We're first timers going to Nantucket this summer. We would appreciate some advice about bringing our car. Is it worth the $400? Can we manage for a week without one? Getting groceries, getting around the island?

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Depends on where you're staying.

Where are you staying is important. We go off season for a few days and rent a 4x4 from the airport rental company. There is very little parking in town, and few places offer them. If you are out of town at a private rental then it is worth it. If you are in town, then you should be able to get by and maybe do a one day rental to get out on the sand.

Aukislander will hopefully see this and respond. A wealth of information - that one! If only I liked to paint or was a licensed electrician!

Say, gyppielou, how are your carpentry skill?

Anyway, knowing where the rental is located is absolutely critical.

Traffic is heavy, parking is scarce. It isn't fun to drive from July 4th to the end of the second week in August. We are lucky enough to live about ten minutes stroll from the Hub (the middle of Main Street) and don't need to use a car more than about once a week during the summer.

You can certainly use a taxi to get to your rental and to stock up at the grocery. Prices are by zones, still, I think, though there has been talk of meters.

There is a relatively convenient minibus service, and you can get a bus pass for the week to go to Sconset, Madaket, the airport, downtown, most of the beaches.

We are also frantically building bike paths, and if you are able to ride bikes (bring your own or rent locally)you can get anywhere you want to go pretty easily.

BUT none of this does you any good if you are on one of the many unpaved back roads. Then you may need to rent a car.

If you are comfortable sharing the location (street not number) I can give you much more specific advice about what you will need.

well I could always pimp out mrlou, he's pretty good with power tools and a hammer, and I could fix us a nice meal or 6 !!!!

I think we will wait till September this year to return to our woof cottages. Then you can interview us for next season! LOL!!!

Ackinslander-- Thanks for your response. I don't know the exact location of the house. It says "a mile from South SHore and SurfSide."

If we get off the ferry with luggage and 3 bikes can we get to our rental?

Your rental sounds like it is in the area of the island called Surfside. You will be near a very popular beach. Considering your location, you will most definitely need a car to get to and from the market, the beaches, to town and back, to restaurants and just to see the island. There are several places to rent a car when you get off the ferry (Affordable Rental and Young's bike shop). I would just bring my own car as it will make life much easier for you. You can load the car with your luggage, bikes, etc. and just drive on and off the ferry. Plus, you won't have to pay for parking in Hyannis, which is $15 a day. We've done this many times, and have never regretted bringing a car. An auto rental will likely cost $75 - $100 a day in the summer. Based on your location, I really don't see how you can avoid having a car.

Well, it isn't easy without more info. Lots of people get along fine only bringing bikes, but it depends on location, location, location. You really need to press your rental agent for an exact location for the property.

Why? At Surfside, the island is 3.2 miles wide. Being a mile from Surfside Beach and the South Shore could mean anything from Nobadeer at the end of the airport runway to Cisco in the West and is likely to mean somewhere on the edge of town. There is good bus service to Surfside, but not to the many side roads off Surfside Road. There is a great bike path from Surfside to town, but you don't know how close you are to that path.

If you can get a reservation to bring your own car, it will cost roundtrip $370 for the car, $36 for the bikes, $30 per adult ($60 total) and another $15.50 assuming your third person is a child for a total of $481.50. If you can't get a reservation, you will have to send the car standby for an extra fee, plus you don't go with it. They drive it on and off. So if you can rent a car on island for less than $400, you are ahead. They are adding fuel surcharges for the ferry on May 1, but I don't know what they will be and they will be trivial in terms of a whole vacation.

If I were bringing three bikes and luggage for a week and not renting a car, I would take a taxi from the Steamship to the rental. They are mostly vans and can easily handle three people, luggage, and bikes (all the van taxis and even the buses have bike racks). Later, you can bike to the supermarket, stock up on food, especially heavy food, and have a taxi take you home. You can then pick up fresh stuff every day from the bakeries, fish stores, or farm stands on your bikes.

But, this only works if you are close to a major road. So when you have more info, I can give real advice. At least you see the issues and why there is no simple answer.