Getting There

By Ferry

Most visitors take the ferry service connecting the Vineyard and the mainland. If you're traveling via car or bus, you will most likely catch the ferry from Woods Hole in the town of Falmouth on Cape Cod; however, boats do run from Falmouth Inner Harbor, Hyannis, New Bedford, Rhode Island, and Nantucket. On weekends in season, the Steamship Authority ferries make over 25 trips a day to Martha's Vineyard from Woods Hole (2 other companies provide an additional 12 passenger ferries a day from Falmouth Inner Harbor). Schedules are available from the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce (tel. 508/693-0085; fax 508/693-7589; www.mvy.com) or the Steamship Authority .

The state-run Steamship Authority (www.steamshipauthority.com) runs the show in Woods Hole (tel. 508/477-8600 early Apr to early Sept daily 8am-5pm; or 508/693-9130 daily 8am-5pm) and operates every day, year-round (weather permitting). It maintains the only ferries to Martha's Vineyard that accommodate cars, in addition to passengers, and makes about 20 crossings a day in season. The large ferries make the 45-minute trip to Vineyard Haven throughout the year; some boats go to Oak Bluffs from late May to late October (call for seasonal schedules). During the summer, you'll need a reservation to bring your car to the island, and you must reserve months in advance to secure a spot. If you plan to bring your car over to the island, plan to get to the Woods Hole terminal at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure.

Many people prefer to leave their cars on the mainland, take the ferry (often with their bikes), and then rent a car, jeep, or bicycle on the island. You can park your car at the Woods Hole lot (always full in the summer) or at one of the many lots in Falmouth and Bourne that absorb the overflow of cars during the summer months; parking is $10 to $12 per day. Plan to arrive at the parking lots in Falmouth at least an hour before sailing time to allow for parking, taking the free shuttle bus to the ferry terminal, and buying your ferry ticket. Free shuttle buses (some equipped for bikes) run regularly from the outlying lots to the Woods Hole ferry terminal.

The cost of a round-trip passenger ticket on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard is $15 for adults and $8 for children 5 to 12. (Kids 4 and under ride free.) If you bring your bike along, it's an extra $6 round-trip, year-round. You do not need a reservation on the ferry if you're traveling without a car, and no reservations are needed for parking. The cost of a round-trip car passage from April through October is $135 to $155; in the off season it drops to $85 to $105. Car rates do not include drivers or passengers; you must buy tickets for each person going to the island.

Note: The Steamship Authority now charges different rates for different length cars. You will need to specify the make and model of your car when you place your reservation.

Once you are aboard the ferry, you have won the right to feel relieved and relaxed. Now your vacation can begin. Ferries are equipped with bathrooms and snack bars. Your fellow passengers will be a gaggle of kids, dogs, and happy-looking travelers.

From Falmouth, you can board the Island Queen at Falmouth Inner Harbor (tel. 508/548-4800; www.islandqueen.com) for a 35-minute cruise to Oak Bluffs (passengers only). The boat runs from late May to mid-October; round-trip fare is $20 for adults, $10 for children under 12 and under, free for children 3 and under, and an extra $8 for bikes. There are seven crossings a day in season (8 on Fri and Sun), and no reservations are needed. Parking will run you $15 a day. Credit cards are not accepted.

The Falmouth-Edgartown Ferry Service, 278 Scranton Ave. (tel. 508/548-9400; www.falmouthferry.com), operates a 1-hour passenger ferry, called the Pied Piper, from Falmouth Harbor to Edgartown. The boat runs from late May to mid-October, and reservations are required. In season, there are five crossings a day (6 on Fri). Round-trip fares are $50 for adults and $30 for children 6 to 12. Bicycles are $10 round-trip. Parking is $25 per day.

From Hyannis, you can take the Hy-Line, Ocean Street Dock (tel. 508/778-2600; www.hy-linecruises.com), to Oak Bluffs, early June through late September. They run three trips a day, and trip time is about 1 hour and 45 minutes; round-trip costs $32 for adults and $17 for children 5 to 12 ($10 extra for bikes).

Hy-Line also operates a year-round fast ferry from Hyannis to Martha's Vineyard. It departs five times daily in season and takes 55 minutes. Round-trip tickets cost $69 for adults, $45 for children.

