Due to Washington's geography which features large, deep bodies of water with many peninsulas and islands, ferries are a convenient means of connecting communities in the region.
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Thanks to Seattle's location right on the edge of Puget Sound, taking a ferry from the shores of the city to nearby towns can be a unique way to see more of the state. Just across the sound from Seattle are cities on the Kitsap Peninsula, and within the sound are several islands large and small.
The busiest seaway in the world, the English Channel, connects Great Britain and mainland Europe, with ships sailing from the UK ports of Dover, Newhaven, Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth to French ports, such as Calais, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Roscoff, Cherbourg-Octeville, Caen, St Malo and Le Havre.
About 4.6 million people ride the Seattle / Bainbridge Island route each year. The trip from Seattle to Bainbridge Island via ferry boat (locals refer to it merely as “the boat”) is 35 minutes. The two Washington State Ferry boats on this route are over 400 feet long, and can carry up to 200 cars and 2,500 passengers.
Many ferries have food and drinks in a dining area. You can order food throughout the trip and alcohol up to 15 minutes before arrival. You may also get food from the vending machines.
Washington State Ferries operates the largest ferry fleet in the United States. 21 ferries cross Puget Sound and its inland waterways, carrying over 23 million passengers.
Ferry Reservations and CostWhile there is a fee from Seattle to Bainbridge Island for both walk-on passengers and automobiles, the route from Bainbridge Island to Seattle only charges for automobiles (walk-on passengers and bicycle riders are free).
The Seattle to Victoria Clipper ferry ride connects the United States with Vancouver Island. The Victoria Clipper ferry ride to Victoria takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, traveling direct between Pier 69 in downtown Seattle and the Belleville Terminal in downtown Victoria, BC's Inner Harbor.
The Stena Hollandica is regarded as the biggest ferry in the world because of its huge capacity to hold cargo and freight along with its big passenger carrying capacity.
The ferries in our region are free, including the tourist attraction, the Kootenay Lake Ferry, which is the longest free ferry in the world. It's a 35-minute journey covering 8km, and operates year round.
The largest ferry operator in the United States is Washington State Ferries (WSF), which serves the Seattle-Tacoma area, the Olympic Peninsula and islands around Puget Sound.
The biggest ferry on the Channel, the Spirit of Britain is 700 feet long, almost 100 feet wide, and can carry more than 1,000 cars as well as 2,000 passengers.