Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Free Ferries

Want to know one of my favorite ways to see the Statue of Liberty?

From the Staten Island ferry, which also happens to be entirely free!

And here are some other free ferry experiences that are worth checking out …

Wisconsin’s only free ferry, the Merrimac Ferry, dates back to 1844. It’s so easy that I’ve even heard of locals driving 25 miles out of their way just to take the ferry and avoid the Interstate.

The Galveston Island Ferry runs between Galveston and Port Bolivar and has been free since 1949.

If you’re really lucky, you may even spot some dolphins on the way. Just one tip: the lines can get long, so go in off hours and mid-week.

Four of the 21 ferries in North Carolina are free. One of the coolest is the one that travels between Hatteras Island and Ocracoka Island, which is part of the Outer Bank Scenic Byway, and is only accessible by water.

The neat thing is that all of these ferries are state-operated, so check with the Department of Transportation for free experiences you didn’t even know about.

For more great ways to get out on the water, check out our Cruise Travel section.

And check out the rest of our Daily Travel Tips here.