Alameda Ferry

Aiight, Aiight, Aiight… The ferry is solid. The ride is enjoyable. The price is reasonable. I’ve got a few grips, however, and they are easily fixed. Why is the service so damn infrequent? I mean, come on team, the boat should seriously just run non-​stop, Sun through Sun, at least the same hours as BART. Also, the ride is slow. That’s because each trip makes 4 stops — Alameda, Jack London, Ferry Building, Pier 41 — speed it up peeps. Solid service, but not the best it can be. Also, there’s gotta be way more Ferry Landings throughout East Bay. Seriously

This is an excellent, stress free way to commute to and from Alameda and SF. Beautiful views of the bay and plentiful seating (at least in my experience). Bring a coat if you chill easily as the ride is windy and can get a little cold. I will use the ferry more often in the future.

The Alameda Ferry is the best way to get to SF, especially on a nice summer day. It’s fast, about a 30 minute ride. Me and the Fam was going to Pier 39. Make sure you check the schedule and don’t get off at the Ferry Building. The best part about the ride is the views of the Bay Bridge and the city. I was taking pics like a tourist, lol!!!

Great alternative to driving, BART-​ing, bussing across the traffic plagued bay bridge to the city. Nice view of the Bay, schedule is on time, and the staff is usually very nice. In the winter months it can be a hassle due to having to walk to the station in the rain and not being able to stand on the deck due to the rain.

First day: got to the ferry building 3 minutes before schedule to see the ferry leave at 5:20 without further boarding; it was already full. Waited in line in the hot sun for 20 minutes for the next one. Got back to main street harbor to find my car has been broken into. Some scum stole the handle from my car and cut all cords so that I can no longer open my windows. Thumbs down. 2 stars for nice views on the boat

This has got to be one of the best ways to get into the city from the East Bay. I lived in Oakland for 4 years and never thought to try the ferry, instead struggling in traffic driving across the bridge or enduring the lengthy BART ride. Coming back to visit as a tourist, I thought, why not try it out? Best idea of the weekend. We got on at Alameda on Friday at 1:20 and I was immediately thankful we hadn’t boarded at Jack London, as it got crowded rather quickly. The trip itself went fairly quickly and even though we got off on the wrong stop (Ferry Building instead of Pier 41) the leisurely walk over to Pier 39 along the Embarcadero only took about 20 minutes.
Coming back, there’s a ferry at 5pm and one at 8pm so it’s important to get there for the earlier departure if you don’t want to wait 3 hours for the next one. I would also suggest getting into the queue 15 – 20 minutes early because a line begins to form. The only drawback I can think of happened when we went from Pier 41 to Embarcadero and we had to wait 20 minutes until the ferry left. This, of course, is only because the ferry runs on a schedule and has to wait until a certain time before departing. The trip back was crowded, to the point where some people had to stand, but again, the actual trip isn’t long.
Worth every penny.

Used to be great, now sucks. Too many hipsters, too many former BART riders who push and shove. Boats are always late. Bad behavior is rewarded by waiting for people and then the ferry is even later.
And don’t think about the wonderful view from the ferry — too many people are standing up and blocking the windows (which you can’t see out of anyway, they are so filthy and covered with salt).
Parking is impossible. I have to leave my house at 7:25 to get a space in the lot. This makes my commute more than 90 minutes door-​to-​door.
A lot of my friends are taking the bus because of frustration over the parking.
Oh, and then there’s that hidden rate increase they imposed when they made people use Clipper. Do you know that Clipper knows where you are? What time you got there, what time you left? Big brother at work. Where’s the privacy?
I mourn.

My friend and I wanted to explore the city without having to actually drive there (I hate driving to SF, the road &traffic is just bad). I’m so glad I found out about the ferry. We decided to drive to Alameda and took the dock there. There may not be parking around the lot but they have plenty of parking in the outside lot, but it’s on dirt. It’s $ 12.50 roundtrip or $ 6.25 one way and you could either get off at the Ferry Building or Pier 41 (which is connected to Pier 39). Make sure you pay right when you get inside because they’ll be checking your tickets when you get off and you won’t have enough time to buy your tickets at the end because they only stop for people to get off and then they’re on to their next stop.
It was a very fun experience and it felt so relaxing. To many more fun experiences like these!

