![[Return to MassBike]](../images/mbicon.gif)
Last minor revision March 17, 2003 by Doug Mink
|
|
Last minor revision March 17, 2003 by Doug Mink |
Many ferries serve coastal New England, and most carry bicycles. Most ferry services will take bikes on board for about 20 percent of the passenger fare.
On the Airport Water Shuttle or City Water Taxi ferry, you can get there from here to cross Boston Harbor. You may then take your bike, packaged or unpackaged, on the airport shuttle bus to the airline terminals (see BCOM's Logan airport pamphlet).
Ferries from Boston to Hingham, Hull and Gloucester open up touring possibilities on the North and South Shore. Hull, a long thin peninsula jutting into Massachusetts Bay, is lined with beaches, and World's End Reservation in Hull is ideal for picnicking. A ferry ride gets you off to a good start on a longer tour up or down the coast. Check out the MBTA Boat web site for information about getting across Boston Harbor by boat.
Boats run to Provincetown on Cape Cod from Boston, Gloucester, Quincy and Plymouth. Visit the Cape Cod beaches and stay overnight in a Hostelling International-Eastern New England Council (HI-AYH) hostel in Truro or Eastham -- or ride to the Cape on Massachusetts Bike Route 1 and take the ferry back, all in a weekend. Call HI-AYH at (617)735-1800 for a Boston-to-Cape map and more information. Or you may stay at one of the Cape's many hotels, motels and campgrounds.
Hyannis is only 45 miles from Provincetown by bicycle. From Hyannis (and also from Harwichport, even closer to Provincetown), you may take a ferry to Nantucket. Ferries from Hyannis, Nantucket, Falmouth, Woods Hole and New Bedford serve Martha's Vineyard, making it possible to plan an island-hopping bicycle tour. There are HI-AYH hostels on both Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Rhode Island ferries connect from Providence to historic Newport, Block Island and the scenic eastern end of Long Island, New York.
The following list of eastern New England ferries that carry bicycles should help you plan your trips. It leaves out ferries to the many small islands off the coast of Maine, but another Web site covers these. Ferry schedules may change, so call ahead. Book reservations in advance to take advantage of group discounts, and to assure that there is room, especially if traveling on one of the smaller boats in a large group or at peak times. If you have corrections or updates to make to this list please contact John S. Allen at ferries@bikexprt.com.
The following list includes every phone number and useful hyperlink we could find for the ferry companies, for your convenience and to reduce long-distance charges.
| BOSTON HARBOR FERRIES
Lists of MBTA and other ferries in Boston area and beyond on MBTA site | ||
| Ferry line | phone | routes and times |
| Airport Water Shuttle | (800)23-LOGAN Airport info number
(617)330-8680 Recorded message (617)439-3131 Office | Rowe's Wharf to Jeffries Point, East Boston, near the airport, every 15 minutes in peak times weekdays; otherwise every half hour. Sometimes does not run late at night, early in the morning, on Saturday or on holidays, so call to check. |
| MBTA | Morning trip Hull-Quincy-Logan-Boston and afternoon trip Logan-Boston-Hull-Quincy-Logan, weekdays only, year-round. | |
| Boston Harbor Cruises | (617)227-4321 Information
(617)227-4320 Office | Long Wharf, Boston to Charlestown Navy Yard, "Constitution Cruise",at least half-hourly service from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Boston Harbor Commuter Service | (617)740-1253 Hingham
(617)951-0255 Boston (617)426-8401 Offices (617)542-8000 You may also call: (617)722-3200 MBTA information. (617)439-4755 Rowe's Wharf terminal | These MBTA commuter ferries between Rowe's Wharf and Hingham take bicycles on a "space available" basis, weekdays only; frequent sailings in rush hours and some at other times |
| City Water Taxi | (617)422-0392 | On-demand service (call for pickup) 5:30 AM to 11 PM year-round, serving Boston inner harbor area. Also scheduled commuter trips; in morning: Mary O'Malley Park in Chelsea to Charlestown Navy Yard, Burroughs Wharf (North End), Long Wharf, Rowe's Wharf, Children's Museum and World Trade Center; opposite direction in evening. Return trips morning and evening skip some stops. |
| NORTH SHORE, NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND (in order of distance from Boston)
Northern New England public transportation (includes ferries to Maine islands) | ||
| A.C. Cruise Line | (617)261-6633
800 422-8419 | Northern Avenue Pier 1, Boston to Studio Restaurant, Gloucester and return. Summer service, weekends only, Memorial Day till end of June, then one round trip per day through Labor Day. |
| Cape Ann Whale Watch | (508)283-5110
800 877-5110 | Rose's Wharf, Gloucester to Provincetown and return Friday, Sunday and Monday in the summer |
| Isle of Shoals Steamship Co. | 603 431-5500
800 441-4620 | Portsmouth NH-Isle of Shoals, a quiet getaway; reservations are required to stay there. Mostly, bicycles aren't taken on the boat since there's nowhere to ride on the island. |
| M.S. Mount Washington | 603 366-5531 [Number is current]
603 366-4837 [Number needs checking] 603 366-2828 [Number needs checking] | Connects several points on Lake Winnepesaukee, NH; a scenic trip that can get your bike tour past summer highway congestion. |
| Marine Atlantic (M/V Bluenose), Bay Lines (another source) | 800 341-7981 in the U.S.
