This was my first time riding the Washington State Ferry, and the Anacortes terminal made the…read moreexperience easy and enjoyable. The terminal itself isn't huge, but it's well-organized and has all the essentials. There are restrooms (note: the entrance is outside), a snack bar with some hot food made to order, grab-and-go snacks, and vending machines for quick bites or drinks. Inside, you'll also find travel brochures, maps, and multiple ticket counters where you can buy ferry tickets or ask questions. I was a walk-on passenger and found the process very straightforward. Parking is nearby--just a short walk from the terminal--and costs $13 for the day. You can either scan the QR code posted on signs or use the pay station machine. Just a tip: if you're walking on, stay in the far left lane when entering the terminal--all other lanes to the right are for vehicles boarding the ferry. Overall, everything was clearly marked and staff were helpful. It was a smooth first-time experience, and I'd definitely ride again!

I come up to San Juan's often because my dad lives on the island and I have to say, the workers in…read morethe booth when you pull up couldn't be any more unpleasant. The lady today with rainbow hair was beyond nasty with her tone and told me because I was 2 minutes late (was supposed to be here 30 minutes early for my reservation) that I'd be put in stand by. The ferry is already supposed to be 40 minutes late so I the whole thing is ridiculous. I REALLY wish this ferry terminal took hiring more seriously and hired normal / kind people instead of the nasty workers they currently have.

We had a Wonderful experience and the staff is friendly with great service! Would definitely…read morerecommend them!

Oh my! This ferry is just lovely! There is an adventurer area for kids, a gift shop filled w neat…read moreclothes and high end quality items. The ferry is upscale and very comfortable. Windows are easy to see out of. They have delis and bars, lots to choose from. Time flew as we enjoyed the boat...so sad to get off!

I really enjoy visiting the San Juan Islands. Our favorite thing to do is to take the ferry and…read moreisland hop for a day. The Washington State Ferry is interisland and takes locals and visitors from one island to the next. The ferries run year-round and will take you to each of the four main islands - Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw. We drive to Anacortes and start our day on the ferry there. Then we usually go to Orcas or San Juan and grab lunch at Friday Harbor. There are also snacks and drinks available to purchase on the ferry. I love the view of the islands from the ferry window or outside on the deck above. It is a nice relaxing ride. We like to play cards while we island hop. Sometimes you can catch some marine life in the waters. The San Juans are home to a variety of wildlife and one of the best places in the world to witness whales in the wild. I usually keep a paper schedule on me so that I can plan out my ferry route and make sure that I am at the dock for the next ferry out. Sometimes they run a little behind, but usually they are on time.

Comfortable boats, scenic views, decent facilities-- but always late. If you're on any kind of…read moreschedule and are bringing a car, I wouldn't count on getting to your destination within a reasonable time frame. Especially in the peak summer season without a reservation -- and even then, no guarantees.

Washington State Ferries (WSF), Kennewick vessel, Friday, August, 16, 2024, 9:30 am. We were on a…read moreroad trip in a Class B RV (which is van-sized), and needed to travel from Port Townsend, WA to Coupeville, WA. In investigating our options on a mapping app, we found that we had two options -- to drive about 215 miles (4 hours, 45 minutes, plus toll) OR take a ferry (about 8 miles, 45 minutes plus wait time). With some apprehension about how it would work with our oversized and tall vehicle, we decided to take the ferry. We made a reservation online about two weeks before our planned trip, and many of the time slots for our preferred travel date were already taken but we were still able to get a slot at 9:30 am. The reservation "no show" fee was $10, charged only if the reservation is not used. We were pleased to find that there was a category to identify our vehicle as being "under 22' in length, and 7'6" to 13' tall." (There are also options to ride standby when vessel space is available). Washington State Ferries has loading down to a science. On our travel day, we were warmly greeted by the attendant at the entrance tollbooth. One senior (my husband) with vehicle under 22' was $15.30, while I was counted as an adult passenger for $4.10, for a total of $19.40 for two people and the RV. After paying, we were directed by staff to park in a specific lane (with other RVs) and allowed to disembark from our vehicle to grab a coffee or use the restrooms. The process of loading the ferry was highly organized. Every inch of space seemed to be used -- without unused space but also without there being vehicles that didn't fit. We were most impressed in seeing how easily an 18-wheeler semi also fit! After all of the vehicles were parked, the ferry left the dock and many passengers left their vehicles to move upstairs for the water views or to grab a snack. Disembarking in Coupeville was equally efficient. Overall, we had a great experience -- smooth sailing, efficient operations -- but also recognize that service disruptions may occur due to adverse weather conditions or emergency repairs. On this particular day, we were fortunate to have saved hundreds of miles and hours of driving, and nice smooth sailing. One small quibble. We found the WSF's website to be confusing for newcomers to ferry operations. .

