Have to schedule a business/pleasure trip to Nantuckett and have some options about when to go.

For obvious reasons, I'd prefer to go there after Labor Day and was thinking about the very next weekend after LD. Is it still crowded then? Or do things pretty much come to a halt right after LD?

Also, am considering the ferry w/auto. Any helpful hints, ideas and tips about that would be appreciated. Or is it better to fly (from Phila.)?

We took a bike trip to Nantucket last September (towards the end) and found it to still be busy, but obviously not like it is in the summer. The weather was still really nice, except for one day when monsoon rains came from the very outer edges of a hurricane passing off to sea! Otherwise, we found it really pleasant!

Depending on length of stay if car is neccesary.Nantucket has Major Traffic issues.The cost of bringing a car to the island I think is outrageously expensive.
September is great Less people and fairly good weather
Do go on the Island Tour With "Sabras Island tour" She is the best guide ever Lots of local knowledge of the island. And dont miss the Whaling Museum
Its renovated and A Wonderful experience

Re: the car. How expensive is "outrageously"?

it costs $175 each way to take your car on the ferry from hyannis to nantucket. so $350 rt plus your passenger tickets.

we were on nantucket for a weekend mid-october last year. a lot of the island does shut down in sept, many things around labor day. the museums weren't open and the island bus service wasn't running. i'm not exactly sure when they closed in sept, i'm sure it says on the nantucket chamber of commerce website.

it was quite windy when we were there. we were hoping to bike around the island, but due to the weather, we rented a car for the day. i think it cost between $50 and $75 for the day. so if you aren't going to be there long, i'd probably leave your car on the mainland and rent one.

also, it was expensive to fly from the dc area to nantucket (> $350). my husband was already in boston on business, so i flew $100 rt to boston and we took the bus from boston to hyannis (~$30 rt). and then the fast ferry to nantucket (~$50 rt).

coming back, the steamship authority fast ferry broke down and the hyline ferry were booked solid. so we flew from nantucket to hyannis--a beautiful 15 min ride for about $50 each.

Parking can be a real problem on Nantucket. Most streets are designated for residents (with stickers) only. Few hotels/B&B's have parking available.

If you are planning to take a car, it is essential to reserve ahead for the ferry. Then, you will want to allow plenty of time, and consider the Cape Cod traffic (depending upon the day of the week you are driving), so as to not miss that ferry departure.

A car is not really necessary. There's plenty to see and do walking. You can rent bikes or mopeds for exploring. Taxis are readily available (and reasonable) for getting to more distant dining, etc.

Most everything will still be open in September. It's after Columbus Day that many seasonal places close.

I agree with the last posters that a car is not only unnecessary, it can be a disadvantage. The best way to see Nantucket is by bicycle. There are bike-only routes that take you virtually from one end of the island to the other. In addition, Nantucket has one of the best bus systems of any resort area (although I'm not sure if it continues at full service after Labor Day since many of the drivers are Eastern Europeans who come to work for the summer.