888 249-SAIL 207 288-3395 in Maine 902 742-6800 in Nova Scotia 800 288-5103 Bar Harbor motels | Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Runs daily in summer; reduced schedule May-October |
| Prince of Fundy Cruises | 800 341-7540 in the U.S.
800 482-0955 in Maine 800 565-7900 in Canada | Portland, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Daily in summer; thrice weekly in off-season. |
| SOUTH OF BOSTON, CAPE COD (in order of distance from Boston)
Ferries to Martha's Vineyard (all lines, includes schedules) | ||
| Bay State Cruises | (617)723-7800 Boston
(617)723-2463 Boston | Long Wharf and Commonwealth Pier, Boston to Provincetown; one slow round trip daily in summer; weekends spring and fall: leaves Boston in the morning, returns in the afternoon (3 hrs. each way); two fast trips daily, morning and late afternoon (1:50 each way). |
| Cape Ann Whale Watch | 800 877-5110 | Quincy to Provincetown, summers only |
| Boat Express | (617)770-1008 | Quincy to Provincetown, summers only |
| Cape Cod Cruises | (800) 242-2469
(508)747-2400 Plymouth 508 746-2643 Plymouth | State Pier (near the Mayflower), Plymouth to Provincetown. Daily, summer only |
| M/V Alert II | (508)992-1432 | Pier 3, New Bedford to Cuttyhunk Island. Runs once per day with an extra trip on weekends. Cuttyhunk is excellent for mountain bike riding |
| Cape Island Express Lines, Inc. (Schamonchi) | (508)997-1688 New Bedford
(508)693-2088 Martha's Vineyard | Billy Woods Wharf, New Bedford to Pier 44, Vineyard Haven. Three roundtrips per day during summer. Extra trip Friday evening; reduced schedule spring and fall. A shorter bike/boat or car/boat trip from Boston or Providence to the Vineyard than via the Cape. |
| Island Queen | (508)548-4800 Falmouth | Falmouth Heights Road, Falmouth Heights to Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. 7-9 roundtrips per day in summer; reduced schedule spring and fall. |
| Falmouth-Edgartown Ferry | (508)548-9400 | Falmouth to Edgartown |
| Steamship Authority | 508 540-1394 TDD
(508)548-3788 Woods Hole, information (508)548-5011 large group reservations (508)477-8600 Woods Hole, car reservations (508)771-4000 Hyannis, information (508)693-9130 Martha's Vineyard, reservations (508)693-0367 Vineyard Haven, information (508)693-0125 Oak Bluffs ticket office (508)228-0262 Nantucket, information (508)228-3274 Nantucket, car reservations | Car ferry, Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard and Hyannis to Nantucket. Runs 3 or more times per day, year round. Reservations are needed when taking a car. Schedule coordinated with Hy-Line schedule (see below). |
| Sea Comm Transport | 508 295-1448
SECOMMINC@aol.com |
Onset to Martha's Vineyard
Runs 7 days a week, 5 trips per day, bikes are free! |
| Hy-Line
Schedule Hyannis-Nantucket (at very bottom of page) | 800 492-8082
(508)778-2600 Hyannis (508)778-2688 Group ticket sales (508)775-7185 Hyannis office (508)228-3949 Nantucket ticket office (508)693-0112 Oak Bluffs ticket office | Ocean Street, Hyannis (dock is NOT the same as the Steamship Authority's in Hyannis or anywhere else!) to Nantucket and to Oak Bluffs (on Martha's Vineyard). Also Oak Bluffs-Nantucket. Runs 4 or more times per day in summer. Reduced schedule in May and October. Schedule coordinated with Steamship Authority (see above). |
| Freedom Ferry | (508)432-8999 | Harwich-Nantucket, summers only |
| Menemsha Ferry | Crosses Menemsha Harbor on Martha's Vineyard; frequent trips during tourist seasons | |
| Viking Lines | 516 668-5700 | infrequent service, Martha's Vineyard-Montauk Point, Long Island |
| Chappaquiddick Ferry, On Time | (508)627-9427 | Edgartown-Chappaquiddick Island, Martha's Vineyard; year-round |
| RHODE ISLAND, LONG ISLAND
Round the Sound (Long Island and Connecticut) bicycle tour Long Island ferries listed on one site and another, another, another, another (whew). | ||
| Interstate Navigation Co.
