If you want to visit Nantucket, the best option to reach Nantucket and arrive conveniently “downtown” is to take a ferry. During peak season, (Memorial Day through Columbus Day) there are many options – both fast and traditional boats - originating in Massachusetts.
Get more: Skip the baggage lines! Both ferries will take your bags and bikes right at the landing. No tickets or additional fees involved - just be sure to remember your cart number for easy retrieval of your bags. Rolling bags are must for your trip, since it is simple to walk to nearly every hotel on the island from the downtown ferry landings.
Helpful tips for a hassle free trip
Hy-Line Cruises and The Steamship Authority offer daily ferries, departing from Hyannis, MA on Cape Cod with direct service to Nantucket. The fast ferries take just one-hour door to door while the more economical “traditional” ferry (The Steamship Authority) is a leisurely two-hour cruise.
Best of all, you can leave the keys and car in Hyannis! There are multiple parking lots within easy walking distance of either ferry landing, offering daily or weekly options for parking. And you don’t have to actually leave your keys, these lots are self-park, so you can lock your vehicle for your entire stay.
Other options during the high season include:
The Seastreak Ferry - departing New Bedford, MA. This ferry takes as little as 90 minutes, depending on your departure city, and conveniently arrives downtown.
The Freedom Cruiseline offers a departure from Harwichport, MA with direct service to
downtown Nantucket.
Inter-Island Travel
Want to take a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard, or stay on the “other island” before or after your stay with us? Hy-Line Cruises offers inter-island direct daily service between Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard during peak season. The schedule is designed perfectly for a day trip: depart Nantucket in the morning, have a full day exploring the Vineyard, then take the last boat back to Nantucket in time for your dinner reservations. Or make it a two stop vacation – depart from the Cape – start with either island and then move to the next – and depart right back to the same spot in Hyannis.
Bring Your Bike:
Whether you are a biking purist, or someone just looking to trim dollars from your trip, do bring your own bike on the ferry. All ferries are happy to accommodate your bike for just a small fee. You can walk your bike onto the ferry (or they will do it for you) and then walk it off upon arriving on Nantucket. With miles of bike paths on the Island, a bike is a must for exploring our natural beauty, amazing beaches, and historic landmarks!
Get more: Biking to Sconset, Cisco, or Madaket from town? Download one of our self-guided biking tours.
Public Transit:
Arriving downtown on a ferry but staying outside of town? No worries! The WAVE bus departs regularly from near the ferry docks, reaching all ends of the Island from Sconset to Madaket with plenty of stops along the way. You can even bring your bike as each bus is equipped with a bike rack.
If you do fly to the Island, remember The WAVE stops at the Airport and travels to downtown in just 20 minutes. Since taxis and ride shares can be difficult to come by when the larger planes have close arrival times, the bus is a wonderful, air conditioned option.
Get more: Track your bus and get estimated arrival times on your cell phone nrta.transloc.com
Please Leave The Keys.
If you want to enjoy your stay on our quaint island, and minimize impact, leave your car behind on the Mainland. You can reach any destination on the Island by walking, biking, or taking public transportation. And we have plenty of taxis and ride share options too, just in case.
Why not bring a car? Well, for starters only the Steamship Authority offers car service to Nantucket. The price is over $400 round-trip, if (and that’s a big if) you can get a reservation. These often sell out for all summer days, long before the summer season begins. And should a strong wind force a few boats to cancel, it could be days before your car joins you back on the Mainland.
