It is not guarnateed that you will see them every time so don't be disappointed if they are not there. There is no way the 300 cars that passed me all had medical emergencies. The ride itself takes about fifteen minutes so the kids can get out and go upstairs and watch for dolphins--which we frequently see, BE WARNED..in the summer (especially evenings) the lines can be REALLY long. The FREE ferry, run by the Texas DOT, is the only way a car can cross the water between Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island. Where do you get on? Other than the long wait at times there's nothing but good things to say. Feed the seagulls at the rear of the ferry only. Escape278622 wrote a review Yesterday. This is a free ferry that goes from the island to the mainland. Galveston Landing 1000 Ferry Road North, Galveston, TX 77550 | Bolivar Landing 123 Texas Highway 87, Port Bolivar, TX 77650, © 2020 Houston TranStar. Ferry Cam 3. ferrycam1. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Summertime wait times suck - See 4,063 traveller reviews, 1,212 candid photos, and great deals for Galveston, TX, at Tripadvisor. THE GALVESTON-BOLIVAR FERRY - FREE RIDE (Opened in 1930) Approaching the Bolivar Peninsula from Galveston Island, the visitor will be delighted to find the bay crossing will be accomplished by driving onto a free highway department ferry boat. My daughter and I had a great time on the Ferry it was the first time she was on a boat like this. The Galveston-Bolivar ferry is the link between Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula on Hwy 87. Several ferries were running so the wait wasn't too bad. One vessel is in operation 24 hours per day. The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry takes travelers on SH 87 between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Been here 5+ times . each. A second vessel will be placed in service at 6:30 a.m. After this departure, the two vessels will operate based on traffic volumes, and will space themselves to carry traffic as efficiently and safely as possible. Date of experience: November 2020. Generally, on the ferry, there are very little to no wait times to board. Current Ferry Locations. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Go early in the day....no waiting time - See 4,065 traveller reviews, 1,212 candid photos, and great deals for Galveston, TX, at Tripadvisor. Applications for the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry also may be obtained at the ferry office on Texas 87 at the Galveston landing, or at TxDOT's Houston district office, 7721 Washington. Where do you get on? Lauren Smith May 19, 2012. Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum. The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry takes travelers on SH 87 between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Applications for the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry also may be obtained at the ferry office on Texas 87 at the Galveston landing, or at TxDOT's Houston district office, 7721 Washington. Get out of your vehicle and look for dolphins...seen several! All reviews free ride crystal beach free fun bring bread free dolphin dolphins swimming crackers sea gulls nice ride long wait park your car saw dolphins observation deck minute ride both ways ship channel top deck fun trip seawolf park birds peninsula porpoises. © 2007-2016 Texas Department of Transportation. Wait times for the ferry was almost 2.5 hours at one point Sunday. Dolphins often accompany the 588 ton ferries on their three mile crossing. We also saw Dolphins everytime which was really fun to see. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry Galveston A great service 699967657 I loooove riding the ferry. No swimming and/or diving from the ferry. You can feed birds on the the back of the boat. Vehicles must be turned off as soon as you are parked on the ferry vessel or when directed to do so by the ferry crew. The free Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. An overview of the family oriented resort community of Crystal Beach, Texas on the Bolivar Peninsula. South of IH-10, State Highway 87 is the only highway around Galveston Bay. Galveston Landing Camera. To check the most recent Ferry wait times, click here to view the official DOT feed for the Port Aransas Ferry Operations. We took the ferry for the scenic view on Wednesday afternoon and waited over an hour. © 2007-2016 Texas Department of Transportation. