How to Visit Martha's Vineyard on a Budget
- Takeabreak
- Aug 2
- 6 min read
Located off of the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard is an iconic New England Summer Getaway. The 87 square mile Island boasts stunning views, sandy beaches, and unique shops and restaurants. While the Island population swells to almost 200,000 during the peak season, summer, there are almost 21,000 year-round residents.
There are a lot of attractions on Martha's Vineyard. Whether you are a foodie, a beach lover, a golfer, or a nature-lover, there is something for everyone. What isn't talked about a lot is the price tag of visiting Martha's Vineyard. As expected, visiting any island will have its upcharge of food and goods, but since the Island gained so much popular over the recent decades, the cost for accommodations, restaurants, and transportation has skyrocketed. What used to be a quaint family summer getaway, is now a luxurious splurge.
Don't rule this destination out quite yet. I have some tips and tricks to help you see this beautiful Island, while sticking to a budget.
When to Visit
Martha's Vineyard is known as a summer destination. Not surprisingly, you will see this reflected in the pricing on the island during the summer months. If you don't mind skipping a beach swim, consider visiting Martha's Vineyard during the shoulder seasons to save a chunk of money. The weather in late Spring and early Fall are still gorgeous, and it is much less crowded. The only thing to be mindful of if you visit during the off-season, is there will be less restaurant and lodging options available. We visited in October, and it was lovely. Though some of the restaurants and shops had closed for the season, we didn't have trouble finding places to eat or activities to take part in around the island.
Getting to Martha's Vineyard
Flying
If you don't live nearby, chances are you will need to fly to the Vineyard or the surrounding area. Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY) offers direct flights and connections from major hubs like Boston. If you are looking to save, layover in Boston before connecting. These flights tend to be cheaper than flying directly to the Island.
Bus & Train
If you have the time, and want to save even more, consider flying into Boston's Logan Airport, and getting to the Island via ferry. There are a few options to get to the ferry terminal from Boston Airport. If you plan to walk onto the ferry (not bringing a car), you can take a bus from Logan Airport to the Steamship Authority ferry terminal. Peter Pan and P&B Bus Company offer year-round services for this route. New England Trips offers service between April and October. The bus ride will take a little under two hours, depending on traffic. If you plan to walk onto the ferry or bring a bike, you could also take the train. CapeFLYER offers a weekend passenger train that runs from Memorial Day to Labor day from Boston's South Station to the ferry terminal in Hyannis. You can take your bike or your pet on this train for free!
Car
If you plan to use a car on the Island, it is cheaper to rent the car around Boston than it is to rent it on the Island. If you're flying into Boston, you can rent a car at the airport there, then drive to the ferry terminal in Hyannis. It is about a two hour drive depending on traffic.
Keep in mind, that if you take a car on the ferry, you will pay a good amount more than just walking onto the ferry or taking a bicycle. You will also need to reserve your ticket far in advance.
Ferry
If you are not flying directly to the Island, you will need to take the ferry. There are a few ferry options, but the cheapest (and the only one that takes cars) is through Steamship Authority.
From Woods Hole, MA (mainland) to Vineyard Haven (Island) or Oak Bluffs (Island)
Ferry Company: Steamship Authority (www.steamshipauthority.com)
Travel Time: 45 Minutes
Fees:
Adult One-Way: $10.50
Adult Round-Trip: $21
Child (5-12) One-Way: $5.50
Child (5-12) Round-Trip: $11
Child (under 5): Free
Bicycles One-Way: $5
Bicycles Round-Trip: $10
Car (under 17ft length) Monday-Thursday One-Way: $121
Car (under 17ft length) Monday-Thursday Round-Trip: $242
Car (under 17ft length) Friday-Sunday One-Way: $160
Car (under 17ft length) Monday-Thursday Round-Trip: $320
Car (under 20ft length but greater than 17ft) Monday-Thursday One-Way: $131
Car (under 20ft length but greater than 17ft) Monday-Thursday Round-Trip: $262
Car (under 20ft length but greater than 17ft) Friday-Sunday One-Way: $170
Car (under 20ft length but greater than 17ft) Monday-Thursday Round-Trip: $340
If you want to save consider these tips:
If you don't absolutely need a car while on the Island, walk onto the ferry, or take a bicycle. The ticket is much cheaper and more flexible. You can also rent a bicycle, e-bike, or moped once on the Island. If you only need a car for a short time while on the island, it may actually be cheaper to rent the car once there.
Travel between Monday and Thursday.
Rent a smaller car (the ticket is cheaper)
When booking your ferry tickets, particularly if taking a car, BOOK THEM FAR IN ADVANCE! These ferries book up months in advance, and car spots are very limited. Also be mindful of your reservation. If you miss the ferry, you don't get a refund. Allow plenty of time to get there. Traffic in the summer from Boston can be very slow!
In my experience, if you don't absolutely need a car on the Island, don't take one. We took a car and crammed 5 people and two dogs in it to save as much as we could. While it was useful when there, we ran into a huge headache trying to get back. Since there is only one ferry service that takes cars, you can run into trouble if something happens to that ferry. When we were returning from Marthas Vineyard, our ferry got cancelled due to mechanical issues. They bumped every car on that ferry to standby for the next ferry, but since car space is limited, the next ferry had very few spots for standby. It was Sunday evening and if there wasn't room for our car on the ferry, we would have had to find accommodations to stay on the island until the next day to take another ferry. It was very stressful, and the ferry company was not easy to communicate with about the delay.
Staying on Martha's Vineyard
My trick to staying on Martha's Vineyard for cheap (without knowing a resident to stay with), is to camp or rent a cabin. We tent camped at Martha's Vineyard Family Campground in Vineyard Haven. They also have options for RV spots or cabin rentals. Though the tent sites are more expensive than we are used to paying ($70-90 per night), this is much less expensive than any other accommodation I could find on the island. Honestly this campsite was wonderful too! The bathrooms and grounds were emaculate, the staff was helpful and kind, there are community activities, showers, a playground, and sports courts. The grounds fill up fast, so be sure to book far in advance (https://campmv.com/staying-with-us/#campsites).
Food Options
Dining on Martha's Vineyard can be very pricey. Prices are inflated due to a short tourist season, extra cost to transport goods to an island, and it being a popular destination. When we visited in October, we still found the restaurants to be very expensive, even though it was off-season. If you are trying to save money, consider finding an accommodation that you can cook your meals at. If you don't have a kitchen, at least consider packing groceries from home to eat for a packed breakfast and/or lunch. There are also grocery stores on the island that you can stock up on food at, though they are a bit more expensive than the mainland grocery stores.
Activities
There is no shortage of free or inexpensive activities that you can find on the island. Martha's Vineyard is a wonderful place to just stroll around the picturesque towns, take in the beach and cliff views, go for a bike ride, or a car ride across the island. Here are my top five cost-conscious activities to check out on the island:
Visit the beach! That's what Martha's Vineyard is known for after all. Most of the beaches here are public and you can visit for free.
Visit a Lighthouse. There are countless beautiful lighthouses around the island. Take your pick!
Visit the Aquinnah Cliffs. This gorgeous overlook is worth the drive out there.
Walk through the gingerbread cottages neighborhood. These adorable decorated cottages are a fun sight to see in the Oak Bluffs area.
Visit a farm. You may be surprised, but there are many farms on Martha's Vineyard. We visited an Alpaca ranch when we visited.
Island Alpaca (https://islandalpaca.com/visiting_island_alpaca.php) I hope your enjoy your trip to Martha's Vineyard, and use some of these tips to make the trip less expensive and more relaxing! It really is a beautiful and unique destination that is worth the trip.
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