Port Phillip Ferries – Docklands to Geelong & Portarlington

Jump aboard for a fantastic, fun family day out this summer cruising with Port Phillip Ferries. Port Phillip Ferries offers a great alternate to a drive, avoiding all those roadworks, especially over the summer break.

Port Phillip Ferries

Don’t spend your day driving around the bay, check out Port Phillip Ferries and sail your way there.

Sailing every day, Port Phillip Ferries offers two separate services:

Docklands to/from Portarlington (direct 70 minutes); and
Docklands to/from Geelong (direct 95 minutes)

Port Phillip Ferries for Kids & Families

Guests have choice to sit indoors or outdoors on the two-level boat. The best viewing area is outside front of the boat, where you can enjoy stunning views of the Melbourne city skyline, Port Phillip Bay and the Geelong Waterfront.

Melbourne Views from Port Phillip Ferries

If outside is too windy for you, comfortable seating is available inside on both levels with tables available in some areas.

For us, we enjoyed a mix of both; the sun was beautiful outside, but as we got faster our children preferred the window views.

The ferry is sparkling clean, spacious with Wi-Fi and charging stations so you can relax, catch up on emails, the news, or preferably take in the scenery while you cruise to your preferred destination.

The seats were very comfortable and the staff were great, helping settle everyone in ready for the ride and keeping everyone happy during.

I doubt we are the only ones that finds kids complaining in the back of the car on a long drive.

Well, the ferry is awesome because when the inevitable happens, you stand them up and take them for a walk and distract them, without compromising the timing of your family outing.

Challenged with sea legs? Well, you aren’t the only one! But this boat managed to smooth the ride reasonably well and my sea legs (and stomach) were very stable, and I found myself with a renewed invigoration for boating.

Forgotten to pack snacks and meals? Port Phillip Ferries have you covered! Enjoy a coffee in the morning or a wine on the way home from the onboard licenced cafe, which has a selection of food and drinks at additional cost.

Check in is simple and easy, onboard toilets were clean and bikes and scooters allowed on board at no additional cost.

Mums Little Explorers took scooters which were great for the kids to scoot along the Geelong board walk and made getting around to all the activities on offer quick and simple.

Things to do Geelong

If your ferry arrives in Geelong there are plenty of things to do. From the Bollard Walk to the carousel, Eastern Beach, and much more. Check out our full guide: