Martha's Vineyard Ferry from the
Woods Hole Ferry Terminal, Falmouth and Hyannis

The first thing to note about the Martha's Vineyard ferry as compared to the Nantucket ferry is that Martha's Vineyard is much closer. (The word Nantucket actually means Faraway Island). Therefore fares are cheaper and journey times much shorter. So, if you're on Cape Cod for a limited amount of time, of if you have a limited budget but absolutely want to see at least one of these two lovely islands, the Martha's Vineyard Ferry may the way to go.

The are two Cape Cod towns from which you can catch the Martha's Vineyard Ferry, Hyannis and Falmouth, with Falmouth offering two departure points Falmouth Heights Road and the Woods Hole ferry terminal. The only one of thee three departure points that will allow you to take a car over is Woods Hole.

There are also three different arrival ports on Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown and Vineyard Haven, so it helps to know where on Island you particularly want to visit, although you can certainly get around easily enough if the most convenient ferry happens to drop you at the wrong port.

Steamship Authority Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard Ferry

The Steamship Authority runs the only year-round service to Martha's Vineyard, and the only service that allows you to take a car. It's also the least expensive of the various options. The service is from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven year round, with an additional service from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs from mid-April to October.

Sailings are quite frequent (pretty much every hour or so during the summer) and the journey takes about 45 minutes. There is no high speed Woods Hole ferry service to Martha's Vineyard.

Key Information for The Steamship Authority

Location: Woods Hole Wharf, Falmouth, MA
Schedule: Departs Woods Hole up to 14 times each day (depending on the season) between 6:00am and 9:45pm
Traditional Ferry Price: $16 ($8 extra for a bike).
Telephone: (508) 477-8600
Website: www.SteamshipAuthority.org

Hy-Line's Martha's Vineyard Ferry from Hyannis

Insider Tip
If you have a Go Boston Card. and are able to depart from Hyannis, you should think about HyLine, which offers free traditional and reduced price for high speed Martha's Vineyard ferry crossing.
HyLine is the only Martha's Vineyard ferry operator that participates in this program.
Check out our Cape Cod deals page, which explains exactly how the program works and how much you might be able to save.

Hy-Line Cruise Lines operates a seasonal (May-October) Martha's Vineyard ferry service from the same Ocean Street Docks in Hyannis from which their Nantucket Ferries depart.

The distance between Hyannis and Martha's Vineyard is far greater than the distance from Falmouth, so be prepared to spend more time on the water, and pay a higher price for passage. High speed passage typically takes a little over an hour, while traditional ferry passage can take and hour and 40 minutes.

All Hyannis ferry servics disembark at Oak Bluffs when they arrive at Martha's Vineyard and none will allow you to take a car.

In addition to their service to Martha's Vineyard, Hy-Line also operates a seasonal around the sound cruise service, which starts in Hyannis and takes visitors to both Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket before dropping them back in Hyannis late in the evening.

Key Information for Hy-Line Cruises

Location: 220 Ocean Street, Hyannis, MA
Schedule: Departs Hyannis 2-6 times each day (depending on the season) between 8:15am and 8:05pm
High Speed Prices: $71 ($14 extra for a bike). ($26 with your Go Boston Card).
Traditional Ferry Price: $45 ($14 extra for a bike). (Free with your Go Boston Card).
Telephone: (800) 492-8082
Website: www.hylinecruises.com

Island Queen Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard Ferry

The Island Queen offers passenger only, high-speed crossing from the heart of Falmouth to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard from Memrorial Day weekend through mid-October.

The ferries depart from Falmouth Harbor on Falmouth Heights Road and, even though the distance to Martha's Vineyard is actually further from Falmouth than it is from Woods Hole, the fast ferry service gets you there in about 35 minutes.

Key Information for the Island Queen

Location: 75 Falmouth Heights Road, Falmouth, MA
Schedule: Departs Falmouth up to seven times each day between 9:00am and 6:00pm
High Speed Prices: $18 (extra for a bike).
Telephone: (508) 548-4800
Website: www.islandqueen.com

Falmouth Ferry to Martha's Vineyard

The Falmouth Ferry is the only Martha's Vineyard ferry service that sails to Edgartown. It offers a high-speed crossing from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard between Memrorial Day weekend and mid-October.

The ferries depart from Falmouth Harbor on Scranton Avenue and, since the distance from Falmouth to Edgartown is far greater than the distance to the harbors on the north side of the island, the trip takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

Key Information for the Falmouth Ferry

Location: 278 Scranton Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Schedule: Departs Falmouth up to four times each day between 8:30am and 4:00pm
High Speed Prices: $50 (extra for a bike).
Telephone: (508) 548-9400
Website: www.falmouthferry.com