Getting There

By Plane

Most major carriers offer service to Boston's Logan Airport, and from there, it's a quick half-hour commuter flight to Hyannis or Provincetown (about $195 round-trip), or the islands (to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, about $235 round-trip). It's also easy to shuttle in from New York (from LaGuardia to Hyannis, LaGuardia to Martha's Vineyard, or LaGuardia to Nantucket, all about $500 round-trip). Nonstop flights from either LaGuardia or Newark to Hyannis, Martha's Vineyard, or Nantucket take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Connections are also available between these airports and to New Bedford, and private charters are easy to arrange. Comparison shopping by phone (or computer) can pay off, since preliminary research will help you find the best deal. For example, Continental offers service to Hyannis from LaGuardia Airport and a seasonal service from Newark Airport to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. US Airways services Hyannis from LaGuardia; they also service Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from both Logan and LaGuardia. Cape Air is the only airline currently offering service from Logan Airport to Provincetown.

Among the larger airlines serving Logan Airport are American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com), Continental (tel. 800/525-0280; www.continental.com), Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com), Northwest (tel. 800/225-2525; www.nwa.com), United (tel. 800/241-6522; www.united.com), and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com).

Carriers to the Cape and islands include all of the above, plus Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines (tel. 800/352-0714 or 508/771-6944; www.flycapeair.com), US Airways/Colgan Air (tel. 800/272-5488 or 508/775-7077; www.colganair.com), and Island Airlines (tel. 800/248-7779 or 508/775-6606; www.nantucket.net/trans/islandair).

Flying over to Nantucket from Hyannis takes about 20 minutes, depending on the weather, costs about $109 round-trip, and is a great way to avoid the hectic ferry scene. Island Airlines and Cape Air make the most frequent trips from Hyannis to Nantucket, and between these two air carriers alone, there are over 50 flights per day. Charter flights are offered by both airlines.

The commuter flights have their own little fare wars, so it's worth calling around. And though flights may lessen in frequency during the off season, fares sometimes descend as well.

From Logan Airport in Boston, the Cape is about a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-hour drive, depending on traffic and how far along it you intend to go. Boston to Hyannis, the Cape's transportation hub, is about a 2-hour drive, or 2 1/2 hours via the Plymouth & Brockton bus line (tel. 508/771-6191); from there, you can take a ferry ride to either island.

Arriving at the Airport -- Immigration & Customs Clearance -- International visitors arriving by air, no matter what the port of entry, should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. U.S. airports have considerably beefed up security clearances in the years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and clearing Customs and Immigration can take as long as 2 hours.

Getting into Town from the Airport -- Visitors to the Cape and islands who are flying in to Boston's Logan Airport or T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island, can rent a car and drive to Cape Cod in about an hour and a half (from Boston) or an hour (from Providence).

Driving maps are generally available at car rental locations.

The major route from Boston's Logan Airport is Route 93 South to Route 3, which ends at the Sagamore Bridge. The Sagamore Bridge is the bridge to use to access all the Cape towns except Falmouth and the island of Martha's Vineyard. For those two destinations, plus parts of Bourne, the best route from Logan Airport is Route 93 to Route 24 to Route 495, which turns in to Route 25 near the Bourne Bridge.

From Providence, Rhode Island, you take Route 195 all the way to Route 25 and the Bourne Bridge.

Though cars are not needed for the average visitor to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, some visitors choose to rent a car or even a Jeep so that they can drive on certain beaches. Rental establishments on both islands offer ample Jeep rentals in addition to car rentals.

By Car

Visitors from the south (New York, for example) will approach the Cape Cod Canal via Route I-95 to Route 195 to Route 25 and over the Bourne Bridge. Those coming from Boston can either come that way (reaching Rte. 25 via I-93 to Rte. 24 and I-495) or head directly south from Boston on I-93 to Route 3, leading over the Sagamore Bridge.

