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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Gosnold
Gosnold, Massachusetts
Go only if you want a car-free, phone-weak island day: Cuttyhunk is the one public island, reached by boat, and most people visit as a day trip, not a stay.
Gosnold is a Massachusetts town made of the nine Elizabeth Islands, strung west from Woods Hole between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. It has the smallest population of any town in the state, and eight of the nine islands are private. Cuttyhunk is the only one you can visit: a small harbour, golf carts instead of rental cars, deer paths as trails, and one inn. Plan it as a day trip from Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard or New Bedford, and treat a night there as a deliberate slow-down.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Gosnold, Massachusetts
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (boats and services largely shut)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$60–110 excl. bed · Mid US$110–200 excl. bed · High US$200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a cold drink at the island store | US$3–6 |
| Sandwich or simple lunch | US$12–20 |
| Dinner at the island inn | US$30–60 per person before tip |
| Golf-cart rental, one day | US$80–160 |
| Return boat crossing | US$40–90 per person |
| Tipping | 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EWB · New Bedford Regional
- Closest mainland airport; the island is a short hop or a boat ride from New Bedford.
- BOS · Boston Logan
- Main gateway; about 1 h 30 min by road to Woods Hole or New Bedford, then boat.
- ACK · Nantucket Memorial
- Relevant only if you approach via Martha's Vineyard and Menemsha.
Typical fares
- Mainland → Cuttyhunk, return boat
- US$40–90 per person, roughly 1 h
- Golf cart, one day
- US$80–160
- Taxi or rideshare, Woods Hole → New Bedford
- US$40–70
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On Cuttyhunk you walk, or rent a golf cart — there are no rental cars and the island is small enough to cross on foot in well under an hour. Deer paths double as trails. Everything else in Gosnold is private land or water: you move by private boat, kayak or charter.
See and do
Known for
- Cuttyhunk Island
- Elizabeth Islands chain
- Cuttyhunk harbour and sailboats
- Smallest town population in Massachusetts
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Woods Hole | Boat from the mainland side, or drive to the dock and park | About 1 h by boat |
| Martha's Vineyard | Boat link via Menemsha on the island's west end | About 1–1.5 h |
| Nantucket | Ferry or short flight from the mainland, then a separate crossing | Half a day or more |
| Barnstable | Drive on the Cape, then boat from Woods Hole or New Bedford | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Cuttyhunk harbour
- The only place to sleep in Gosnold: one inn with shared baths, plus a handful of rental houses and cottages. Book months ahead for summer.
- Woods Hole or Falmouth (mainland)
- Practical base if the island is full: ferry dock, parking and normal shops, then a day crossing.
- New Bedford
- Second mainland option; the other traditional boat departure point and the nearest airport.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the boat dock? | Where is the boat dock? |
| What time is the last boat back? | What time is the last boat back? |
| Is there cell service here? | Is there cell service here? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Eight of the nine Elizabeth Islands are private: do not land on Naushon, Pasque or Nashawena without an invitation.
- Cell reception is weak or absent; some places still rely on landlines. Download offline maps and tell someone your plan.
- Boat seats and the one inn sell out for summer weekends: book the crossing and the bed together, or you may have neither.
- Services are seasonal. Outside summer, expect the store, boats and rentals to be closed or running a reduced schedule — check before you commit to a date.
- There is no nightlife, no cinema and no tennis courts; if you need entertainment laid on, this is the wrong island.
Very low crime — the real risks are weather, water and isolation. Boats cancel in wind and fog, cell coverage is patchy, and medical help means a crossing to the mainland: check the forecast, wear a life jacket on the water, and leave your plan with someone ashore.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Gosnold yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cuttyhunk Island
- Elizabeth Islands chain
- Cuttyhunk harbour and sailboats
- Smallest town population in Massachusetts
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Gosnold: www.gosnoldma.gov/
- Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism: www.massvacation.com/
- Wikivoyage: Gosnold, revision 5012896 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5012896
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
GosnoldGosnold, Massachusetts
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies on the islands; consulates and embassies are in Boston, New York or Washington, DC. US visitors: 911 and the local harbormaster are your first call.
Print this card: the island's phone signal is unreliable, so a paper copy of the boat times and emergency numbers is worth carrying.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/gosnold). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.