TRIP REPORT: Polishing Silver – Ferrying around the Bay with Golden Gate Ferry

Ferrying around the Bay with Golden Gate Ferry
Polishing Silver

There are many ways to enjoy the Bay Area on water. But one of the cheaper ways is to catch a ferry. Providing you plan, it isn’t too crippling on the wallet either. And who doesn’t enjoy being on the bay in the sun, no matter the time of year? 

In this Tier Point-laden adventure

• All I ask is for one decent airfare. Just ONE. Anyone? 
• Off to Birmingham Airport
• FR669 Birmingham to Dublin Airport with Ryanair
• Welcome to Dublin, Premier Inn – Dublin Airport
• Early Morning Dublin Airport and US Preclearance, 51st and Green Lounge
• AA723 Dublin to Philadelphia – Flagship Business Class
• A Rocky Interlude – Exploring Philadelphia
• Return to PHL and the Philadelphia American Airlines Admirals Club
• AA2663 Philadelphia to San Francisco – US Domestic First
• A new terminal and The Crowne Plaza, Burlingame
• The Intercontinental San Francisco (and trying the new BART trains)
• Asian Eats around San Francisco
• A challenge unto myself: Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge
• Ferrying around the bay with Golden Gate Ferry
• Of Dragons and Lions – Celebrations in San Francisco Chinatown
• Back to SFO, American Airlines Admirals Club
• AA164 San Francisco to New York JFK – Transcontinental Business Class
• A snow-laden pit stop at JFK and the American Airlines/British Airways Greenwich Lounge
• AA104 New York JFK to London Heathrow – Flagship Business Class
• Transiting across Heathrow Terminals and the British Airways Galleries North 
• BA836 London Heathrow to Dublin Airport – Club Europe
• A Two Hour Dublin Turnaround featuring the Dublin Airport Lounge
• BA4469 Dublin to London City Airport – Club Europe by BA CityFlyer
• To the trains… and on the cheap
• Points in the bag

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a trip on a ferry when there’s a city and a region to explore.

Sometimes, it’s just nice not to worry about walking for a while (as my step counter showed at the end of the day). Other times, you get a different perspective of the city.

And there’s always the chance of catching a little sun – even in the depths of winter.

Ferry trips across the bay come in different options and prices – with tourist trips coming in around $35+ (depending on how far you book ahead).

Unto the ferry building

Now, I don’t need to tell you that if you don’t want to listen to a tourist commentary (or go slow around Alcatraz), there are better options out there.

There are a few operators who operate out of the Ferry Terminal. I was planning to head towards Larkspur or Saucaitlo (as these routes cross past Alcaztraz as well as the Golden Gate Bridge) and maybe spend time at the other end – depending on ferry times.

Thus, I would be travelling with Golden Gate Ferry.

Whilst I could have walked to Sausalito earlier (or taken an Uber from Vista Park), I decided to do the ferry instead. Thus, I need to get a ticket for the ferry.

Time is an illusion. 

Golden Gate Ferry offers two “full price tickets” with a purchase on the day ticket, costing $14 one way. Whilst slightly cheaper than a tour, it’s still a bit expensive.

However, this is where having that Clipper Card (or Clipper Ticket) is a major benefit – as the price drops by nearly half to $7.75 one-way

So, do yourself a favour (and that’s for any transit in the Bay area) – pay for a plastic Clipper card, or add it to your mobile device wallet – your bank account will thank you. You’ll need one to use the BART anyway to get to and from the airport – so why make things difficult for yourselves?

Boarding the boat from one of the piers, you will need to tag in using your Clipper Card – it deducted the value of the journey at this point, so ensure you have enough transit value loaded on your card.

From there, there are different seating options – be it on the inside of the ferry – or outside.

If I had even considered travelling in the pea-soup and water that was the day before, I would have stayed in the warm and dry. With wind on the bay, but some lovely sunlight, I headed for the rear external passenger deck – which gives a great view of the city after the ferry has disembarked from the Ferry Building.

The Bay Bridge 

Pulling away from the city 

The ferries go at some speed, but enough for you to sit back and enjoy the world – with a crossing taking around half an hour.

Sitting backwards to the direction of travel, you can take in the sights, without having to worry if you’re going to miss a photo or not.

As this is a ferry used by commuters, as well as visitors, there are some useful things, such as facing seating, a bar and in some places – inductive charging pads

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Inductive charging pad – providing you can get it on the charging target. Yes phone, I know I need to check in for the return flights. It can wait. 

It’s a small feature, but sometimes little features make life enjoyable.

The ferry takes around 30 minutes to make the journey and it is just good to see the world unfurl around you, allowing time to look at the sights and get a little sun on the way. As well as the windsheer.

Home of a prison, a place to develop a “cure” for mutants, the last bastion of free thought and set to have a starship crash in an alternative timeline.

I walked across that earlier. Also, home to Starfleet Command and the Academy in the future.

With the boat slowing down for Saucalito, the coast came into view.

A number of sailboats were out

Arriving into Sascolito, it’s a good idea to make it down quickly to the disembarkation area, as you’ll be fighting bikes if you hang around (as it’s a popular option to hire a bike and cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge and down to Sausalito and the surrounding area).

With the ferry moored at the pier, I disembarked and headed onto land.

I took a look at the time when I landed – but also compared how much time I had.

Given that I wanted to head to a few other places back in San Francisco and also that the ferry after was going to be one of the last of the day, time was becoming a factor. Whilst I could use a Blue and Gold Line Ferry to get back, my mind was fast thinking elsewhere.

In addition, I had been on a mini shopping spree on this trip, and I needed to get a suitcase to fit some gifts for those back home (as well as some things for myself… that’s the trouble with finding a Trader Joe’s during my travels…)

Thus, I turned around and headed back on the ferry. I checked when I would pay – and I was told I would pay when we arrived back at the Ferry Terminal.

Aboard we go. 

With that, I headed back to the ferry and upstairs to the sun again for the return trip across the bay.

Here are some more random photos along the way to keep you entertained, whilst I caught sun on my face.

Arriving back at the Ferry Terminal, again, passengers headed down quickly to beat the bikes. Again, I presented my Clipper Card, and another $7.75 was knocked off it.

The Ferry Building looks rather fine.

Crossing the Embarcadero 

With that, I headed to the California Street Cable Car and a Second-hand shop.

I needed a suitcase.

Next:

Beware of the Dragon – Nighttime festivities in Chinatown.

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