If you are looking for a vacation destination, Martha’s Vineyard should be one of the best places to visit. It is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland, where you can get away to have some time to yourself.
But the question is, can you drive to Martha’s Vineyard?
You cannot drive your car from your house into Martha’s Vineyard as there are no bridges or tunnels connecting the mainland to the Martha’s Vineyard, rather, you can take your car to the Vineyard through the Steamship Authority ferry from the village of Woods Hole, Mass, on Cape Cod’s elbow.
This means that, even if you are unable to drive your car into the Vineyard, you can still take your car to the Vineyard by the Steamship Authority ferry.
Where is Martha’s Vineyard?
According to Martha’s Vineyard’s official website, Martha’s Vineyard also known as the Vineyard or the Rock is located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts in the Northeastern United States.
It is located west of its smaller neighbor the ‘Nantucket’ which can be found in the Vineyard Sound. Its neighbor in the west, mainland port, and north respectively are Elizabeth Islands, Woods Hole, and Falmouth.
The vineyard lies 7 miles from the U.S. while measuring 22 miles long and 9 miles in width. The Island is said to be triangular in shape while encompassing about 100 square miles of beaches, farm fields, small towns, and woodlands.
Due to its large size, Martha’s Island can accommodate not less than 100,000 people during summer which is usually a busy season, and about 15,000 during winter.
Can You Drive to Martha’s Vineyard?
You can drive to Martha’s Vineyard howbeit there’s only a limited distance you can drive with your car. Driving from your house direct to Martha’s Vineyard is not possible.
Martha’s Vineyard does not have causeways or bridges that will make it possible for you to directly drive your car to the Island however, there are car ferries that can help you transport your car to the Island at a cost.
The Steamship Authority Ferry has been the only car ferry to transport your car into the Martha’s Vineyard and it departs from Woods Hole, Falmouth on the south coast of Massachusetts.
Depending on the time of the year you are visiting the Vineyard, you may need to queue for a long time in order to get your car on the ferry or not.
Once you are able to get your car to the Island through the car ferry, it is pretty easy from there as there are road networks that allow you to drive your car around on the Island.
How Much Does It Cost to Take Your Car to Martha’s Vineyard?
The cost of taking your car to Martha’s Vineyard through the car ferry is largely determined by the size of your car and the number of passengers.
All things being equal, the cost of taking your car to Martha’s Vineyard is between $64 to $180 but this is not a fixed price as it is influenced by some factors.
If you are driving a bigger and larger car, you may have to pay more. Also, there may be additional charges applied if the car has more than 2 passengers.
The cost of taking your car to Martha’s Vineyard is also determined by the time of the year you are visiting.
Visiting Martha’s Vineyard during the off-season (January to March) will cost around $118 for a round trip while during summer the price increases to $192 as it’s a high season.
For active military personnel taking the ferry, there may be a discounted price both for one way or round trip provided they come with their active duty card.
Therefore, it is important to have a budget and make your research to know the exact cost if you will be taking more passengers and the cost per season.
To get your car on the car ferry and to the Island, you will need to make reservations especially if you are visiting during high season.
During these times, it may be hard for you to get on the ferry if you do not have a reservation as its sellout out quickly.
At times like this, it doesn’t matter if you are ready to pay. If you do not have a reservation you and your car won’t get on board.
What is the Easiest Way to get to Martha’s Vineyard?
Although there are two means of transportation to access the Island, the easiest of the two is going by sea using the “Ferry”. Just like the Governor’s Island, the ferry is an easy means of accessing Martha’s Vinyard, There is the car ferry and just ferries.
Car ferries help to transport both passengers and cars. Whether you are visiting with your car or not, visiting with your family or not, doing so through a ferry is still considered the easiest way.
The other means of transportation to access Martha’s Vineyard is by air, this method is not often used by people.
Car ferries are considered the easiest way to get to Martha’s Vineyard because it affords you the opportunity to go with your car at a cost of course.
What is the Best Way to Get to Martha’s Vineyard?
The best way to get to Martha’s Vineyard is through the car ferry or just a ferry as the case may be. If you are visiting in your car, you will need to go by car ferry but if you are going without your car, the ferry is just fine.
Other than the ferry, one can get to Martha’s Vineyard by air but this is not really an option most people like to explore as it has some limitations. The obvious one will be your inability to visit the Island with your car.
Car ferry has been the best and most common way for people to get to Martha’s Vineyard over time because of its many benefits. It is also considered the cheapest means of getting to the Island.
How Long is the Ferry Ride to Martha’s Vineyard?
The ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard will take you 45 minutes all things being equal.
The ride in itself isn’t that long, but the time it will take you to get aboard the ferry may be longer depending on the time of the year you are visiting Martha’s Vineyard.
Therefore, if you are calculating only the ferry ride, you have 45 minutes give or take. However, calculating the onboarding and ferry ride time may be longer than that.
Conclusion
Before embarking on a journey to Martha’s Vineyard, be sure to have the details like the cost of the car if you will be going with your car, and how to make a reservation as making a reservation is very important amongst other important details.