Old ferry, but very smooth ride. Coming back to the city with the wind blasting you was a great experience. I loved it, and it took us to a very small, but interesting town with hidden giant frogs. Pretty cool. read more

Mukilteo to Whidbey. One large SUV, a wide awake toddler and 3 tired adults the Friday of the Fourth of July weekend. It's just after 10 PM and as luck would have it, we pulled up just as the ferry pulled away. Drat. If it was 3 hours earlier, I would have run to the Ivar's at the ferry entrance and gotten me some clam chowder, but we counted our blessings that there were very few people in line. Apparently had we come earlier, there would've been a much longer wait. The ferry crossing was very quick en route to Whidbey, maybe 20 minutes. Loading and unloading is a very efficient process, though one of the guys got a bit cranky at us for leaving one of our car doors open "too long" - HEY MISTER, YOU TRY TO UNBUCKLE A SCREAMING TWO YEAR OLD FROM AN UNFAMILIAR CAR SEAT WHEN YOU ARE BOTH EXHAUSTED. Not so much coming back the following Tuesday. I got an alert from my airline saying TSA lines at SEA were quite long, so I convinced my fellow travelers to leave much earlier than we planned from Maxwelton. Good thing we did. By the time we arrived at the end of the line for the Mukilteo ferry, our estimated wait time was nearly 2 hours. If there were 120 cars per ferry and each ferry crossing took 1 hr to get back and forth, well - that meant there were hundreds of cars in line in front of us. Le sigh. Fortunately, we are an intrepid group, so we whiled away the time in the car pretty easily. Once we got closer and we saw a gas station, we sent out That British Guy in our gang to go run out and get us some snacks. That's one of those instances were you have an insatiable urge to eat an entire can of Pringles, just because. From the Mulkiteo dock to SEA was roughly another hour drive with a bit of traffic. Can't remember the RT ferry cost, but maybe $30-$40 total for all of us. read more

For $7.50 each on foot, we saw a seal swimming, a bald eagle with its fishy catch being harassed by crows, logs aplenty, gorgeous views, and people being blown onto their butts by the wind. It was cold, wet, and wonderful. The wind across the bow was more than hurricane strength, but you can stand just back from the bow and keep an amazing view. We only rode to Bainbridge and back. We'll try other routes on our next visit. read more

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This really works well. Nice to see a government operation do something so right. The ferry is easy to use, even for a first-timer. It's always on time and the boarding and disembarking of cars is super, super organized. $12 for a car is not a bad price either. Did I mention the killer views? read more

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Boats filled with surly commuters. Like riding the bus...on the water. A little better than the bus because the bodies are are harder to find when you get sick of the babble and toss one overboard. read more

Pretty damn nice views of the lovely city, although I'd think that taking it every day would be a real drag. Some friends and I took the ferry back from Bremerton, where we were staying overnight. Cars cost 15 bucks to ride! AND, the worst part, if we were to return, not only would be be 15 for the car, but 6 bucks per person. That seems really steep, even if it's ten times nicer than that horrid Staten Island Ferry I've had the fortune of never having to rely on. I mean, at least THAT ferry is free! read more

We love the accessibility of having a ferry system amongst the islands in Washington State. They do have their ups and downs though...plan for possible schedules issues and cancellations which is unfortunate. If they do run on schedule, it's a pretty good deal. It's expensive to run the ships so we don't think their prices are too bad. I've seen lots of reviews regarding the WSF and schedules and articles about their employees being burned out. I know a person who was an engineer and they required him to sign on to a union and then the WSF split from that union for their more junior employees and so he didn't get offered a job because he was with the union. It was written up in the local papers. Some of their employees are union and some are not and some of them are not paid very well and if you are on call they make you drive all over Washington state with very little notice and then you work a long 12 hour shift so some of them have been up and driving/working for 14+ hours. If you want to be frustrated, it's most likely not the employees but the WSF administration. It would be nice to they could work this out and figure out a solution to be more on schedule and treat their employees well. Also, just fyi that ferries break down, just like airplanes and require maintenance that can involve 4 people picking up a 400 pound motor so that's not easy to do. Washington state doesn't have the funds to have spare ferries sitting around or to buy the latest and greatest. If you want better ferries lobby harder for more budget to go towards transportation and more focus on the ferries. All in all, I really like our ferry system and would like to see it upgraded to better meet everyone's needs. read more

