Newport, RI and Martha's Vineyard
Jun 24th, 2007, 09:10 PM
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Newport, RI and Martha's Vineyard
My husband and I are looking for a romantic week in New England at the end of August. Please help with our itinerary!
We'll fly into Providence, RI and stay one night. We're interested in the Mansions(Breakers) tours the next day but have to be on the 5:30 ferry to Marthas Vineyard. What will we have time to see? Where should we stay to maximize our time (Newport, near the airport, or near the ferry)? We won't have a car.
We'll arrive on MV at 7pm. Do the hotels have shuttles from the ferry?
We are looking for a nice place to stay and are trying to spend $200-300/night. Someplace not to small(4bed B&B) or stuffy and close to restaurants/shops/etc. What do you think about these:
Ashley Inn, Harbor View, Hob Knob, Mansion House, Charlotte Inn, Winnetu, Victorian Inn?
Can you really see all of the island from a bicycle, or is there a better form of transportation?
Other than eatting, what are the top five best things to do? We will have 3 full days there.
Thank you very much!
We'll fly into Providence, RI and stay one night. We're interested in the Mansions(Breakers) tours the next day but have to be on the 5:30 ferry to Marthas Vineyard. What will we have time to see? Where should we stay to maximize our time (Newport, near the airport, or near the ferry)? We won't have a car.
We'll arrive on MV at 7pm. Do the hotels have shuttles from the ferry?
We are looking for a nice place to stay and are trying to spend $200-300/night. Someplace not to small(4bed B&B) or stuffy and close to restaurants/shops/etc. What do you think about these:
Ashley Inn, Harbor View, Hob Knob, Mansion House, Charlotte Inn, Winnetu, Victorian Inn?
Can you really see all of the island from a bicycle, or is there a better form of transportation?
Other than eatting, what are the top five best things to do? We will have 3 full days there.
Thank you very much!
Jun 24th, 2007, 09:58 PM
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I assume you're taking the ferry from Quonset Point.
You said you won't have a car. But CAN you rent a car? Because it's really time consuming to go between PVD, a hotel, Newport mansion, and the ferry without a car. Yes, it's doable, but you say you want to maximize time.
You said you won't have a car. But CAN you rent a car? Because it's really time consuming to go between PVD, a hotel, Newport mansion, and the ferry without a car. Yes, it's doable, but you say you want to maximize time.
Jun 25th, 2007, 05:24 AM
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This is difficult to do without a car.
I think there may be a bus that goes from Providence to Newport so you could stay overnight in Newport and see the mansions. Just an FYI, most hotels in Newport have a 2 night minimum stay on the weekends.
Hotels do not have shuttles on the Vineyard, you'll need to take a cab from the ferry to the hotel. You can get around reasonably well on bikes but it is a decent sized island so be prepared to ride a lot. You can take a cab if you're going out to dinner at night.
I think there may be a bus that goes from Providence to Newport so you could stay overnight in Newport and see the mansions. Just an FYI, most hotels in Newport have a 2 night minimum stay on the weekends.
Hotels do not have shuttles on the Vineyard, you'll need to take a cab from the ferry to the hotel. You can get around reasonably well on bikes but it is a decent sized island so be prepared to ride a lot. You can take a cab if you're going out to dinner at night.
Jun 25th, 2007, 05:34 AM
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Stayed at the Ashley Inn a couple of years ago and thought it was perfect. Not fancy by any means but a really nice B&B. Quaint, super-nice owner who knows everything about the island, good location, and very good breakfasts. You can see a lot of the island via bicycle but be prepared for a bit of a trek out to Oaks Bluff and Vineyard Haven and, unless you are really motivated, Gay's Head and Menemsha are probably a bit too far to hit by bicycle (the buses are aware of this and have racks for bicycles on the front). Other than eating, loved kayaking around Chappy, walking around the quaint villages, biking around the island, touring the Gingerbread cottages in Oaks Bluff, and watching the sunset from the Outermost Inn in Gay's Head.