Nalseco Navigation Co. | 860 442-7891 New London
860-442-9553 New London 401 783-7328 Point Judith information 401-783-4613 Point Judith reservations 401 466-2982 Block Island | To Block Island daily from Providence via Newport; good way to get to Newport with a bike. Also to Block Island from New London, Connecticut, summer only and to Block Island from Point Judith, Rhode Island year-round. New London docks same as for Cross-Sound Ferry (see below). |
| Prudence Ferry | 401 253-9808 | Bristol, Rhode Island to Hog Island and Prudence Island (in Narragansett Bay): several trips daily. Prudence Island has a state park, but there is no camping due to a high incidence of Lyme Disease. Hard-packed gravel roads are ok for road bikes but better for mountain bikes. There are no restaurants, so bring food with you. |
| Jigger III | 516 668-2214 | Block Island to Montauk Point, New York, summer only |
| Fishers Island Ferry District | 516 788-7643 Fishers Island
860 442-0165 New London 860 443-6851 recorded info | Fishers Island is a largely-private New York enclave just off New London. Ferry runs several times per day year-round. New London docks are near the Amtrak station. |
| Cross Sound Ferry Service Inc. | 860 443-5281 Information
860 443-5035 and 860 444-0482 reservations, 860 444-0783 New London 860 443-7394 Office, New London 516 323-2525 Information, Long Island 516 323-2415 Long Island 516 323-2695 Long Island, 516 323-2743 Long Island. | Car ferry, New London, Connecticut to Orient Point, Long Island, Frequent service year-round. Excellent connection to Amtrak and bus in New London. Bus connection at Long Island end (Suffolk County Transit Bus route S92, phone 516 852-5200). |
| North Haven Ferry
Shelter Island (Greenport) Ferry | 516 749-1200
516 749-0139 | These two ferries run frequently, year-round, connecting the north and south peninsulas of Long Island, New York via Shelter Island, making a round trip bicycle tour of eastern Long Island and Block Island possible using Cross-Sound and Viking Fleet ferries to connect with New England points. |
| Viking Fleet | 800 MONTAUK Ferries info
516 668 5709 Ferries info 516 668 5700 Office | Summer service only: Montauk Point, Long Island to New London, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, roundtrips AM and PM. New London terminal is the Admiralty Dock on State Pier Road, off Crystal Avenue. Also Montauk Point to Block Island and infrequent service to Martha's Vineyard. |
| Overnight accommodations - what to expect | |
| Block Island Vistor's Guide | moderate to expensive hotels; another source |
| Cape Cod | many hotels, motels, campgrounds; another source; HI-AYH hostels in Truro and Eastham |
| Cuttyhunk | fairly expensive hotels. Inquire with ferry line |
| Isle of Shoals | group accomodations by reservation only. Inquire with steamship co. |
| Fishers Island | no public accommodations |
| Long Island | many hotels, motels, campgrounds. Another source for campgrounds |
| Martha's Vineyard | one Hostelling International; campgrounds, bed and breakfast, and hotels of varied price and quality ; another source |
| Nantucket | hotels, bed and breakfast, and one HI-AYH hostel |
| Prudence Island | campgrounds, may be closed due to Lyme Disease. Inquire with ferry line. |
![[Bikeways]](../images/iconbway.gif)