Boat and Ferry Travel in Cape Cod

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Boat and Ferry Travel

In season, ferries connect Boston and Plymouth with Provincetown.

Ferries to Martha's Vineyard leave Woods Hole year-round. In summer you can also catch Vineyard ferries in Falmouth and Hyannis. All provide parking lots where you can leave your car overnight ($10-$15 per night). A number of parking lots in Falmouth hold the overflow of cars when the Woods Hole lot is filled, and free shuttle buses take passengers to the ferry, about 15 minutes away. Signs along Route 28 heading south from the Bourne Bridge direct you to open parking lots, as does AM radio station 1610, which you can pick up within 5 mi of Falmouth.

Ferries to Nantucket leave Hyannis year-round. In season, a passenger ferry connects Nantucket with Martha's Vineyard, and a cruise from Hyannis makes a day trip with stops at both islands. From New Bedford you can take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard from mid-May to mid-October and to Cuttyhunk Island year-round (although between mid-October and mid-April, the schedule is very limited).

Ferries to Provincetown

Bay State Cruise Company offers both standard and high-speed ferry service between Commonwealth Pier in Boston and MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown. High-speed service runs a few times daily from late May through early October and costs $68 round-trip; the ride takes 90 minutes. Standard service runs weekends from late June through early September and costs $29 round-trip; the ride takes three hours. On either ferry, the round-trip charge for bikes is $10.

Boston Harbor Cruises also offers high-speed service several times daily from mid-June to early September, with more limited service mid-May to mid-June and early September to mid-October. Rates are $70 round-trip and $10 for bikes.

Capt. John Boats runs a seasonal ferry between Plymouth and Provincetown, with daily service from late June through early September and weekend service from late May to mid-June. The boat departs from State Pier (near the Mayflower II) in Plymouth and docks at MacMillan Wharf in Provincetown. The trip takes approximately 90 minutes. A round-trip ticket costs $35, the one-way fare is $20 (no one-way in July and August), and bikes cost $5 each way.

Boat & Ferry Lines

Bay State Cruise Company (617/748-1428. www.baystatecruisecompany.com). Boston Harbor Cruises (617/227-4320 or 877/733-9425. www.bostonharborcruises.com). Capt. John Boats (508/747-2400 or 800/242-2469. www.provincetownferry.com).

Ferries to Cuttyhunk Island

The M/V Alert II runs ferries between New Bedford and Cuttyhunk Island, daily mid-June through mid-September, several times a week from mid-April to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-October, and once a week the rest of the year. Same-day round-trip fare is $24, one-way $17, bicycles $3.50 each way. The ride takes about an hour.

Boat & Ferry Information

M/V Alert II (Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 3, New Bedford. 508/992-1432. www.cuttyhunk.com).

Ferries to Martha's Vineyard

The Steamship Authority runs the only car ferries, which make the 45-minute trip from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven year-round and to Oak Bluffs from late May through mid-October. There are several runs per day, but fewer during the off-season. In summer and on autumn weekends, you must have a reservation if you want to bring your car (passenger reservations are never necessary). You should make car reservations as far ahead as possible; in season the reservations office is open daily 7 AM-9 PM.

You can also make car reservations online at the Steamship Authority's Web site. In season, standby car reservations are not available. One-way passenger fare year-round is $6.50; bicycles are $3. The cost for a car traveling one-way in season (April-October) is $62 (not including passengers); off-season cars cost $38. Call or check the Web site for off-season rates.

The Island Queen makes the 35-minute trip from Falmouth Harbor to Oak Bluffs from late May through early October. Ferries run multiple times a day from mid-June through early September, with less frequent service in the spring and fall; call for schedules. Round-trip fare is $12, bikes $6. Only cash and traveler's checks are accepted for payment.

Patriot Boats runs a Falmouth Harbor to Oak Bluffs high-speed ferry year-round, with several trips Monday through Saturday; there's no service on Sunday or holidays. The company also operates a year-round 24-hour water taxi and offers boat charters. The ferry costs $8 one-way, and the ride takes 30 minutes.

Hy-Line offers both high-speed and conventional ferry service from Hyannis. The conventional ferries offer a 95-minute run from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs early May-late October. One-way fare is $16.50; bicycles cost $5. The high-speed run takes 55 minutes and costs $29 one-way from late May through late October and $15 one-way the rest of the year; it costs $5 for bikes. The parking lot fills up in summer, so call to reserve a parking space in high season. From June to mid-September, Hy-Line's Around the Sound cruise makes a one-day round-trip from Hyannis with stops at Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard ($70).

The New England Fast Ferry Company makes the hour-long trip by high-speed catamaran from New Bedford to Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven from mid-May to mid-October, several times daily. One-way is $29, bicycles $5.

Boat & Ferry Information

Island Queen (Falmouth Harbor. 508/548-4800. www.islandqueen.com). Hy-Line (Ocean St. dock. 508/778-2600 or 800/492-8082. www.hy-linecruises.com). New England Fast Ferry (State Pier Ferry Terminal. 866/683-3779. www.nefastferry.com).

Patriot Boats (227 Clinton Ave., Falmouth Harbor. 508/548-2626 or 800/734-0088. www.patriotpartyboats.com). Steamship Authority (508/477-8600 information and car reservations; 508/693-9130 on the Vineyard. www.steamshipauthority.com).

Ferries to Nantucket

The Steamship Authority runs car-and-passenger ferries from Hyannis to Nantucket year-round, a 2¼-hour trip. There's also high-speed passenger ferry service, which takes only an hour. Note that there are no standby car reservations on ferries to Nantucket. One-way passenger fare is $14, bicycles $6. Cost for a car traveling one-way April through October is $175; November through April, $115. One-way high-speed passenger ferry fare is $29.50, bicycles $6.

Hy-Line's high-end, high-speed Grey Lady ferries run between Hyannis and Nantucket year-round in an hour. Such speed has its downside in rough seas -- lots of bucking and rolling that some find literally nauseating. Seating ranges from benches on the upper deck to airline-like seats in side rows of the cabin to café-style tables and chairs in the cabin front. Make reservations in advance, particularly during the summer months or for holiday travel. One-way fare is $36, bicycles $5.

Hy-Line's slower ferry makes the roughly two-hour trip from Hyannis between early May and late October. The M/V Great Point offers a first-class section ($23.50 one-way) with a private lounge, restrooms, upholstered seats, carpeting, complimentary continental breakfast or afternoon cheese and crackers, a bar, and a snack bar. Standard one-way fare is $16.50, bicycles $5.

From Harwich Port, the Freedom Cruise Line runs express high-speed 75-minute ferries to Nantucket between late May and early October, allowing you to explore the rose-covered isle without having to brave the crowds of Hyannis. Round-trip fare is $54 ($34 one-way), $12 for bikes. Sightseeing and seal cruises are also offered daily.

Boat & Ferry Information

Freedom Cruise Line (Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich Port. 508/432-8999. www.nantucketislandferry.com). Hy-Line (Ocean St. dock. 508/778-2600 or 800/492-8082. www.hy-linecruises.com). Steamship Authority (South St. dock. 508/477-8600; 508/495-3278 on Nantucket for reservations. www.steamshipauthority.com).