surich

Looking to visit Cape Cod and Marthas Vinyeyard mid October. What kind of weather can I expect then and is it a good time to go.

Many Thanks

nlg

Last year we went to Martha's Vineyard the first week of October and we had great weather-high 60s and even into the 70s. We stayed at Isabelle's Beach House and just loved it.
You can walk to Oak Bluffs and all the shops and restaurants.
We rented a car one day to tour the island and had a wonderful time.

Ackislander

Columbus Day weekend is a big deal in New England and has tended to replace Labor Day as the end of the season. Lots of stuff will close after that, though there will still be plenty of tour buses with leaf-peepers down from touring VT and NH. The weather is usually good until the third weekend, when it often turns chilly and rainy before an Indian summer week around Halloween.

Bowsprit

The weather on the Cape is notoriously unpredictable. We've had sun, rain, wind...and sometimes all of this during one single afternoon. Plan on wearing the obvious layers.

If you're not planning to swim, any time would be a good time to visit the Cape. The whale watches tend to end around mid-October, some of the clam shacks will be closed, but our favorite restaurants all over the Cape will be humming away.The ferries out of Hyannis and Woodshole traveling to the Islands will have pared down their schedules after Labor Day.

surich

Many thanks for that. We are coming from north of England so 60 and 70 great and used to rain. We were going to fly into Boston then drive to Cape Cod. We would also like to visit Marthas Vineyard. We were looking to stay about a week in Cape Cod and visit Marthas Vineyard for a couple of days. Would you say this would be about right. We will have a car but is it worth taking to Marthas Vineyard or can you just walk to get about. Would appreciate any information on where to stay.
Many Thanks.

china_cat

I think in October, if you head to Martha's Vineyard mid-week, you will be able to get reservations for your car. I would take it if possible. It would definitely be more convenient to take your car, especially if staying several days. You can explore the whole island at your leisure.

you will need to make car reservations in advance. Check out rates and schedules here: http://www.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/

Jackie

I was on the Cape and did daytrip to MV in mid october. Weather was great, but you never know. Its really not possible to walk everywhere. They do have busses; we wanted to go to the soutwest corner of Island (an indian name, can't remember) and it would have taken 3 bus transfers to get there. We looked into doing a local tour and it was about 75/person. We next looked into renting a car for the day--it was $100+. Being thrify, we found a jeep with no second gear and got a discounted price. Its probably cheaper and more convenient to bring the car on the ferry.

china_cat

Acquinnah was probably where you wanted to go, also known as Gayhead. It's one of the prettiest parts of the whole island, and worth the drive. That was a big reason why I recommended bringing the car if you can. I didn't know it would take 3 bus transfers, but I assumed getting there by bus would be awkward.

Bowsprit

M.V. is a little island, using the bus is easy. It isn't compared at all to a mass transit bus system.

Having said that, if you're going to take your car on the ferry,Call Now! October is a very busy month all over the Cape.

Since you're really looking forward to visiting M.V. I might suggest you do that first and take a ferry out of Hyannis or Woods Hole upon arrival to the Cape. You won't have any trouble staying overnight on M.V. but make reservations Now if you're thinking of doing that.

Check out the M.V. and Cape Cod hotels, inns and b&bs listed on Trip Advisor. They have the most comprehensive list of hotels with travelers' photographs. Very helpful, indeed. Check out travelzoo.com for special offers for Cape Cod and the Islands. Every so often Chatham Bars Inn or Ocean Edge Resort are discounted on travelzoo.com in the fall. Most travelzoo discounts are for the next 1-3 months out, so check there often.

When you arrive back to the Cape from the island, pick a place you'd love to stay in. Falmouth (close to Woods Hole) is absolutely charming. Dennis is a central spot to base yourselves, nearby Chatham is a lot like a Nantucket town, and beautiful Eastham and the other towns along the National Seashore (not to be missed!) leading to Provincetown are all great places to stay or just visit.

Along with the possibility of warmish days, 60 to 70 degrees F, you may also experience cold days of 40 to 50 degrees F. and it will dip to those temps. at night.