Lake Michigan High-Speed Car Ferry Options

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

Breaking News September 3, 2009: S.S. Badger ends season early   The S.S. Badger will end its 2009 sailing season on Sunday, September 27, rather than the originally published October 11th date. "October is typically a marginal month in terms of profitability, and having the opportunity to take the Badger to the dry dock for its mandatory five-year inspection early in October will save the company money and avoid stormy weather later in the month," said Lake Michigan Carferry spokesperson Kari Karr. "We wanted to let our customers know about the schedule change well in advance so they don't have to alter their travel plans at the last minute."   The Badger will be towed by tug to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin for the out-of-the-water inspection in early October and be towed back to Ludington several weeks later. "Avoiding bad weather in late October or early November for the trip home is a real benefit," said company president Bob Manglitz. "The Badger is in very good condition, and we don't expect any surprises when the ship is in dry dock."   The  historic 410' car ferry makes one round trip per day, offering fall bargains and a fun travel experience on Lake Michigan during one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. The popular "Kids Go Free" program is still in effect;  new this month are a "Fall Senior Travel Package" featuring reduced passenger fares for those 55 and over plus coupons  for discounts on food purchases, gift shop items, and stateroom rentals.   For passengers who don't fit into the age categories for kids or seniors, a new fall vehicle discount program allows for $10 off vehicle fares for each full-fare adult traveling with that vehicle. For information or reservations, call 800-841-4243

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)