The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

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Cape Cod + Martha's Vineyard + Nantucket Beach Guide

Cape Cod + Martha's Vineyard + Nantucket Beach Guide: free sample chapter

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Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. This guide was checked on October 10, 2026. Ferry fares move, park services close in the fall, and shuttles run on seasons. Where a fact can change, we say what usually happens and where to look. Where we could not open the official page, we say so plainly, and we flag the thing you must confirm.

Cover block

Promise: a five-day beach-and-islands trip that leans on the National Seashore, free island buses and two ferry days, without a rental car on either island.
Trip length: five days (compress to three by dropping Chatham and one island).
Best months: late June through mid-September for full services; the shoulder weeks for quiet, with closures.
Budget band: low to mid, because the beaches and the island buses cost little and the ferry is the big line item.
Best for: walkers, photographers, couples, and families who like the sea more than the souvenir shops.

At a glance

Seashore beach entry: $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike, age 16 and up (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Six fee beaches: Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, Head of the Meadow, Race Point and Herring Cove (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Hy-Line Nantucket: 60-minute crossing, adult $53 one way (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Hy-Line Oak Bluffs: about an hour, adult $42 one way, May through October (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Steamship Authority car-ferry fares and reservation dates: not confirmed; see Chapter 8.
Sharks are active in park waters through October (checked Oct 10, 2026).