San Francisco Bay Ferry - Alameda Seaplane

With the opening of the Seaplane Lagoon terminal on July 1st, Alameda now has three San Francisco Bay Ferry terminals along with Main St. and Harbor Bay. The new terminal is located on Ferry Point Road in Alameda Point and has a 400 space parking lot across the street, 24 secure BikeLink lockers and is served by AC Transit line 78.

The Seaplane route is a weekday commute service only and the existing Alameda/Oakland ferry service from the Main St. terminal will prioritize Oakland commute service and will offer midday, late evening and weekend service.

Alameda is the only city in the Bay with three ferry terminals. Transportation to and from the City can't be beat with the scenic rides on these clean, modern and comfortable ferries where getting to and from San Francisco only takes 20 minutes.

I have a few friends that live in Alameda and always hear about them taking the ferry into San Francisco and it is a great way to get into the city!

Definitely a great alternative to driving with less of a hassle and more of a view, I loved experiencing this! I was visiting my friends in Alameda and had to go into San Francisco for a work conference so they accompanied me into San Francisco using this ferry. A popular way for people to commute to and from work, it was so easy to get a ticket and took not long at all to get to the ferry building. This was ideal especially because the hotel I was staying at was a literal 5 minute walk from the ferry building.

The ferry itself was super clean and very easy to get on and off. The views going into San Francisco were also amazing! I recommend taking the ferry if you're traveling to and from Alameda!

The sf ferry is the best way to get into the city. Clean boat with a bathroom. Full bar. Chill. Patrons are respectful. Staff is friendly and helpful. There is no other way to go.

Date: 12/16/2023 Time: 11:30 AM 63° Sunny

The last time I caught the ferry to San Francisco was over 5 years ago from the Main Street Terminal. I always enjoy these rides across the bay.

When BART went on strike during June 2013, I started using the ferry to commute to SF. It was more expensive, but the ride was so much better and worth it. The amenities of a snack bar and restroom facilities you just can't get using BART from the Lake Merritt Station to San Francisco. After a day at work, it was hit the bar for a Kahlua and cream for that evening commute. I have seen other commuters ordering wine, beer and even Chambord in the early evening. What a way to relax from working all day.

The Alameda Seaplane Terminal is situated in a perfect location for commuting to SF or just traveling across the bay to the Ferry Marketplace Building for dining and shopping. There is plenty of parking spaces and boarding the ferry is nearby. The drawback for me is I don't drive and there is no bus stop close to this location, unless one is willing to walk several blocks from the AC#96 stop in Alameda Point. The other option I have is get to this location via Lyft.

The daily service between Alameda Seaplane Lagoon and downtown San Francisco. The passengers would board at Gate F1 at the Downtown S.F. Terminal and arrive at Alameda Seaplane Ferry, and the overall transit time is approximately 20 minutes.

Quality/Quantity - The new ferry terminal is beautiful, but because I was RUNNING from your closed Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry location, I had no time for good pictures.

Atmosphere - Beautiful.
Seemed like there was plenty of parking across the street; 400 spaces, no overnight parking allowed.
Bike racks available, the ferry is bike friendly as well.
AC Transit = 78 line.
Free spirit alley transit on Fridays from 4pm to 10pm, see website for more info.
No public restrooms; both the main ferry and Harbor Bay Ferry have public restrooms.

Service - 5 stars, as I walked to the gate, the team immediately asked if I was from the Harbor Bay Ferry? Did I look that frustrated? Or am I taking the ferry too often now?
My favorite form of travel, especially with the continued discount price. Thank you.
Approximately 20 minutes to get to SF.
Also, since I have lived in Alameda, the ferry service has always been on time.
This ferry, similar to Harbor Bay, operates only Monday to Friday, so if you go on a weekend, you need to take the main ferry.

Price - $4.50 one way with a clipper card, otherwise $5.75.
Still 50% off versus pre-pandemic prices, thank you.

Owner Comment - Thanks for being open... Especially since your Harbor Bay Ferry temporarily closed with very short notice.

New ferry from the island of Alameda.
Adjacent to the USS hornet museum and in the West Point, this ferry gets you to the ferry building in around 15-20 minutes. Pretty fast!

It does its job very well but only during commute hours.
The area has been getting a lift with bike lanes, waiting area, there was even a small food truck for that missed breakfast in the morning commute. Plenty of bike space which is a big win.
Snack bar was closed. Plenty of seating on both stories of the ferry.


There's the 78 bus stop with AC Transit but it's also a line that runs during commute hours; morning and afternoon.

It's fun and recommend it even if you're going for pleasure. Don't forget to snap a few photos of the beautiful bay on a nice clear sunny day.

I recommend the Alameda Seaplane. My wife and I took it on a Friday afternoon, then back that evening. We had to visit the island so I could pick up the bib for a 10 mile road race the next morning. My wife had never been to Alameda, while I have visited maybe a half dozen times over the course of 15 years. I can say, other than early in the morning (5:30am), I would rather not travel by car from San Francisco to Alameda, because it involves the Bay Bridge and then the tunnel. It takes so long it isn't worth it to me, and that is likely why my wife and I don't consider Alameda as a place to visit for leisure.
The Seaplane is great. I have taken the other ferry once, and the seaplane is much faster. I am not sure, however, why it is called a seaplane, since it isn't one. I infer it is an homage to back in the day when Alameda was a military installation, and actual seaplanes would land in the bay.
Regardless, the seaplane would be am enjoyable means of commuting. (I love San Francisco for the means people get to work: cable car, running, bicycle, motorcycling, and ferry, among the others you wouldn't find as commonly in other major metropolises.) We saw many commuters. They seem to get priority on and off with bicycles and scooters -- which is fine. For some folks, this is a regular means of transit. It is enough fun that I suggested to my wife the next time her family visits from the Midwest, we take them. The views are interesting. The ride is easy.
They have a full bar and restrooms. When we were there, in both directions, the vessel was just about empty. Even the one that emptied on the Alameda side, for us to board, had not enough riders to have filled even half the seats.
We also checked about dogs. Next time, we will bring our pup.

Nice ferry with great views. Take the Alameda Seaplane to SF once a while. But it isn't cheap. $4.50 each way. And most annoying, their Wifi never works. So what should be 20min commute to work where I can do emails, ends up being a nice boat ride. For $9 round trip, I expect Wifi