Updated December 4, 2023
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Whether you travel to and from Whidbey Island for business or for pleasure, you’ll likely consider traveling by ferry.
But traffic reports and recent news stories talk about a ferry system that is struggling to keep up.
So, what can you do? There are some easy ways to reduce the chances of getting caught in the extremely long lines on the Washington Ferries. Some are high-tech, and some are just plain logic. Here are a few of the main tips, including trying a Camano Island getaway, instead.
Tip 1 – Sign up for Alerts
This takes a little planning, so it won’t help the impulse trip-taker, but you can get email or text alerts from the Department of Transportation when something goes wrong or when lines start to grow. You can sign up for those alerts here.
You can choose which route or routes that you want alerts for, so you only get the messages for the routes that concern you. You’ll get alerts about wait times over an hour, if the ferries are running late, or if there’s an issue on board such as the galley is closed. This is especially important for the Coupeville ferry because tide conditions force the cancellation of some sailings and winter weather will also cause sailings to be cancelled.
Tip 2 – See Busy Travel Times
Waiting in line is never fun, and sometimes just can’t be avoided. But, there are some general travel times and days that are better than others.
Washington State Ferries has a general guide to the best and worst travel times and days of the week. You can find it by clicking here…
Generally speaking, mid-week travel away from rush hour is really the best way to go.
Make a reservation well in advance (at least a couple of days) and leave plenty of time to get to the ferry!
Tip 3 – Check the Terminal and Ferry Status
This one is good for the impulse traveler. The ferry system gives you a status update for each terminal. You’ll see the number of spaces available for each sailing and see the cameras showing if the waiting lots are full and if there are any lines.
Between this and the heat map, you might find that a leisurely dinner on the mainland will put you happily behind the peak travel time.
Click on the port name to see the ferry status:
Tip 4 – Holiday Weekends Are Always Busy
It gets crazy busy on the ferries on those three and four-day weekends. If you’re going to hop in your car on a Friday afternoon or Saturday morning to make a day of it, you’re probably going to end up frustrated. You’ll have a better experience if you use a vacation day and either come a day early or make your own three-day weekend.
Tip 5 – Reservations
Reservations are offered for the ferry sailing between Coupeville and Port Townsend, and it is highly recommended that you make reservations at least a day or two in advance. They do sell out, so planning ahead is important. There are a limited number of non-reservation spaces for each sailing, but you may end up waiting a long time for your turn.
Tip 6 – Walk, Bike, or Motorcycle
There is always room for people to walk onto the ferry, even during the busiest of times. One favorite for Whidbey Islanders is to park their car at the Coupeville ferry terminal, walk on the ferry, and make a day of it in Port Townsend. Whidbey Island is centrally located in the middle of Puget Sound, so you might want to take advantage of it.
Motorcycles nearly always get to go to the front of the line and load first and depart first. That’s why many commuters ride motorcycles.
Tip 7 – Camano Island
Camano Island gives you the full island experience without any ferry! There are plenty of great family-friendly places to eat, scenery, county and state parks, and art galleries.
Tip 8 – Deception Pass Bridge
And finally of course, you can take I-5 to S.R. 20 and go west, you’ll drive onto Whidbey Island via the scenic Deception Pass Bridge.
If your destination is at the north end of the island, such as Oak Harbor, you might consider this route as the preferred one, even if the ferry lines are short,
If the ferry wait times are more than two hours long, this route might save you time! And, there’s some great scenery along the way!
