Costs
Part of Which walk-on ferry routes suit which travelers in 2027, in plain terms
Walk-on ferry costs: what to keep and what to drop in 2027
Walk-on ferry fares in 2027 run a few dollars to about thirty, and the shuttle bus transfer or taxi you skip or keep decides the real total.
What to take away
- Adult walk-on fares on the routes below run from $4.10 to $42.50, all at 2026 published rates.
- No 2027 walk-on fare is posted yet. Plan from the 2026 number plus a small rise, typically low single digits.
- Landing-side transport and terminal parking decide the total, not the ticket.
- Keep the fare, one day of parking and one meal. Drop the second taxi leg first.
- The Staten Island Ferry charges nothing, so every other line is the budget there.
Where 2027 walk-on fares stand
Every fare quoted here is a 2026 published rate. Fares for 2027 are set route by route, and most are not out yet.
| Route | 2026 walk-on adult | 2027 status |
|---|---|---|
| Casco Bay Lines, Portland to Peaks Island | $8.70 one way, $17.40 round trip | Not posted |
| Washington State Ferries, Port Townsend to Coupeville | $4.10 | Listed when the state approves it |
| Washington State Ferries, Anacortes to San Juan Islands | $10.55 | Same effective date, by route |
| Cape May to Lewes | $14 one way, $28 round trip | Not posted |
| Lake Michigan, Manitowoc to Ludington | $42.50 | Seasonal, confirm the opening |
Washington State Ferries is the easiest system to track. Its walk-on passenger rates sit on the official fares page, listed by route with the effective date of each change. Check it the week you book.
A fare alone tells you little, which is why building a ferry travel budget from real quotes starts from quoted numbers rather than averages.
[figure 1]
Walk-on fares by route length
Short commuter hop
- Example route
- Portland to Peaks Island
- Walk-on adult fare
- $8.70 one way
- Round trip
- $17.40
- Crossing time
- About 15 minutes
- Onboard extras
- No cabin or food
Mid-length island run
- Example route
- Anacortes to San Juan Islands
- Walk-on adult fare
- $10.55
- Round trip
- Not stated
- Crossing time
- Not stated
- Onboard extras
- Bicycles ride free
Long overnight crossing
- Example route
- Manitowoc to Ludington
- Walk-on adult fare
- $42.50
- Round trip
- Not stated
- Crossing time
- Not stated
- Onboard extras
- Long crossing
Where an operator has posted nothing, use the 2026 rate plus a small rise, typically in the low single digits. Treat that as an estimate and replace it when the real figure appears.
Bicycles ride free on Washington State Ferries.
Landing-side costs, route by route
The landing side is where a budget moves. The ranges below are typical figures to budget, not quotes, and they need confirming locally.
| Landing-side item | Typical range to budget |
|---|---|
| Terminal parking, per day | $8 to $20 |
| Terminal parking, one week | $70 to $140 |
| Taxi, two to three miles each way | $10 to $20 |
| Taxi, five miles each way | $25 to $50 |
| Bike rental, per day | $20 to $40 |
Seattle to Bainbridge Island is the easy case. The ferry lands in downtown Winslow, so the walk to town and to most lodging costs nothing. Bainbridge Island sits close enough to the terminal that many walk-on passengers never need a car.
Casco Bay Lines lands in the Peaks Island village, and a bike rental there typically runs $20 to $40 a day.
Cape May to Lewes is the opposite. The Lewes landing sits away from the town center, and a taxi into Lewes typically runs $20 to $30 round trip.
Plenty of routes run a shuttle to the morning boat and nothing to the last one. That turns a $14 crossing into a taxi bill several times its size, or a long walk in the dark.
Wheelchair access and step-free boarding vary by vessel and terminal. Accessible walk-on ferry routes explains why that choice can remove a taxi leg entirely.
Example: two day trips, added up
Take two routes and add every line.
Round-trip fare
- Cape May to Lewes
- $28
- Portland to Peaks Island
- $17.40
Parking
- Cape May to Lewes
- $10 to $15 for one day
- Portland to Peaks Island
- $15 to $30 for one day
Landing-side transport
- Cape May to Lewes
- $20 to $30 taxi
- Portland to Peaks Island
- $0 walking, or $20 to $40 by bike
Typical total
- Cape May to Lewes
- $58 to $73
- Portland to Peaks Island
- $32 to $87
Both totals cover one traveler and exclude meals. The Peaks Island figure assumes you walk.
- Add the round-trip walk-on fare for one adult.
- Add terminal parking for the days your car sits.
- Add a landing-side transfer for each direction you cannot walk.
- Compare with the drive-on totalvehicle fare plus fuel plus the same parking.
Walking on rarely loses on a short, frequent crossing with a village at the landing. It often loses on a long crossing where the landing is remote and the boat runs twice a day.
Spreading the trip over a night rather than one day usually cuts the number of transfers. Planning ferry travel costs without rushing the trip shows where the extra night pays for itself.
The lines to keep and the lines to cut
Five lines belong in the budget. Three do not.
Keep:
- The walk-on fare, round trip
- One day of terminal parking, or a drop-off
- One booked landing-side transfer if the last boat is after dark
- One meal ashore
- A bike rental instead of two taxi legs
Drop first:
- The second taxi leg, by walking the last mile
- Restaurant meals two and three
- The rental car day spent parked while you are on the water
[figure 2]
Walk-on budget keep-or-drop list
- Keepticket booked on operator's fare page
- Keepterminal parking or confirmed drop-off
- Keeplanding-side transport priced before booking
- Keepaccommodation within walking distance if possible
- Keepone contingency night of cash
- Drop firsttaxi
- Drop firstsecond restaurant meal
One route removes the largest line entirely. The Staten Island Ferry carries walk-on passengers free, runs through the night, and meets the subway at both terminals.
Parking is the line people drop by accident. Keep one booked transfer at the dark end of the day, because the alternative is a last-minute taxi.
