Asia In
Hong Kong,
Star Ferry carries passengers across
Victoria Harbour. Other carriers ferry travelers between Hong Kong Island and outlying islands like
Cheung Chau,
Lantau Island and
Lamma Island. In the
Philippines, the
Philippine Nautical Highway System forms the backbone of the nationwide transport system by integrating
ports with
highway systems; the system has three main routes. Another known ferry service is the
Pasig River Ferry Service, which is the only water-based transportation in
Metro Manila. This system cruises the
Pasig River.
Bangladesh India India's
ro-ro ferry service between
Ghogha and
Dahej was inaugurated on 22 October 2017. It aims to connect
South Gujarat and
Saurashtra currently separated by of roadway to of ferry service. It is a part of the larger
Sagar Mala project.
Water transport in Mumbai consists of ferries, hovercraft, and catamarans, operated by various government agencies as well as private entities. The
Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD), operating under the Ministry of Transport,
Government of Kerala,
India regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state of
Kerala and provides inland water transport facilities. It stands for catering to the passenger and cargo traffic needs of the inhabitants of the waterlogged areas of the Districts of
Alappuzha,
Kottayam,
Kollam,
Ernakulam,
Kannur and
Kasargode. SWTD ferry service is also one of the most affordable modes to enjoy the beauty of the scenic
Kerala backwaters. Ferry operates between
Port Blair,
Havelock and
Neil Islands in the
Andaman Islands while Boat Operates For
Ross Island, North Bay, Elephanta Beach, Red Skin, Jolly Bouy. Ferries and
catamarans are operated by Green Ocean, Makruzz, ITT Majestic, Nautika. The
Kochi Water Metro is a public water transport system serving the
Kochi metropolitan area in the Indian state of
Kerala. It operates as an extension of the city’s urban transit network and the
Kochi Metro, linking the mainland with surrounding islands through a series of scheduled ferry routes. Managed by
Kochi Metro Rail Limited, the system employs battery-powered electric boats and includes multiple terminals across the Kochi backwaters. The service was inaugurated in April 2023 and represents one of the first organized water metro projects in India designed for regular commuter use.
Indonesia As the largest archipelagic country, Indonesia has several ferry routes which is managed mostly by PT. ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) and several private companies.
ASDP Indonesia Ferry or ASDP is a state-owned company engaged in the business of integrated ferry and port services and waterfront tourist destinations. ASDP operates a ferry fleet of more than 160 units handling more than 300 routes in 36 ports throughout Indonesia.
Japan Japan used to rely heavily on ferries for passenger and goods transportation among the four main islands of
Hokkaido,
Honshu,
Shikoku and
Kyushu. However, as highway and railway bridges and undersea tunnels (such as the
Seikan Tunnel and
Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project) have been constructed, the ferry transportation has recently become for short-distance sightseeing passengers with or without car, and for long-distance truck drivers hauling goods. File:Yawatahama ferry.jpg|The number of actual seats has traditionally been very limited like on this Japanese passenger ferry, with larger spaces dedicated to
tatami or
broadloom areas where passengers can sit or lie down (on
Shikoku and
Kyushu ferry, 2014). File:On Yamagawa-Nejime Ferry - Inside the ferry Nankyu (2023).jpg|Inside a short distance ferry, the ,
Kagoshima, Japan (2023) File:東九フェリー船内バイク駐輪機.jpg|Long-distance ferries are also used by motorcyclists.(Ocean Tokyu Ferry, 2019) File:オーシャン東九フェリー船内.jpg|A second-class cabin on the ferry connecting Tokyo and Kitakyushu. A simple bed with curtains.(Ocean Tokyu Ferry, 2019)
Malaysia in
George Town,
Penang The
Malaysian state of
Penang is home to the
oldest ferry service in the country. The first regular ferry service operating across the
Penang Strait between George Town and Province Wellesley (now
Seberang Perai) was launched in 1894 by Quah Beng Kee and his brothers. The iconic yellow double-deck
roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferries were introduced in 1957. Between 1959 and 2002, a total of 15 vessels were commissioned for the service. Currently operated by Penang Port Sdn Bhd, the ferry service has evolved over the decades. The RORO ferries were retired in 2021, with speedboats temporarily replacing them. In 2023, these speedboats were succeeded by four newly-built catamarans, which now serve only passengers and motorcyclists. These catamarans operate between the
Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal in George Town and the
Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal in Seberang Perai.
