First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

Planning on visiting cape cod for only 4 nights during the summer (possibly July) 2009. Understand there is quite a bit of traffic at this time of year. Since we only have 5 days of which 2 will be travelling to/from the cape, where would you suggest we base our stay? We generally like to be centrally located but at the same time enjoy the flavor of the place we are visiting and not be bombarded with children and crowds. However, since we have such a short stay and would like to visit Nantucket and perhaps Martha%26#39;s vineyard (which one over the other, if we are unable to visit both?)in addition to the JFK museum and Kennedy compound. If we have time, perhaps drive around and visit another town/village. Is Hyannis a good base? Or, will we be disappointed. We are presently looking at the Anchor Inn, since it overlooks the harbor and offers balconies so we could sit out in the morning and evening. We were also considering the Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich, but are concerned about spending what little time we have on the cape travelling in a car in traffic to/from Hyannis to pick up ferries and enjoy the town itself. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

Hi, a couple of things. You can%26#39;t actually visit the Kennedy compound, (unless you are invited by one of the Kennedy%26#39;s ;o) Second - 3/4 days does not give you enough time to visit both of the Islands. Third - Hyannis will be bombarded with crowds %26amp; kids in the summer. That is high season %26amp; Hyannis is an area that attracts a lot of families. If you want quieter - and it is possible to find that on the Cape in the summer - you want to be further along on the Cape - Brewster, Wellfleet, Truro all come to mind. Another good option for you might be Falmouth, in terms of access to ferries to the Vineyard, but again Falmouth is a popular family vacation spot. As for the Islands, I think the Vineyard is the better choice for a day trip because of the availability of transportation and things to do once you are over there. Nantucket is beautiful, but a little more laid back. Both will be crowded in the summer.

First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

I second Falmouth over Hyannis for a true Cape Cod feel. Hyannis in comparision to other towns here on the Cape can be described as a ';city';.

For a short stay in July - Falmouth can be very accommodating, It has a nice village green, and a wonderful town with restaurants and shop. You will be close to Woods Hole for the SSA or the Island Queen for a day trip to one of the islands.

BUT if you TRULY object to traffic lined roads and lots of other visitors - you might want to check out the outer cape where the crowds will be thinner but not non-existent.

Falmouth would be a good choice for you...you%26#39;ll have less driving to get anywhere but the unavoidable traffic,families and crowds are all realities of a Cape summer.

I suggest you visit Nantucket. There%26#39;s a very walkable downtown shopping area with enough choice for a lunch or dinner. One of my favorite things on Nantucket is the Whaling Museum. It%26#39;s a one of a kind place and worth a peek. If you%26#39;re 4 people or less, it%26#39;s fun to rent a little JEEP for the day, buy a great picnic lunch and head out to the magnificent Nantucket beaches.

There are Nantucket and M.V. forums on T.A. for much more information.

I think Hyannis would be a good choice. True it is more crowded than other places here....but there surely is a reason for that. All advice given so far is spot on though....you can%26#39;t go wrong no matter where you choose. The Anchor Inn is a GREAT central location if you do choose Hyannis.

We are also planning a trip to Cape Cod, but will be coming the middle of Sept. We are trying to decide where to stay and have looked at Hyannis and Sandwich. I will also look at Falmouth. We want to go to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard or Nantucket for a day trip-guess everyone is divided on which is the best for getting off the ferry and walking around. We could rent bikes and ride around the island. Any ideas or suggestions is appreciated.

I have looked at the Sea Coast Inn or Saltwinds bed and breakfast-has anyone stayed there recently?? We are bringing our son and his wife so will need two rooms.

Any ideas are welcome. Will there still be whale watch tours the middle of Sept.?

Thanks.

You might check on Chatham, right on the Cape%26#39;s elbow. September is gorgeous on the Cape and traffic really thins out after Labor Day.

You can take the high speed ferry out of Harwichport from Sasquatucket Harbor to Nantucket for a day trip to that island.

Thanks for your help. I am looking at Chatham. How long does the ferry take to get to Nantucket?

Here%26#39;s info about the Freedom Cruise Line out of Sasquatucket Harbor in Harwich Port. Schedules and fares are listed here:

http://www.nantucketislandferry.com/

Some have found the Free Cruise Line schedules to be restrictive; you can check out the ferries in Hyannis for other schedules/fares (hi speed and slow boat):

http://www.hy-linecruises.com/

Hyannis and Yarmouth are awful. All other towns on the Cape would be better.

I would highly recommend Chatham. this will give you a great Cape Cod experience. You%26#39;ll be able to travel up the arm to the National Seashore...That being said, Chatham can be pricey, so you may be better off staying in Brewster or Orleans. I would stay away from Hyannis...Wherever you stay, you could still drive to Hyannis and take highspeed ferry to Nantucket (I recommend Hy-line highspeed)...day trip would be managable.....A whole different idea would be Falmouth..Woodshole is cute for lunch/shopping, and you could take the ';Island Queen'; over to the Vineyard...there are a few accomodations that would put you on the beach.

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