Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket without a car

[Jeni]

We're taking the passenger ferries to each island during our visit to Cape Cod. How should we see the islands once we arrive? Bikes? Rent a car? How easy is it to get around if we rent bikes? Also, which bike and or car companies do you recommend (close to the ferry docks). Thanks!

Jeni

[nerodog]

Hi, I know there are buses that can also take you around MV... biking is good but can get hilly in some areas.... make sure you are in shape or you will be exhausted !! I dont know about Nantucket... I biked there years ago and ended up calling a taxi !!! You might be better off taking your own car and have the freedom to get around without waiting for a bus or just relying on the bikes...depends on what you want to do..Sorry, I have no info on rental cars on either island....

[nerodog]

Checked out some of my info and there is an AAA AUto rental right near the ferry in Vineyard Haven...phone 508-696-5300... might be something to consider as well... Thrifty, BUdget and HErtz are also on the island...

[Dave M]

You can see much of MV on bikes. (Any of the shops near the ferry are fine.) However, I don't believe a single visit to MV would be complete without a stop at the Gay Head lighthouse (at sunset, if practical). That's a 40-mile round trip from the ferry, includes some hefty hills and a few narrow roads and doesn't take into account the extra miles for visiting Edgartown. Thus, if you’re planning to do this as a day trip, I would recommend a car, unless an additional $100 or so (net of what bike rentals would cost) would break your budget.

If you are going mid-week, consider taking your own car. You can make reservations here. It will cost $130 to $150 for the car, but might be more convenient than renting a car on MV and, believe it or not, just as inexpensive! (Check out "Martha's Vineyard" rentals (choose Oak Bluffs) at, for example, www.Budget.com.)

Forget about taking your own car on the weekend. Although a few non-reservation cars get on after long waits in line, summer weekend space on the ferries is booked months in advance.

While on MV, be sure to wander the downtown streets of Edgartown, stroll past the "gingerbread" houses in Oak Bluffs and enjoy the many coastal vistas around the island.

[vlapinta]

We have always rented a car for the day when we visit. We have bicycled in Nantucket but you really can't see all of the island without a car.

Vicki

[Craig]

The Nantucket island shuttle buses run every 30 minutes from town to all areas of the island, and cost only $1-$2 per person. They run from 7am-11pm...Very convenient and affordable.

I frequently bike it out to Jetties, Cliff, Surfside, and Madaket...if I can do it, anyone can! Biking to Sconset is much farther, and I have not ridden that path yet.

Taking a car over in the summer is expensive, and frustrating. Oh, I should mention that the shuttle will pick up you AND your bike if you get tired!

[Craig]

Renting a car for a day or two may also be the way to go if you're not crazy about biking. Go to www.nantucketchamber.org and call the car rental places...They can differ alot in price. Keep in mind that any of them will meet you at the wharf.

[sfwilshire]

We biked around Nantucket when we were younger and it's certainly doable. It's pretty flat. That was before they had the good bus service I've heard so much about.

We enjoy having our car, but it's a pain and quite an expense to get it on and off the island. I've checked rental cars a couple of times and they are pretty expensive for something large enough for our family. If you do rent, consider a 4wd so you can drive out to Great Point. It's a terrific trip.

If you were staying in town, in season, parking would probably be a pain for you too.

The last time we went over without a car (borrowing one from a friend while there) we accumulated quite a bit of stuff to bring back to the point that the harbor master at the ferry scolded us and said he really should charge us for "excess baggage". (Our acquisitions included a nice oak dry sink that someone had left by the side of the road with a "free" sign on it. A bit of repair and it made a nice addition to my daughter's apartment.) Since then we've always taken our van.

Sheila