Russian Federation Due to the geographical features of Russia, it has a large number of both sea and river ferry crossings. Car ferries operate from the continental part of Russia to Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Japan. The Ust-Luga – Kaliningrad ferry also runs, until February 2022 ferries also ran from St. Petersburg to different cities of the Baltic Sea. Before the construction of the Kerch Bridge, there was a ferry across the Kerch Strait, whose service was resumed after the
Kerch bridge explosion. There are also more than 100 ferry crossings on different rivers in Russia. These are usually symmetrical through ferries with two ramps for quick entry and exit of cars. For some categories of car owners, these ferries may be free if there is no alternative crossing of the river.
Europe Scotland In Scotland, ferry services form a vital part of the national transport network, connecting the mainland with more than sixty inhabited islands and linking remote peninsulas to the rest of the country.
Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), operating under contract with
Transport Scotland, runs the largest network, serving communities across the west coast and the Hebrides. A range of smaller operators, including local authorities and private companies, provide additional river, coastal, and inter-island services. Ferries have long played an important role in Scotland’s transport history, and they remain essential today for residents, freight, and tourism owing to the country’s rugged coastline and widely dispersed island communities.
England The busiest seaway in the world, the
English Channel, connects England and mainland Europe, with ships sailing from the English ports of
Dover,
Newhaven, Poole,
Portsmouth and
Plymouth to French ports, such as
Calais,
Dunkirk,
Dieppe,
Roscoff,
Cherbourg-Octeville,
Caen,
St Malo and
Le Havre. The busiest ferry route to France is the Dover to Calais crossing with approximately 9,168,000 passengers using the service in 2018. Ferries from England also sail to Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Ireland. Some ferries carry mainly tourist traffic, but most also carry freight, and some are exclusively for the use of freight lorries. In England, car-carrying ferries are sometimes referred to as
RORO (roll-on, roll-off) for the ease by which vehicles can board and leave.
Denmark The busiest single ferry route in terms of the number of departures is across the northern part of
Øresund, between
Helsingborg,
Scania,
Sweden and
Elsinore,
Denmark. Before the
Øresund bridge was opened in July 2000, car and "car and train" ferries departed up to seven times every hour (every 8.5 minutes). This has since been reduced, but a car ferry still departs from each harbor every 15 minutes during daytime. The route is around and the crossing takes 22 minutes. Today, all ferries on this route are constructed so that they do not need to turn around in the harbors. This also means that the ferries lack
stems and sterns, since the vessels sail in both directions. Starboard and port-side are dynamic, depending on the direction the ferry sails. Despite the short crossing, the ferries are equipped with restaurants (on three out of four ferries), cafeterias, and kiosks. Passengers without cars often make a double or triple return journey in the restaurants; for this, a single journey ticket is sufficient. Passenger and bicycle passenger tickets are inexpensive compared with longer routes.
Baltic Sea Large
cruiseferries sail in the
Baltic Sea between
Finland,
Åland,
Sweden,
Estonia,
Latvia and
Saint Petersburg,
Russia. In many ways, these ferries are like
cruise ships, but they can also carry hundreds of cars on car decks. Besides providing passenger and car transport across the sea,
Baltic Sea cruiseferries are a popular tourist destination unto themselves, with multiple restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shops and entertainment on board.
Helsinki was the busiest international passenger ferry port in the world in 2017 with over 11.8 million passengers whilst the second business international ferry port, Dover, had 11.7 million passengers. The Helsinki-
Tallinn route alone accounted for nine million passengers. In 2022 the port of Helsinki had almost 8 million passengers, of which 6.3 million travelled between Helsinki and Tallinn. Additionally many smaller ferries operate on domestic routes in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The south-west and southern parts of the Baltic Sea has several routes mainly for heavy traffic and cars. The ferry routes of
Rødby-
Puttgarden,
Trelleborg-
Rostock,
Trelleborg-
Travemünde,
Trelleborg-
Świnoujście,
Gedser-
Rostock,
Gdynia-
Karlskrona, and
Ystad-
Świnoujście are all typical
transports ferries. On the longer of these routes, simple cabins are available. Some of these routes previously also carried trains, but since 2020 these trains are instead routed around the Baltic via the
Great Belt fixed link and
Jutland.
Turkey In
Istanbul, ferries connect the European and Asian shores of
Bosphorus, as well as
Princes' Islands and nearby coastal towns. In 2014,
İDO transported 47 million passengers, the largest ferry system in the world.
Italy water taxi station in Venice, Italy The largest ferry system in
Italy is in
Venice. The city's
water taxis (
Italian: ''taxi d'acqua'') provide service all around the city's
canals. They can carry up to 10 people. They operate on a series of lines that stop at different locations around Venice.