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Review the Bolivar Ferry? Houston TranStar Freeway Cameras. The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry is the bridge between two segments of Highway 87. Bolivar Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved. For more information, visit TxDOT's ferry information page. Due to this being the first time that the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry boats were open for business since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place across Texas, wait times for a ferry were as long as 2.5 hours over the weekend. Bolivar Landing Camera. Crystal Beach News & Events You have to take a ferry where you wait in line for 2-4 hours depending on how much traffic there is, drive onto the ferry, sail across the bay, and drive off the ferry onto the Bolivar Peninsula. No wait time and can go and stay on to come back instead of waiting both ways. During busy periods, multiple ferries run, but the cars waiting also increase. Free ferry for automobiles and pedestrians between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula. Get out of your car and ride up on the front - you might see dolphins playing in the water. It took us about 1 hour 45 minutes from the time we got to the ferry til we got on one, rode over to Bolivar, turned around, waited in line and came back. Ferry Terminal To Port Bolivar, the most popular way onto Galveston, is also the city’s most popular attraction!The free port bolivar ferry ride in Texas. The busiest time of year is Memorial Day to Labor Day. Specialties: The Galveston Ferry provides transportation to Bolivar Peninsula and back. Unless you buy the yearly pass for $250 for a fats pass lane I took the ferry on Tuesday 11/23/20. TranStar has a web page that shows the current ferry wait times on the weekends and during peak usage. Beaches on the Bolivar Peninsula are among the few open. Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles. Bolivar Chamber of Commerce. Service between Galveston and Port Bolivar is currently provided via a ferry operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) linking both halves of State Highway 87.The state-operated ferry has operated since 1934, replacing earlier operations. We… The ferry ride is about 25 minutes, but waiting times for the ferry can be considerably longer, especially on busy weekends. It is free and they enjoyed it. Do not worry if the reported wait time is too long, instructions for walking onto the ferry is below. Travel Destinations. A give this a must do. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Great view but beware of wait time - See 4,069 traveller reviews, 1,221 candid photos, and great deals for Galveston, TX, at Tripadvisor. But, it's completely free, so what more could you ask for. A second vessel will be placed in service at 6:30 a.m. After this departure, the two vessels will operate based on traffic volumes, and will space themselves to carry traffic as efficiently and safely as possible. About. Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry passengers can expect long wait times today, especially for those en route to the Bolivar Peninsula. Get a huge bag of knock off Cheerios for the seagulls. The Galveston-Bolivar ferry is the link between Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula on Hwy 87. Saw dolphins on the way over and the way back. Work it! Bookmark this page and check back as these popular webcams come back online soon. Good views of the bay, ship traffic, and sometimes wildlife. Ride the Bolivar Ferry Ferry Wait Times Map of the Area Subdivisions-Mileage from Ferry: ALTERNATE ROUTE FROM HOUSTON (to avoid the Ferry): Take I-10 east to Winnie (exit# 828), then head south on Highway 124 until you come to the beach road, Highway 87. It's probably quicker. As of 1:25 p.m., the wait time was more than 90 minutes on the Galveston side, according to a tweet from ferry officials. The ferry is a good place to throw food to the seagulls. We always make time to ride the free ferry to Bolivar. It's nice to be able to grab a free ride over to Galveston! Both times I have left Galveston, I have waited over an hour to board the ferry. Share. Travel. Then I would recommend adding at least 15 min to that number - Then I would recommend adding at least 15 min to that number - Meg April 23, 2015 Typically on holidays, wait times for the Bolivar ferry can range from 30 to 90 minutes, she said. Terrific views of the bay between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula and the occasional dolphin make the Galveston ferry ride especially exciting for kids visiting for the first time. Long wait times on even non-holiday trips and few ferry's running. 409-795-2230 is the number to call to check ferry wait times. 48. It is rare to see the ferry ever get backed up. - See 4,041 traveler reviews, 1,173 candid photos, and great deals for Galveston, TX, at Tripadvisor. The Galveston-Bolivar Ferry connects Galveston Island to the Bolivar Peninsula and the family oriented resort community of Crystal Beach, Texas. Good fun, free alternative to a beach day. We rode the ferry over to bolivar peninsula on a Sunday and had a long wait of about an hour then but that is expected. The quarter-mile route typically takes less than ten minutes, although peak summer hours may require drivers to wait longer. The highlight was the spectacular sunset across the bay. The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry is the bridge between two segments of State Highway 87. Important Phone Numbers, Events, Area Info, Tourism http://www.bolivarchamber.org/Default.aspx. All rights reserved. Jul 18, 2016 - Galveston-Bolivar Ferry. One vessel is in operation 24 hours per day. For additional information or special needs, please call (409) 795-2230. Ferry Webcams - … Do not sit on the rails of the vessel. Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. Texas Gulf Coast, Texas 31 contributions 2 helpful votes +1. Bolivar Ferry. As described here , the 264-foot boat was built by Conrad Industries in Morgan City, La. I really can't comment on its operation post-'Ike', but it seemed to always run smoothly. Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Long Wait Times - See 4,045 traveler reviews, 1,174 candid photos, and great deals for Galveston, TX, at Tripadvisor. The Texas Department of Transportation was appropriated approximately $96.2 million in Other Funds from the State Highway Fund for the 2018–19 biennium to support the operation of the ferry systems. … Read more. Turn right, go about 17 miles to Crystal Beach. Free! COVID update: Galveston Island - Port Bolivar Ferry has updated their hours and services. The 2.7 mile trip takes about 18 minutes. I don't love the long wait times for it sometimes though. A service provided FREE to all travelers 24 hours a day by TX-Dot since 1934. Crystal Beach News & Events The ferry is a good place to throw food to the seagulls. Part-Time Field Paramedic; Head Pool Lifeguard / Parks & Recreation; Marlin Academy / Parks & Recreation; Police Officer; Beach Worker / Public Works; Heavy Equipment Operator-Streets / Public Works; Home » ferrycam3. My major complaint is on the Bolivar side, they have added a medical emergency lane. Galveston - Port Bolivar. Get a huge bag of knock off Cheerios for the seagulls. I don't love the long wait times for it sometimes though. Over an hour wait both ways. Note: Some webcams were damaged during Hurricane Harvey and are still under repair. of Transportation (TxDOT), travel time is 18 minutes to cross on the ferry compared to approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes to drive the 144.0 miles around Galveston Bay. A service provided FREE to all travelers 24 hours a day by TX-Dot since 1934. more, This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC, Recommended experiences in and around Galveston Island. Some people tested the limits of the beach closures. Ask keobouasay about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Ask SSC014 about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Ask Tesha M about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Ask JenM100 about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Ask speek201 about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Ask Dan31903 about Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, La Quinta Inns & Suites in Galveston Island, Holiday Inns Club Vacations in Galveston Island, InterContinental (IHG) Hotels in Galveston Island, Hotels near Old Silk Stocking Historic District, Hotels near Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry, Hotels near Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Hotels near (IAH) George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Hotels near University of Texas Medical Branch, Hotels near Texas A&M University at Galveston, Dolphin & Whale Watching in Galveston Island, Waterskiing & Jetskiing in Galveston Island, Nature & Wildlife Tours in Galveston Island, Self-Guided Tours & Rentals in Galveston Island, Vespa, Scooter & Moped Tours in Galveston Island, Horse-Drawn Carriage Tours in Galveston Island, Horseback Riding Tours in Galveston Island, Sports Camps & Clinics in Galveston Island, Boat Tours & Water Sports in Galveston Island, Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Galveston Island, Fishing Charters & Tours in Galveston Island, Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Galveston Island, Gift & Speciality Shops in Galveston Island, Architectural Buildings in Galveston Island, Sacred & Religious Sites in Galveston Island, Historic Walking Areas in Galveston Island, Observation Decks & Towers in Galveston Island, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Galveston Island, Churches & Cathedrals in Galveston Island, Nature & Wildlife Areas in Galveston Island, Game & Entertainment Centres in Galveston Island, Paint & Pottery Studios in Galveston Island, Beer Tastings & Tours in Galveston Island, Health/Fitness Clubs & Gyms in Galveston Island, Conference & Convention Centres in Galveston Island, Water & Amusement Parks in Galveston Island, Galveston - Port Bolivar Ferry: Tickets & Tours‎, Galveston Island Visitors Center: Tickets & Tours‎, Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum: Tickets & Tours‎, Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier: Tickets & Tours‎, Lee and Joe Jamail Bay Park: Tickets & Tours‎, Galveston's 61st Street Fishing Pier: Tickets & Tours‎, Devil And The Deep Brewery: Tickets & Tours‎. 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