The Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is completely free! For a short stay in New York City, it’s a perfect way to get closer to the Statue of Liberty! If you want to save money, too, since you can take it day or night and avoid paying for a boat tour around Manhattan.

History of Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry belongs to the New York City Department of Transportation. It was in 1817 when Staten Island established connection to Manhattan.

The ferries were originally painted in white, but became orange to be more visible on cloudy days!
Each year, over 25 million people take this ferry, or an average of 70,000 passengers a day, not counting weekends.

Where to embark?

It’s effortless: you have to head to the huge White Hall Terminal near Battery Park. You can take the 1, R, or W trains to South Ferry Station.

Once in the terminal, use the escalator to go upstairs (there are elevators too).

Then you just have to wait for the next arriving ferry. You’ll see, there’s always a lot of people waiting around, you can follow them because they’re heading to the same destination 😉
The ferry is huge, so do not be afraid when you arrive, you will board quickly!

It arrives at St George Terminal (northwest of Staten Island).

What are the hours of operation?

The ferry is available 24/7, and you don’t have to book! You can take it whenever you want!
You may know that the peak hour is between 5 pm and 7 pm 😉

How long is the ferry ride?

It takes about 25 minutes. Once in Staten Island, You can also the ferry back to Manhattan.

However, you may want to stay there to visit the Island or shop! The Empire Outlets is now open!

You can pass by the ball park and its amazing view! I’m not sure I’ll be watching the game…

And then you can visit the 9/11 Memorial of Staten Island (free access).

What’s an excellent tip to take the Staten Island Ferry?

Well, you already know that the ferry is free 😉

You may also know that it navigates through the Upper Bay, not so far away from the Statue of Liberty. I always recommend the visit of the Statue and Ellis Island, but if you stay in NYC for a short time, you can take the Staten Island Ferry and get closer to the Statue.

You will also enjoy an exceptional view of the skyline of New York.

You can also see Governors Island from the ferry!

Conclusion

The Staten Island Ferry is a free in New York, and it’s a good travel tip if you can’t make it to Liberty Island to greet Miss Liberty! You can get close enough to admire the view and take pictures.
The crossing is also very pleasant and offers a splendid view on the Skyline of Manhattan.
Official Website: www.siferry.com