Whenever I travel, I like to take a ferry. Ferries are a great way to see a city or area from the water. They can break up a long drive, or give you some downtime after a long day on foot. Best of all they are usually very cheap or even free and you often meet some interesting people on board.

Last week, when I was in Halifax, I took the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth for $3. It was interesting to see the preparations for Sail GP, one of the largest sailing events in the world and all the naval ships in the harbour. My friends who live there were telling me they’ve seen increased activity since Canada has committed to spending more on our national defence.

On the ferry ride home, I met two of the crew members from the British crew competing in Sail GP. Their home base was on the Dartmouth side, but they were staying in Halifax. They are currently in second place in the circuit, hoping to bump the Aussies out of first place. I asked them what their life was like. The racing season starts in January and goes until November. They travel to 13 different countries, staying a little over two weeks in each spot, all expenses paid. Their favourite courses to race are Sydney, Australia, New York and Halifax and their least favourite was Dubai. What a life!  

In February, Dave and I took the ferry from the one side of the Bosphorous in Istanbul to our home base in Taksim for about $2.50 each. The ferry system in Istanbul is extensive and we had great views of the Maiden’s Tower, an ancient watchtower and all the boat traffic from fishing boats to tour boats, high end power boats and commercial vessels in the busy harbour.

Here are some of my favourite ferries I’ve taken in the past few years on my travels:

• The ferry from Armadale to Mallaig in the Isle of Skye in the highlands in Scotland. Last summer, my best friend Leslie and I saw dolphins right off the boat.
• The cable ferries in Cape Breton in Englishtown and Little Narrows. Cable ferries are a throwback to earlier days when ferries were manually propelled with a crank or by pulling on a cable. There are about 65 still operating in Canada.
• If you’re visiting Kingston this summer, be sure to hop on the free Wolfe Islander to see Kingston by the water. Stop at Spicer’s Dockside Grill or the Hotel Wolfe Island for a drink or something to eat on their waterfront patios.
• The two ferry trip from L’etete, New Brunswick (between Saint John and St. Andrews by the Sea) to Deer Island and Campobello Island. The second ferry is privately owned and is a riot because you literally drive onto a beach to get onto the ferry.

More travel hacks and tips:

• The Canadian government has dropped the fares by half for ferries to Newfoundland this summer.
• If you’re travelling down east and need a break from all the driving, take the ferry from Digby, NS to Saint John, NB.
• Longer distance ferries book up fast so book well in advance and pay attention to the time you need to be there (most are 1 hour in advance, the Newfoundland ferries are 2 hours). If you arrive late, you may miss your spot. This happened to us a few years ago catching the ferry from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast in BC.
• Today is the last day for Sail GP in Halifax. You can catch all the action on the Sail GP YouTube channel.

Happy sailing!

Photos: Above: ferry landing on the beach on Deer Island, NB. Below: Ferry traffic on the Bosphorous in Istanbul and view of Galata Tower in Taksim district. Navy ship in Halifax harbour.