Lake Michigan High-Speed Car Ferry Options

One Great Lake -- Two Great Auto Ferry Options -- The Lake Express and SS Badger

Breaking News March 20, 2008: Increased Costs Coming For Michigan Ferry Travel Today the operators of the Lake Express cross lake ferry has announced substantial price increases based on the cost of fuel and increased security costs. The new charges raise the price of a typical round trip ferry ride to $443 (round-trip tickets for two adults in regular seating and one vehicle) according to a recent Muskegon Chronicle news article. The Ludington based SS Badger ferry, operated by Lake Michigan Car Ferry, has not yet announced price increases for 2008. It will be interesting to see how these price increases will effect ridership in Michigan's depressed economy. Breaking News March 20, 2008: Michigan Voters Disenfranchised by Democratic Party It appears the National Democratic party will not allow the voice of Michigan citizens to be heard in a selection of their presidential nominee. In one of the nastiest presidential nomination races in recent history, the fight between Senator Clinton and Obama intensifies as both candidates use race to draw division among voters. At the same time it appears that the national Democratic party leaders do not care about the voice of Michigan voters. The DNC has continued to say they will not allow Michigan's delegates to be seated at their national convention. More >>

This is a tale of two ferries.

The size of Lake Michigan causes many visitors to comment "it is just like the ocean." This size has long been a barrier for travel and commerce between Wisconsin and Michigan. In the past creative business people created ferries for transporting cars, trains and passengers over this great lake. During the peak of the ferries there were many of these mighty ships traveling to and from multiple locations in Michigan and Wisconsin.

The peak of ferry travel is long over. No longer are the ferries used to move large amounts of cargo -- railroad cars have not traveled aboard the ferries for decades. There are currently only two ferries left to provide cross-lake passage on Lake Michigan. One service, operated by Lake Michigan Car Ferry, runs the SS Badger. The other service, runs a boat called the Lake Express.

These ferries are in place primarily for recreational travel of their passengers. This does not mean the ferries only serve recreation, but their role in transport of the large freight cargos is substantially reduced. There are some business people that use the ferries as alternative transportation in their business travel and the larger of the two ferries, the SS Badger, is especially built to handle many oversize loads of merchandise and supplies heading from Michigan to Wisconsin and back.

This site is designed to help the potential ferry traveler to determine which ferry is the best choice for their needs.

Ferry Comparison Table

	SS Badger	Lake Express
Established Service	Over 50 years	3 years
Ship Size	Larger Ship	Smaller Ship
Fastest Trip	A little over 4 hours	Faster in Smooth Weather
Travel to Chicago	Further	Closer
Travel to UP and Green Bay	Closer	Further
Travel to Muskegon	Further	Closer
Travel to Michigan's Tax Center (Lansing)	Further	Closer
Valet Loading	Loaded by Ship Staff	Owner's Load Their Cars
Kid Friendly	Game Room and Room to Explore
Entertainment	Video lounges, theater, live entertainment	Video with Audio Headsets
Price	Slightly less expensive	Slightly more expensive
Campers / Boats	Can handle very large loads	Only standard size vehicles
Car Rental at Terminal	No	Yes
Onine Ticket Purchases	Yes	Yes

For more info: To contact ferry operators or for more information about Lake Michigan ferries or ferries in general, try the links at the top or bottom of this page or call them directly.

For more information about this Web site you may contact 231-206-0551 (this number only for information about advertising on this site)