Boston for 5 days: Time for Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard?
 

We will be in Boston for 5 days, do we have time to visit Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard? If so how long in each city? Also where in Boston should we stay? We would like to be in the heart of it all with nice restaraunts and shops.

Depending on the season and day of the week, it could take most of a day (traffic jams, waiting for ferry to the Vineyard) in each direction. You could take a fast ferry from Boston to Provincetown, though. Or fly Cape Air to either place on a small plane for about $100/person each way.
In Boston, I like the Copley Square area for easy access to everything via the T or on foot.

What time of year will you be visiting?

Provincetown in Cape Cod is probably the easiest to get to, as you can take the fast ferry (90 mins each way) from downtown Boston straight to Provincetown. The ferry is seasonal and I think stops running in mid-October.

Other parts of the Cape require renting a car and sitting in traffic.

To get to MV, you have to first get to the Cape and then get on a ferry.

If you want to do a day trip, there are many other possibilities which is easier to get to with public transport, eg, Salem, Gloucester, Concord etc.

If your goal is nice shops and restaurants, then pick a hotel in Copley Square. It is close to 2 malls (Copley Place and Prudential), as well as Newbury Street. However, if you prefer to be closer to the historic area, look into Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall, Aquarium areas for hotels.

thanks for the responses, i should have mentioned end of september. how many days recommended in each area?

The Cape will be much easier as a day trip. You could take the ferry to P-Town and spend a day esploring that community, or rent a care and drive to the Cape.

Can you do either one as a day trip? Sure. I know people in Boston who have spent the day on the Cape or Vineyard many times. It is a LONG day, though. The Vineyard means getting out early to catch a good ferry time from the Cape, then getting back late. The Cape is a place you want to hang around on with so many communities.

My suggestion would be to focus on the Cape and stay overnight. Drive down in the morning, start exploring the local towns, stay in a nice inn, then explore some more before heading back to Boston the next day. It will be much more enjoyable than the day tripm which is possible but would be hectic and tiring.

I meant to add...

Late September is a great time to visit the Cape and the Islands. Large portions of the tourist/summer crowds leave after Labor Day with the start of school. Congestion is down, the air and water are often still warm, and you can find some price breaks too!

We just did an easy day-trip to Provincetown, taking the fast ferry from Boston Harbor. It was simple, and gave us plenty of time to walk around and have a nice dinner there.