The bridges are only 3 miles apart, with connecting roads on both sides of the canal, so either will do. The one you choose will most likely depend on where you're going. If you're planning to head south to Falmouth or take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard, you'll want to take the Bourne Bridge and follow Route 28 about 10 miles to Falmouth.

If you're heading farther east of the Sagamore Bridge to any of the other 14 towns on the Cape or to Nantucket, you'll want to travel over the Sagamore Bridge and take Route 6 or its scenic sidekick, Route 6A, which merges with Route 28 in Orleans. From Orleans, the main road is Route 6 all the way to Provincetown.

Those traveling to Nantucket should take the Sagamore Bridge and drive down Route 6 until reaching Exit 7. From there you can follow signs to one of the two ferry terminals (Steamship Authority or Hy-Line) in Hyannis.

The big challenge, actually, is getting over either bridge, especially on summer weekends, when upward of 100,000 cars all try to cross at once. Savvy residents avoid at all costs driving onto the Cape on Friday afternoon or joining the mass exodus on Sunday (or Mon, in the case of a holiday weekend), and you'd be wise to follow suit. Call SmarTraveler (tel. 617/374-1234 or cellular *1) for up-to-the-minute news on congestion and alternate routes, as well as parking availability in the pay-per-night parking lots that serve the island ferries.

Traffic can throw a major monkey wrench into these projections, but on average, driving time to Hyannis is 5 hours (no traffic) to 7 hours from New York and 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Boston. It'll take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more to drive all the way to Provincetown.

Traffic can truly be a nightmare on peak weekends. Cars are enough of a bother on the Cape itself: If you're not planning to cover much ground, forego the "convenience" and rent a bike instead (some B&Bs offer "loaners"). On the islands, cars are truly superfluous. Expensive to ferry back and forth ($175 one-way to Nantucket in season, and that's if you manage to make a reservation months, even a year, in advance or are willing to sit in "standby" for many hours), a car will prove a nuisance in the crowded port towns, where urban-style gridlock is not uncommon. Should you change your mind and want to go motoring once you arrive, you can always rent a car on the islands, usually for less than the cost of bringing your own vehicle over.

If you do come by car, have a mechanic check it out beforehand. If you're a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA; tel. 800/222-4357) or another national auto club, call beforehand to ask about travel insurance, towing services, free trip planning, and other services that may be available.

Travel Times -- Please note that traffic is very heavy over the bridges onto the Cape on Friday afternoons and going over the bridges off the Cape on Sunday afternoons. Saturday can also have heavy traffic because it is the start and end of the rental cycle at most weekly vacation units. The Bourne Bridge is usually less crowded than the Sagamore Bridge, but unless you are going to Falmouth, you'll have to merge with the Sagamore Bridge traffic on Route 6 anyway. If you are trying to catch a ferry, particularly in Hyannis, always leave plenty of extra time.

A Word about Traffic -- Cape Cod traffic is nothing if not predictable. You do not want to be driving over the Bourne or Sagamore bridges to come onto the Cape on a summer Friday between 4 and 8pm. Saturday between 10am and 3pm is an equally bad time to arrive. Most of all, you do not want to try to get off the Cape on a Sunday or a holiday Monday between 2 and 8pm. If you find yourself in one of the infamous Cape Cod traffic jams (on Memorial Day in 2000, traffic was backed up 18 miles east from the Sagamore Bridge), there are options. Here are my personal traffic-beating tips. Don't tell anyone.

1. The Bourne Bridge is almost always a less crowded route than the Sagamore Bridge. You can connect to Route 6 from the Bourne Bridge via the canal road, or see number 3 below.

2. When heading off the Cape on Route 6, turn off at Exit 5. Take Route 149 south to Route 28. At the Mashpee Rotary, take Route 151 to Route 28 in North Falmouth. Take Route 28 to the Bourne Bridge.

3. To get onto the Cape to points east of Yarmouth, follow number 2 in reverse.

4. If you are traveling to Nantucket and plan to park your car in Hyannis, watch the signs on Route 6 to see whether the parking lot at Cape Cod Community College is open. If it is, take Exit 6 and make a right turn onto Route 132. Cape Cod Community College is about a half-mile on the right. A free shuttle will take you to the ferry.

