Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay & Middle Bass

This was a better alternative than the Jet Express. Free Parking on Port Clinton/​Catawba, only have to pay $ 3 or $ 4 to get to downtown or you can get a golf cart (Go to «E’s Golf Carts» FYI for better rates). Lots of seating upstairs and can stand downstairs to get a better view of water. Print out the coupons on their website to save a $ 1 on a round trip ticket. Don’t worry about not getting on last boat at 9pm on weekends because they can fit a million humans on this boat. They said «humans» have the upper hand on the cars. Make sure you go behind the Catawba bar about 2 blocks down the street to get the free parking. There are a lot of spaces but it will get full on a Saturday later in the day.

Way cheaper than Jet Express and you can find a $ 1 off round trip coupon on their website! Round trip is only $ 13 then.
The wait really was not bad. It runs every half an hour and it seems a lot quicker than that. The ride to/​from the island isn’t too long either.
Be careful setting your bags on the floor if you’re downstairs as they might get wet.

Efficient, friendly and so much cheaper and better than using Jet Express (which is more than TWICE the price btw).
And on return trips you realize you are now about to finally be apart from obnoxious, drunk Ohio State «fans» who mind you, never even attended the school. Haha.

Miller Ferry offered an enjoyable ride to Put-​in-​Bay and back. Even though the water was choppy, the ferry provided a smooth ride. Miller Ferry offers a variety of commuter services including passengers, bikes, and even your automobile. Various rates are listed on their website with pricing details.
There is plenty of seating for passengers on the upper deck. The number of automobiles and freight delivery vehicles are limited. Those taking vehicles may have to wait in line longer than other passengers.

A necessity to the island and a no-​frills way to travel. The cars, vans, etc. are loaded and then the people. You can stand with the cars or go up on the observation deck. If you get seasick, be prepared; some Dramamine will help!
You can bring a bike aboard and take it around the island. The trip is quick and scenic, if a little bumpy.
Once at dockside, you can get a taxi to take you into town. It’s too far to walk. The taxi will cost you $ 3 per person.

spectacular prices if you dont mind landing on the south side of the island. beats the pants off of the jet.

I used to take Jet Express to PIB and this time went on Miller with my car (a collective PIB gasp may have been heard.) My reasoning for this is I was tired of paying $ 50.00 a day to rent a golf cart. My car cost $ 17.00 and I didn’t have to drive it a lot but I was staying downtown so when I wanted to go to the winery or the state park. I drove, beyond that I left it parked at my hotel and there were no problems. If you roll down the windows of your car you get the same wind blowing through your hair effect without spending so much money, there is plenty of other things on PIB you can spend too much money on, why on a golf cart that has never seen a golf course?
The line to get your car on the ferry, I never waited more than 15 minutes and although the line looks long (15 – 20 cars.) They all get on the same ferry, amazing! Another bonus, the cars are the first ones on and the first ones off. Score: Drivers 1, Walkers 0.

Been taking this route since 2010, best deal, prices are very reasonable.
$ 14/​person (round-​trip)
$ 30/​car (round-​trip)
If you are planning a weekend get-​away timing is critical, I always get there early on Friday (by 12pm) and wait approximately 45min to board (this is because I take a car over) the wait dramatically increases as more people arrive throughout the day. Once the boat begins to move you can crack open a beer and enjoy the 30min smooth ride over to the island. Rentals such as golf carts and bikes are there to greet you as you dock, along with cabs ready to take you to your destination.
Parking is readily available on the mainland, everything is in walking distance to the boat and almost all of it is free. Again, the earlier you get there Friday, the better parking spots you will find.
As mentioned before, prepare to wait awhile on Sunday when leaving the island if you have a car, I have heard horror stories of it taking up to 3 hours to board. I believe if you are inline by 6pm (it is stated on their website) you are guaranteed to get off the island. I think the longest I have waited was 1.5 hrs. There is a great ice-​cream store at the top of the hill, where you can enjoy a refreshment while waiting.
Finally, Friday faces are filled with so much excitement and anticipation for the weekend fun, where Sunday faces show the battle wounds of PIB parties along with sadness that the weekend has come to an end.

We always take the Miller Ferry because we stay on Middle Bass. We take our car to drive around Middle Bass (cheaper than golf cart rentals) and if we go to PIB, we just take the Sonny-​S over and rent a golf cart there.
The staff at Miller Ferry are phenomenal! They’re extremely helpful, patient, friendly and seem like they’re really enjoying what they do!
All the prices are listed on their website. Coupons for $ 1 off are available through several different sites and their email list. As I said, you can take your car on the ferry for cheaper than you can rent a golf cart for a day. They have trips available every few hours. You must make reservations for your VEHICLE in advance (up to two weeks in advance, and I think up to the morning of).
We’ve rode the Miller Ferry several times and we’ve always arrived/​departed on time, smoothly. There’s plenty of room for passengers on the main deck or up top. Inside or outside the cabin. The ferry ride is one of my favorite parts of visiting the islands! Can’t wait til next time!