From Nantucket, Hy-Line runs three passenger-only ferries to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard from early June to mid-September (there is no car-ferry service between the islands). The trip time is 2 hours and 15 minutes. The round-trip fare is $33 for adults, $17 for children 5 to 12, and $5 extra for bikes.

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 $36 one-way and $72 round-trip for adults, $32 one-way and $64 round-trip for seniors; and $21 one-way and $42 round-trip for children 12 and under. Contact New England Fast Ferry for details (tel. 866/453-6800; www.nefastferry.com).

Tip: Traveling to Martha's Vineyard from New Bedford is a great way to avoid Cape traffic and enjoy a scenic ocean cruise.

From North Kingstown, Rhode Island, to Oak Bluffs, 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. The ferry leaves from Quonset Point, about 10 minutes from Route I-95, 15 minutes from T.F. Green Airport in Providence, and 20 minutes from the Amtrak station in Kingston. There is dockside parking. Rates are $52 one-way, $75 round-trip for adults; $47 one-way, $52 round-trip for children 4 to 12; and $12 round-trip for bikes. Parking next to the ferry port is $10 per day. Reservations can be made by calling tel. 401/295-4040 or by visiting www.vineyardfastferry.com.

Reservations-Only Policy for Car Passage to Martha's Vineyard -- Vehicle reservations are required to bring your car to Martha's Vineyard Friday through Monday from mid-June to mid-September. During these times, standby is in effect only on Tuesday through Thursday. Vehicle reservations are also required to bring your car to Martha's Vineyard on Memorial Day weekend. Technically, vehicle reservations can be made up to 1 hour in advance of ferry departure, but ferries in season are almost always filled with cars, and you cannot depend on a cancellation during the summer months. Also be aware that your space may be forfeited if you have not checked into the ferry terminal 30 minutes prior to sailing time. Reservations may be changed to another date and time with at least 24 hours' notice; otherwise, you will have to pay for an additional ticket for your vehicle.

If you arrive without a reservation on a day that allows standby in the summer, come early and be prepared to wait in the standby line for hours. The Steamship Authority guarantees your passage if you're in line by 2pm on designated standby days only. For up-to-date Steamship Authority information, check out its website (www.steamshipauthority.com).

By Air

You can fly into Martha's Vineyard Airport, also known as Dukes County Airport (tel. 508/693-7022), in West Tisbury, about 5 miles outside Edgartown.

Airlines serving the Vineyard include Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines (tel. 800/352-0714 or 508/771-6944; www.flycapeair.com), which connects the island year-round with Boston (trip time 34 min., hourly shuttle service in summer about $240 round-trip); Hyannis (trip time 20 min., cost $109); Nantucket (15 min., $95); Providence, Rhode Island (25 min., $173); and New Bedford (20 min., $100); and US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com), which flies from Boston for about $215 round-trip and also has seasonal weekend service from LaGuardia (trip time 1 1/4 hr.), which costs approximately $400 round-trip.

The only company offering year-round charter service is Direct Flight (tel. 508/693-6688; flydirect@vineyard.net).

By Bus

Peter Pan Bus Lines (tel. 888/751-8800 or 508/548-7588; www.peterpanbus.com) connects the Woods Hole ferry port with South Station and Logan Airport in Boston, as well as with New York City and Providence, Rhode Island. The trip from South Station takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes and costs about $26 one-way, $50 round-trip; from Boston's Logan Airport, the cost is $27 one-way, $47 round-trip; from Providence, the 2 1/2-hr trip to Woods Hole costs $29 one-way or $56 round-trip; from New York, the bus trip to Woods Hole takes about 6 hours and costs approximately $73 one-way or $121 round-trip.

By Limo

King's Coach (tel. 800/235-5669 or 508/563-5669) will pick you up at Boston's Logan Airport and take you to meet your ferry in Woods Hole (or anywhere else in the Upper Cape area). The trip takes about 90 minutes depending on traffic and costs about $135 to $165 one-way plus a gratuity for a carload or a vanload of people. You'll need to book the service a few days in advance. Falmouth Taxi (tel. 508/548-3100) also runs limo service from Boston and the airport. It charges $185 plus gratuity.