San Francisco Bay Ferry - South San Francisco

Adding pictures because... well you'd want to know, right??
This port goes to Oakland, Jack London Square or Alameda.
Now we have to figure out the schedule so we can get there AND back. Calm and peaceful here, easy parking.

We take another leg of this system from SF- The Embarcadero to Sausalito. It's great fun & loads of food, but this Ferry port looks more sedate, less touristy.

The 30 years I've lived in the bay, I've never ridden the Ferry until now. We went from the Ferry Building in SF to Jack London Square. Reasonable fares I think especially if you use Clippercard. It was a lazy sunday afternoon with plenty of empty seats everywhere. They have a full bar with some snack food, and at least 1 bathroom that I saw. BTW, the bar is cash only.

I'd like to find out if there is an excursion fee, like they have on BART. Suppose I tag on at Jack London, then ride the ferry all day without getting off anywhere, then return to Jack London and tag off. I wonder if I will be charged more than the initial $10. Guess I'll have to try it sometime.

The Alameda-Oakland Ferry has just been rebranded.

We love riding across the Bay on these boats. It's a one-drink ride. Get on the boat, buy a ticket ($6.25 per person each way, cash only), buy a couple of glasses of chardonnay, and before you're finished you're at the destination. There is a stop in Alameda, but we have only taken it from the Ferry Building to Jack London Square.

The crew is polite, the boats are fast, and the ride is fantastic.

There are reviews for the Oakland-Alameda Ferry, the Alameda-Oakland Ferry, the Alameda Harbor Ferry, and the San Francisco Bay Ferry. What I can tell you is that the Encinal has a new paint job, and it looks like the Peralta is also being repainted.

You can read all about the government consolidation of the ferry system here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Bay_Ferry

I think at this point i've taken every mode of transportation there is across the bay (bart, Transbay bus, carpool, and ferry) and the ferry is my preferred way, if I am not in a rush. Drawbacks to taking the ferry is that there is no bart station immediately surrounding Jack London Square, and so you have to walk a little bit to get to anything outside of Jack London Square. I'm not sure about the bus lines from there either.

The cool thing about taking the ferry is that you aren't cramped like bart, theres fresh air and its awesome and scenic AF. Also, they sell snacks and beers aboard. Thats pretty much all you need to know.

It probably isnt sustainable to take it everyday if you dont live close enough to Jack London, but if you are ever leaving SF to go hangout in downtown Oakland I would absolutely take it. Great for out of towners too, speaking of which, it is worth mentioning that the ferry goes to both the Ferry building and also one goes to Pier 41 if you're about that life.

Wine on a commute? Sign me up! I think I need to get a job in SFO just so I can take this ferry everyday.
We went at Sunset after a wine tasting just to catch some great views. it was fast, relaxing and had some soul searching views. The concession stand on lower level has snacks, wine and other drinks. I used my Clippr card to board and my boyfriend bought his ticket at the concession area. Boat bathrooms creep me out, but there was one available if you can't hold it.
Just try it once and enjoy your hair in the wind. (Titanic pose?)

This is the best way to commute from the North Bay into San Francisco. The ferry consistently runs on-time and now takes Clipper cards. The commuters are polite to each other and the staff is very helpful and always smiling. The boats are comfy; nice seats with plenty of room & bathrooms are clean too. They have wifi on board and it works most of the time.

The view from the Bay is unbelievable, so picturesque.

There isn't a better way to travel into the city.

Took the San Francisco ferry back to Oakland. I really enjoyed all the sights while riding on the ferry. It was the first time for me riding the ferry. I was a little worried because I get motion sickness but it was not to bad for me. As long as I don't have food in my stomach. Haha...

It seems people are so used to riding the ferry. I see everyone on their cell phone. I like to check out the views since it was the first time for me riding the ferry. I really enjoyed the ride. Got to see other boats go by with tall buildings in SF and of course the bridge. I had a great time.

Make sure you have your clipper card and or ticket. You need it to get on and off the ferry.

Yesterday, the Bay Area got a beautiful new enclosed modern ferry terminal in South SF. There was a big inaugural celebration with public officials, speakers, and a high school band.

Ferry boats will provide service on weekdays between Alameda, Jack London Square in Oakland, and this new SSF terminal (in that order). The project included 2 brand new state of the art catamaran style ferry boats (named Gemini and Pisces) that cost a total of $16 million to build, have space for 34 bikes (there's a water hose to wash your bike), comfy chairs, the covered area has a heater, a quiet VIP room in the top deck level, FREE WiFi, and a snacks bar (coffee during AM, wine and beer during PM). How cool is that! Yeah, similar to the SF ferries, but these new diesel boats produce 10 times less pollution. Only one SSF boat will run the 40 minutes route, the 2nd one is a backup. 3 East Bay boats (named Taurus, and 2 others) will also complete the route, coming from Alameda/Oakland.

2 Free shuttle bus lines (funded by local employers and San Mateo transit) service the nearby SSF neighborhood area to/from the terminal, during limited hours. See website for more details.

There's 12 bike lockers for storage outside the terminal, and Free validated parking (don't lose that garage ticket).

Pay w/clipper card or cash. One way ferry fare is $7 per adult, $3.50 for seniors and youth. But this week (M-F, June 4-8, 2012) u can try it for FREE!!! Otherwise, see link for the "Try Transit" program for 2 free roundtrip tickets ($28 value, limited to first 100 employees per company). http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/trytransit/

This project is part of a 2007 state mandate to have alternative means of transportation, reduce pollution, and also serve as a way for evacuation in case of emergencies like natural disasters. Future proposals (not approved yet) include adding this type of ferry service to the Berkeley/Albany area.

Ferry service phone: (415) 705-8291
Website: http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/route/ssf/oakland

During my last hometown SF visit, we wanted to meet with my friends for dinner in Alameda. The ferry dock is in walking distance to his house. How effing cool is that?!

So you gotta line up early - or you could miss the boat (could hit capacity!) And the longer you dawdle, the line grows. In fact it gets really long! You'll have to figure out which line is going where. And don't stress - you can buy tickets after boarding on the boat. Find the deckhand once the boat is underway.

Fairly quick ride. ~20-25 minute ride. Very smooth. No motion sickness like the bouncy Catalina Island boat in LA. Gotta love Bay Area commuters. They are super efficient when it comes to getting on or off this boat. No drama.

The weather was gorgeous. Cheaper than a tourist trap ride shoving off from Pier 39. Still it's pricey to commute this way everyday. Most commuters have the Clipper card which gets you a discount. And the Harbor Bay dock area is a nice place for a stroll alongside the water. Dog friendly too!

Not that any government monopoly would care about a bad review....

Regardless, I'm going to rant for anyone who cares. I've ridden the SF to Vallejo route for the last three years. In the past year they have suffered from major overcrowding problems. In the summer and often at other times of the year the boats are sold out 15 minutes or MORE before departure.

Zero priority is given to the regular commuters who count on these boats to get home. Honestly, if someone has to be left behind it should be the tourists/day trippers who have all the time in the world and not the regulars who spend $300 a month on fares.

Then again there is a really simple solution. Add more boats. Everyday people are left behind. Fares are pretty expensive at about $20 round trip for commuter rates. Whatever I'd pay twice the price to guarantee a seat so I can get to work on time and then home at night.

The incompetent bureaucratic a holes who run this system should be fired. Then again I wouldn't expect anything less.

The people who work on the boats are incredibly nice. Not their fault the upper management are idiots.

Ps- take the little MV Vallejo boat into the middle of the ocean and sink it. I'm tired of riding on that piece of crap. Buy more boats