plymouth to provincetown express ferry

The trip to Ptown was 1/2hr. longer than scheduled, due to choppy weather. For the most part it was boring & uneventful. It was 15min. later than schedule getting back.

we wanted to go to Provincetown from Plymouth as we were told it was worth a visit and quicker than the 2 hour each way car journey. Unfortunately, the ferry stops running on Labour Day weekend. As there are still tourists around, this is a missed opportunity. We sadly did not get to Provincetown.

You really haven't experienced Cape Cod until you've at least wandered around Provincetown at the very tip of the Cape. You could drive there but doing so from Plymouth would take you an-hour-and-a-half - with the accelerator pedal pretty well jammed to the floor. Without traffic. But there is always traffic, with the weekends and public holidays seeing the most of the bumper-to-bumper stream. In which case it can easily take two-plus hours. There and then back again, choking on exhaust fumes. So give yourself a break and take a ferry ... recently my companion and I opted for the Plymouth to Provincetown ferry. You can park your car for free near Burial Hill, about a ten-minute walk from the State Pier at 77 Water Street, Plymouth; which is right next to the Mayflower II. You can't miss seeing this replica sailing ship - it draws the eye all along the waterfront.Currently, a berth on the express ferry will cost you, as follows:Adults $44 Round TripSeniors (62+) $39Children (5- 12) $33Children 4 & under are freeOne-way $35Bicycles $5Then you just put your feet up for a 90-minute hassle free ride to P-town. There are bathrooms and you can buy a limited range of finger foods/ nibble and a variety of drinks. With a bit of luck you might be pleasantly surprised with the sighting of a whale or two. On the journey back from P-town we saw a pair mature whales - and the ferry came to a stop to allow us to enjoy the spectacle of, "There she blows!" You can't ask more than that.

The only bad thing i have to say about this is that it was late leaving Plymouth, it felt like it took forever to get under way because of the photos they take (at no obligation to purchase) but we still didn't want them taken and was never given a choice as they snap it before you can even say no...the ride was very nice with great views and the narrator was very informative. Get your tickets in advance when planning a trip during the holidays as it books up fast... and bring a lot of money cause P-town is super expensive!

The staff of the boat ticket office and spoke person were very helpful in explaining the tour and points of interest in Province town.They were friendly and very interesting.

Driving to Provincetown is a chore. Driving in Provincetown is a bigger chore. Parking in Provincetown requires either a lucky charm or significant cash, or both. Why not take the ferry? When the ferry isn't delayed, it will get you from Plymouth to P-Town a bit faster than driving. Weather permitting you'll have a great boat ride, and you may even get to see some whales.We went on a Thursday and used the coupon found on the ferry website, traveling round trip for just $25.00 each. As recommended, we did make a reservation in advance. Free parking is available near the courthouse. We arrived there just about 9:00 a.m. and found plenty of available spaces. It's a ten minute walk from there to the boat. For more info, the ferry website has a link to parkplymouth.com.We found all staff, from ticket office to shore crew to ship's crew to be friendly, helpful and courteous. There's a snack bar on board and the food we had was good and reasonably priced. The ship wasn't full and we got underway just a few minutes past 10:00, arriving about 11:45 a.m. The return trip departed a few minutes after 4:30 and we arrived back in Plymouth about 6:10 p.m.. But a note of caution. Reading other Tripadvisor reviews, it seems there is some flexibility regarding departure and arrival times. I recall one reviewer mentioning a departure from schedule on a return trip in order to see some whales. Sometimes, the ferry is cancelled for various reasons. And sometimes there are planned schedule changes. Indeed, there were two changes in schedule posted on the website when we were planning our trip. In each case, the ship was departing an hour earlier in the morning.Two small negatives regarding our Trip. First, the day we went the ship was on the normal schedule of returning to Plymouth at 4:30. But as we were getting off a crew person was saying "4:15 people, 4:15." We thought the ship was departing early. So we arrived back on the pier at 4:00 and, after walking all day, were ready to board, sit down, and have a snack. But boarding wasn't allowed until 4:15! There are a (very) few chairs on the pier for waiting passengers to sit on, but they are ratty to say the least. It seems to me that a good business practice would be to open the ship and the snack bar at least a half hour before departure. Your tired passengers will be a little happier and your snack bar sales may be better.The second negative is the condition of the P-Town docking facility. You walk a narrow path along the end of the pier and then go through what can best be described as a well-worn work building complete with an old decommissioned fire truck being used both to hold tools and as a workbench. When you emerge from this dark, musty cluttered space into the sunlight you'll find the rest of the pier is better, but still quite worn and unkempt. This is in sharp contrast to the next pier over where other ferries dock.All-in-all though it was a great day, a good experience, and we will use this ferry service again.

Spent a day in Ptown- the ferry was so easy. We even enjoyed the very rough seas back to Plymouth. I suggest you bring a waterproof jacket with a hood just in case and watch for deals on Groupon.