The amount of unannounced cancellations and stranding people is unacceptable. Pay your staff, provide the service, stop making ferries Washington's last priority. On my second $250+ uber right now because of another unannounced Friday night cancellation. Incredibly easy to fix just no one cares about anything these days but corporate greed. No one gives a f, staff just laughs, typical public American transportation stb as usual. read more

So you're a tourist and want to get out onto the water to get a beautiful view of downtown Seattle? For just $6.90 you can take the ferry to and from Bainbridge Island, get a gorgeous view of the sites, and don't have to put up with any annoying commentary. For similar views, an Argosy cruise will cost you $17.25. Be sure to stop at Pike Place Market beforehand to grab some snacks for the ferry. The ferries are huge, so even if you get seasick on smaller boats you'll probably be fine. Whether you want fresh air or prefer a climate controlled environment, you'll be happy as there's plenty of seating both inside and outside. read more

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Free wifi Snacks Cheap transportation (6-7 bucks a person) Very clean Incredibly timely Friendly staff This is awesome for locals, for visitors it would be awesome if they had some designated booth or something that would keep you from hopping on the wrong ferry in your car for an hour in the wrong direction your first night in town.....not that that's happened to anyone I know.... :( read more

Washington State Ferries - Seattle Fairy view in the evening - Ferries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I poured the very first beer served on the WA Stare Ferryboat Walla Walla in 1973 and it was my fingerprint on the BAFT license that allowed me to do so! read more

You sure cannot get a ferry ride at this condition. Even better about the Washington State Ferry is some units allow cars to be onboard. There are WIFI and snacks for your enjoyment. I took the ferry to Bainbridge island. The ferry is so fast you do not have to worry if you are in a rush. Even better if you by public transport it's really efficient. As a native Seattlelite you can take this ferry in all coastal areas in the entire state of Washington. My favorite one is the Wenatchee. It's humongous and bigger than what I see in the Bay Area. These boats are real modern as the years progress. It's well maintained and a huge hit. These boats even have elevators. There are many different seats from hard to soft. You can even sit in your own car if you want. I specifically like how I get a view of my hometown. Native or not this is not to miss read more

The poor kid at the computer in the cafe! It must have been his first day. Plus the computer must go by boat to the WiFi connection and each card transaction was, let's just say, far from instantaneous. Everyone! Pay cash in the cafe and we will all get out of here quicker. The weather was 80 degrees with a soft wind from the south. Never have I had a more pleasant crossing. We walked in and heard that the wait for cars was two hours. Weekends are busy to Bainbridge. read more

Took the ferry for the first time to Bainbridge Island, and was pleasantly surprised! The view was gorgeous, and you get to see a panorama of the entire city while embarking. On the way back, we encountered the sun setting, which added a really pretty pink/purple glow around Mt. Ranier. Boarding process was smooth Ferry was clean Lots of room to sit with tables in the booths $8.25 for a roundtrip ticket, you scan your ticket on the way there before boarding. They serve Ivar's clam chowder, chili and other soups on the ferry as well as a wide selection of beers and other snacks. read more

Excited to be just off the dock and be able to make the 5:15 boat. No such luck. Stuck behind a Southworth truck and trailer that was NOT pulled forward. Trapped and unable to get into Vashon line. Watched 15 cars for Southworth loaded that showed up after me. They don't even pretend that it is a first come first serve system. Horrible summer to be in a ferry dependent community. No one even bothered to try to get me on. I was 5 cars off the dock. What wretched service. read more

