Providence-Newport Ferry Returns for 2017 Season

NEWPORT, RI—The ferry from India Point to Newport is coming back, and the service will be bigger and better, state officials say. The schedule calls for an extra round trip daily, plus a longer season, six weeks longer than in 2016. The ferry starts Friday, June 16 and continues through Sunday, Oct. 1. Expect four trips Sunday through Thursday and five trips on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.

"This is a wonderful way for visitors and residents to easily experience even more of the Ocean State," said Lara Salamano, with the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. "Tourists can again enjoy travelling between Providence and Newport without worrying about a car, and experience two very different cities both renowned for their hospitality, all while enjoying a scenic ferry ride."

The state Department of Transportation launched the ferry service in July 2016. It made more than 33,000 trips, and almost 20 percent of all the trips sold out.

Since tickets were a hot commodity last year, the ferry service is suggesting advance reservations, especially if for people hoping to travel on the weekends. Day trippers can buy now online at seastreak.com. Come June, tickets will be sold at the Providence ferry terminal (25 India St.) or on the ferry in Newport when service starts at Perrotti Park, 39 America's Cup Ave.

Amtrak is also selling train tickets with a ferry trip included, in the bid to draw more out-of-state tourists.

"We all know Narragansett Bay is the state's greatest natural asset, and last summer proved without a doubt that utilizing it for ferry service connecting Providence and Newport is a win all the way around for Rhode Island," RIDOT Direction Peter Alviti, Jr. said.