San Francisco Bay Ferry

Who would've thought you could take the ferry to AT&T Park and avoid the traffic and finding a parking spot at AT&T? This was a great alternative. We parked in their designated parking garage and were on our way to the game!

It was a pleasurable boat ride, especially if you're a Giants fan! There were a few Dodgers fans(Giants v. Dodgers on this day), kind of felt sorry for them on the ride back after the game. There are a number of refreshments available including alcohol. $8 for a mixed drink, $6 for beer, and $3 for a soda. That's kind of cheap considering it's $10 for a beer at the park. The ferry docks right at the back entrance in which you are just footsteps away from the best show in the bay!

Make sure to get your ticket validated since this will allow you to get the free parking in that well lit and safe parking garage at Jack London Square. Oh yeah, it's $15 per person round trip.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry is one way to get across the Bay and it can be fun if you've never been on it before. The San Francisco Bay Ferry is not to be confused with the Golden Gate Ferry. The two ferries are owned and operated by different entities and they have different routes.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry has 6 routes between 5 locations in San Francisco and 7 locations in the East Bay (Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties). The Golden Gate Ferry has 6 routes between 3 locations in San Francisco and 4 locations in the North Bay (Marin County). Both have 3 common locations in San Francisco: the Ferry Building, Oracle Park (home of the San Francisco Giants), and the Chase Center (home of the Golden State Warriors).

Simply put, the San Francisco Bay Ferry travels east/west between San Francisco and the East Bay while the Golden Gate Ferry travels north/south between San Francisco and the North Bay. Just like the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, respectively.

We took my nieces out on the Bay and to lunch and ice cream at the Ferry Building: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ferry-building-marketplace-san-francisco. Most of the San Francisco Bay Ferry routes (5/6) stop at the Ferry Building. It's a great stop because there's lots to see and do right there and it's easy to get to other places in San Francisco from the Ferry Building.

We traveled roundtrip between Oakland Ferry Terminal (https://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-bay-ferry-oakland-ferry-terminal-oakland) and Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal. The cost for me was $5.75 one-way because I purchased paper tickets in-person on the ferry. The cost for my sister and brother-in-law, who have the Clipper app on their phones (mobile tickets) was $4.50 each one-way. So, you can save a little money if you install the Clipper app on your phone and set everything up.

Since I was visiting from out of town, I joined many other visitors in line on the ferry to purchase a paper ticket. It does take some time and effort to get everything set up on the Clipper app. I had it on my phone last year (2022) and used it for BART, then I uninstalled it. When I returned to the Bay Area this year, I reinstalled the app, but it wasn't as fast and easy as before to get set up, so I just went with the simpler paper route. Clipper is the way to go though, so I recommend planning ahead and getting it set up on your phone with value added to your digital Clipper card.

I believe you're only allowed to have one digital Clipper card per phone. Since my nieces didn't have phones nor physical Clipper cards, we had to purchase paper tickets for them as well. Since they were under 17, they got discounted paper tickets, priced at $2.75 each one-way.

We rode the vessel named Carina from Oakland to San Francisco and we rode the vessel named Cetus on the return trip. Both departures were on time. Once the ferry gets moving, the estimated travel time from Oakland to San Francisco is 25 minutes. On the way back, it takes longer because the ferry has to make a stop at the Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal. That's about a 35-minute total travel time plus the stoppage time in Alameda: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/alameda-oakland-ferry-san-francisco.

Some people use the San Francisco Bay Ferry for their work commute, like one of my sister's friends. During our trip, on a holiday, there were many visitors (like me) and many families with children (like us). You can bring bikes on board, but this is not one of those ferries where cars can drive on. I believe both Carina and Cetus had seating capacities of about 400 each. The vessels we took - departing Oakland at 12:20pm and departing downtown San Francisco at 2:30pm - I guesstimate had 150-200 passengers each. Not too crowded.

The ferries were more modern and nicer than I expected. With public transit in the Bay Area, I guess I was expecting something more along the lines of BART (not great: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bart-bay-area-rapid-transit-oakland-2). This was way better. Both ferries were two levels with mostly indoor seating. There was ample seating inside, and it was quiet and comfortable. Each vessel had a bar that served food and drink, including chips and alcohol (beer). Inside, the seats had tray tables like those on airplanes. Outside, seating was harder to find since people wanted to take in views. It did get windy and chilly out there.