The 12:50 ferry out of Seattle to Bremerton is ALWAYS bone-chillingly cold. Why?! It's bad enough that one has to get on this sailing anyway, why is the temperature kept so frigid? read more

We took the ferry to Bainbridge Island for the morning. A ferry is a ferry and it was a chilly day up on top. Still, it was a great view of the city and a reasonable price for a round trip. read more

Crystal F's Top Five Ferry Tips: 5. Tips for walking on in Seattle: 1: If you have a credit card and don't want to wait in line at the ticket counter, you can use one of the self serve kiosks to buy your ticket. 2: When running your card through the turnstile card reader, keep in mind the barcode faces away from you. It won't work any other way. 3: Rolling luggage and strollers can't pass through the turnstiles. There are gates that can accommodate them both on the extreme left and right of the loading area. In their infinite wisdom, WSF decided to post only one tiny sign stating this fact. 4. Alternatively, if you drive your car onto the ferry, please disarm your alarm BEFORE you head upstairs. The vibration of the vessel sets off car alarms. Not only do car alarms annoy people who are snoozing in their cars (the sound reverberates throughout the car deck), it disrupts my nap on the passenger deck when they have to make an announcement asking you to return to your car to turn the alarm off. You don't want to do the walk of shame to turn off your alarm, believe me. Hint: your car isn't going anywhere, unless it's like a hovercraft or something. 3. There are plenty of guidebooks to Seattle that recommend taking a ferry for a cheap scenic cruise of Puget Sound. It is indeed very scenic, but don't take the 4:40, 5:30 or 6:30 pm sailings from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, unless you want a scenic view of thousands of grumpy commuters. Hot Tip: Take the ferry to Bremerton. Not only is it twice as long for the same price (more for your money!), but you won't get in my way or sit in my seat. 2. If you ignore my advice at #3, decide to take a peak commute ferry, and sit down only to find someone giving you looks that could kill, that means you sat in someone's seat. Ferry commuters are infamously possessive of their seats - many commuters have been sitting in the same seat day after day for decades. Not much advice on how to deal with it, only that I told you so. In a similar vein, people start lining up to get off the boat halfway through the trip so that they can catch their bus on the other side. It's fun to yell "I'm king of the world!" while standing at the bow, but I recommend doing it during the first 20 minutes or so. Having to fight through a crowd of commuters so that you can head back down to your car is not fun at all. 1. And finally, please do not leave your luggage, backpack, drug paraphernalia, or suspicious-looking package unattended. Again, the unnecessary announcement asking you to return to it wakes me up from my nap. Worse, if you accidentally leave it on the ferry, the resultant freakout from the WSP/Homeland Security/Coast Guard will cause backups that will stretch into the next century. Thanks and enjoy your trip read more

Whether a tourist, a host(ess), or a resident, the Washington State Ferries are one of metro Seattle's superlative experiences. It is a great way to take in Seattle and its environs in a macro sort of way. In any season, and when there is no precipitation so you can also walk around the open decks, it is a feast for the senses and I recommend it highly. read more

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Did you know you can take your dog on the bus and then the ferry? Yes you can. In the life of a dog, that's like a trip to Italy. It was an exciting day for the little pooper. Brutto got lots of attention, although he was somewhat upstaged by an Irish Terrier with a more raucous personality. Show off. read more

We took the ferry ride to Bainbridge, which was the highlight of our recent Seattle trip...well Bainbridge was, not the ferry ride, but still... I would definitely recommend any tourists to take a day trip to this magical, quaint island in order to get away from all the typical hotspots like the Gum Wall, Pike Place, first Starbucks, etc... Bainbridge was a far departure from the city-life you get from Seattle, but located only a 25 minute ride away. The port was very convenient and located next to the Seattle Great Wheel. Ferries run about every 45 minutes, and the last ferry is at about 11pm. It was very clean, organized, and the Puget Sound is so calm, that even people prone to motion-sickness will feel at ease, which was a nice surprise for me, since the ferries that take us OC residents to Catalina always make me super queasy! :\ read more

