Salem Ferry — Local services in Salem

Seasonal Ferry service running from late May till the end of October. Leaves from Long wharf in Boston (Close to Fanuel Hall Market place) to/ from the Salem Ferry Terminal at 10 Blaney st.

My experience with this service has been wonderful. The staff of about 5 to 6 are a friendly, polite and personable lot and also offer some food (sandwiches, chips etc) and drink (alcoholic and not) on board for a reasonable fee and accept card or cash.

The trip itself is very enjoyable in calm waters and non-rainy weather. It is fairly scenic with a couple lighthouses, old forts, many seaside houses and a handful of small islands mostly populated with waterfowl.

This vessel makes a one way trip in under 50 minutes giving the commuter rail a solid run for its money with a more relaxing and friendly (gasp people actually talk to each other) atmosphere.

Travel Tips: -You may want sunscreen if it is a clear day. I also reccomend arming yourself with sunglasses to make your sightseeing more enjoyable; particularly if you plan to stand on the deck as it gets rather windy with the boat up to speed.

Towards the hectic late Autumn (Salem being known for its regular Halloween Tourist population surge) it is recommended to check in on the company's website to assure a spot on the double decker vehicle as it has a boarding limit of 149 passengers.

During the "Commuter Trips" at about 7am and 5pm during the week this ferry service honors a MBTA's commuter rail monthly pass of zone 3 and higher as...

I'm a Salem resident and I am on a mission to tour all the local attractions.

About this one:

We took the ferry the other day to go from Salem to Boston and back! It is a fun, efficient way to move between the two cities. In Salem, you can park in the parking lot by the harbor if you're coming by car. The ferry (the Nathaniel Bowditch boat) has two floors, bathrooms and a bar and is medium size. Very clean and well maintained. When you are leaving/entering the harbours, the crew will give a short but informative presentation about the history of the two towns, 100% understandable both from the microphone and the speakers.

PROs Fast - about 55 minutes - efficient and scenic, especially when entering Boston. The boarding process too was very quick and easy - they leave exactly on time! Don't be late!

CONs A bit on the expensive side. We didn't know there was a discount for residents and we paid the full price, which is not cheap. Be aware, this can be a bumpy ride. I'm sure it is not necessarily all the time - I'm sure many have done this ferry on smooth, tranquil waters. It was not the case for us today, thought! It was choppy and bumpy, a bit more than what I expected from a ferry. And the boat goes fast...! If you suffer from motion sickness, I definitely recommend NOT to seat on the second floor but to stay on the first floor. And bring some layers, because the second floor is open and the first floor is covered and kind of closed, but it might get cold...

Went to this bar today 08/19/17, and experienced the worst possible service ever. Three young gentleman were working behind the bar and were more concerned about checking their phones and chatting with each other instead of waiting on the existing and approaching customer eager to purchase beverages. A women next to us had to shout three or four times to get their attention away from their phones. She was furious and said she reported the poor service while sitting right there at the bar. Not sure to whom she reported it to. One of the gentleman was continuously playing with the salt, with no gloves on, used for the pretzels. He was trying to make little piles completely oblivious that his is used on peoples food. These three individuals definitely need to be retrained in...