Sweden The world's shortest ferry line is the
Ferry Lina in
Töreboda,
Sweden. It takes around 20–25 seconds and is hand powered. File:Silja Symphony Kustaanmiekka.jpg| leaving
Helsinki via the Kustaanmiekka strait to the
Baltic Sea. File:HSF Festos Palace wisnia6522.jpg|Ro-Pax
Festos Palace in
Piraeus, Greece File:Road ferry Merisilta.jpg|A road ferry between
Oulu and the
Hailuoto Island on the
Bothnian Bay File:Bridge and deck of Gullbritt.jpg|alt=|M/S
Gullbritt in the
Gullmar Fjord close to
Lysekil,
Sweden. Sweden has many of these yellow ferries that are run by the
Swedish Transport Administration. Almost all of them are free of charge.
North America Canada Due to the numbers of large freshwater lakes and length of shoreline in Canada, various provinces and territories have ferry services. On Canada's west coast,
BC Ferries operates the third largest ferry service in the world. Travellers are carried from various points on the
British Columbia mainland to destinations such as
Vancouver Island, the
Gulf Islands and
Haida Gwaii. In 2015, BC Ferries carried more than 8 million vehicles and 20 million passengers. Other operations include the
Seabus, a part of Vancouver's
public transit system which crosses
Burrard Inlet, and
False Creek Ferries, a privately operated service that operates in and around
False Creek. Multiple
inland ferries also operate across various lakes and rivers throughout the province. The east coast has been home to numerous inter- and intra-provincial ferry and coastal services, including a large network operated by the federal government under
CN Marine and later
Marine Atlantic. Private and publicly owned ferry operations in eastern Canada include Marine Atlantic, serving the island of
Newfoundland, as well as
Bay Ferries,
Northumberland Ferries,
CTMA,
Coastal Transport, and
STQ. Canadian waters in the
Great Lakes once hosted numerous ferry services, but these have been reduced to those offered by
Owen Sound Transportation Company and several smaller operations. There are also several commuter passenger ferry services operated in major cities, such as
Metro Transit in
Halifax, and
Toronto Island ferries in Toronto. There is also the
Société des traversiers du Québec.
United States The largest ferry system in the United States is the public
Washington State Ferries system in the
Pacific Northwest, which has ten routes on
Puget Sound and around the
San Juan Islands. In 2025, the system carried 20.1million total passengers and 9.4million vehicles aboard its 21 vessels, which are able to carry up to 1,793 passengers and 202 vehicles on a single trip. The ferries serve commuters in the
Seattle metropolitan area as well as tourist and recreational traffic. The region also has a number of passenger-only services that are operated by other public agencies as well as private companies.
Kitsap Transit operates local foot ferries within its local area and "
fast ferries" to Seattle that carried 1.2million passengers in 2024. Due to the North Carolina coast's geography, consisting of numerous sounds, inlets, tidal arms, and islands, ferry transportation is essential in the region. The state operates twelve routes, eight of which are under the oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division, three of which are under the direct oversight of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and one of which is under the oversight of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Three of the Ferry Division routes are tolled, and all ferry routes operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation carry both vehicles and pedestrians, although certain vessels only carry pedestrians and cyclists. The National Park Service additionally works with private companies to offer ferry service to locations such as Cape Lookout and Portsmouth. The
Alaska Marine Highway System provides service between
Bellingham, Washington, and various towns and villages throughout Southeast and Southwest Alaska, including crossings of the
Gulf of Alaska. AMHS provides access to many small communities with no road connection or airport. The
Staten Island Ferry in
New York City, sailing between the boroughs of
Manhattan and
Staten Island, is the nation's single busiest ferry route by passenger volume. Unlike riders on many other ferry services, Staten Island Ferry passengers do not pay any fare to ride it. New York City also has a network of smaller ferries, or
water taxis, that shuttle commuters along the
Hudson River from locations in
New Jersey and Northern
Manhattan down to the midtown, downtown and Wall Street business centers. Several ferry companies also offer service linking midtown and lower Manhattan with locations in the boroughs of
Queens and
Brooklyn, crossing the city's
East River. New York City Mayor
Bill de Blasio announced in February 2015 that city would begin an expanded Citywide Ferry Service, and launched as
NYC Ferry in 2017, linking heretofore relatively isolated communities such as
Manhattan's
Lower East Side,
Soundview in
The Bronx,
Astoria and
the Rockaways in
Queens and such
Brooklyn neighborhoods as
Bay Ridge,
Sunset Park, and
Red Hook with existing ferry landings in
Lower Manhattan and
Midtown Manhattan. A second expansion phase connected