Definitely the way to get to and from Put-​In-​Bay in my options. Yes, the Jet Express drops you in down, but it costs double! Much cheaper to take the Miller and pay the $ 3 – 5 for a cab to downtown.
I would definitely skip taking your car to the island and walk on. The lines for driving over were long and there really isn’t any need for a car on the island. You just have to make sure you pack your booze in a rolling cooler.
Online posted schedules seem to be only partially right. If it is busy, they just run continuously. So don’t freak out if you are going to be a minute or two late on a Friday afternoon– the wait probably won’t be too long.
Don’t get fooled and take the Jet Express one way and the Miller the other– They DO NOT land in the same place. You will end up nowhere near your car. (Yes I had a friend really do this.)

What else could take you purgatory on a Friday and whisk you back Sunday? I imagine it’s kind of like Clash of the Titans when the devils boatman picks you up and takes one gold coin. It’s quite a treat to see everyone so pumped on a Friday in June to head to the islands and fast forward to the looks of regret, shame and mild alcohol poisoning on the Sunday boat back. They also give military discounts which is always a plus in my book. See you summer 2014

Great ferry service, organized and on time,. Would come again to go to Put-​In-​Bay, they have a smooth operation at a great price.

Going to the island, this is the way you get there. If you have a car, once you get there you just drive off. If you are going over without a car, you might think about taking the jet express so you are downtown.
The trip is easy, the staff is great, and they make it pretty simple, Just remember to turn off your alarm if you leave your car and walk around on the short trip over. And close your windows, as waves do splash aboard ship!

Great service. Long term family run. Love the end of the year ferry parade and fireworks show for CPA!

If you are looking for a way to get to Put-​In-​Bay, I would definitely choose this route. The boat toots its horn and glides smoothly out of the port, I was surpassed that I didn’t even notice we were moving until we were well away from land. The only downsides is that it leaves every half an hour so if you NEED to be somewhere at a certain time make sure you give yourself time, in case you miss the ferry (which i did).
The ride is smooth over and you can rent a bike or golf cart after wards to get you to wherever you need to be, I prefer the golf cart! On the way back if you have a car, make sure to get there early or it might take you ages to get your car back over as there are only a limited amount of spaces.
My biggest tip is if you look up make sure you close your mouth! I have never seen that many seagulls interested in a small boat before. I saw some people even get pooped on, but doesn’t that mean you have good luck :)

We didn’t take their ferry over to Put-​In, but when we arrived on our boat «B» dock was the only public slip in operation and the harbor master wouldn’t respond to us over the radio… it was a total cluster! We opted to branch out to see who else may be able to accommodate a 23′ ski boat for the weekend. We signaled Miller on the radio and Rich brought us in to tie up on their floating dock. They charge $ 1.25 — 1.50 a foot? I’m not positive on that price but that sounds about right. Aside from that they have showers you can use and a nice restroom that was clean and private. Additionally, you can drink on their property without being hassled by anyone, they have a pavilion for dining with plenty of picnic tables, corn hole boards to use, and a grill they might allow you to use too. We were fortunate to get the hook up here and we’d definitely try them out again.

This was our highlight to our trip at Put In Bay. Prices are really reasonable and people are really nice.

I’ll agree with all the positive reviews so far. The Miller’s fleet of boats offer an incredibly affordable alternative to getting to the islands. I’ve taken them to both Middle Bass, and PIB, and they’ve never disappointed. The ticket staff and the boat staff are extremely friendly and the captains really know what they’re doing. Even in heavy seas, I’ve never felt like I couldn’t trust them to get me back in one piece. As others have pointed out, make sure and pack a few cold ones, it’s great to have the ability to enjoy a frosty adult beverage on the way over! While it’s true the ferries don’t run very late, this just requires some careful planning ahead of time. If you miss the last one, make some friends to crash with, and catch the early morning ferry back. They run every 30 minutes during peak season. Miller Boat Line’s the way to go!

Cheap, reliable… no frills, but it will get you to the island. Now runs every half hour in summertime. Very little waiting and it was easy to find a seat.

Taking the Miller is my personal favorite way to get over to PIB. Your choices are between Miller and the Jet Express. This is what convinces my friends and I to take the Miller:
Miller Ferry round trip — $ 13 ($ 12 if you sign up for their newsletter and get the $ 1 off coupon)
Jet Express round trip — $ 30
One thing to note however, is that the Jet Express runs much later into the evening than the Miller. If you’re planning on staying late, this might be the better option for you. Definitely go online and check the schedules for both to make sure you know when the boats depart.