Not a fan of this one. When your service is so volatile that high winds can cancel most, if not all…read moreof the ferries in a single day, just build a bridge. Also, the guy standing on the curb near the entrance, who informed us of the cancellations, told us that there were no reservations available for any other crossings, even later in the evening. This proved to be completely false, as we booked a reservation five minutes afterward, and by mid afternoon, the winds had subsided enough that we were able to board and cross without any issue. Government incompetence at its finest!

This is the ferry check in station on Whidbey island. It goes across to Port Townsend. Very busy…read moretransfer station. Highly recommend reservation, and if it's standby, keep checking cause someone may cancel theirs. They only allow a certain amount of standby vehicles. You can walk on, bike and even motorcycle on. I even saw a semi coming off of it! We took the 1:15 ferry and wow so busy! About a 30 minute ride and so smooth we took a nap in our car. You are allowed to leave your car and head up to the top deck for a nice view. They also have a galley for snacks too. And restrooms available.

I gotta admit, the Keystone ferry terminal isn't exactly the gem of the WSF system. It appears to…read morehave been built in simpler times, decades ago when things like ticket vending machines and social distancing weren't a thing. As a result, it's not the most efficient place to hang out - especially in times of covid (though the employees have done their best to map out effective social distancing protocols). The best thing about the Keystone terminal is the lovely beach adjacent to it. It's a great place to sit and wait for the ferry, which is often late due to the frequent fog, winds and/or low tides in this area. The ferry is also smaller here, so the wait times for driving aboard are often long - it's best to make a reservation online to cut down on wait times. If you're walking on, allow time to find parking, which is not abundant (especially on sunny, warm weekend days). There are few services here, except for a couple of vending machines, but (praise be!) there's a real restroom just inside the terminal doors.

The Swartz Bay terminal is really well organized and labeled. I have used both the vehicle side and…read morethe walk-in side many many times. For walk-on, the waiting area is very close to the entrance to the terminal and so you can arrive quite late and still make it on to the ferry. There is a free luggage check-in service from Swartz Bay to Tsawassen that I use all the time. Just weigh the bag, attach a heavy tag if necessary and slide it down the baggage slide! I love it as I don't have to carry luggage onto the ferry. Luggage arriving from Vancouver get put on the carousel outside - it can sometimes take awhile to arrive. From the vehicle side, it's very easy to get on with a ferry reservation. If arriving early enough, there is very little lines to get in and service is very fast. There is a small cafe once in the waiting area to use the washroom and grab snacks. The terminal staff are all very nice and informative. Everything is well labeled so visitors won't get lost. It is also pretty clean considering how many people travel through each day. On holidays and weekends, it can be crowded. There are two bus lines that go to downtown which are very slow and get crowded quickly. Sometimes it won't even be able to fit everyone and people have to wait at least an hour for the next one. There are taxis that typically wait outside the terminal, but there are usually very few so be sure to get outside quickly.