5. If you are heading to Martha's Vineyard, consider taking a passenger ferry from Rhode Island or New Bedford. Otherwise, be alert to the signs on Route 28 about parking lots. These signs are accurate. If they say the lot is full in Woods Hole, you will not be allowed to park there, so don't bother driving down to check it out. Follow the signs to the open parking lots, and a free shuttle bus will take you to the ferry.

By Bus

Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222) connects Boston with the rest of the country, and Bonanza Bus Lines/Peter Pan (tel. 888/751-8800 or 508/548-7588) covers a good portion of southern New England. Logan Airport to Falmouth costs about $27 each way. Bonanza links Boston's Logan Airport and South Station with Bourne, Falmouth, and Woods Hole; its buses from New York reach the same destinations, plus Hyannis. From New York to Hyannis or Woods Hole, the 6-hour ride costs about $73 each way. Plymouth & Brockton (tel. 508/771-6191; www.p-b.com) offers service from Logan and South Station to Hyannis by way of Sagamore and Barnstable, and offers connections from there to the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown.

Note: If you plan to catch a ferry, don't count on the bus arriving on time (there's no telling what the traffic may do). Plan to take the second-to-last ferry of the day, so you have a backup; and even so, schedule your arrival with an hour to spare.

By Boat

Arriving by water to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, or even Provincetown gives you a chance to decompress from city worries, while taking in glorious views both coming and going. All the ferries are equipped to carry bikes, for about $12 round-trip.

To Provincetown -- Bay State Cruise Company (tel. 617/748-1428; www.provincetownfastferry.com) runs a fast ferry to Provincetown from Boston, in addition to a daily round-trip conventional ferry, both from Commonwealth Pier at Boston's World Trade Center. The fast ferry makes three trips a day from May to early October. The trip, which takes 90 minutes, costs $49 one-way, $79 round-trip adults; $31 one-way, $58 round-trip for children; and $43 one-way, $73 round-trip for seniors. The conventional ferry leaves daily late June through Labor Day, and on weekends late May to late June and mid- to late September. The voyage ($41 round-trip for adults; free for children 4-11) takes about 3 hours each way.

Boston Harbor Cruises (tel. 617/227-4321; www.bostonharborcruises.com) runs fast ferries from Long Wharf in Boston to Provincetown's Macmillan's Wharf late June to mid-September. It's a 90-minute trip. In high season, there are two to three round-trips a day. Ferry tickets cost $49 one-way, $77 round-trip for adults. Tickets for seniors cost $43 one-way, $71 round-trip; and tickets for children cost $37 one-way, $66 round-trip. Bikes cost $5 each way. Reservations are a must on this popular boat.

You can also ferry directly to Provincetown from Plymouth, in season, with Captain John Boats (tel. 508/747-2400; www.provincetownferry.com); the trip takes 1 1/2 hours and costs $37 round-trip for adults, $32 for seniors, $27 for children 12 and under. Bikes cost an extra $5. In July and August, only round-trip tickets are sold. In mid-June to early September, trips leave daily. From late May to mid-June, trips run weekends only.

To Martha's Vineyard -- The three "down-island" ports of Martha's Vineyard are hooked up to the Cape and mainland in various ways. Oak Bluffs has the busiest harbor in season. It's served by the Hy-Line from Hyannis or Nantucket (tel. 508/778-2600; www.hy-linecruises.com), the Island Queen from Falmouth Harbor (tel. 508/548-4800; www.islandqueen.com), and the state-run Steamship Authority car ferry from Woods Hole (tel. 508/477-8600; www.steamshipauthority.com, where you can buy tickets online).