I really don’t know how the heck you’d ever rate a boat ride across The Bay anything other than 5 stars…
I mean – the captain of the ferry would have to actually give me an unprompted kick directly to the teeth for my experience to be anything less than awesome. So, when you plop me down on a big ferry in one of my favorite areas in America, you’d better believe I’m going to have a wide-​eyed, jaw-​dropped good time.
My boyfriend and I took the Alameda Ferry with his family to San Francisco to then catch another ferry to Alcatraz. It was way colder than I thought it was going to be, but this freeze-​baby (who hates any activity that makes me cold) did not even care. I was too busy trying to soak in the sights as we approached SF. Hell, even the shipping docks were cool-​looking! The huge cargo cranes reminded me of Star Wars AT-​ATs or steel dinosaurs. And while it would have been awesome if the bay breeze was a little less bone-​chilling, it wasn’t a problem. And if it was, you could go to warmer, covered and heated parts of the ferry.
What’s even more exciting is the fact that I rode this ferry for a tourist activity, but SO many other Unilocalers use it as a much more efficient, relaxing way to commute to SF! Umm, yes please. If you’re not in a huge hurry, what an awesome way to remedy the typical stresses of public transit.

I was rolling to the SF Ferry Building so I decided to give the Alameda –Oakland Ferry a shot.
I rolled my Whip to Alamedas Ferry Dock and parked it in their huge parking lot and waited for the Ferry to arrive .
When the Ferry arrived the Departing Passengers were let off the Ferry first.
When you board the Ferry you pay the Cashier for your ticket to ride. They prefer Cash.
The Ferry will Stop at Jack London Square Ferry Dock to pickup more passengers.
Then they will kick the Ferry in Overdrive and zoom Miami Vice Style to the SF Ferry Building.
You Can sit inside the Ferry or Outside on the Top Deck which I did you will see Million Dollar Views of SF and Oakland and the Bay Bridge.
They have a Bar where you can get Wine or Beer to sip on .
Its a fun ride I highly recommend you take to SF.

A great trip on a stunning fall day… this time clipper card in hand… what more could one ask for?
Our friends had never done this… and agreed it was perfect!
Do sit outside… you will not regret it!

The Alameda-​Oakland Ferry is an alternate way to do the Oakland-​SF route and back. Keep in mind that the start time is later and last departure time is earlier than BART and there are less departure times than BART, but if you aren’t in a hurry it’s actually quite a leisurely ride.
FARE: $ 6.25 one way cash going from Oakland to SF and back, credit card accepted. You can buy round trip passage when you first buy your ticket. There’s reduced fares for youth (5 – 18) and seniors (65+), as well as if you use your Clipper card already loaded with money ($ 4.75). You can either preload online or inside the SF Ferry Building. A short hop option is available ($ 1.50) if you are traveling within Oakland or SF. If I were a tourist in SF I would suck up the additional money for the MUNI F line to travel around the Embarcadero. You’ll get a lot more sightseeing done.
There’s an advantage if you’re one of the first people to fall in line — less time waiting in line to buy your ticket. That line gets full rather easily.
There’s a $ 0.50 transfer discount if you use MUNI after the ferry, BUT this is only possible if you have a Clipper card.
SCHEDULE:
. If you wish to stay at SF late at night, this may not be the best option as the last ferry departs earlier than the last BART departures (sometime around 11PMish)
ROUTE: Oakland (Jack London Square), Alameda (Main Street), SF Ferry Building and SF Pier 41 (Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39).
PARKING: Parking is a lot more available on the East Bay side. Free parking in Alameda and 12 hours free validated parking in Jack London Square.
FOOD OPTIONS: There’s a bar on the ferry that serves a limited selection of food and beverages alcoholic and non-​alcoholic.
BOAT: Boat is clean. There’s three levels, the upper level has outside seats. Depending on the time you board the ferry the people using it consists of commuters and tourists, which is a huge relief from some of the questionable people you see at BART stations. I’d rather be asked to take someone’s picture than give money.
If you’re not in a hurry to get somewhere around SF or planning to stay in SF in the late hours, it’s a great way to get to SF from Oakland if you don’t have a place to stay in the city.

This common carrier treated my family, my children, and friends terribly. I am embarrassed that my community suffered such ill treatment and blatant discrimination from both the ferry steward AND captain.
The fact that the fellow passengers sat idly by does not provide a good testament to the easy-​going delightfully diverse and tolerant reputation that the San Francisco Bay Area enjoys.
I hope to write a complete letter of complaint soon and hope for a resolution to this most unfortunate incident which occurred during morning rush hour this past June 2014 — and on our way to ANGEL ISLAND, with our children so they may learn of the history of discrimination suffered by immigrants and racial minorities new to this country. What a lesson indeed.
In the meantime, while the view of the water and city are gorgeous, the cultural incompetence and outright prejudice and disrespect on the part of the ferry staff leadership is outrageous and must be addressed.

