Nantucket or Marthas Vineyard?
 

I am planning a trip and am thinking of staying on the cape if possible and taking the ferry out for a day trip to one of these islands. Which would be the better choice? What is there to do? Is a day long enough? The ferry rates appear to be either $30 for the slow ferry to $60 for the one hour ride, so at this price i will only see one of the islands.
Thanks,
Lori

If this is your first trip to the Cape & Islands maybe you can just stay on the Cape this time around and educate yourself about island options for your next trip here.

Where are you staying? Nantucket is more accessible from Harwich or Hyannis, with Martha's Vineyard being very accessible from Woods Hole/Falmouth. The prices you quoted seem to be from Hyannis to Nantucket.

For more info see:
http://www.hy-linecruises.com/
http://web1.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/

As far as if a day is long enough, well that depends on what you want to do. I tend to favor Martha's Vineyard (better shopping, easier to get around-they have a shuttle between cities), but Nantucket is also wonderful. You ask what is there to do, well-what made you want to go there in the first place? did you hear about lighthouses, beaches, and clam shacks, or art, or antiques, or museums? I suggest you look at this website and others for what you can do, there is plenty of info out there and you can pick which island best appeals to you- IMO you can't go wrong with either one.

Happy planning,
Melissa

You should absolutely visit one of the islands...far less commercial than the Cape. Either one would be a great experience, though the Vineyard is considerably closer to most points of the Cape.

Agree either of the islands as both are wonderful. Depending on where you stay Martha's Vineyard is probably easier to reach. You would have the very attractive Edgartown and also Oak Bluffs and the "gingerbread" architecture of the Camp Meeting Grounds. The price of the ferry varies a lot. We took the one from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs which was much less than the one to Vinehaven. There was a cheap bus between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Nantucket town is stunning. I booked through www.Nantucket.net. Hope this helps.