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
A shuttle bus at the Woods Hole terminal. The buses run between the Falmouth lots and the boat, free, and the terminal itself has no parking to offer anyone.
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.
There is no public parking at the Woods Hole ferry terminal. That sentence answers most of the questions people send us in July, and the rest follow from it: the Steamship Authority parks its walk-on passengers in three lots in Falmouth and Cataumet, charges $20 to $25 a day by the calendar day, and runs free shuttles to the boat that are timed to the sailings. Done right, it is painless: park, ride ten minutes, board. Done wrong, on a summer Saturday with the boat in forty minutes, it is the most stressful hour of the trip. Here is where the lots are, what they cost in 2026, how the shuttle works, when to arrive, and the cheaper alternative four miles away in Falmouth Harbor.
The main lot, about four miles from the terminal on the Falmouth side, with the most frequent shuttle: buses every 15 to 20 minutes, and one guaranteed to leave the lot 15 minutes before every scheduled sailing. Where most walk-on passengers park.
THOMAS B. LANDERS 22 Technology Park Drive, East Falmouth
The overflow lot off Route 28, opened when Palmer Avenue fills on summer weekends, with its own free shuttle. Follow the signs on Route 28; the electronic boards say which lot is open.
CATAUMET Route 28A, Cataumet
The far lot, north of Falmouth, used on the busiest days of the year. Free shuttle, longer ride. If you are sent here, the boat you planned may not be the boat you catch.
THE RATE $25 a day, April 1 to October 31; $20 the rest of the year
All three lots charge the same, by calendar day or part of one: $20 from January 1 to March 31, $25 from April 1 to October 31, $20 from November 1 to December 31. A Friday-to-Sunday weekend is three days. Annual permits are $950; off-season permits $400 (January 1 to May 14) and $350 (September 15 to December 31).
The Authority’s own advice: plan to arrive an hour before departure to park and ride the shuttle. The parking information line, (508) 457-PARK, says which lots are open and full; the lot office is (508) 548-5011, ext. 291.
Coming down Route 28 from the Bourne Bridge, the electronic signs before Falmouth tell you which lot is open; on a normal day it is Palmer Avenue, and you turn in, take a ticket, park and walk to the shuttle shelter. The bus is free, takes about ten minutes to the terminal, and there is one leaving 15 minutes before every sailing, so if you are on the shuttle a quarter of an hour before the boat you have made it. Walk-on passengers never need a reservation: buy the $11 ticket in the app on the shuttle and scan it at the gate. Pay for the parking when you come back, by the calendar days you were away. On July and August weekends Palmer Avenue fills by mid-morning and the signs send you on to Thomas B. Landers and then Cataumet, each a longer shuttle ride, which is why the Authority says an hour and why we say more on a Saturday. The webcam guide includes the Woods Hole dock camera, which shows you the staging lanes before you leave the house.
Woods Hole · from the dock webcamPhoto by MV Vacation
Woods Hole from the dock webcam on a summer day: the slips, a ferry alongside and the village behind. The staging lanes for cars are on the pier; the walk-on passengers arrive by shuttle from the lots four miles away.
With a car on the boat
If your car is crossing, none of this applies: you drive to the terminal with your reservation, join the staging lanes on the pier at least 30 minutes before departure (an hour in summer), and the lots are not your problem. The problem is the reservation, which for summer weekends sells out the morning the window opens in February; our reservation guide is the whole game. The new terminal building, opened June 25, 2026, has proper restrooms, waiting room and ticket windows for the wait.
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The alternatives
Know Before You Go
Ways to skip the shuttle
THE ISLAND QUEEN, FALMOUTH HARBOR
Four miles from Woods Hole, its own lots 200 yards from its dock at $20 a day cash, a 35-minute boat to Oak Bluffs for $30 round trip, May 22 to October 12. No shuttle at all. The Island Queen guide has the timetable.
THE BUS FROM BOSTON
Peter Pan runs from South Station and Logan straight to the Woods Hole pier, $24 to $40 one way, about an hour and three-quarters, and the parking question disappears. The Boston routes guide has the times.
A DROP-OFF
A friend or a taxi can drop you at the terminal door; only parking is banned there, not stopping. The day-trip guide works a Boston day around the early boats.
THE OFF-SEASON
From November 1 the lots are $20, Palmer Avenue never fills, and the shuttle still meets every boat. The winter timetable runs about every 75 minutes.
THE PERMIT
Anyone coming more than 38 days a year at $25 is better off with the $950 annual permit; a September-to-December visitor with a dozen trips, with the $350 off-season one.
Vineyard Sound · the wakePhoto by MV Vacation
The wake off the stern of a Steamship ferry, Woods Hole behind. Forty-five minutes after the shuttle, the car in the lot is the last thing on your mind.
Not at the terminal, which has no public parking. The Steamship Authority’s lots are at 286 Palmer Avenue in Falmouth, 22 Technology Park Drive in East Falmouth (Thomas B. Landers) and Route 28A in Cataumet, all with free shuttles to the boat. Electronic signs on Route 28 say which is open.
How much is parking at Woods Hole?
$25 a day from April 1 to October 31 and $20 a day the rest of the year, at all three lots, charged by calendar day or part of one. Annual permits are $950.
How often does the shuttle run?
From Palmer Avenue every 15 to 20 minutes, with a bus guaranteed to leave 15 minutes before every scheduled ferry departure. The ride is about ten minutes. Allow an hour before the boat in summer, more on a weekend.
Can I be dropped off at the terminal?
Yes. Only parking is prohibited at the terminal; drop-offs, taxis and the Peter Pan bus all pull up to the door.
Is there a cheaper way to park?
The Island Queen in Falmouth Harbor parks for $20 a day cash within 200 yards of its own dock and needs no shuttle, with a $30 round trip to Oak Bluffs from late May to Columbus Day.
How we checked this
Lot addresses, 2026 daily rates, permit prices, the arrival advice and the phone lines are from the Steamship Authority’s parking pages and 2026 permit applications; the Palmer Avenue shuttle frequency and the guaranteed pre-departure bus are from the Authority’s ways-to-save page; the new terminal date is from the Authority’s opening announcement; Island Queen and Peter Pan figures are the operators’ published 2026 rates. Read in September 2026. Lot-opening patterns on summer weekends are our observation, not a published schedule.
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.
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