I DON'T CARE THAT THEY COST TOO MUCH! I DON'T CARE THAT OCCASIONALLY PEOPLE FALL OFF AND THEY'RE NEVER FOUND! I DON"T CARE IF A NARCOTICS DOG SMELLS MY TRUNK TO GET ON ONE... I LOVE TAKING THE FERRY! I've lived here my whole life and I love the ferry system! There is no better way to get a days escape from the city and to get checked back in to small town America or the forest! When I see a ferry, I see escape. I like that. ... for a large part, because I'm often on the run from the authorities... read more

Seattle to Bainbridge Island We took the WA State Ferry to get to Olympic Ntl. Park from Seattle and it saved us quite a bit of time. For $14, this covers two passengers and a vehicle. The ride is fairly short (20 minutes). There is indoor and outdoor seating. The seats indoors all have a table. We caught the 6:10 AM ferry and it was awesome! No traffic, no wait. It was almost empty. On the way home, we caught the 8:10 PM ferry. The return ferry was a bit of a wait, but it went by smoothly. We never had any issues, except with the Seattle's Best vending machine upstairs. It was out of coffee and wouldn't let us cancel our order, so I ended up getting a hot chocolate. The machine was pretty cool, but it didn't give me exactly what I wanted. There is a cafe though, if you want other things like snacks and drinks. I was never informed our tickets were for RT travel, so I ended up paying $14 each way. Still, I think this is a fairly good deal, considering the driving distance it saves you! read more

I've taken the ferries many times in the 11 years I've lived here but it wasn't until I took my parents on them the other weekend that I realized how great they really are. First off seniors and disabled get discounts. Second if you tell them you would like to be parked near the elevator they know when to let you on the ferry so that your car is parked right next to the elevator. Third it's much easier than driving around through Gig Harbor to get west. Four the views are amazing. The employees were awesome and knew exactly when to let us on so that we were parked right next to the elevator and all my mother had to do was open the door, and wait for the next elevator to come. Once we were up top there were plenty of tables near the elevator that we could all sit and enjoy the ride. For public transportation you can't beat it and its fun to drive your car on to. read more

While the big ferryboats are nice and the scenic views to be seen are beautiful while traveling on the WSF service, boy do SO MANY of the employees suck. My girlfriend and I experienced some of the most rude and unprofessional treatment we've ever experienced in our LIVES by WSF staff. To shorten a much longer story into a few concise paragraphs as best I can, basically my girlfriend and I had a few major ordeals concerning their monthly (30-use) passes where basically half the ticket booth workers understood that they worked one way, and the other half had different information. On top of this, their own website backed up what we and half of the employees understood was the case (wouldn't that make us right? Turns out, in short, no). Well, every time we would encounter an employee who disagreed (which, you guessed it, would be about half the frickin' time), they would treat us like we were criminals who were trying to swindle WSF with some sort of scam. They seriously talked down to us every time in a disgusted, annoyed, completely assholey way each time (maybe because we're bicyclists?? I have no idea why). MAXIMUM unprofessional. Both one male employee and one female one even started basically trash-talking with me back and forth on two separate occasions. We even took it to the management there and Debbie (I believe her name was, Asian-American lady in her 50's), was standoffish, rude, seemed nervous like she hates dealing with people, and did the bare minimum the first time we talked to her. The second time she pretended to not know what we were talking about even though it had only been a couple weeks ago and double-backed on everything she said the first time. She most definitely should not be in charge of Anything or allowed to deal with commuters. But seriously, as you browse Yelp you'll see other people complaining of how unprofessional and rude the ferry employees can be both on this Yelp page and other ferry pages on this website, and it's seriously true! 50% of these workers need to either be fired or completely re-trained, and their behavior needs to be monitored closely and serious disciplinary action taken on bad employee behavior. That being said, at least there were some great staff members that we had the pleasure of dealing with many times through our many months of riding the ferries. I'd like to call them out by name (thanks guys for making the commuting barely tolerable): Rex, Fred, Debra (blond lady in her 50's, worked at the Bremerton ferry terminal), and Helen please keep up the good work and continue to be the awesome, nice people that you naturally are! read more

