Wanderlust Megan

Day trip to Bainbridge Island

Do you enjoy a ferry trip while travelling? Yes please for me!

One of the things I love about travelling is when I get to go out or be by the water. If I can’t be in a kayak or a canoe, I’ll take any boat that I can. I thought about renting a sailboat when visiting Seattle with family but it was out of the question as none of us knew how to sail! After searching for different options, I stumbled upon one that was accessible and inexpensive, the Washington State Ferries. There are a couple of different route options but we chose one of the short ones, a trip to Bainbridge Island!

What I love about this ferry is that it leaves right from downtown Seattle, no commuting out of town to the terminals. You have the option of walking on and off or driving on. A tip, you don’t need a car if you are exploring the small but cute downtown area of Bainbridge. We drove on the ferry as we couldn’t find a good deal for downtown Seattle parking and didn’t realize how compact everything was. We ended up parking the car for the majority of the time we were at Bainbridge Island.

Once we parked on the boat and secured the car, I bolted up to the top to take in the views and the lightly sea salted air. I walked around the deck a couple of times, taking some photos and video before finding a spot along the railing to admire the view as we travelled along. A couple of my clips are below:

The ferry is used by people commuting back and forth but it’s an inexpensive trip that I would recommend for those visiting the Seattle area. The ferry is a thirty five minute trip one way. No reservations are taken as it is ’first come first serve’ boarding, but if you are travelling by foot, you likely won’t be made to wait for the next sailing. Once you are on the island, grab a meal and go for a walk. Try to time your departure around sunset for some stunning views.

When you are in Seattle, take the time out of your day, hop on the ferry and enjoy seeing the skyline of Seattle, the waters of Puget Sound and the view of Bainbridge Island. It was an unexpected find for me that I wanted to share.

Have you taken the ferry from Downtown Seattle?