The Ferry in Port Townsend Washington

[Maury&Julie]

We will be picking up our 21 at the end of March and are looking at routes. Has anyone driven down Highway 20 and taken the ferry to Port Townsend? Is it expensive? Is it a nightmare getting on and off the ferry? Looks like it might be a way to avoid the horrendous Seattle traffic.

We plan to drive down 101 to our home in Mill Valley CA so we would also be interested in any stellar places to camp or things to see along Highway 101 on the way down.

Thanks!

[techfan]

Originally Posted by Maury&Julie

We will be picking up our 21 at the end of March and are looking at routes. Has anyone driven down Highway 20 and taken the ferry to Port Townsend? Is it expensive? Is it a nightmare getting on and off the ferry? Looks like it might be a way to avoid the horrendous Seattle traffic.

We plan to drive down 101 to our home in Mill Valley CA so we would also be interested in any stellar places to camp or things to see along Highway 101 on the way down.

Thanks!

Getting on and off the Port Townsend ferry would be far more nerve wracking to me than going through Seattle. Go through Seattle early Saturday or Sunday. Have made that trip at least 6 times with the trailer. Seattle is busy but short. Try the Salt Lake corridor on 15! It's 124 miles of tough traffic from Brigham City to Provo. We also take 205 going through Portland even though it adds some time but it avoids the downtown and the notorious Terwilliger curves!! Unless you want to cross the Columbia at Our town, Longview, and go out to Astoria to catch 101.

[Mike Lewis]

I took this route after I picked up my trailer in April 2014. At the time it cost $42.80. But beware-- they measure the combined length of your tow vehicle + trailer and will charge more if the combination is over 40 feet long. My Tacoma + Escape 21 came in at 39 feet, one inch. Whew!

[Loren & Cathy]

From my experiences and reading others, it seems that the best time to go through Seattle would be about 4:00 AM on a Sunday morning. Loren

[Mike Lewis]

Also, I didn't find getting on and off the ferry to be a big deal. It's pretty straightforward. I've taken vehicles onto the Washington State Ferries several times, though this was the only time pulling a trailer. It wasn't any different, really.

[LeonW]

Originally Posted by techfan

Getting on and off the Port Townsend ferry would be far more nerve wracking to me than going through Seattle. Go through Seattle early Saturday or Sunday. Have made that trip at least 6 times with the trailer. Seattle is busy but short. Try the Salt Lake corridor on 15! It's 124 miles of tough traffic from Brigham City to Provo. We also take 205 going through Portland even though it adds some time but it avoids the downtown and the notorious Terwilliger curves!! Unless you want to cross the Columbia at Our town, Longview, and go out to Astoria to catch 101.

We took the Port Townsend Ferry Last Fall, and I didn't think it was hard at all. We simply drove on, stayed in our lane, and stopped where the nice man told us to stop. Getting off was simply a matter of driving straight off the ferry. Then we took 101 around the Olympic Peninsula,

I have driven through Seattle a couple of times, including once just after we picked up our 17b, in a driving rain storm. Going through Seattle is definitely quicker than going through Port Townsend. But the Olympic Peninsula is definitely more scenic, and if time isn't an issue, it is the way I would go. We stayed at the Hoh Valley Rain Forest Campground. which we enjoyed a lot. Campgrounds along the Oregon Coast are plentiful and very nice.

As Donna would say, "YMMV". But if you have the time, I think it would be worth it to go through Port Townsend.

[Maury&Julie]

Great info! We have over a week to get back to California so we will probably go through Port Townsend. Thanks for the information. We can't wait to get our trailer!

[advdave]

I live near Anacortes and use the Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry a few times every year. It's simple and stress free. Make reservations online, adjust if necessary, there are several sailings each day and the crossing time is about 35 minutes. A really nice option to Seattle traffic, where even a fender bender can cause huge delays. Port Townsend is a nice place to visit, also.
Hint: When traveling northbound, when you disembark the ferry at the Keystone terminal, turn left toward Coupeville, ignore the directional signs sending you the other way for purely political reasons. Likewise, if you are southbound, from Hwy 20, turn right at the Coupeville traffic light (at the overhead pedestrian bridge). This is a nice rural route, unsigned, again for reasons not associated with common sense, I think. PM if you need more info.
Congratulations on the new Escape!