Got stress? For example: Have no job? Family driving you crazy? Losing your Wii game too much? Ran out of something you need for your daily existence? Here is a way to throw all your troubles away.... get on a ferry. Go to the upper deck (if it's not pouring down rain) feel the wind on you, check out the beauty that is the Puget Sound. For at least 30 minutes, your troubles will melt away. read more

Oh My GoD! How did I live without a Ferry System my whole life?!?! I love the ferry, Hell I love riding the ferry on days that I am really not going anywhere, but what a better way to spend $5 then on a Sunny Seattle Day (hey, they are rare so take advantage!) with a clear view of Mount Rainier, the Cascades, and other various mountainy...systems. My favorite boats are the ones going to Bremerton, just because they are bigger and the top deck is awesome on beatiful days. I am saddened at the fact that I am stuck on a boat with hundreds of SCREAMING children at times...but it's okay. I can accidently trip them or just not move with they come charging at me. *insert Evil Grin* It's help my business SOO much, opening up opportunities to brides who normally only have weird old guy photographers (who shot their mom's and grandmother's weddings) to choose from. Sweet. And hey, after a ferry ride to Good Ol' PO (Port Orchard to most - the Fauntleroy to Southworth ferry) I love to head to El Sombero downtown...additional Sweet. Yay Ferries!! (ps. Hawaii is finally, possibly, getting a ferry system...yay) read more

I took a ferry across to bainbridge with some visiting friends last week. They felt guilty for dragging me around but their guilt faded away when they saw how I behave on the ferry. It's like I'm still 5 years old! I can't decide if I want to be on the highest deck, or the deck where you can see the cars load. I can't decide if I want to stand at the back to watch them pull away from the dock or the front to face the destination. The answer to these dilemmas? Run back and forth and up and down and don't stop moving until you get to the other side! (This particular ferry ride was made even more insane by me texting everyone I've ever met to tell them that I was on a boat, I was looking for a mermaid, I'd forgotten my afghan, etc...) $6.70 to walk-on, which covers both trips. If you have an ORCA card, you can use it at the ticket machine so you don't even have to bother with the ticket window. Our timing was good, so we didn't have to wait around on either side, but the ferries to bainbridge run pretty frequently. It doesn't get better than WSF! read more

Took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. The fare was $6.70. Great buy for a cruise on the Bay. Being a tourist, I was fascinated on the inner operations of the ferry. Watching them load all the cars was neat. Inside the ferry there were tons of seats and tables. I watched the locals read their newspapers or play games on the tables. Full snack bar and deli were available. The top deck was open with plenty of seats also. It being a nice day, we stayed on the top deck going over. Nice slow cruise speed, and the view of the Seattle skyline in pretty spectacular. Ferries go all over the place and definitely worth the time. read more

