kellybeaches

Hello, I知 new to the US forum. I知 always on the Caribbean forum as we池e avid Caribbean travelers, but my husband and I have just been asked to be in my cousin痴 wedding in June in Nantucket, a whole different kind of island than I知 used to!

So I知 starting from scratch trying to figure out where to stay in Nantucket, the best way to get there, whether or not to bring our SUV on the ferry or not, expenses, etc. We decided to stay for the week (May 30-June 6) so we値l be bringing our 1 and 4 year old with us and are looking to rent a house with 2 other couples who will also be in the wedding (1 of the couples has 2 toddlers as well). I found a site that looked promising for a house rental but I know there are many to choose from: www.nashaquisset.com

Has anyone stayed here? Any recommendations? The wedding will be held at The White Elephant. Thanks in advance for your help!

(ps-think I値l find any palm trees here?

kellybeaches

Ps-budget-we壇 like to keep it under 3k for the week, or 1k or less per couple.

vjpblovesitaly

"I値l find any palm trees here"

Maybe in a rich person's living room?

vjpblovesitaly

Have you check how much it is to bring your car over? I know they make it expensive to dissuade people from doing it. There is a shuttle that goes around for $1 (except the longer and airport routes I think)

http://www.shuttlenantucket.com/

No transfer passes like a city bus.

I would stay close to or in town.

gyppielou

weneedavacation.com

has been a helpful site for me

j999_9

I'm not an expert on Nantckt, but what I do know:

Taking a vehicle on the ferry is very expensive -- about $175 one way -- and you'll probably need to reserve a space. If you leave your vehicle on the mainland in a parking lot, expect to pay about $10/day for parking.

I don't know much about where you're considering renting, but if you decide to leave your vehicle on the mainland, you'll want to be sure to stay somewhere that's convenient to the downtown area. Anywhere near the White Elephant is fine. In fact, you might contact the WE and ask for recommendations about rentals. They have small cottage-type places on the grounds, but it sounds as if you're looking for something bigger.

Suggest you get a street map of Nantckt and see if any of the homes you're looking at are near the WE. Or mention to the realtor that a place near the WE is a priority. We've never rented, as we've always stayed with friends who own a home there. It, coincidentally, is across the street from the White Elephant, so I do know that area a bit.

Most people, I think, depart from the Hyannis Ocean St. dock. There are two ferries -- regular and high-speed. I recommend the high-speed since there's not much to see on the trip, and quicker is better.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

MLTimes

I think it was about $300 r/t for the car this year -- certainly not enough to dissuade cars on the island, as anyone stuck in August traffic can verify. I can't recall the fare per person but maybe $25 r/t? Pick your dates and definitely book well ahead.

If you haven't been to Nantucket before, I would stay in town, especially for an event at the White Elephant. However, I do think your group needs to have some form of transportation around the island so you can explore a bit.

Try Congdon & Coleman for rentals. Nashaquisset is a planned community and would not be my first choice for an ACK rental.

MarieF

I second the opinion on Nashaquisset - it's outside of Nantucket town and IMHO you can do a lot better for your money. I would also put Naushop in the same category but I understand that families with small children like the amenities that both of these developments offer. You will need transportation if you rent there.

I also agree with Congdon and Coleman. When we were weekly summer renters, we used them and found them to be very helpful.

What size house will you be looking for? You will need a fairly large house, and with two other families (and in town) you could be paying a lot. I would call C&C, get a sense of what the costs are, and if being in town is more than you want to spend, you could look at Madaket or Tom Nevers (which are nice affordable areas) and will be more reasonable for you. I see that you want to keep it under $3k for the week for everyone. That may be difficult if you want to be in town.

You will need a car if you stay outside of town, but if you start to plan early you should be able to get a reservation with the Steamship Authority (here's the link http://www.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/). I believe that it is now too early to make an auto rez for the summer.

Where are you coming from? Based on your post it sounds like you are within driving distance to Hyannis, which is the starting point for both the fast and regular ferries.

The White Elephant is a lovely place for a wedding. You will have a great time!

kellybeaches

Thanks everyone for your help! We値l need a house with at least 4 bedrooms, and a pool would be a plus with the little ones (although do you think it will be too cold in may/june to swim there?). We値l give C&C a call and check with The White Elephant too. My cousin痴 fiance痴 family has a house in Madaket, so that might be an option to rent a house there.

For the shuttle, can you bring small kids on that? I just wonder about the car seat situation and flexibility with travel. I壇 prefer to have a car. Maybe we can bring 1 or 2 cars over and combine couples in them and split the ferry bill. We池e trying to watch our budget as this is a fairly unplanned trip (we actually already have our out island Bahamas trip already booked for March!). We値l be driving up from the Philadelphia area.

The White Elephant does look like a beautiful place, and the wedding will be small and intimate which should be very nice.

One more question, is there a medical clinic or hospital on the island? I always look for this when traveling with small children. Thanks!

vjpblovesitaly

There is a small hospital called "Cottage Hospital"

My friend's sister works there.

Shuttle:

Children 6 and under are free

the ones I was on had inside facing seats (rather than forward like a car). Kids don't need a car seat for it.

MarieF

The hospital on Nantucket is fine. I know from personal experience - I fell off my bike last summer and broke my hand! The ER staff was great and very caring. They now have an orthopedic on staff, too, so I wouldn't worry about medical care for your kids.

The shuttles have seats facing each other and I don't think you could use a car seat for your 1 year old.

While an expense, having a car on the island (if you stay outside of town) will enable you to do a lot of exploring and will be less of a hassle when you grocery shop. The island has a large Stop & Shop plus a great farm (Bartlett Farm) as well as specialty meat and fish markets.

Let us know if you have other questions.

bookhall

Island car rental might be an option. Check http://www.nantucketautorental.com/

FWIW, going to and from Madaket can get to be a bit of a drag, if your activities are primarily in Nantucket proper.

Ackislander

Well, I know lots about Nantucket because I live there, and you have been given lots of good advice already, esp the part about looking on something like Google Maps to see where the rentals are.

Nashaquisset houses are very, very nice and extremely charming, but many of them (all) are open-plan so might be a bit hectic with so many kids.

No reason to get a house with a pool because it will be too cold to swim in anything except an indoor pool during the time you are there, and you won't get one for $3k, even that early in the season.

Ordinarily I would suggest leaving your car at home, but this is so early in the season that parking is not going to be a problem for you in town and it gives you lots more flexibility in terms of where you rent and in dealing with infants and babies, but you will need to make the reservation early (now or January). Go to https://reservations.steamshipauthor.../vehiclersvp/o

The one thing absolutely not to bring is a side-by-side jogging type stroller. The sidewalks are too narrow. If that is all you have for your two, try to exchange with a friend for the week. Tandem (front and back) are fine for walking around, but you won't be able to get them in the shops, most of which were built in the 19th century, so you will need a minder when you go shopping. Since you are renting a house and babies are often problematic at weddings, consider bringing a college girl to babysit and give you and your husband some freedom. You can share part of the cost with friends.

It is not likely to be particularly warm when you are here. May-June is often foggy and almost always cool, usally at leaast ten degrees cooler than Boston. Bring windbreakers or goretex jackets for yourselves and warm clothes for the kids. It could be 70 some days but it isn't very likely, and there is likely to be a breeze. Bring a gorgeous shawl to cover up at the wedding.

I am traveling so I can't respond every day, but if you have other questions, I would be happy to try to respond.