Ferry
For a number of reasons I would generally be classified as a car guy. I love to drive, but sitting in a car at rush hour or jumping aboard a bus to sit in traffic are, to put it mildly, irritating. Here in San Francisco we are blessed with a pretty decent public transit system, and it is one of the few in the country whose transportation options are also tourist attractions. The two main systems that can be considered part of the tourist route for the city are the famous cable cars and the not-so-well-known ferry system. The central boarding points of the ferry system are the San Francisco Ferry Terminal and Pier 39 in San Francisco, where you can board for multiple destinations, including Oakland, Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon.
For commuters from Marin, the ferry is a well known and popular mode of transportation. After all, you can either park nearby, or ride your bike to the ferry and take it on board, then ride to your final destination, all with access to the internet, views of the Golden Gate Bridge and a bar for those tougher work day commutes home.
From Sausalito, the trip takes about 30 minutes and has excellent views of the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the entire San Francisco skyline. I can also personally attest to the popularity of the ferry with tourists. On my most recent trip home on a nice sunny day, there was an endless line of rented bikes disembarking, all with their little map outlining recommended routes. Many of them had rented a bike from one of the many locations throughout the city and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge and then either planned to take the ferry back or ended up at the dock somehow.
Money Saving Tip: For frequent users of public transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend the Clipper card, which gives you access to the Ferry, BART and SF Muni with one card. Not only is it convenient, it gives commuter rates to the rider is of the ferry.
For schedule and rate information check out the following links:
Golden Gate Ferry serving Larkspur & Sausalito
Blue and Gold Fleet serving Alcatraz and Angel Island
East Bay Ferry serving the East Bay
Bay Link Ferry serving Vallejo
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