The ferries have restrooms. I used one of them. It was surprisingly spacious and decently clean.

All of the staff we interacted with were fine. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry provides public ferry service in the Bay Area on daily routes and seasonal routes. The rate is very affordable each way, and even better with discount on apps and for teenagers and seniors. The staff working here is friendly and efficiently, and it takes less than thirty minutes to go to the other side each way.

Tired of dealing with traffic, parking, tolls and cost of gas? The San Francisco Bay Ferry is a convenient and relaxing mode of getting to and from San Francisco's Ferry Building and even South San Francisco from the East Bay.

You have full-service routes which runs seven days a week from Oakland-Jack London Square, Main Street Alameda, Vallejo and Richmond and commuter routes that run on weekdays from Alameda Seaplane, Alameda Harbor Bay and Oakland/Main St to South San Francisco. There are seasonal routes to Oracle Park for the Giants games and Chase Center for the Warriors games. The East Bay terminals have free parking lots and have connecting bus transit and BikeLink lockers. Fares are discounted with use of Clipper and you can buy paper tickets on the ferry.

Living in Alameda, I'm fortunate to have the option of taking the ferry from our three terminals depending on the day of the week and time of day I need to get to the City and return.

Very useful service. Can't miss it. Huge building. The building is almost like a mall.

Love the ferry...best ride home from San Francisco to Vallejo. I've been working out in Sf for about 10 years ....and I've traveled every avenue of public transportation...Carpool, bus, train. Nothing compares to gliding on water with views.

Since people are finding their way back to normal from this pandemic slowly but surely the after work crowd is coming back to the city. After a long day ...you can make your way to back of the boat and get your snack or drink on at the bar.

45 min ride to your destination feels like hop skip and a jump. I'm going to miss this when and if I move!

Some tips/musts - download the clipper app onto your iPhone and preload enough money for your trip. (Round trip SF ferry building to Jack London square in Oakland, $9). Just like Bart, be sure to scan your card once getting on, then again getting off.

We took the ferry leisurely so we didn't care about time but they do leave precisely on the times posted. There are multiple gates if you're boarding in SF so best to check the website ahead of time for the correct gate.

https://sanfranciscobayferry.com/routes-and-schedules

Best part about riding the ferry is the million dollar view of our beautiful city!!

I usually enjoy riding the San Francisco Bay Ferry roundtrip from Vallejo to SF as it's a convenient and pleasant way to travel and have been on the ferry a dozen times. However, I had a very bad experience recently with a rude employee who harassed me. According to the schedule, the ferry was supposed to depart at 4:05 PM. When I was scanning my ticket at 4 PM, my phone was experiencing technical difficulties. Instead of understanding the situation, the employee continued to scream at me to get on board quickly. This was extremely stressful and uncalled for. Due to the issue with my phone, I had to pay for my ticket on board afterward instead of using my discounted Clipper card, which added to my frustration. Ironically, everyone was boarded and ready by 4:05 and we still did not depart until 4:10 PM. The employee's behavior made me very uncomfortable and upset. I hope their customer service improves to ensure a better experience for all passengers in the future.

First time rider and had out of town guests. Was a breeze to get to see the bay and the city. A bit more walking then some liked but I will use it again for sure.

I usually love taking the ferry. However one time late at night I was harassed by one of the workers. The one tall Asian dude who always looks pissed off. He is extremely rude and I no longer take the ferry because of him. Please update some of your employees on respect and costumer service.

It's been years since I was on a ferry and a first from Oakland. With time not a factor for an appointment in The City, I gave it a try. Caught the 10:15am boat.

There's no staffing at the gate, but clear signage with times and rates. Scan your Clipper Card as you board and depart.

Snack shack is average and coffee was only a $1.50. Bench seating outside and cushioned seats inside. A few broken seats. CNN is on the TV in the lower deck.

A pleasant and efficient 30 minute ride with obviously no traffic. Lost a star for the return trip. The earliest afternoon boat departure for Oakland was 4:30pm. Not convenient for me at 3:30pm.

However, if I end up being a commuter, I'd consider the ferry as my ride.