One of the best methods to get round Cape Cod to keep away from visitors and see the sights

Each summer time, caravans of holiday makers clog Cape Cod’s single freeway for a season of Wellfleet oysters, swimmable shoreline and the colourful LGBTIQ+ scene in Provincetown.

For those who’re curious to discover ways to greatest navigate Cape Cod and keep away from the throngs of visitors, we’ve bought you coated. Listed here are the very best methods to get across the Cape. 

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Vehicles head over Sagamore Bridge which connects Cape Cod with the Massachusetts mainland © iStockphoto / Getty Pictures

Vehicles are a needed evil  

Automobile journey is by far essentially the most easy method to get across the Cape. Utilizing your individual automotive or renting one will permit you to pack in essentially the most actions, from strolling the glittering Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore to letting unfastened at a Tea Dance in Provincetown (“Ptown”) to rolling as much as a drive-in film in Wellfleet. 

Driving the historic “Outdated King’s Freeway” – Route 6A – is a implausible method to see 65 miles of the Cape, from Bourne to the tip of the peninsula.

There are a number of drawbacks to driving, nonetheless. Just one freeway serves the whole Cape (Route 6) which implies this artery can get fairly congested. Keep away from automotive journey on Fridays and Sunday afternoons throughout peak summer time weekends when you can. 

Parking shall be difficult and costly within the excessive season. The Nationwide Seashore will set you again $25 to park, however every seashore has different charges.

For those who’re solely on the town for a day or two, you may get away with utilizing a ride-sharing service like Uber or calling a yellow cab.

Avoid wasting cash by taking the bus 

Public transportation is a good way to discover Cape Cod when you don’t have a automotive. Native trolleys and bus strains often get you fairly near the place you might want to go.

You should purchase a vast day move to experience the CCRTA bus for simply $6, and seniors and individuals with disabilities get fare reductions

There are even Free Fare Fridays on some fastened bus routes, which can assist stretch your journey fund. If biking is a part of your journey, CCRTA buses are geared up with bike racks. 

When your go to has ended, it’s straightforward to seize a Peter Pan bus to Boston, Windfall or New York. A one-way ticket from Provincetown to Port Authority will set you again about $60.

A couple rides their bikes past two busy stores on a sunny day in Provincetown, Mass.
Navigating Provincetown by bike: Cape Cod is a good vacation spot for biking © Mahaux Charles / Getty Pictures

See extra of Cape Cod by utilizing a motorbike 

With over 500 miles of shoreline, Cape Cod is a dreamy vacation spot for cyclists. Deliver your individual bike or hire from certainly one of many conveniently situated shops across the peninsula. Native buses and ferries take bike passengers, so there may be loads of room to get artistic along with your transportation itinerary.

Highway biking is an efficient method to see the seashores and cities of the Cape, however there are additionally devoted trails only for biking.

Located on the bay aspect of the Cape, the Cape Cod Rail Path boasts over 20 miles of paved path spanning Yarmouth to Wellfleet.

Whereas a shorter experience (10.7 miles), the Shining Sea Bikeway is a protected, visually placing method to get from Falmouth to the following ferry out of Woods Gap. Seize a popover breakfast sandwich at Pie in the Sky Bakery whilst you wait. Hire from Corner Cycle or Art’s Bike Shop

View of an empty ferry boat deck in USA, New England, Massachusetts, Cape Cod,
Among the best methods to get round Cape Cod is by water on a ferry © Walter Bibikow / Getty Pictures

Take pleasure in a slower tempo by taking a ferry

It will be a mistake to exclude ferry journey out of your Cape Cod itinerary. In truth, the most effective methods to bypass the summer time automotive visitors is to take a Bay State Cruise Company ferry to/from Boston. The boat docks in Ptown and the journey takes about 90 minutes.

Ferry journey is smart for folks with out automobiles, folks with biking plans or these trying to spend vital time on the water or the Outer Cape. It’s additionally my favourite strategy to coastal journey, since each the views and choices inside choices for transportation are unbeatable.

Many deal with the Cape as a jumping-off level to close by islands, primarily Martha’s Winery and its smaller, much-storied counterpart – Nantucket. As soon as on the Cape, The Steamship Authority is your greatest useful resource for boat schedules, fares and parking data.

If in case you have a automotive, depart it in Falmouth and take the free shuttle to the Woods Gap ferry terminal to keep away from getting a ticket in your method to the Winery. You may also drive it onto the ferry, however know that capability is proscribed.

The Nantucket service out of Hyannis affords each a high-speed (1 hour) passenger ferry choice and a extra leisurely (2.25 hour) automotive ferry. Biking is one of the simplest ways to get round this little paradise, so when you’re already biking the Cape, add Nantucket to your itinerary.