I really enjoy visiting the San Juan Islands. Our favorite thing to do is to take the ferry and island 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. read more

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Comfortable boats, scenic views, decent facilities-- but always late. If you're on any kind of schedule 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. read more

Washington State Ferries - Ferries Near Me

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This is my first time on this ferry and it was pretty smooth despite slight rain drizzle. The views are beautiful and the ride itself is smooth so don't worry about nausea. For first timers: Reserve online and be prepared to arrive 45 minutes before your scheduled departure. Be prepared to pay additional tickets per person in the car. You'll wait queue, and then drive onto the ferry about 5 minutes before takeoff. There's 3 decks you can go to, the car bay area middle deck, and upper deck. If you get hungry there's a modest cafe with hot foods and some vending machines as well. read more

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So poorly run. Misinformation provided all the time. Runs late almost always. Poor reservation system. They don't fully load the ferries and leave cars behind! read more

Let me tell you, since Covid has happened the ferries have been useless. Don't get me wrong I get it that in 2020 everything changed for all of us. Two years later get the vaccination and it will go a long way. I'm not a medical professional and will not tell you that it will not happen. It's still possible. We live 2,650 from the island. We came here during the pandemic and got a little taste of the ferries not operating correctly. But it wasn't that bad. Fast forward to 2022. We are here for 5 days and have everything planned accordingly. On Monday, July 18th we left our house in Pennsylvania at 4 am on Monday the 18th and arrived at our house on Orcas Island at 6 pm. Literally 17 hours later. This wouldn't be the case if it was 2019 or earlier. They'd have many operators available and running the system. Today we woke up at 430 AM to get ready to be at the ferry line at 615 am, 40 minutes early. Only to find out that the ferry doesn't have a captain. Later we spoke to someone from public counselor of Friday Harbor. She told us the captain and 6 of his members were involved and have Covid. read more

The washington state ferry system is extremely unreliable consistently late and cancel routes due to crew shortages and frequent mechanical problems. read more

You have to know this first and foremost: the ferry waits for no one. Reservation, schmeservation. Show up way early, pay attention, and everything will be alright. To have the best experience, they suggest getting there at least 45-60 minutes before your departure time, and everyone I talk to says to err on the side of the 60. When departing Orcas, you don't face as much traffic as you do when leaving, say, Anacortes, but there are only so many spots on a boat, and if it's full, and you were late, you outta luck. As near as I can tell, once they fill up the line with reservation people, it turns into a first-come, first-served situation. So now that you have the fear of missing your boat in your mind, you're probably prepped for a successful trip. From here, it's actually really nice. Once you pass through the gate and get in whatever line they tell you to, you've got plenty of time to turn off your car, disembark, and hang out. There's a coffee shop, places to grab a quick bite, and even plenty of room to take your pup for a walk while you wait. Keep your ears open for the announcement of the incoming ferry, and get back to your car ASAP when it's announced. The ferries run pretty punctual, and you just need to stay in your lane and go where the nice folks onboard tell you to. Sometimes you're on the main level, sometimes up above, but once you're parked and your car is off, you're free to hit the stairwell and get to the passenger lobby area. Here you'll find your fellow passengers, grab something from a vending machine, put together puzzle, or do whatevs to pass the time. If you're headed back to mainland, the express takes about an hour from Orcas, and the multiple-stop route is more like 1.5hrs. You only pay departing, so the trip back to Anacortes is covered. (Anacortes to Orcas is about $45, by the way). You don't have to drive onboard. If you're headed over to Friday Harbor, for example, you can leave your car parked here in a few spots designated for longer-term, and just walk on. Orcas is a neat place, and this is the first thing you see when you arrive. It's quaint, it's quiet, and it's hospitable. Pretty much summarizes the whole island. read more

I love, love, love the Washington State Ferry system. Just riding from one island to another on the ferry is a vacation in itself. At least that's how you feel. Some of the ferries are small and short of duration. Thus, there's no food service but still great views are yours for just being there. Then, there are the ferries in the San Juans. Some of the ferries even have food service, plenty of window seats with spectacular scenery and even the chance to spot whales and seals thru the glass. Our trip this time was from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. The plan was just to take the loop there and back. We weren't driving on so we didn't have to make reservations. However, parking in the lots is not cheap and they fill up if you're not early enough. There is some RV parking at $24 a day and regular parking for $12. Jeepers that's expensive !! Actually, parking is more than the ride to there and back. We were only able to get off for a quick half hour but that was the plan. Great trip, great ride and many pictures to remember by. Loved it! read more

Delays and cancellations are sure to ruin your trip. The reservation system is a joke! Their IT Department should all be fired. You can buy a car on eBay in less time and clicks than you can book a trip on the ferry! Ferries routinely sit at the terminal for 30-45 minutes ahead of departure time and don't start boarding until 10 minutes prior thus assuring a late departure and arrival. The absolute worst ferry system I've experienced in my travels around the world! I've written them about their reservation system and they write back saying they know and are "working on it!" read more

