Washington State Ferries
add photosWSF is the largest ferry system in the United States, serving eight counties within Washington and the Province of British Columbia in Canada. Counties served include Pierce, King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Jefferson Counties. WSF’s existing system has 10 routes and 20 terminals that are served by 28 vessels.
14 Reviews for Washington State Ferries
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'11, '12
1 family found this helpful
"Ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island"
We rode the ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island (and then back again). We left Anacortes on a Sunday in July. We arrived around 11:30 and had to wait until the 4:00 ferry. Luckily, we had packed some snacks. There is a small snack shack and a little cafe for buying food during the wait. There is also a cute little beach to play on. Unfortunately, there is very little shade...so be prepared to be warm during your wait!
The ferry ride is about an hour long and is gorgeous. Our three year old daughter loved being inside and outside, watching the water and other boats. It was quite fun.
Coming back, we left Orcas Island on a Thursday. We had a couple hour wait before the ferry left, but luckily there are several little shops and restaurants to keep you occupied, and there is a lot of shade to keep you cool. We really enjoyed our time at the ferry landing. And on the ferry ride back to Anacortes we saw a whale! Very exciting!
The ferry ride was a highlight of our trip to Orcas Island.
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0 families found this helpful
"Definitely more fun than the long way around"
If you have never driven a car onto a ferry, I would say the experience is worth it. The views are nice form the viewing decks up top are tough to beat. My little ones were much more happy to take a quick glance outside and then go back to playing with their toys indoors where it was warmer but as someone who gets seasick easily, I am much more comfortable taking in the views of the ports and surrounding islands. Ferry wait times vary on season and time of day so be sure to inquire about suggested arrival times and whether or not reservations are necessary. FYI- the ferry between Port Townsend and Whidbey takes about a half hour and the ferry between Whidbey and the Seattle area is about 15 minutes.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun and Educational"
What an adventure that is unique (mostly) to our area. We really enjoy taking ferry rides. It's a great little getaway that isn't going to break the bank. If you need a little "vacation" but can't get away for long, think about a ferry ride. The kids will enjoy the open air, the BREEZES (heavy winds, really) and the fact that they are on a boat (and still in a car). What a special treat. Mine were pretty young when we first went on a ride and they weren't at all bored. If you are concerned with your little ones being bored, be sure to bring some entertainment, prepare to make it an educational experience, bring snacks and try to plan for a short trip initially. Having a fun destination is always a good way to spruce up the trip too. Take the time to explain the different parts of the boat, show the kids a map and have fun watching the other boats. Great fun! Be sure to keep a close eye and hand on the little ones for safety reasons.
1 family found this helpful
"Tour the Town"
Unless you need to take a ferry to get from one island to another normally taking a ferry is not exactly my idea of a good time. That being said one time we took a ferry tour of around the sound. It was a great adventure for the entire family. We took at seat high atop the deck and got a first hand view of the other side of the sound. It is interesting to see all the building and shops in a away you wouldn't normally see them. If you have busy children, this is not the trip for you. It is a bit long so little ones will need some entertainment. My 5 year old fell asleep about half way through. Although the entire family will love it, you might want to wait and take this trip when the kids are between 9-15 years old.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for adults, somewhat boring for the little ones."
I was really excited to take my little army on a day of ferry rides around the sound but ended up being not super impressed with the atmosphere on the ferries. They don't have any activities for kids or even a very good cafe setup. It's a fun adventure for older kids or adults but make sure to bring along games and snacks for the little ones to keep them busy!
0 families found this helpful
"Freedom"
I love that you can sit in your car or enjoy the views from inside our outside the ferry. They have food, great seating, and friendly staff memebers. Bring your camera! Once we started at Seattle with our soccer team and started feed the birds wheat thins. The birds litterally followed us all the way to Bremerton with us feeding them all the way there. What a great experience and memory for the kids!