Staten Island to the West Side of Manhattan, and added a stop in Throgs Neck, in the Bronx. NYC Ferry is now the largest passenger fleet in the United States. The
New Orleans area also has many ferries that carry both vehicles and pedestrians. Most notable is the Algiers Ferry, which has been in continuous operation since 1827 and is one of the oldest operating ferries in North America. In New England, vehicle-carrying ferry services between mainland
Cape Cod and the islands of
Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket are operated by
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, which sails year-round between
Woods Hole and
Vineyard Haven as well as
Hyannis and
Nantucket. Seasonal service is also operated from Woods Hole to
Oak Bluffs during the summer and fall. As there are no bridges or tunnels connecting the islands to the mainland, The Steamship Authority ferries in addition to being the only method for transporting private cars to or from the islands, also ferry heavy freight and supplies, such as construction materials and fuel, competing with tug and barge companies. Additionally,
Hy-Line Cruises operates high-speed catamaran service from Hyannis to both islands, and several smaller operations run seasonal passenger-only service primarily geared towards tourist
day-trippers from other mainland ports, including
New Bedford, (New Bedford Fast Ferry)
Falmouth, (Island Queen ferry and Falmouth Ferry) and
Harwich (Freedom Cruise Line). Ferries also bring riders and vehicles across
Long Island Sound to such
Connecticut cities as
Bridgeport and
New London, and to
Block Island in
Rhode Island from points on
Long Island. Transbay commuting in the
San Francisco Bay Area was primarily ferry-based until bridges were built from the 1920s to the 1960s. Prior to the bridges, car ferries were popular. Large trains were also moved across the water on ferries, reducing the time to go around the rivers and bay. By the 1970s, ferries were primarily used by tourists with
Golden Gate Ferry, an organization under the ownership of the same governing body as the
Golden Gate Bridge, left as the sole commute operator. The
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake prompted the restoration of service to the
East Bay. The modern ferry network is primarily under the authority of
San Francisco Bay Ferry, connecting with cities as far as
Vallejo. Tourist excursions are also offered by
Blue & Gold Fleet and
Red & White Fleet. A ferry serves
Angel Island (which also accepts private craft).
Alcatraz is served exclusively by ferry service administered by the
National Park Service. Until the completion of the
Mackinac Bridge in the 1950s, ferries were used for vehicle transportation between the
Lower and the
Upper Peninsulas of
Michigan, across the
Straits of Mackinac in the United States. Ferry service for
bicycles and passengers continues across the straits for transport to
Mackinac Island, where motorized vehicles are almost completely prohibited. This crossing is made possible by two ferry lines
Shepler's Ferry and
Mackinac Island Ferry Company (formerly Star Line). A ferry service runs between
Milwaukee, Wisconsin and
Muskegon, Michigan operated by
Lake Express. Another ferry
SS Badger operates between
Manitowoc, Wisconsin and
Ludington, Michigan. Both cross
Lake Michigan. Numerous additional inland ferry routes exist in the United States, such as the
Cave-In-Rock Ferry across the Ohio River, and the
Benton-Houston Ferry across the Tennessee River.
Mexico Mexico has ferry services run by
Baja Ferries that connect
La Paz located on the Baja California Peninsula with
Mazatlán and
Topolobampo. Passenger ferries also run from
Playa del Carmen to the island of
Cozumel. File:Spirit of vi 3.jpg| en route to
Tsawwassen from
Swartz Bay. Route 1 is
BC Ferries busiest route. File:MV Suquamish leaving Mukilteo (Feb. 2020).jpg| sailing from
Mukilteo to
Clinton, one of ten routes served by
Washington State Ferries. File:LeConte Kennicott 30.jpg|Alaska Marine Highway System ferries
MV LeConte and
MV Kennicott near
Juneau, Alaska South America There are several ferries in South America.
Chacao Channel has ferry lines.
Oceania Australia In Australia, two
Spirit of Tasmania ferries carry passengers and vehicles across
Bass Strait, the body of water that separates
Tasmania from the Australian mainland, often under turbulent sea conditions. These run overnight but also include day crossings in peak time. Both ferries are based in the northern Tasmanian port city of
Devonport and sail to
Geelong. Before Geelong this ferry used to sail to
Melbourne. The double-ended Freshwater-class ferry cuts an iconic shape as it makes its way up and down Sydney Harbour
New South Wales,
Australia between
Manly and
Circular Quay.
New Zealand In New Zealand, ferries connect
Wellington in the
North Island with
Picton in the
South Island, linking New Zealand's two main islands. The route is , and is run by two companies – government-owned
Interislander, and independent
Bluebridge, who say the trip takes three and half hours. File:Devonport-Spirit-Of-Tasmania-2008.jpg| at port in
Devonport, Australia. File:Sydney Ferry Freshwater.jpg|The Manly Ferry '
MV Freshwater' ==Types==