Train + Bus

More than a dozen Amtrak trains depart New York's Moynihan Train Hall at Pennsylvania Station (NYP) in the morning and early afternoon and reach the Providence Amtrak Station (PVD) in time for you to take a taxi, rideshare app car or city bus to the Providence Peter Pan Bus Terminal for the bus to Hyannis MA on Cape Cod.

The complete journey takes as little as 5-1/2 hours, or up to 7-3/4 hours or more, depending on your connection in Providence.

You can make a second connection at Bourne MA for buses to Falmouth and Woods Hole (for ferryboats to the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard) and to Barnstable. Some Peter Pan buses continue from Hyannis to Provincetown at the far tip of Cape Cod.

Train + Bus Fares

You can save money on the train fare by taking an Amtrak Northeast Regional train instead of the Acela Express. Northeast Regional trains take a bit longer—but total trip time can still be under seven hours. Here's a tip: go Business Class on the Northeast Regional and it will be more comfortable and still cost less than the lowest-priced seat on the Acela.

Transfer in Providence

Peter Pan buses bound for Hyannis depart Providence's Peter Pan Bus Terminal north of the city at I-95 Exit 25-a (1 Peter Pan Way; map).

Providence Amtrak & MBTA Commuter Rail station

Some Peter Pan buses stop at Kennedy Plaza Intermodal Transportation Center (that is, the city-center bus stops, called "Providence Downtown" in the Peter Pan Bus schedules), but only to drop passengers, not to take on passengers. So you must make your way from Providence Amtrak Station to the Peter Pan Bus Terminal. Here's how:

Amtrak Station to Peter Pan Bus Terminal

Peter Pan Bus Terminal is 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Providence Amtrak Station (map), a taxi or ride-hail (Uber, Lyft, etc.) ride of 10 minutes ($5 to $10) in light traffic; or you can ride a RIPTA R Line bus (direction: Pawtucket Transit Center) from Providence Amtrak Station or Kennedy Plaza northbound to the Third Street stop (7 minutes), then walk northwest on Frost Street, Cemetery Street and Pomfret Street for another 7 minutes (4/10 mile, 650 meters) to the Peter Pan Bus Terminal (map). Buses run every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends. Cash fare is $2, payable on the bus.You can also buy bus and trolley tickets on your smartphone with the RIPTA Flash Pass Mobile App. More...

Lunch in Providence!

Providence is a great foodie town, with lots of good restaurants in the city center. If your connection between train and bus is a longer one, consider having lunch in the city.

Making Train & Bus Reservations

Be sure to check the Amtrak website to confirm train times and fares, and to make reservations (required for the Acela Express trains, strongly advised for Northeast Regional trains). Confirm Peter Pan Bus times and fares, and buy tickets online, or call Peter Pan toll-free at 1-800-343-9999.

Bus All the Way

In summer, Peter Pan Bus Lines runs at least 5 buses daily between New York City and Hyannis. The trip via Providence, Fall River, New Bedford and Bourne MA lasts 6-1/4 to 7 hours and costs about $75 one-way.

Bus Transportation on Cape Cod

From the Hyannis Transportation Center, buses take you to Cape Cod's other towns. (More on Cape Cod local buses...)

Hyannis Transportation Center

Flights to Cape Cod

JetBlue Airways operates nonstop flights from New York (JFK and EWR) to Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis (HYA) on Cape Cod for as little as $167 round-trip mid-week, more like $217 to $385 round-trip in the summer, up to nearly $600 for some weekend and multi-hop flights. The nonstop flight takes just over one hour.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines also have nonstop or one-stop flights. Part of your journey may be on Cape Air (or Nantucket Airlines, operated by Cape Air).

Flights between New York City and Cape Cod's other airport at Provincetown (PVC) require a connection in Boston. Round-trip fares are $391 to $595 and up. (You can take an air taxi nonstop for about $6,000 if you like....)

Add to this the cost of city-to-airport transport in New York, and perhaps on Cape Cod (though you can walk the one mile [1.6 km] south from Cape Cod Gateway Airport (HYA) in Hyannis to the Hyannis Transportation Center (for local Cape Cod buses) in about 22 minutes. More...)

Car Rental & Driving

If you're interested in renting a car for the 254-mile (409-km, 5+ hours) drive from New York City to Hyannis on Cape Cod, you can check prices, rental locations and car availability here:

Ferries & Ships

Seastreak ferries run in summer from New York City and New Bedford MA to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket islands, but not directly to Cape Cod. You can transfer on the islands for ferries to Woods Hole, Falmouth, Hyannis, Harwich Port on Cape Cod, but this takes time and can be expensive.

Still, if you want a sea voyage or two, and/or you want to see both Cape Cod and the islands, you may consider travel from New York City to Cape Cod by train and/or bus, to the islands by ferry, then back to New York by ferry.

Otherwise, ferries connect Long Island with the Connecticut coast: the Cross Sound Ferry sails between New London CT and Orient Point LI, NY; the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company sails between Bridgeport CT and Port Jefferson LI, NY.