Smooth ride (I didn't seasick and I usually do on boats)! Lots of beautiful viewpoints. Right on time, and direct/instructive but helpful attendants. Lots of seating and puzzles going on that you can jump into doing! Just beware of the $$$, especially for bringing a car onboard! read more

Washington State Ferries - Close to Orcas! - Ferries Near Me

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2 stars bcs they were too late according to their "ferry" schedule. I ended up eating breakfast when I didn't plan to. I took a small cup of good coffee when I had a good chance to grab the large one. Yes I blame the ferry! Time is money I say and the toll cost $60 big bucks! I'm not rich yet. Hehehe read more

Trip from Friday island to Anacortes was delayed by 1.5 hours. Cannot believe how long the delay is.

Great experience. Restrooms at every terminals, ferries we're older but nice and on off loading was flawless and quick.

First, This vessel was great. It stayed afloat the whole time. My life didn't feel threatened once during the entire trip. Second, if you happen to have a couple extra bucks lying around, why not treat yourself to the one of a kind vending machines?! They have whatever one would want, especially if a little snack attack hits you mid sail. Third, the bathrooms are immaculate.. it feels like you are on the mainland again. None of that topsy turvy stuff you see on the movies occurs when mounted on these porcelain ponies. Fourth, if you have a car, take my word for it. They will have room. This beast fits approximately 130 cars! Talk about a lot of space! Forget about buying an expensive yacht, just come aboard this beaut! Lastly, make sure you make your ferry's on time or you'll be obligated to write an excellent review while you await the next (practically Titanic) to arrive in 4.5 hours. Cheers! read more

Took the ferry to Orcas and it's a gorgeous trip. the ferries are on time and efficient, and you could not ask for a better trip. Staff was helpful and efficient too. read more

They say our tickets expire even thought we made reservations for the ride on the ferry. This place is a joke I would rather swim than ride on this ferry. It is a horrible experience taking our money. They took $85 from us and we have to pay $85 again. This is almost $200. Ridiculous! It feels like a plane ticket. The system should not allow you to book when a ticket expires on the day you reserve. That is absolute nonsense. This company is fraud. read more

Great Ferry System. On time, polite and organized. Word of advise .. if you leave your car - don't set your car alarm alarm, as it will go off. Your license plate, car make, state and model will be announced all over the ferry and everyone will know you are a dumbass. read more

The Washington State Ferry System is FLAWED. Ever since the reservation system was put into place, the unreliability factor has sky rocketed. The vessels break down all the time. This morning's 8 am sailing was cancelled and the boat docked momentarily and returned to Anacortes EMPTY. Appointments and plans on the mainland are at the mercy of WSF and islanders repeatedly suffer due to a total lack of professionalism and adequate business practices. read more

Our ferry ride from Orcas was 80 minutes late. Our 825PM ride went off at 1005PM. No proactive communication. No customer service available for questions anywhere or on phone. Uncaring employees at check in. They want you there an hour early. so we waited in line for two hours and twenty minutes. Not even an apology. And locals say it is always LATE. Lack of professionalism was noted by locals as the reason for the chronic lateness. Why not adjust the schedule to make it more reliable? read more

No complaints about the actual Ferry Boat Ride, but the attendant at the Orcas Island vehicle entry booth needs to find a job he enjoys doing. You're a public servant, so how about taking 15 seconds to explain how the "stand-by" process works, instead of saying the boat is full and pointing to the exit lane? Sure makes the great people of the state of Washington, look bad. read more

This was my once in a life time trip to San Juan Islands and it all went down the drain because the lady at the booth placed me on a wrong lane... leaving with 3 hr gap which I can't afford to lose because I had planned everything. So I had to cancel all my trip and return to Anacortes. Talk about ruined vacation. I get that she's busy and seeing everyone. Maybe it's not solely her fault there should be someone on the lanes making sure of stuff but the guy was just chatting with the booth lady. Now SJI is my worst vacation... read more

Our ferry from San Juan to Annacorte was canceled and we ended up waiting from 5pm to 11pm. The communication from staff was poor and inconsistent. After waited for two hours, at 7pm the staff asked us to come back at 10pm, and we will be the first group being loaded, when we got back they said there are 50 other cars that will be loaded first. I asked why it was different from what they said earlier, but they failed to provide an answer. They said they will make an announcement but didn't. Very disappointed at the disorganized system. Wastes 6-7 hours of our lives. We got the reservation ticket in advance but it didn't do anything. They let other walk in cars get in first. read more

We loved riding the ferries from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands. They are on time for the most part, unless one ferry is down. Then you may face 1 hour or more delays, but that just gives more time to explore! You can walk on for free, even bring your bike for free. It can be expensive to bring your car, especially if you are pulling a trailer. But it is definitely worth the experience of the islands. read more