for a midweek trip or a week-long stay, and it is more civilized 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. 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.
Woods Hole · the terminalPhoto by MV Vacation
A bus at the Woods Hole terminal, where the Peter Pan coaches and the parking-lot shuttles meet the Steamship Authority ferry. Walk-on passengers buy an $11 ticket and board; no reservation, ever.
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. Two honest notes. Peter Pan says plainly that bus-to-ferry connections are not guaranteed, so do not book the last boat of the night on the strength of a bus arrival, and in summer the Cape traffic that slows the cars slows the coach too. For the cheapest possible 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
Know Before You Go
Our honest picks
A SUMMER WEEKEND
The Seastreak weekend boat if your dates match one of its eight sailings and you book early; otherwise fly Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Both land you in a town you can walk.
A WEEK OR MORE
Train to Providence, bus to New Bedford, boat to Oak Bluffs. Slower than flying, far cheaper than a family’s worth of airfares, and no bag limits on the boat for a week of beach gear.
A DAY TRIP
Fly, or do not. Nine in the morning out, four in the afternoon back, five hours on the island. Every surface option spends the whole day on the road.
ON A BUDGET
Peter Pan to Woods Hole and the $11 Steamship. Bring food, book the bus ahead, and give the ferry connection an hour of slack.
WITH CHILDREN
Under five ride the Steamship free and five to twelve pay $5.75, so the Woods Hole routes are cheapest for a family; on Seastreak children are $29 from New Bedford and $145 round trip from Manhattan.
Vineyard Haven · the terminal bus shelterPhoto by MV Vacation
The bus shelter at the Vineyard Haven terminal, looking over the harbor. This is the first thing after the boat: a free bus to every town, and no car to park.
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. Sleep in the town you land in for the first night at least; 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.
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 spends the whole day traveling. Come for a night.
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.
Island tip of the dayTransportNo. 11 of 86New 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.
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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.
Your insider guide to Martha's Vineyard: beaches, dining, events, and island living. We write down what we know about the island so your trip goes the way you hoped.
EV charging on Martha's Vineyard: about 34 public stations, nearly all Level 2, listed town by town with ports and prices (Cronig's by the ferry, the Edgartown Park and Ride, town halls, libraries, the airport, the Aquinnah cliffs), the one fast-charging site in Chilmark and what we could not verify, no Supercharger, the ferry's EV rules, and how to run an electric week on a 20-mile island.
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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.
Every public restroom we know of on Martha's Vineyard, town by town: the two ferry terminals (open year-round), Kennebec Avenue in Oak Bluffs, Church Street in Edgartown, the Stop and Shop lot in Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury Town Hall, the Menemsha beach lot and the Aquinnah cliffs, which beaches have them (not State Beach), what is seasonal, and the fallbacks that work in winter.
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Newport or Martha's Vineyard? A drivable Gilded Age city with the Breakers ($32), the free 3.5-mile Cliff Walk, festival weekends at Fort Adams and a late harbor front, against a six-town island reached by an $11 ferry with twenty beaches, a free bus and quiet nights. Getting there, sights, beds, nights, children, weddings, and doing both from Rhode Island.
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