Alameda/Oakland Ferry

For the price of $ 10 to $ 12 dollars ($ 10 is for a Clipper Card carrier) you can visit another part of the bay in ~20 to 50 minutes from Alameda to Jack London Square. This ferry is a once in a lifetime experience and definitely worth the price, Don’t be fooled by the lack of lines as most the crowds on a weekday are definitely regulars and know the schedule by heart (We waited ~25 minutes for a shuttle and within the last 5 minutes a wave of people showed up). Keep an eye on the schedule as it is constantly changing, the time located above each dock entrance is also a good indicator of early and late ferries.

If you need to get to Alameda from SF and don’t have to drive then this is the way to do it. It’s not expensive and more calming than driving or taking BART. On a sunny clear day sit outside on the upper deck for a fantastic view.
The ferries are not new and a bit worn down as expected from being on the water and the sometimes foggy SF climate. If so, you may sit inside on the lower or upper deck.
Catch the ferry at pier 141 which is to the right of the Ferry Building. You may also pay once on board. Too bad on weekends and holidays the ferry departs so infrequently.
Note on the Alameda side of the bay, it is only a few minutes walk from the pier to St. George Spirits, Building 43 Winery, and Rock Wall Wine — all three are literally steps from one another. Totally worth doing a crawl when it’s so convenient!

If you’re near either terminal, then by all means take the ferry. It’s clean, quiet, and fast.
The times are a little off at this terminal (check online for the schedule), but everything else is sound.

I used the Alameda ferry (main st) for the first time today for my work commute.
Depart-7:15AM (plenty of parking and seating on ferry), cost $ 6.40. You can pay onboard (debit/​credit/​cash) or scan clipper card before boarding.
Arrive– 7:35AM SF ferry building. Walk 5 mins to embarcadero BART
Tip: arrive at least 10 mins before your ferry departure. On my way home I arrived right «on time», but my ferry already left. I had to wait another 40 mins until the next ferry! Thank goodness it was happy hour and plenty of restaurants in the SF ferry building.
Overall great experience! I would take the Ferry ANY day over BART. Beautiful views! Relaxing, and if you get there early, you will have your choice of sitting outside or inside.

You can keep your cable cars. This is the best ride in town. Just like in New York City, where the Staten Island Ferry easily beats any of the tour boats. Besides, you can pick Alameda or Oakland on the other end. Both are amazing. Was born in one and lived in the other for years.

In terms of commuting to the city this is how you want to go. Its cleaner, less crowded, and more reliable than the bus, the bart, and there is no traffic. Although the lines look long when you see people lining up to get on, pretty much everyone gets on. The seats have tables so you can work, there is free wifi and the difference about the ferry and the bart is that people actually talk to you. You can have a conversation while enjoying the view of the bay and have a nice relaxing ride back to Alameda or wherever you are going. Definitely prefer this option over all others.

Sit on the top deck! It’s beautiful and just enough wind that you know you’re outside in the open space! Clean and friendly staff!

The whole trip is a lot slower than BART from the downtown Oakland area (there is a ferry stop in Alameda either before or after Jack London that really lengthens the ride), but much more scenic and there is a bar. Great occasional alternative for
Oakland commuters. Perfect drop off for tourists.

I have already written a review of the Alameda Ferry almost two years ago.
If I would have known the name of this entity was on Unilocal,I would have had a lot more check-​ins than the one I have as of today… lol. No dukedom for me. That’s okay because I can’t backtrack all the way back to July 1, 2013. I also did not have a fancy Samsung back in the days; I had a dinosaur flip phone, a Sanyo Vero… ugh.
When BART went out on strike in July 2013, I started my commute to and from Alameda/​San Francisco. Even though the commute cost me more, the ride was definitely far more superior than riding BART. It was also then that I started learning the routes of several Muni lines.
Eating and drinking are not allowed on BART. There’s no restroom facility on a BART train either. However, the ferry boat has the snacks, the beverages and a restroom facility. A few times I have had some stressful days at work. Thanks to Alameda/​Oakland Ferry, I would have Kahlua and Cream to enjoy while riding home. Then, traveling under the Willie Brown Bridge is much better than traveling under the water in a tunnel to head home.
I have been on my second journey for over a year, so I don’t ride the ferry every week day anymore. What else can I say except the ride from Alameda on a nice sunny day is the way to venture to the City by the Bay — San Francisco.

If you want a fun departure from BART, and you happen to be heading to the Alameda/​Oakland area, I would definitely recommend this ferry.
My friend and I took BART from Dublin to Embarcadero, which was fine, but it took about 25 – 30 minutes. While we were eating on the patio, we decided it might be fun to take the ferry back. For the same price as BART ($ 6 one way, $ 12 round-​trip), you can enjoy some outdoor water goodness and spectacular views, and it takes less than 20 minutes. The ferry also seems to be quite on time; we left literally minutes after we boarded!
I was worried I might get seasick, but the ferry moves fast enough that there isn’t much of a swaying/​rocking sensation. The only downside is the smell of the fumes powering the ferry, but if you sit on the right places, this isn’t an issue.

Great alternative to BART, with drinks and stunning views. Only drawbacks is that it may be chilly and it consumes a bit more time than the standard.

The ferry is much more relaxing than the BART!
There is always a seat available in that boat, bikers are welcomed, the view is great, and this is a fast and convenient way to go from the Ferry Building to Jack London Square!
Clipper works, and the bar seems fine (haven’t tried yet, next time probably)

fast. convienent. and there’s a bar. what more do you want?

Take the ferry if you don’t like BART. Read, drink a beer, and relax instead of getting all gross and hot and covered with BART germs. Key for East Bay folks: Bring your bike whenever, and there’s wifi.
They just added Clipper also. With Clipper, it’s $ 4.75 to get across the bay.