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Getting Your Group to Martha’s Vineyard
The Island of Martha's Vineyard can be reached by sea or by air. There are no land routes, bridges or tunnels connecting it to the mainland. Most travelers arrive via our harbors, a lesser but growing number use the airports as their point of entry. Whichever you choose, know that you will find this a wonderful and accommodating location for your group event or meeting.
By Plane
If your group is traveling into the area from out of the country or out of state, you should explore flights through Boston, MA or Providence, RI. These two airports offer the greatest number of connecting flights to Martha's Vineyard via our primary air carrier Cape Air. The flight from Boston is a quick 30 minutes, from Providence just 20 minutes.
In the summer season (generally from July 4th through Labor Day), a limited number of daily direct flights from other regional cities are often offered, but these can vary from year to year as carriers modify their routes. Have your travel coordinator explore flight options from Philadelphia, Washington DC, New York and Newark airports, Westchester airport and Manchester airports. You may, or may not find flights available to service your group needs. Our Getting Here by Air section will provide you with more detail on carriers and connecting flights.
Another option is to have your group arrive at either Boston or Providence airports and then travel by bus, car service or rental car to Woods Hole or one of the other ports where they can travel to the Island by ferry. (See Ferry Schedules for a complete list of routes and service.) For a list of private transportation providers who can accommodate group needs, visit our Meeting Resources directory.
If you would like your group to take public ground transportation to the boat, Bonanza Bus offers a direct route from Boston's Logan airport to the Steamship Terminal at Woods Hole that is quite easy to navigate and reasonably priced. The bus ride is about 90 minutes and the connecting ferry ride is about 45 minutes. With connections, you should assume about 3 hours total travel time for the ground route connection to the Island. There is a similar bus service from Providence to the Steamship; however, the routing is less direct and requires passengers to obtain transport from Providence airport to the Providence bus station and also to change buses en route.
By Ground/Ferry
If your group is traveling into the Vineyard from a nearby area-New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and the southeast parts of Canada-you may wish to transport your group by bus or private car to the Island. If you're planning on bringing your own ground transportation to the Island, you must have a ferry reservation for your vehicle. The Steamship Authority is the only ferry service that accommodates vehicles, and they can accommodate buses as well as cars. Reservations are required for all vehicle crossings to the Island. Contact the Steamship Authority for reservations, costs and routing information at www.steamshipauthority.com. (Also, see Ferry Schedules for a complete list of routes and service.)
On-Island Transportation
If you do not elect to bring your own transportation to the Island, you will find that we are well equipped to handle groups using our local bus services, taxis, car services and private car rentals. Getting groups around the Island takes a little advance planning but can be easily accomplished. Visit our Meeting Resources directory for a list of on-island transportation providers.
Assistance from the Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce (owners of this Web site) are happy to assist you in planning your group event on Martha's Vineyard. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have questions or require assistance in planning your group event or meeting.