Jun 25th, 2007, 05:59 AM
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Some hotels on the Vineyard do offer complimentary shuttle service, the Winnetu is one for example. At least they did last summer, if you gave them your ferry info in advance, they had their van meet your ferry -
I am sure wherever you call / or look at their online sites and you can find who does and does not offer this.
Mansion House is lovely, and the restaurant Zephrus we enjoy every year, but I would choose to be in Edgartown over Vineyard Haven unless you want silence at night. VH is dry (although they are changing that but I am not sure exactly when the vote will be final, etc) so there is not much open at night whereas in Edgartown there is plenty to do - walk to restaurants, cafes, bars, ice cream, etc, etc.
HobKnob is lovely, on Main Street so you are just outside the thick of things in downtown Edgartown and can easily walk to many shops, cafes, restaurants, the harbor, the on-time ferry over to Chappy, etc. Bike paths go from there all around the island, but it is a huge island to bike. You don't just hop on your bike and head off from Edgartown to Aquinnah - unless you are used to long rides -
but you can easily go between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, take the on-time over to Chappy and take the bus up to Aquinnah - the island has good bus service, inexpensive, you can look at the schedule online.
Or rent a jeep for one day, go up to the lighthouse/Aquinnah/Menemsha/Tisbury area and do all of that the one day you have the jeep, seeing the parts of the island you might miss by bike - or do an island tour by bus.
Charlottee Inn is also incredible - you best get on the phone though, things book up fast and could already be booked solid, hopefully you are flexible with your dates - end of August is very popular on MV -and around 3rd wknd you have illumination and agricultural fair, fireworks.... so I'd start calling asap.
I am confused, but I think you are staying only one night in Providence - zero nights in Newport -a nd then 3 full days on the Vineyard??
If so, here are my questions.
Why are you staying in Providence that night - can you not get to Newport?
There is a shuttle, I think still run by Cozy Cab (a cab company in Newport) that runs from TF Green airport to Newport - it used to be 15 per person- you can also take a cab for somewhere between 20-30 per person - find Cozy Cab either online or at the pvdairport.com site on the link giving info about getting to and from, etc , parking - I think that's where it is.
I'd go straight to Newport if I could, but maybe you want a night out in providence where there are some nice restaurants and if you do, see if the waterfire is happening on the river, that's a fun thing to do
Get to Newport early the next day and go to the transportation center and get the times for things, the trolley info for transportation,etc
It doesn't make sense to me to rent a car for less than one day to drive from Providence to Newport and be done with the car and make a 5:30 ferry to MV..... it seems like a rush in Newport to me, but if you want to see that one mansion, then do it.
See the Breakers, walk Bellevue Ave, maybe see the International Tennis Hall of Fame, or stroll a bit of the Cliffwalk or downtown wharf area and head to your ferry. You'll have to make a choice or tow.
I don't know where you are from, but Newport deserveds more than from 10am to 4pm..... if possible !
Three full days on the Vineyard is great.
Some favorite things of mine include:
Breakfast at Aquinnah Lighthouse, then walking down the path and all along the clay cliffs and back
Menemsha at sunset but this might be hard for you, but still a delightful spot if you car/moped but a long trek on bicycle from the other end of the island
Mytoi gardens and lighthouse tour on Chappy or renting kayaks/walking beach
Walking thru the campgrounds at Oak Bluffs, gingerbread houses, lunch (a fried green tomato sandwich) at Slice of LIfe Cafe or dinner at their sister restaurant, Sweet Life Cafe in the garden -
Walking thru the galleries in Edgartown, drinks on the porch in the rocking chairs at Ceska's, dinner , and then more rocking on the chairs. Or dinner on the outside upstairs porch at Alchemy - or dinner at Atria
Drinks and dancing at Lola's
Look at the hikes and properties on
www. thetrustees.org
some great spots on the vineyard !!
