Lake Michigan Car Ferries
All Aboard the S.S. Badger and the Lake Express Ferry
The S.S. Badger and the Lake Express Ferry travel between Manitowoc/Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Ludington/Muskegon, Michigan. A family of four can travel for around $300.
School is almost out and it’s time for the long awaited summer vacation. With gas prices seeming to rise daily, many people are sure to opt to vacation close to home.
If you live on or near Lake Michigan, your family might want to consider a short cruise on the S.S. Badger or Lake Express Ferry. The S.S. Badger travels between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and the Lake Express Ferry between Muskegon, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The S.S. Badger boasts of a Cruise Director, movie lounge with free films, video arcade, buffet style dining room, satellite television, children’s playroom and outside decks for lounging. The cost for the four hour ride is $99 round trip for adults, and $42 round trip for children. Children under five ride free. If you are concerned about getting around once you reach your destination, you can also transport your vehicle on the ferry. The cost per vehicle is about $125 round trip, $64 for motorcycles and $10 for bicycles. Pets are also welcome. Ludington, Michigan is in the center of the western lower peninsula of Michigan. It’s just about a two hour drive from Traverse City and a few hours away from Mackinaw City and the Upper Peninsula. Manitowoc, Wisconsin is also centrally located. It is a couple of hours drive away from the Wisconsin Dells and only a half hour or so away from Kohler, Wisconsin (the home of the Kohler corporation).
The Lake Express Ferry is only a few years old. The ships technology is state of the art resulting in a very smooth ride over Lake Michigan. The ferry offers on-board dining, movies, a comfortable cabin allowing you to safely walk around, wide seating for comfort and an upper deck for viewing. The cost for the two and a half hour trip is $99 round trip for adults, $49 round trip for children, and infants 0-4 ride free. Special premium seating/(business class) is also available for around $139 round trip. As with the S.S. Badger, you can take your vehicle aboard for use during your vacation. The cost per vehicle is $134 round trip, $69 for a motorcycle, and $20 for bicycles. Pets are welcome to ride in your vehicle for a nominal fee. From Muskegon, you can get to Grand Rapids in less than an hour, Lansing in an hour and a half, and Detroit in two and a half hours. On the Wisconsin side the ferry stops in Milwaukee (the largest city in Wisconsin). You would be just an hour away from Madison, Wisconsin and an hour and a half away from Chicago.
For a family of four, that is two children and two adults, the cost for the ferry would cost around $300. If you took your car add another $130 or so. Thus the total cost for travel would be under $500.
