Best Times to Travel To and From Cape Cod to Beat Summer Traffic

I love Cape Cod, but I spend as little time there as possible during the summer.

The climate on the Cape during June, July, and August is almost always more agreeable than it is in New Bedford, Fall River or Taunton.

Cape beaches, restaurants, parks and entertainment are top-notch. You can spot whales, dolphins, seals, turtle, and even sharks in the water off the Cape.

Cape Cod is a paradise during the summer. As a people watcher, I don't even mind the tourists.

Get our free mobile app

So why do I avoid the Cape like the plague in the summer?

It's the traffic. I deplore endless lines of traffic to get on and off the Cape.

Having to leave New Bedford at mid-afternoon for an 8 p.m. show at the Cape Cod Melody Tent on a Friday and then sit in traffic hoping upon hope to make my dinner reservation in enough time to catch the show is cause for too much stress.

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is trying to make it easier for people like me to enjoy visiting the Cape during the summer without losing it.

The Chamber has posted the best times to travel to and from the Cape to reduce the likelihood of becoming snarled in traffic. Here are a few suggestions.

The Cape Chamber recommends that you travel to the Cape Sunday through Thursday. If you must travel on Friday, do it before 2 p.m. or after 9 p.m. On Saturday, travel before 8 a.m. or after 2 p.m.

What are the best times to leave the Cape? The Chamber recommends Monday through Friday (between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday holidays). The best time to depart the Cape on Saturday is after 2 p.m. On Sunday, plan to travel off Cape before 1 p.m. or after 9 p.m.

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce website has additional suggestions and some travel tips from locals. You may want to check it out.