Edgartown is serviced by the Falmouth Ferry Service, a passengers-only ferry called the Pied Piper (tel. 508/548-9400; www.falmouthferry.com), which leaves from the west side of Falmouth Harbor and makes a 1-hour crossing (six crossings a day in season). It costs about twice as much as the other ferries to the Vineyard. Vineyard Haven welcomes Steamship Authority car and passenger ferries from Woods Hole year-round (over 20 crossings a day on weekends in season). If you want to bring your car, you'll need a reservation (tel. 508/477-8600 or online at www.steamshipauthority.com), although there's limited standby space available for those willing to wait around, except during certain peak-demand stretches in summer. Passengers not planning to bring a car do not need a reservation.

From Falmouth, the Island Queen makes the quickest crossing, at about 35 minutes. Round-trip fares on all ferry choices to Martha's Vineyard range from about $15 to $50, depending on the distance, and the round-trip rate for cars in season is $260 to $300. Parking costs $10 to $20 per day, depending on the ferry company. Including all of the ferry services, there are dozens of crossings a day from the Cape to the Vineyard in summer.

Hy-line runs a year-round high-speed ferry to Martha's Vineyard from Hyannis in 55 minutes. In season, there are five trips a day and the round-trip fare is $63 for adults and $45 for children. The traditional ferry makes the trip in season only once per day, takes 1 hour 35 minutes, and costs $39 for adults, $20 for children for round-trip tickets.

From New Bedford, Massachusetts, the fast ferry MV Whaling City Express travels to Martha's Vineyard in 1 hour. It makes six trips a day in season and is in service year-round, 7 days a week. A ticket costs $64 round-trip for adults; and $34 round-trip for children 12 and under; and $56 round-trip for seniors. Contact New England Fast Ferry for details (tel. 866/453-6800 [toll-free]; www.nefastferry.com).

From North Kingstown, Rhode Island, to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, the company Vineyard Fast Ferry runs its high-speed catamaran, Millennium, two to three round-trips daily from mid-June through October. The trip takes 90 minutes. Rates are $75 round-trip for adults, $52 round-trip for children 4 to 12. The ferry service can also set up shuttle service between Providence Airport or the nearest Amtrak station and the ferry terminal starting at $18 each way. Reservations for the ferry and/or the shuttle can be made by calling tel. 401/295-4040 or visiting their website at www.vineyardfastferry.com.

To Nantucket -- There are two competing high-speed ferries to Nantucket from Hyannis; both take 1 hour. The passengers-only MV Grey Lady (tel. 800/492-8082), Hy-Line's high-speed catamaran, costs $71 round-trip, $39 one-way for adults; $50 round-trip, $29 one-way for children (tel. 508/778-2600; www.hy-linecruises.com).

The Steamship Authority runs its own high-speed catamaran, the Iyanough, which costs $65 round-trip for adults and $49 round-trip for children (tel. 508/477-8600; www.steamshipauthority.com).

Both the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line also run slow ferries (2 1/4 hr.) to Nantucket. The Steamship Authority charges $33 round-trip, and Hy-Line charges $39 round-trip. Incidentally, transporting a car costs an astronomical $300 round-trip in season -- which makes it pretty silly to bring a car when you consider that the island is only 3 miles wide and 15 miles end to end. A bike (bring your own or rent on-island) will more than suffice.

Ferries also travel to Nantucket from Harwich Port by the Freedom Cruise Line (tel. 508/432-8999; www.nantucketislandferry.com), which makes three trips a day in season and one trip a day in spring and fall. It costs $68 round-trip for adults, $55 for children.

A certain frenzy usually accompanies the ferry departures, but if you arrive about an hour early, you should have plenty of time to drop off your luggage at the pier beforehand, so you won't have to lug it around. Call SmarTraveler or listen to radio station 1610 AM to find out what's up and whether traffic is clogged. The Steamship Authority boats offer a luggage trolley, which often fills to capacity half-hour or more before departure, so it pays to get there early. The Hy-Line staff cheerfully attends to all the loading of luggage and bikes. It's a lot less hassle.

Note: Ferry arrival times tend to be more reliable, but give yourself plenty of time, and don't take a chance on the last bus of the day.