[Maury&Julie]

One other nervous question. Do the ferris ever fill up? Do you need to make a reservation?

[Maury&Julie]

Thanks for anticipating my question avddave!

[Mike Lewis]

Sorry I'm thinking piecemeal here, or I would have put this all in one posting. You will need to contact WSF and reserve a spot on the ferry to Port Townsend. I think I did this through their webpage. I don't remember how far in advance you need to make the reservation; it's a day or days beforehand, not weeks.

I was going to Olympic National Park on my trip. Since you are taking US 101, I'd suggest stopping at Kalaloch campground in the park. It's right on the coast. You can stop at the park's visitors center in Port Angeles to see about availability. At that time of year Kalaloch is the only campground in the park where you might need a reservation. I also spent a few nights at the Mora campground before continuing on to Kalaloch. I didn't need a reservation for Mora.

[advdave]

The ferry gets busy on holidays and some weekends. Reservations are easily done online at the WADOT ferry website and are recommended, especially for a tow vehicle and trailer.

[Steve Clark]

Thanks Maury&Julie for asking the question, and Thank-You Techfan, Mike, Loren, LeonW and AdVDave for your responses. This is the exact route we were planning for our return trip in April. Thanks Leon, for the Hoh Valley Rain Forst tip. We really would like to see the Olympic Peninsula. The only other date we have is the Spring NOG in Waterloo. Thanks Donna!

Salad'

[JStelly]

We took this ferry last August. It was very easy and we enjoyed the experience. It was very easy drive on/drive off. We made a reservation (as many recommend) and arrived early. Rather than waiting they put us on an earlier ferry that had space available. I highly recommend it.

[JStelly]

Found the pictures.

[drpaddle]

They guide you in. They guide you out. And you get to cruise a gorgeous part of the world for a half-hour, and even the driver gets to enjoy the view.

[Dave&Kathie]

We love the ferry and would much rather take it than drive through Seattle. It's easy - drive on, drive off. Make reservations (they are easy to change). You can do it online. The little cafe at the Coupeville dock is good. On the Port Townsend side, Ft Worden is a great place to camp and 101 is a beautiful drive no matter which way you go. Here we are waiting for the ferry.
Kathie

[Loren & Cathy]

I have to add one thing about going through Seattle. I expected no quarter to be given and was unfamiliar with the roads. Yet every time I was in the wrong lane and needed to switch, after hitting my turn signal someone always dropped back to let me in. And this on a Friday afternoon. My compliments to the Seattle drivers. And yea, those ferries look like a great adventure. Loren

[NW Cat Owner]

One thing to remember when taking the ferry. Pull up as close as possible to the vehicle in front of you. If enough people did that all the time, they'd be able to fit more cars on the ferry! I get so annoyed when I see people leaving huge gaps between their vehicles, knowing there were people that weren't able to get on due to this.

Second - do get the Ivar's clam chowder on the ferry! Love that stuff, but since it has gluten and probably onions & garlic in it, I can't eat it any longer.

Third - take your binocs on board with you as it's great fun to scope out the houses along shoreline, as well as other ships/boats. And you never know if you'll spot wildlife, such as whales, orcas and/or seals.

Fourth - stand out on the deck, regardless of the weather. Great fun, especially when it's windy.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Loren & Cathy

I have to add one thing about going through Seattle. I expected no quarter to be given and was unfamiliar with the roads. Yet every time I was in the wrong lane and needed to switch, after hitting my turn signal someone always dropped back to let me in. And this on a Friday afternoon. My compliments to the Seattle drivers. And yea, those ferries look like a great adventure. Loren

I agree, one of my least favorite stretches of road is Everett to Olympia and I kind of mentally groan before I set off. But aside from some slowdowns etc. I've also been pleasantly surprised to be sailing by the skyscrapers at a good clip. Timing is everything, but it's also random. I see it as a bit of a crap shoot.

The ferries great and so much less than BC Ferries. Be aware though, if a Westerly is blowing and you suffer from seasickness then maybe giving it a pass might be a good idea. I've ridden it under those conditions and you can barely walk around without going flying. They do shut it down sometimes but it can be a rough passage in bad weather.

Ron