SeeCalifornia.com

From San Diego to San Francisco, California’s got islands & bays,  and to get between them you can take ferry boat rides.   Newport Beach’s Balboa Island Ferry service allows cars, while the San Diego and San Francisco ferry services don’t. Here’s the run down on great California boat rides to get you around and see the town!

• BALBOA ISLAND: Balboa Island Ferry offers a short 10 minute ride between Balboa Peninsula and the man-made Balboa Island. The ferry costs around *$1 person, $2 for car & driver, and around $0.25 for a bicycle, $0.50 for motorcycle.  We have seen leashed and behaved dogs ride the ferry, though weren’t able to determine an official policy.  (balboaislandferry.com)
• SAN DIEGO – CORONADO: Operated by San Diego Harbor Excursions, the San Diego-Coronado Ferry is a commuter and tourist ride that accepts passengers, bikes, and Segways. The 15-minute ride across the bay departs from two San Diego locations; Broadway Pier and the Convention Center. It connects with Coronado Ferry Landing, a waterfront marketplace full of over 25 unique shops and restaurants. The ride costs around *$4.25 one way, under 3 free. Only service animals are allowed on ferry. (sdhe.com)
  
• SAN FRANCISCO: This heavily used system which connects workers with jobs and tourists on vacation in and around the Bay Area is operated by Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA). 1-way fares range from around *$1.50 for a Short Hop to around $6.50, one way.   Bicycles are allowed, but no cars or motorbikes. Dogs must be caged. On June 4, 2012 the San Francisco Bay Ferry opened their first new route in 20 years, an alternative to the daily grind of traffic on the Bay Bridge and along 101. The scenic 40- to 50-minute ride  offers three morning departures from Alameda Main Street and Oakland’s Jack London Square, and two evening return departures from South San Francisco’s spectacular new Oyster Point ferry terminal. Other routes include on the East Bay side–Alameda, Alameda’s Harbor Bay, and Oakland (Jack London Square). And on the San Francisco Bay side the stops include–San Francisco Ferry Building, San Francisco Pier 41, and  seasonal service to AT&T Park and Angel Island. (sanfranciscobayferry.com)

San Francisco Bay Ferry assumes operation of the Vallejo Ferry on July 1, 2012.  Working with community, civic and transit partners, WETA is actively evaluating the potential for future San Francisco Bay Ferry service to several other Bay Area locations, including Richmond, Berkeley, Treasure Island, Redwood City, Hercules, Martinez and Antioch.

*All prices listed here were obtained from official websites at time of publication and are subject to change.