It has been brought to my attention that my most recent reviews have been a little angst ridden. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I rely on the honesty, care, concern and nosiness of my buttinsky friends to keep me on the straight and narrow. I am sorry if this has upset anyone, rattled your holiday cheer, scared your children or caused any angels to cry. Perhaps now would be good time to review something that makes me happy, something that quiets the constant chatter in my head, something that sets me to calm. (Oh, shut the fuck up. It can happen.) The Ferry. When I was a kid we had friends on Lopez Island that we visited at least a couple of times a month if not every weekend. More often than not it would be just the dog, my pops and I. I would be on the look out for cops while we drove to the Anacortes landing at 80 mph to catch the last boat on Friday night. Once in line, we would get out and run the dog on the beach, the pops would inhale something that Bill Clinton swears he did not and I would find a feather. A FEATHER!!! EXCITING!!!! Imagine! On a beach filled with sea gulls!!!! Ahhhh...7 year old Dlight thought it was magic. Once we got on the car on the boat we would go up to the galley. Beer for pops, hot chocolate for me and a game of poker for stir sticks. Maybe a game or two of Asteroids and for sure a walk around the deck. Pops: "Look D - did you see that dolphin?" Me: "What?! Where? Whoa. Cool." Then we would stand at the front of the boat and let our faces be blasted with the insanely fresh air and watch as the sea gulls dive bombed their prey in the water below. Ok, I'm feeling better already. Maybe I will just blow out of work right now and go jump on the Bainbridge boat, or the Vashon, or the Kingston...wait - which ones were just taken out of service for being full of rusty holes? Whoops! Was that all negative and nasty? Bite me. Instead of the nice boat ride I have to go home, wrap presents, clean the house, do laundry, pack, chair an AA meeting and then get up tomorrow morning in Seattle, but finish my day in San Diego. With a two-year old. So, again, sorry if I'm a little Christmas pissy. MERRY MERRY! read more

Yes. The ferry is not cheap. Truth. They can also not run on time. If you're one of those people with a super tight schedule, you might want to start swimming or get one of those James Bond submarine cars to keep your appointments. The ferry is sort of a kinder gentler version of the subway in a lot of places. If you want to see a bunch of random people, have some bad food or drink from the cafeteria (don't buy anything from the machines if the cafeteria is open), get liquored up just in time to run amok all over the small town at the ferry landing, or go outside and get some fresh air and look at the landscapes. Depending on how far you're going, you won't have too much time to do everything, so make your moments count. Also, I hear there's a special pervclub membership available for "activities" in the ferry elevators. It's a sister club to the mile high one. Just ask if they have a special for going "down a fathom" and see what they say. Also try the secret handshake. You know what I mean. Have fun! You only live once (unless you're a buddhist or a hindu), so make it count! read more

This is definitely one of the best ways to try to capture your picture perfect skyline of Seattle. Ticket fares were approximately $8 round trip. They depart every hour I believe or it seemed. This ferry could hold up not just passengers but cars too! By far the biggest ferry I've ever been on. The inside cabin is very roomy with spacious seating! There's a concession where you can buy hot dogs and popcorn. The view is magnificent all around. But to truly experience the ride is step out onto the deck and do your version of "Titanic." From here you can capture stunning pictures with the waters, trees and skyline. Most passengers were polite and courteous and waited for their turn to snap a pic. The final destination of this ride is Bainbridge Island. I would not hesitate to do this again. read more

Love taking ferries whenever visiting a new city. We took the ferry to Bainbridge island on a Saturday. Great timing as it was a clear day and the farmers market was open. Bought the tickets very easily at the terminal, ferries run frequently so not much of a wait. The terminal had clean bathrooms, large waiting area was clean. Even a couple places for gum or candy or a quick snack. We walked there so I don't know how parking was but these ferries take cars and it looked like they boarded and deboarded pretty easily. Ferry itself was clean with lots of seats inside in case of rain. But when you get a clear day you gotta enjoy the ride outside. One thing I wish I had was a hat - it was very windy! Then again it might have blown off! Glad I had a light jacket. Oh its about 20 minutes each way. read more

