TRAVEL. We are tickled you’re coming to celebrate with us. As you probably know, navigating transportation to and from Nantucket takes some planning. But that’s part of the charm. Below, we’ve outlined a few ways to get to the island. If you have questions or need advice deciding the best option, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

PLANE & BUS & BOAT 

• The longest travel time, but also the most affordable and reliable.

• Fly into Boston (BOS) early enough to catch a bus, Uber, or private car to Hyannis.

• From Hyannis, take the ferry to Nantucket.

JETS

• Larger jets fly directly to Nantucket from NYC, Boston, and other major cities during summer.

• These flights are rumored to run through Columbus Day. But times have not yet been released. 

• Likely the simplest and quickest route for many traveling in. 

PUDDLE JUMPERS

• Fly into Boston (BOS), then take a small, 12-seater plane directly to Nantucket.

• Quick and scenic flight—but often expensive and prone to cancellations due to fog.
  
   

A DEEPER DIVE:

BY SEA
The quintessential experience of arriving on Nantucket. There are two ferry companies–choose a ferry with the departure time that fits your travel plans. This takes a bit of timing math. We’re sorry about that, you non-math people. 

 

The Steamship Authority offers either a leisurely 2 hour and 15 minute voyage on the traditional ferry (“lovingly” referred to as the ‘slow boat’), or opt for the one hour high-speed ferry (the “fast boat”). Hy-Line Cruises is the other option for a high-speed ferry. 
 

Schedules are available on their websites, and we recommend purchasing tickets once you know which boat you plan to take. With both, please double check that you are booking the roundtrip journey from Hyannis to Nantucket (and not that other island). 

Getting to the Ferry from Boston Logan (BOS)
If flying into Boston, you will need to travel from the airport to Hyannis. Transportation can take anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours depending on traffic and mode of transportation. We recommend taking a flight that arrives in the morning or early afternoon so you have ample time to get to the Cape and catch your ferry. Keep in mind the last ferry to the island departs at 8pm.
 

There are a few options for getting to the Cape from Logan Airport. You can hire a car from Long’s Taxi, Go Green Shuttle, or Uber. You can also take the Plymouth Brockton Bus, which departs every hour from each Logan terminal. Dropoff location is Hyannis Transportation Center, which is about a 10-minute walk or 5 minute taxi to the ferry terminals. The bus can take up to 2.5 hours, so please allow ample time if choosing this option. It is $68 for a round trip Plymouth Brockton bus. It’s $350 round trip for a minivan. If you have enough people, or if you’ve had enough of people. A private car can be worth it especially if splitting with folks arriving at the same time. 
 

Note that the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises have different departure terminals. They are close by, but further than you’ll want to walk with your luggage. Please take care to ensure you’re headed to the right place. 

Driving to the Ferry

If you are already on the East Coast, lucky you. You can park your car in one of the lots near the ferry terminals. We don’t recommend bringing your car on island if you can avoid it, it’s expensive and the slow boat reservations fill up very fast when they open at the beginning of the year, so it’s unlikely to be able to get a reservation.

Ferry Protocol

For our first timers, your larger suitcases go on the ferry luggage carts which are always set out by the boat check-in area prior to departure. Pay attention to the number on the cart so you can find your bag when you deboard. Personal items you carry on with you. Seating is first come first served on the ferries. You don’t need to sweat about getting to the ferry super early either. They start letting people on pretty close to the ferry departure time (don’t be late though or you’ll be waving the boat goodbye).

Don’t worry if you don’t remember all this, there will be grumpy New Englanders who sound like they have marbles in their mouths, to help you through it. 

BY AIR 

Arriving by air at Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) is also an option. Flying in gives you a great view of the Grey Lady, aka Nantucket. 

We are still waiting to hear if the large commercial airlines like Delta, United and Jet Blue will have flights into Nantucket in early October, which would connect through Boston or New York. They have not been posted yet but we will alert folks if/when they become available.

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The other flight option is a 45 minute Cape Air flight from Boston Logan. Know that this flight is in a small Cessna (about 10 people). Fun if you’re up for it, very not fun if you aren’t expecting it and are decidedly not up for it. It’s a beautiful flight into the island but also sensitive to inclement weather so choose this option only if you have heeded our warnings and still want the experience, and also don’t mind disclosing your weight to the airline when you check in so they can assign you the right seat for the plane’s weight distribution. If you’re the right size, and are pushy they will put you in the copilot seat. 

ARRIVING ON ISLAND

Whether you arrive by ferry or plane, there will be plenty of taxis nearby waiting to take you to your destination. Ride share is also an easy and available option. And there is always the Wave, the free bus that runs from both town, and the airport, to ‘Sconset, but requires five or so minutes of walking to get to. Expect a little traffic congestion if you’re getting picked up from the ferry. 

 

DO I NEED A CAR?

You really don’t. We don’t recommend bringing your car on the slow boat (the reservations are probably already full anyway), and unless you’re looking to do some major exploring an on-island car rental probably isn’t worth it.

HOW WILL I GET AROUND ON THE ISLAND?

We have designed the wedding weekend so you won’t have to leave 'Sconset. This is a very slow, chill, weekend, the best way to enjoy Nantucket in our opinion. If you’d like to explore, taxis and Ubers are available of course. We also recommend The Wave, a free bus that services most of the island you’d be looking to see. There is a bus stop in the heart of Sconset that will take you to Town with pickups and dropoffs every hour.