There are many great threads here on MV - plug "martha's vineyard" in to the search this forum bar and you will see many great recommendations
I am sure wherever you call / or look at their online sites and you can find who does and does not offer this.
Mansion House is lovely, and the restaurant Zephrus we enjoy every year, but I would choose to be in Edgartown over Vineyard Haven unless you want silence at night. VH is dry (although they are changing that but I am not sure exactly when the vote will be final, etc) so there is not much open at night whereas in Edgartown there is plenty to do - walk to restaurants, cafes, bars, ice cream, etc, etc.
HobKnob is lovely, on Main Street so you are just outside the thick of things in downtown Edgartown and can easily walk to many shops, cafes, restaurants, the harbor, the on-time ferry over to Chappy, etc. Bike paths go from there all around the island, but it is a huge island to bike. You don't just hop on your bike and head off from Edgartown to Aquinnah - unless you are used to long rides -
but you can easily go between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, take the on-time over to Chappy and take the bus up to Aquinnah - the island has good bus service, inexpensive, you can look at the schedule online.
Or rent a jeep for one day, go up to the lighthouse/Aquinnah/Menemsha/Tisbury area and do all of that the one day you have the jeep, seeing the parts of the island you might miss by bike - or do an island tour by bus.
Charlottee Inn is also incredible - you best get on the phone though, things book up fast and could already be booked solid, hopefully you are flexible with your dates - end of August is very popular on MV -and around 3rd wknd you have illumination and agricultural fair, fireworks.... so I'd start calling asap.
I am confused, but I think you are staying only one night in Providence - zero nights in Newport -a nd then 3 full days on the Vineyard??
If so, here are my questions.
Why are you staying in Providence that night - can you not get to Newport?
There is a shuttle, I think still run by Cozy Cab (a cab company in Newport) that runs from TF Green airport to Newport - it used to be 15 per person- you can also take a cab for somewhere between 20-30 per person - find Cozy Cab either online or at the pvdairport.com site on the link giving info about getting to and from, etc , parking - I think that's where it is.
I'd go straight to Newport if I could, but maybe you want a night out in providence where there are some nice restaurants and if you do, see if the waterfire is happening on the river, that's a fun thing to do
Get to Newport early the next day and go to the transportation center and get the times for things, the trolley info for transportation,etc
It doesn't make sense to me to rent a car for less than one day to drive from Providence to Newport and be done with the car and make a 5:30 ferry to MV..... it seems like a rush in Newport to me, but if you want to see that one mansion, then do it.
See the Breakers, walk Bellevue Ave, maybe see the International Tennis Hall of Fame, or stroll a bit of the Cliffwalk or downtown wharf area and head to your ferry. You'll have to make a choice or tow.
I don't know where you are from, but Newport deserveds more than from 10am to 4pm..... if possible !
Three full days on the Vineyard is great.
Some favorite things of mine include:
Breakfast at Aquinnah Lighthouse, then walking down the path and all along the clay cliffs and back
Menemsha at sunset but this might be hard for you, but still a delightful spot if you car/moped but a long trek on bicycle from the other end of the island
Mytoi gardens and lighthouse tour on Chappy or renting kayaks/walking beach
Walking thru the campgrounds at Oak Bluffs, gingerbread houses, lunch (a fried green tomato sandwich) at Slice of LIfe Cafe or dinner at their sister restaurant, Sweet Life Cafe in the garden -
Walking thru the galleries in Edgartown, drinks on the porch in the rocking chairs at Ceska's, dinner , and then more rocking on the chairs. Or dinner on the outside upstairs porch at Alchemy - or dinner at Atria
Drinks and dancing at Lola's
Look at the hikes and properties on
www. thetrustees.org
some great spots on the vineyard !!
There are many great threads here on MV - plug "martha's vineyard" in to the search this forum bar and you will see many great recommendations
