If you’re planning a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, one of the first things you’re probably trying to figure out is whether you need a car. And annoyingly, the answer is: it depends.
If you’re coming over for a day trip or staying somewhere walkable like Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, you can absolutely visit Martha’s Vineyard without a car. But if you’re staying for a week, bringing beach gear, or hoping to explore more of the island, having a car can make things much easier.
We’ve visited Martha’s Vineyard in different ways over the years, and for us, whether we bring a car really comes down to how long we’re staying and what we want to do.
Do You Need a Car on Martha’s Vineyard?
No, you don’t need a car to visit Martha’s Vineyard.
For a shorter trip, I’d probably skip the car altogether. You can arrive on the ferry, explore one or two towns, grab lunch or dinner, shop, walk along the waterfront, and head home without ever getting behind the wheel.
For a week-long summer vacation, though? We prefer having our car.
It gives us the freedom to load up our beach gear and explore different parts of the island. We can drive to Aquinnah or take the Chappy Ferry to Chappaquiddick without planning around transportation.
When I Would Visit Martha’s Vineyard Without a Car
If you’re coming over for a day trip, I would seriously consider leaving the car behind.
Walk-on passengers using the Steamship Authority’s traditional ferries to Martha’s Vineyard do not need advance passenger reservations, so you can purchase your ticket at the terminal on the day you travel.
Once you’re on the island, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs are both easy to explore on foot.
A car-free trip makes the most sense if you:
- Are visiting for the day
- Are staying in a walkable part of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, or Vineyard Haven
- Mostly want to shop, eat, and explore the downtown areas
- Don’t plan on carrying a ton of beach gear
- Are comfortable using the island buses or other transportation when you want to go farther
For a day trip, I’d rather spend my time exploring than dealing with bringing a vehicle back and forth on the ferry.
Getting Around Martha’s Vineyard Without a Car
If you decide not to bring a car, the Vineyard Transit Authority makes it pretty easy to get around the island. The VTA is currently free to ride and offers routes connecting all six Martha’s Vineyard towns, as well as many beaches and major areas visitors are likely to explore.
Depending on where you’re staying, you can use the bus to travel between Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah. There are also seasonal routes to places like South Beach.
I’d still check the current schedule before your trip since routes and frequency change throughout the year. The VTA is a great option if you want to explore Martha’s Vineyard without bringing a car or booking a vehicle ferry reservation.
When I Think Having a Car Is Worth It
For our week-long Martha’s Vineyard vacations, having a car is absolutely worth it.
We tend to move around the island quite a bit. One day we might head to Moshup Beach in Aquinnah, while another could take us to Chappaquiddick, West Tisbury, or Great Rock Bight.
We also bring chairs, umbrellas, coolers, towels, and approximately 900 other things that somehow come along with a beach day. Having a car means we can throw everything in the back and go.
I’d especially consider bringing one if you:
- Are staying for several days or a full week
- Want to explore Aquinnah and the western side of the island
- Plan on visiting several different beaches
- Have kids or a lot of beach gear
- Want more flexibility with your schedule
- Are staying somewhere outside the main downtown areas
You certainly can do many of these things without a car, but for the way we vacation on the island, having one makes the trip much easier.
Bringing Your Car on the Martha’s Vineyard Ferry
This is the part you need to plan well in advance.
The Steamship Authority operates the vehicle ferry between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard. Vehicle reservations are required for the Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard route.
And if you’re planning a summer trip, don’t wait until spring to start thinking about it. For summer 2026, general public vehicle reservations for Martha’s Vineyard opened online on February 3 at 8 a.m. for travel between May 14 and October 22.
The exact date changes from year to year, so my biggest recommendation is to start checking the Steamship Authority website in January for that year’s reservation-opening information.
Yes, you may be booking your August ferry in the middle of winter. Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard vacation planning!
Book Your Ferry as Soon as Reservations Open
If we know we’re spending a week on Martha’s Vineyard and bringing our car, booking the ferry is one of the first things we do.
Summer vehicle spots are popular. When reservations opened for Martha’s Vineyard on February 3, 2026, the Steamship Authority processed more than 23,000 vehicle reservation transactions that day alone. That doesn’t mean you have zero chance if you book later, but your preferred ferry times may not be available.
I would especially book early if you:
- Have a Saturday-to-Saturday rental
- Need a specific arrival or departure time
- Are traveling around a holiday
- Don’t have much flexibility with your dates
Before reservations open, I like to know our exact rental dates and have a general idea of what ferry times we want. Then we’re ready to book when the schedule opens.
What If the Ferry Time You Want Is Sold Out?
Don’t immediately give up. The Steamship Authority also offers a vehicle wait list, which can help you snag a better time if space opens up.
So if your ideal time isn’t available, book something that works if you can and then check whether you can wait-list a better option.
Just remember that summer vehicle space can be limited, so I would never plan an entire vacation around the assumption that a specific sold-out ferry will eventually open.
Taking the Chappy Ferry With Your Car
If you have your car on Martha’s Vineyard, you can also take it over to Chappaquiddick using the small Chappy Ferry from downtown Edgartown. For us, taking the ferry is part of the experience.
We’ll drive onto the ferry, make the very short trip across the water, and then continue toward East Beach. It’s such a short ride, but for some reason it makes a Chappy beach day feel like its own little adventure.
If you’re already staying in Edgartown, it’s also very easy to walk over as a passenger if you don’t need a vehicle on the other side.
Can You Stay in Edgartown Without a Car?
Definitely. Edgartown is actually one of the places where I’d be most comfortable staying without one.
Downtown is extremely walkable. You have restaurants, shops, Edgartown Books, the harbor, Edgartown Lighthouse, ice cream, coffee, and plenty of beautiful streets to wander without ever needing to drive.
If your ideal Martha’s Vineyard trip is slow mornings, walking into town for coffee, shopping, eating out, and wandering around Edgartown, you may barely miss having a car. That’s especially true if you plan to spend most of your time around Edgartown. Where you’ll notice it more is when you want to start venturing farther out.
So, Should You Bring a Car to Martha’s Vineyard?
For a day trip, I’d probably leave the car behind. For a long weekend based in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, or Vineyard Haven, I’d seriously consider going without one.
For a week-long summer vacation where you want to explore the island and visit several beaches, we prefer having our car.
Iif you decide that you do want to bring your car, make a note in your calendar now. Start checking those summer ferry reservation dates in January.
Because your Martha’s Vineyard vacation may not be until July or August, but the planning starts much earlier than that.
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