Washington State Ferries - View of Seattle from the ferry. - Ferries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My family and I LOVE the Seattle ferry system! Personally, I think our ferries are one of our most prized and distinguishing regional assets, mmaking Seattle and living on Puget Sound so unique and enviable. It almost makes the grey skies and rains bearable....! We used to drive onboard to Bainbridge, but the last 5+ years, we've opted to walk on, as it's a lot less expensive, and most of the sites and shops and restaurants that we love on Bainbridge are within walking distance of the dock. We always bring out-of-towners to the waterfront to watch the ferries come and go, and whenever possible, we take them on a ferry ride (usually to Bainbridge). Without exception, they've all been totally enamored with our ferries! The reasons are many: they've always been on time (barring stormy weather); they're reasonably priced (especially when you consider that they're more than mere public transportation. To us, the ferry rides are like an attraction in and of themselves!); they're always clean; and, the staff has always been friendly to us. Standing on the deck and being blown about by the Sound winds, watching the seagulls fly above, watching the waters below and the city get smaller as you glide away is truly a special experience. (Tip to the wise: bring a hairbrush! LOL! I'm not kidding. Oh, and if you're a female, please, I beg of you, be aware of your attire and your under-clothes. My family and I - and the rest of the ferry passengers and staff, had a shockingly unpleasant surprise last July when a lady wore a semi-transparant white short dress with NO UNDERWEAR and stood on the deck taking photos the whole way to Bainbridge. She was oblivious as her dress blew up to her waist as she kept shooting photos, in the gusty winds. Seemed a thousand preteen boys and their dads were giggling and pointing, and all us women aboard were aghast. o.m.g!). And, upon returning to Seattle, if you opt to take a sunset or night-time ride back, the view of the city skyline, lit up like a jewel at night, looming and getting larger as you approach, is truly breath-taking. I never ever tire of it. read more

Almost always on time, almost always afloat, almost always get me there. And best of all, heading Eastbound costs me nothing. How could I not love the WSF system? I have been riding the ferries since I was a lil'un. They've always been a blast. From feeding french fries to the seagulls (and having them swoop down and grab them from my hand) to riding the ferry into town on a clear, warm summer night and taking in the majestic views of the city, it's almost always a pleasure. That's for walk-ons, of course. Driving can be another story altogether, but that's no fault of the WSF system. That's just the thousands of other people going the same direction as I am. I'll stick with the walk-on action as much as I can, thanks. Plus, who doesn't love canned safety announcements by Steve Raible? read more

Where do you want to be/have to be in life? Several years ago, my wife and I (and two sons) considered Bainbridge Island, WA state, for residency. We thought: great schools, community, proximity to culture (SEA) and a water-front lifestyle. Unfortunately, while we made offers on several homes we did not get our chosen space in WA. Nonetheless, the trek from SEA to Bainbridge in order to preview homes, understand the Island lifestyle, did not pan out. HOWEVER, the ferry service from DT SEA to Bainbridge was a pleasure. I, my wife, sons, would go back and forth several times a week to look at property offerings or spend a long weekend on the Island. I give 5+ to WA State Ferries for: consistency, courtesy, fees, on-time schedules, service on board. Hope you enjoy the rides, too! read more

After getting a bad case of motion sickness on the Amtrak to Seattle, I was a little apprehensive about getting on a boat, but it was such a beautiful day, we just had to do some sight-seeing. We took the ferry to Bainbridge Island and back. The ride on that huge ferry was rock solid and my stomach was fine. We had a nice stroll through the little downtown on Bainbridge. The view of the Seattle skyline on the return trip was absolutely worth the $6.90 cost of admission. I couldn't imagine commuting from the island into the city everyday, but the ferry system looks like quite an efficient operation. read more

Taking the ferry is always fun on a beautiful day but even on a not so gorgeous day it is something fun to do. I like the Bainbridge Ferry because it is so big and lots of fun places for the kids to explore. The Sun Deck is always a hit. Raining? No big deal on this ferry because you really don't have to go out in the weather...simply stay inside the ferry and watch the views. It doesn't have to be gorgeous to see beautiful Seattle views from this ferry! Giving this a 4 out of 5 because the price is expensive to bring a car on. read more

