tonrob

If you want to mess around on boats from Boston, far more convenient to do day trips to Provincetown, Salem and/or Harbor Islands. Done all 3 multiple times, and love them.

Ecto17

We stayed in Plymouth which was a good spot for visiting Boston and Martha's Vineyard. We found our trip to MV easy and hassle free, drove to the ferry ports out of town car park and got a shuttle bus to the terminal and bought our tickets on the day. Once there we mainly walked, two of the towns were walkable but we got the bus to the one on the other side of the island. Stunning island and a lovely day, well worth the effort if you get the chance. Also a great if you are fan of the film Jaws as it was filmed there.

WEBlue

Yes, I'd agree it's a long trip from central Boston. If you go by the long-distance Peter Pan Bus from South Station to Woods Hole it's 2 hours minimum (& bad traffic can increase that time). Then you have the wait for the ferry at Woods Hole & the longish ferry ride over to MV. And if you want to see more towns than the one you landed at, there's a wait for the local MV busses.

Driving from Boston to another, closer destination city or town, like Falmouth or Plymouth, and spending a night or two there makes more sense.

Or book a room (well ahead) on MV itself, then one can leisurely explore a few of the villages. But Tonrob is right--don't try to take your car onto MV in the summer! Park your car in Falmouth or at another of the convenient ferry carparks elsewhere on the mainland & walk on the ferry.

Once on the Island, the MV busses are fun, very local, a nice part of the whole "island summer tourist" experience. The bus drivers are helpful, and if you're not in a hurry, they're perfect...but they can be VERY crowded!

brit_usa2014

Thank you for all those who have taken the time to reply. Glad to see politeness is still not lost amongst most people. I respect each and everyone's opinions but just because you're an old member it does not give right to say what you want. I did do my research (maybe I should've worded my questions properly), but I wanted to see what people's personal experiences were about going to the island. Sometimes the address we have on the websites will not be the correct information as we found out when we wanted to take the ferry to Liberty Island in NY! The address was different and parking lot in a different place (although same area). This is why I posted this question on The Trailer Park of this forum and not the main part, and also why it's off putting to even think about asking advice on here though Ive been here for quite sometime now.

If you want to ban me for this post go ahead, but I just wanted to get this out there. And I am sorry if my post is unwarranted and uncalled for but it really did put me off!!

Once again, thank you to all those who have replied. I really appreciate all the advice given. We plan to start around 5am in the morning and try and get the first available ferry.

Rete

Have a fun day and enjoy Martha's Vineyard.