i heard riding a ferry to the statue of liberty and the Ellis island was a pain in the butt. Do i have to wait long even if i catch the first ferry and get the tickets online? Is there only one ferry that goes directly to statue of liberty and Ellis island or are there more options? If i'm planning on catching the first ferry and buying tickets online, how long do you think i will have to wait? i'm going on Dec. 18th by the way.
2006-12-11 04:50:07 · 6 answers · asked by kimcpm 2 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ New York City
I don't know that catching the first ferry will necessarily be the best way to avoid lines!
So many tourists are up early in the morning, and all head down there to catch that first ferry! You might be better off taking the second or third and let the crowds subside a little.
Either way - definitely get reservations before you go!
There is only one ferry that goes to the Statue/Ellis Island.
Also, there is security screening, so try and pack light, and don't bring any large bags with you.
2006-12-11 05:02:52 · answer #1 · answered by Marie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We were there last summer and caught the first or second ferry of the day and it wasn't too bad. There weren't really any big lines to speak of...a little to get on the ferry itself, but you have to expect that when you're going to one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. We spent some time at the Statue of Liberty and then hopped the ferry to Ellis Island and spent a couple hours there. By the time we got back to Battery Park, the lines were HUGE - so my recommendation would definitely be to get there early and get on the first or second ferry of the day.
2006-12-11 06:17:49 · answer #2 · answered by DGS 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The parks service has instituted a "time pass reservation system" so, perhaps the waiting in line is less now than it was in the past (see link below).
As an alternative (if you're cheap like me) take the Staten Island Ferry ... it goes right by the Statute of Liberty (close enough for a good picture) and is FREE. The round trip from lower Manhattan to Staten Island and back takes about an hour. You get a spectacular view of the city and it's definitely worth taking the trip at sunset when the lights on all the bridges are coming on. You won't get to see Ellis Island up close, but I thought is was kinda boring when I went there (but it might not be to you if you had relatives who came through there).
2006-12-11 05:25:34 · answer #3 · answered by phaserl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We did that this weekend (Fri 12/8) and caught the very first ferry. It was not a long wait (20 min) - but be prepared for security checks - I wouldn't wear a belt, we had to take off all coats and put everything through an x-ray machine.
Please note though there are 2 ferries - one will take you to NJ and the other to Battery Park in NY. But you can take either one of those ferries to the other island interchangably, just MAKE SURE you get the correct ferry going back to your drop off point.
2006-12-11 09:58:45 · answer #4 · answered by desulaha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Battery Park. You purchase the ticket in the center of this brown wall, you won't miss it. It's really crowded around this time though, full of tourists.. So watch out! The line takes about 20 minutes to get on the ferry and once you do I don't recomend sitting. People start to crowd around you and stand up around you so you can't see a thing if your sitting. You should buy tickets for both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, but you can just buy tickets for one place too. Have fun! :)
2016-05-23 05:41:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get there early in the morning when they first open, you should have a problem, there are 2 ferry's I believe that go to and from the ferry that leave every 30 minutes, plus another one that goes from NJ to Ellis Island, and back..
You will enjoy it, just get there within 30mins to and hour when they open
2006-12-11 12:07:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