Humankind has always come up with inventive ways to travel. We've built roads that stretched across the land to the shoreline. When we came to the water we built bridges across, like with the Tacoma Narrows. Actually, we even built that one twice. When we came to stretches of water that were too long to build a bridge across, we traveled across in boats. Thus with the Washington coastline, a ferry system was needed. There are now ferries that run at regular intervals from Seattle to the peninsula, across to the islands and even to Canada. You can walk or drive onto the ferry, there's room for all. Fares aren't too bad although they vary widely; a senior walking on one ferry may pay a little over a $1 or a truck going to Canada could be over $400. I've personally only done the Bainbridge and Kingston ferries, although the experience is fairly similar. To give you an idea of the experience, let me recount my last Kingston trip. Trying to catch the 7:15 ferry back from the peninsula, I was racing along the curving stretch of Highway 104 outside Kingston. As it had passed 7 pm, I tuned into the AM message system that the ferries broadcast. It will normally broadcast weather updates, delays and volumes (i.e. don't bother hurrying, we're all full). Tonight it faded in and out, like the last playing recording in a post-apocalyptic world: ".....SCRATCH.....State Highway Patrol.....BUZZZZZZZ........Kingston Ferry.....BUZZZZZ......transporting gasoline........BUZZZZZ........State Highway Patrol.........BUZZZZ......Kingston Ferry.......transporting gasoline.........BUZZZZ......Kingston........BUZZZZ.......Obi-Won.......BUZZZZZ.......gasoline.....BUZZZZZ.....you're our only hope....BUZZZZZ....." The center lane in downtown Kingston turns into a ferry only lane and I made it to the counter by 7:11. The attendant was friendly and said she'd get me on the 7:15. After forking over $14.85 (they take Visa), I was wheeling my car around in line. They have several different rows of cars that wait for the ferry and I made it into row 9. The ferry was already in port and cars were streaming off the ferry. It almost seems like an impossible amount; I grant you that the ferry is a large ship, but you wouldn't think that it could hold that many cars. When you look at rows of cars ten deep, motorcycles and trucks waiting in line, it almost seems like a physical impossibility that they would all fit. It's as if they store a few cars in a hidden extra dimension. The ferry loads quickly, it only takes a few minutes to load twelve rows of cars and trucks. There's the lower decks for the cars and a passenger deck up above if you're walking or want to stretch your legs. Since it's a cool night, I decide to stay with the car and sit on the hood. The heat from the hood is a nice comfort with the cool sea breeze. The ferry starts quickly and it's a subtle thing. It's almost imperceptible at first, but the shore is receding quicker than a hairline and I decide that we must have started moving. The view from the deck is amazing; you have the hills along the shoreline and the skyscrapers of Seattle in the distance. All dwarfed by the mammoth presence of Mt. Rainier in the background. As I sit and admire the view, a twenty-something year old girl stops along the railing next to me. I decide to make small talk: "Hey baby, nice rack." She glares and moves away along the railing. I snort. Another fine example of the Seattle Freeze. I return to contemplating nature of a different sort. An announcement comes overhead that gives the location of the lifevests in case of emergency (the passenger deck and stairwells). I idly note that we've passed the halfway point so that I know which shoreline to swim to if we sink. The shoreline at Edmonds quickly approaches and the ferry cuts power several hundred yards from the shore. It's always impressive how quickly the ferry glides into the dock and effortlessly comes to a stop. Unloading the ferry is efficient; a boatload of cars is quickly vomited forth onto the streets of Edmonds. A glance at my watch and the whole process took 34 minutes from the time I arrived at the booth in Kingston to driving away in Edmonds. read more

This was my fist time on a ferry and I definitely enjoyed the experience. To some, the ferry is purely a means of transformation but for guests, it's an experience. We decided to take the ferry to Bainbridge island. We were able to take our car and our dog along with us. How sweet is that? I love how dog friendly Seattle is! This was a spur of the moment thing, we were driving by on our way to another destination and decided to stop and take a ride to whatever destination was next. Bainbridge island it is- we said, and we were in for a treat! The island itself was gorgeous but I'll save the details for the Bainbridge island review. As far as the Washington State Ferries go, we had an exceptional experience. We were not shy about the fact that we were riding the ferry for the first time, or by the fact that it was our first trip to Seattle. The employees here sent us off informed and they were so patient and polite. I think that anyone visiting Seattle should take a ride on the ferries. I mean, it's pretty good to be able to transport your family and car to an island to spend the day. read more