We found a coupon on the computer and decided it was a good way to get to Provincetown. The round trip cost on a Thursday or Friday was $25 if you printed out the coupon, a great value. It took about 90 minutes each way but it was hot and the sea breeze felt wonderful, we didn't see any dolphins or whales but we didn't expect to. The trip to Provincetown was a bit choppy, luckily I had taken some Bonine and felt fine, I offered a couple of fellow passengers a Bonine and they gratefully accepted. I will happily take this ferry again the next time I want to go to Provincetown

Convenient and nice. Light menu on board and clean bathrooms. A little pricey IMO, $121 for 2 adults and 1 kid, but much easier than driving. One ferry per day, 5 hours at PTown.

The Plymouth to Provincetown ferry is a fun way to spend a few hours over in P-town without having to make the drive. The employees were professional and polite. The vessel seemed recently renovated and in pretty good shape. The bar was clean, fully stocked, with prices you’d expect on a boat. Here are some hints to get the most out of the trip: (HINT 1) Get their early to get your choice of seats. (HINT 2) Consider sitting inside. Sitting outside can be fun, but you’re in the sun and wind (and rain if present) for at least 90 minutes each way. (HINT 3) If you want to sit outside to enjoy the ocean scene but avoid being cooked by the sun, consider sitting on the starboard (right) side on the way to P-town and sit on the port (left) side when returning to Plymouth. You won’t be entirely shaded, but you will get significant shelter from the sun from the ship’s superstructure because of the northerly declination of the sun this time of year. (HINT 4) Foam earplugs make the trip more comfortable if you’re sitting in the after half of the vessel because of the engine noise. (HINT 5) Don’t make plans that rely on the boat making their scheduled times. The departures were pretty timely but the arrivals were later than expected. Speaking of timing, the boat is not a “fast ferry,” at least not like NY or Boston fast ferries, as it only seems to go about 15 knots. Just don’t make reservations for “exactly” the arrival time because the boat runs a little behind (we walked ashore in P-town at 11:50). Also, don’t plan on anything immediately after the boat arrives in Plymouth. We didn’t get off the boat until 6:25pm, about 25 mins behind schedule, mostly because the captain diverted for a while to show off some dolphins swimming in Cape Cod Bay. It was a pleasant diversion, but just don’t plan anything that requires you to be back at exactly the published return time of 6:00pm.

We go two or three times every year and always have a great time! Great ride across the bay with time to have a stroll around P-Town with stops for drinks, shopping and lunch. They have a bar that has snacks, cold drinks and a nicely stocked bar. You will see lots of Bloody Mary's even before the boat leaves the dock. Crew (including ticket agents) are always very friendly and helpful. I always call and reserve tickets but I don't think it is necessary unless it is a holiday weekend. They have a limited summer service so be sure and take this trip before the season ends.

A couple of days ago we took the ferry over from Plymouth (Mayflower Pier) to Provincetown for a day trip, my grand children were visiting. It was a delightful sunny day and we enjoyed not having to battle summer traffic across the Sagamore Bridge. Our Captain and Marine Biologist on board spotted some whales and we slowed down and stopped to enjoy the antics of a Minke Whale breaching and diving many times. We had smooth sailing going over, it was a little rougher on our return trip due to stronger head winds, but taking Dramamine as a precaution prevented any sea sickness feeling. I have lived in Plymouth for over 50 years and just want to give you readers who tend to suffer from motion sickness a little advice, never take the ferry or go on a whale watch etc... if you see white caps in the Harbor and Bay. All in all it is a fun thing to do while visiting our beautiful area.

We had a great trip back and forth to Ptown. ALL of the staff was so nice and attentive. Our picture came out great as well. While living in Weymouth and summered many years in Plymouth I thought I knew it all but the narrated tour was great! The young lady was very clear and well spoken. We have also been on the Pilgrim Belle and that’s always a good take. They do it right.

I took the Plymouth to Provincetown Ferry as a day trip because I wanted to bike the Province Lands bicycle trail. The weather was perfect, warm with no wind, and the ride was comfortable and enjoyable. The crew was helpful and courteous and bungee corded my bike to the boat rail (there are no dedicated bike racks). The time in P-town is 5 hours (11:30am - 4:30pm), which I think is too short. You can complete the Province Lands Loop from Fisherman's Pier in 5 hours, but only barely. A lot of other activities (such as the Carnival) are not possible because of the early return trip. I'd like to see them extend the stay in Provincetown by adding an hour at each end of the trip, leaving Plymouth at 9 am and leaving Providence at 5:30 pm. I've also done the 1.5 hour drive to P-town once and never again. The Plymouth to Provincetown Ferry is the only way to go.

Why invest in a boat. Spend one day (or more) traveling out of Plymouth and enjoy a leisurely ride to Provincetown. Great value and a fun way to spend the day.