Catching the ferry between Vancouver and Victoria was an educational experience!…read more There are different ferries at different ports and some of them go to different islands. Finding the correct one was the challenge! This is the one to get from Victoria to Vancouver. We didn't have a reservation. We missed the 7pm ferry; paid for the 9pm ferry (2 adults and one undersized vehicle less than 20 feet); and waited to board. We locked the car and used the restroom at the restaurant. There was an announcement that told passengers to get their vehicles ready to board. The process was very organized and the staff waved vehicles into the designated lanes and motioned vehicles to get closer to the car ahead of them. On board, we used the restroom, walked past the cafeteria and restaurant, browsed the gift shop where my niece purchased a magnet, and found seats to wait out the hour and a half trip. Overall, it was a pleasant experience! We probably will do this again some day!

I love love taking the ferry! It always feels like I'm going on an adventure. The ferry terminal…read morehere is always a great place to drive into and the people so nice. Easy and simple to do. Just listen to the drive into the correct aisle of cars. They have a system and you just need to pay attention. The ferry itself is clean and warm. I love going outside for the views. On this trip to I did not as the temperature had dropped a bit. So I stayed inside. The cost is not much as I have a small vehicle. Great way to get to Whidbey island. Do it! Go in adventures. SYOY!

First time here, had to navigate this trip solo and it was easy peasy! The signs are clear,…read morepurchasing a ticket is easy, and the space is really clean.

Easy to get to and load our car onto the ferry. Quick ride over to the other side and very smooth.read more

- long wait,stay in right lane -…read more Came here around 9:50 am on a Sunday and stayed in the ferry waiting line at the right lane. Got in the waiting-to-board area around 10:45 am and boarded the 11 am ferry. The decision to skip Langley is right since many shops weren't open at this time and the ferry wait will only get worse when time progresses. It costs $13.30 for our car with two passengers, but I'm not sure if the number of passengers matter here or not for the price. My guess is that they charge per car. The ferry ride from Clinton to Mukilteo only takes about 20 min, and there was a broadcast to make everyone return to their car at 11:14 am. There is a cafeteria on board but it's tiny. They do have warm options like pretzels with cheese dip or clam chowder. The bathrooms on board have like 15 toilets. Pro tip: the ferry on the hour (or 5 min after) fits 144 cars whereas the other one fits 90 cars. It might help with estimating whether you can make a certain ferry or not lol.

This ferry provides the means of getting from the mainland from I-5/Ferndale, traversing across the…read moreLummi Tribal land, to reach Lummi Island. I have used this critical link preC19 in October 2018, June 2019, and during the pandemic October 2020, and hopefully again in June 2021. I have wandered the island, loved the beauty and tranquility, and especially enjoyed visiting Sunset Beach and The Willows Inn. Ferry crew are efficient, professional, and have safety in mind. I have travelled across in sunny/calm, foggy, and stormy conditions. Google and check their site for the current conditions, schedule, and fare information. PreC19 it was cash only, during the pandemic masks required and debit/credit cards allowed.

It's a really quick several minute trip between the mainland (Gooseberry Point in Bellingham) and…read moreLummi Island. The service is pretty frequent: 2~3 times an hour on weekdays and once an hour on the weekend. Here's a link to the official schedule page: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/562/Ferry-Schedule. I think it's very inexpensive. We took our car (a small SUV). It was only $20 round trip ($13 for the vehicle and the driver and $7 for the additional passenger). Here's a link to the official fare page: http://wa-whatcomcounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/12671 Things to know: -There's no public transportation on Lummi Island; you either take your car on the ferry or hitchhike there (which does not seem uncommon there) -It's a very small ferry. Cars will be very close to each other on the ferry; they are so close that you cannot open the door to get out of your car. -You pay for roundtrip when you go to Lummi Island; it's "free" to go back to Gooseberry Point. -You pay on the ferry. They accept credit cards. Other than the (almost) uncomfortably tight situation on the ferry, I'm very happy with this ferry service to Lummi Island. ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! Thank you and happy Yelping!