If you live in the East Bay and you drive to San Francisco every time… well geez I hate to say it… but you might be dumb!
Taking the ferry from Alameda or Jack London to SF is the best way to travel, whether it be for work or fun, you will not be disappointed.
Why, you ask?
1) Easy parking in Alameda (I say that as a weekend warrior mostly and not a commuter).
2) Bar on the ferry… Yes, you read that correctly!
3) Heat lamps on the outside deck when it gets cold.
4) You can stop at the Ferry Building or Pier 41. Either place will get you to some great SF stops!
BONUS: If you are a Giants fan this is the ONLY way to get to the ballpark. You get dropped off in McCovey Cove and get taken back to Alameda right after the game.
Hands down the best way to travel around the Bay Area!

I’ve been on a Ferry but it was in the lovely yet frigid Puget Sound leaving Seattle for the Western Washington islands. Looking for a scenic and unique mode of transportation to SF, we unanimously voted on the Alameda-​Oakland Ferry since it drops off at Pier 41.
The boats used are not exactly the bees knees but I really wasn’t expecting a jewel of the bay either. What I got out of the deal was an upper-​deck ride outside going there, view wasn’t the greatest because we almost missed the boat (thanks to colleagues who can’t be on time to save their lives). Coming back though was far more rewarding because we all got the best seats on the «Lido» deck.
The views, wind in my hair, it was quite literally a Glamour Shot however the only difference is that I looked like a bloated starfish. It’s great to see all the wonderful sights of the Bay Area from another vantage point.
I will most definitely ride the Ferry again after this experience!

As a pretty serious nerd, I’d recently gone on a tour of the Newark and Brooklyn harbors (which go for $ 60 each if you pay full price), so it was a peasant surprise that the ferry got me just as close as the tours. The ferry was easy to figure out (since I’m a tourist in SF), was reasonably fast, and got me across the bay.
I wouldn’t want to rely on this for my commute because the boats aren’t very frequent, but they did have lots of information on how they would deal with the BART strike, so that’s a good sign.

I was kvetching on Facebook, as I do. I had taken a vacation day and wanted to take my kids to an amusement park before school started. And I was incensed that they all were already closed weekdays… in mid-​August! It just didn’t make sense to me and I wanted to gripe about it to my long suffering Facebook friends.
But as often happens, one of my brilliant friends offers the perfect solution. A ferry ride to SF instead!
What a lovely way to spend a special day with loved ones. A leisurely (but quick) ferry ride across the bay. Then a day to explore part of the city. We hadn’t been to the Exploratorium since it moved, and we used this opportunity to check it out. We also strolled the Ferry building and enjoyed a nice lunch. I’m going to go out on a limb and say this was even more memorable than riding rollercoasters all day.
I will definitely take out of towners here next time I have visitors!

When the BART trains were up and running on July 5, 2013 at 3:00 PM, I was still boarding the ferry boat by the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco to head home to Alameda. From that time up to this evening, I only took BART twice to head to Oakland Lake Merritt Station and then a ride home to Alameda.
Traffic can be somewhat hellacious when heading into the heart of Oakland Chinatown to get to the Webster Tube from the Lake Merritt BART station and vice versa. No more breathing exhaust fumes in the Posey and Webster tubes. It’s a short ride (5 minutes) to and from Alameda Ferry Terminal to my home… woo hoo.
Riding the ferry boat this evening convinced me to continue on that boat ride. Normally I board the Peralta, but this evening was the bomb diggity. I was on the Taurus heading home and OMG I thought I was on one of those Bay Cruise lines… very comfortable seats, plenty of leg room, nice cushion bench and table, a bar displaying bottles of liquor on the counter and a very clean restroom facility. All I can say is one will not find this kind of amenity or the ambiance on a BART train. I have become spoiled and somewhat pampered on these rides.
The extra that I pay for fare is well worth it and I actually don’t mind seeing all those big cargo ships at the Port of Oakland. Then, I don’t mind browsing around in the Ferry Plaza Building for about 10 minutes before departing SF to head home.
Finally, when BART is back to running again, this commuter who is also an SEIU member will no longer be using BART as a mode of transportation to and from work, unless it’s absolutely necessary. So long BART, it was fun while it lasted, but this old lady just can’t seem to hang while standing up on the train and walking up the three flights of stairs to the UN Plaza (when the escalator is out of order) on an arthritic left knee.

This review is for the Oakland (JLS) — San Francisco route of the Ferry system.
I happened to be one of the millions affected by the BART strike last week, and after mulling over my options i decided that the ferry system would not only be the most convenient but with our great weather would also be pretty darn awesome!
I have to say kudos to the employees of the JLS/​SF Ferries, they were very organized and really went above and beyond during this okay, i’ll say it ‘crisis”. They really made everything VERY easy for us first time ferry riders!
I decided i wasn’t going to be a whiner/​complainer and instead just «go with the flow». i got in the massive line and was still able to make the next ferry each time I arrived at the gate. I was really surprised how many people could fit on each boat.
All in all i decided that maybe I’d take the ferry again on just a regular day… when the weather is cooperating that is.

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.