World's Top Ten Ferry Boat Rides

February 20, 8:35 AMSeattle Travel ExaminerSue Frause

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There's something romantic about taking a ferry boat ride. And even though I've been taking a ferry to the island I live on for the past 34 years, I still think it's cool to travel by ferry boat. The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers that I happen to belong to, recently polled its members to come up with the Top Ten most exciting ferry rides in the world.

Exciting may be a bit dramatic to describe a ferry boat ride, but here are SATW's Top Ten, in order of votes. I've been on nine.

Top Ten Ferry Rides

1. Star Ferry, Hong Kong I made my debut Hong Kong debut in 2008 and at the top of my to-do list was the Star Ferry. It didn't disappoint and the views were spectacular.
2. Ferries between San Francisco and Sausalito It's been years since I've taken this ferry, but a sunny ride in San Francisco Bay can't be beat. In addition to the Golden Gate Ferry (link above), there's the Blue and Gold Fleet, too.
3. Staten Island Ferry, New York I love NYC from the water and this is an inexpensive way to experience it.
4. Washington State Ferries, Puget Sound I'm biased, as these are my ferries. What they lack in amenities and maintenance, they make up for in the views.
5. BC Ferries of British Columbia Whether you're taking the big boats from the mainland to Vancouver Island or the smaller inter-island ferries, these are the best in the Pacific Northwest.
6. Sidney Ferries to Manly, Australia Another winner! A real bargain, leaving Sydney's Inner Harbour with views of its iconic opera house to the fun, seaside town of Manly.
7. Greek Islands Ferries I think they're on my bucket list, although it seems there have been a number of accidents on these boats.
8. Alaska Marine Highway System I took the ferry from Wrangell to Ketchikan in Alaska's Inside Passage. You can also pitch a tent on the deck for overnight trips! I love that they call this a "highway."
9. Norway in a Nutshell We went on this trip during our Scandinavian honeymoon in 1974. Beautiful (even in the rain!).
10. Ferry from Mallaig, Scotland to the Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye was the final portion of our 60-mile hike along the Drover's Trail and this little ferry was a welcome sight.