0 families found this helpful
"we love ferry rides"
my kids love taking the ferries on the water. Sometimes there are sea life that they can see from the car deck such as jellyfish. They get so excited I think that its a great thing to do with kids. My kids also loved feeling the wind when they went outside on the deck to look outside. I think that if you are visiting Washington that you should do this its one those experiences that everyone should try at least once.
0 families found this helpful
"Great day trip"
There isn't much to actually do on the ferry, but it's interesting for kids to see you drive on and then get out and go up to the deck and look at the sound. This is a really go way to go visit one of the towns on the Peninsula. I use to go with my grandmother when I was a child and look forward to experiencing this with my children.
0 families found this helpful
"Skip it"
I wouldnt do this just for the ride. It is prety and all but you can see the same view from Alki. If you have somewhere to go on bainbridge island, do it! but otherwise it is like sightseeing on a bus and maybe not worth it. There is a deck and a little cafe to get snacks, a few video games and out door areas.
0 families found this helpful
"Our Ferry's Rock"
We ride a lot! We go to the Peninsula (Kingston), Bremerton and Whidbey Island (Clinton) mostly but I think I have been on all of the runs. Do check the website for wait times, you might choose another run to get to your destination. Like another viewer said, it takes time to get up from the car deck, check things out, get back to your car and belt the kids in. This is why I like the long Bremerton run, it is an hour and you get to see a lot of nice waterfront homes on this run. They do indeed have a decent selection of food, I really like the breakfast burritos. The ferry even runs to Victoria (which looks like a lovely place to visit!)
1 family found this helpful
"A fun adventure"
Ferries are a great experience for kids and Washington has the best system around. You can take an easy day trip across the Sound and half the adventure is the boat ride. Most of the boats are large enough that it will take a good half an hour or more just to walk through the whole thing. If it's not too cold you can go outside on the front or back and watch the waves/birds, etc. The railings are all quite high with mesh below so small children are pretty safe.
Watch out for the most popular routes, especially at rush hour times because you can end up sitting in your car for a long time just waiting to get on or even having to wait for the next ferry.
4 families found this helpful
"We love to ride the ferry!"
My family loves to ride the ferries! We've done it both as drive-on passengers and as walk-on passengers. If you drive on, you need to be sure to be there a little earlier- most of the time there's plenty of space on the boats, but if you're traveling at rush hour or on a holiday weekend, you could potentially have a long wait. Walking on the ferry gives you more flexibility in terms of time, but of course you end up having to walk or take public transportation on the other end.
We love to take the ferry - our toddler son thinks it's great fun to look out the window at the water and the other boats. We love to look at the Seattle skyline and at the mountains and islands.
It's a fun way to travel- you get great scenery and you're not stuck in a seat if you don't want to be - the ferries are huge, so there's plenty of space for a toddler (or older kid) to wander around. And most ferry trips are an hour or less, so kids don't get bored. There are plenty of places to sit- both large booths with and without tables and individual chairs.
Most of the ferries have snack bars with a pretty large selection of food. Some also offer wifi. So you can snack, walk, surf the web or just sit and gaze at the view. A fun time for everyone in the family. This is another must-do experience for any visitor of Seattle- I suggest taking the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island- you don't need to take your car (downtown Winslow, Bainbridge Island, is right near the ferry terminal) and Bainbridge Island is full of great shops and restaurants, and is a good place to just walk and enjoy the atmosphere of the island.
1 family found this helpful
"Ferry Fun!"
Just riding the ferries were fun for us all! First of all, getting to drive your car onto a boat was so cool to the kids. I even have to admit, I thought it was pretty cool too! :) Then watching the scenery, the ocean, different city scapes, were breathtaking. The ferry itself had a friendly crew and even had a snack bar where you could purchase food/drinks. It's an inexpensive way to take the whole family on a boat ride too! :)
2 families found this helpful
"Kids (and Adults) love the Ferries"
I would add this to the top of the list when visiting Washington State (or residents)! The kids love to experience something new and different especially when it involves transportation. Take a day trip on one of the many ferry routes on the beautiful Puget Sound. My favorite trip is going to Orcas Island....very peaceful and beautiful!
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