BlaakLane.com arranges chauffeur service for Martha's Vineyard in two parts: mainland transfers from Boston Logan, Providence or New York to the Woods Hole ferry, and island cars that meet you at the ferry or at Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY), including private jets. Each leg is booked at a fixed fare. On both sides of the water the driving is done by vetted local affiliates, and every confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
How do you get to Martha's Vineyard with a chauffeur?
Nearly every trip to the Vineyard is a car to the coast and then a boat or a short flight. The practical options:
| Route | Crossing | Time on the water | Carries cars? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven | Steamship Authority, year-round | about 45 min | Yes, with a reservation |
| Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs | Steamship Authority, May to October | about 45 min | Yes, with a reservation |
| Hyannis to Oak Bluffs | Hy-Line high-speed, seasonal | about 1 hour | No, passengers only |
| Falmouth Inner Harbor to Oak Bluffs | Island Queen, seasonal | about 35 min | No |
| New Bedford to Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs | Seasonal fast ferry | about 1 hour | No |
| Fly to MVY | Airline or private aircraft | varies | Not applicable |
Schedules change by season, so confirm sailings on the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises sites before you book the car. Send your sailing time with the booking and the chauffeur is timed to it.
The mainland leg: Boston to Woods Hole
Boston Logan to the Woods Hole terminal is about 80 miles and usually takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. On summer Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings the Bourne and Sagamore bridges over the Cape Cod Canal can add an hour or more, so leave a margin before a car-ferry reservation. From Providence the drive is about 75 miles, roughly 1 hour 20 minutes. From Manhattan it is around 250 miles, usually 5 to 6 hours.
Your chauffeur drops you at the Woods Hole terminal curb with your luggage, which avoids the Palmer Avenue and Thomas B. Landers park-and-ride lots in Falmouth that the ferry operator uses in summer when the terminal lots are full. Logan pickups work like any other Boston Logan transfer: flight-tracked, 60 minutes of waiting from landing on international flights and 30 minutes on domestic flights, at the airport's pre-arranged pickup area. If you arrive by train at Boston South Station, the car can start there.
Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY): airline and private jet pickups
MVY sits in the state forest in West Tisbury, near the middle of the island, about 15 minutes from Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Airline service is year-round from Boston and grows in summer with seasonal flights from New York and other cities. Standard pickup is at the curb outside the small terminal; a name-board meet and greet inside is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Private aviation is a large part of summer traffic. The airport runs its own FBO in a dedicated general aviation terminal, and chauffeurs meet passengers at the FBO door or planeside where the airport allows it. Give the tail number when you book. Current rules are on the Martha's Vineyard Airport site, and our private aviation page explains FBO pickups. Some travellers position through Hanscom Field near Boston for the short hop across.
Cars on the island: what to know before you ship one
Taking a vehicle across is possible only on the Steamship Authority's Woods Hole boats, and summer car space is booked months ahead and priced higher than a passenger ticket. For many visitors the simpler choice is to walk on and book an island car for the days they need one. Island realities:
- Roads are two-lane and rural outside the towns, with low speed limits and heavy bicycle traffic in summer.
- Edgartown's historic streets are narrow and parking in town is tight in July and August.
- Getting to Chappaquiddick means the small Chappy ferry from Edgartown, which carries only a few cars at a time.
- Large vehicles are limited on the island, so Sprinters, minicoaches and stretch cars need early booking and may cross from the mainland.
Island towns and drive times
Edgartown has the whaling-captain houses, the harbour and the Harbor View Hotel near the lighthouse. Oak Bluffs has the gingerbread cottages of the Camp Meeting grounds and the ferry landing. Vineyard Haven, in Tisbury, is the year-round port. Up-island, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Menemsha are quieter, and Aquinnah, at the western tip, has the clay cliffs and Gay Head Light. Edgartown to Aquinnah is about 20 miles and usually 35 to 45 minutes. Hourly bookings suit a day that links a beach, lunch in Menemsha and dinner in Edgartown; see hourly chauffeur service.
Island events by month
- June to August: peak season, with weekend ferries and flights full.
- July: the Edgartown Regatta, usually mid-month.
- August: the Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair in West Tisbury, and Illumination Night at the Oak Bluffs Camp Meeting grounds.
- Mid-September to mid-October: the Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.
- December: Christmas in Edgartown, usually the second weekend.
Arriving from overseas for a Vineyard trip
International travellers usually clear US Customs and Border Protection at Boston Logan or at a New York airport before heading to the island. From Logan, the chauffeur is timed to the actual landing and 60 minutes of waiting is included, which covers most customs queues, and the car then runs straight to the Woods Hole terminal for your sailing. Allow at least two hours between a scheduled landing and a car-ferry departure on a summer weekend. Private jets coming from outside the United States must clear customs at a designated airport before flying on to MVY.
Which vehicle suits the island?
An executive SUV is the usual choice on the Vineyard: it carries four people with beach bags and rides well on the up-island roads. A Standard Sedan suits a couple going to dinner in Edgartown. Standard Black SUVs and Sprinter Vans carry wedding parties and house guests, but check the driveway at the house, because many island lanes are sand or gravel with tight turns. Every vehicle is four model years old or younger; Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley cars from partners are accepted up to seven.
How booking and fares work
Book each leg at /book/: Logan to Woods Hole, then ferry landing or MVY to your house or hotel. Every fare is fixed and includes the chauffeur, fuel and included waiting; there is no meter. Weddings and house-party weekends with several vehicles are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing. Classes are on the fleet and what fares include is on rates. Many travellers combine the Vineyard with Nantucket or a few nights in Boston.
Cancellation
Plans on the island change with the weather, so the terms are simple: no charge beyond 72 hours before pickup, 10% within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours, and 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. If a ferry is cancelled for weather, tell the desk and the car is re-timed to the next sailing.
