I love taking my car on a ferry from Delaware to New Jersey. It turns a boring drive into a scenic day trip.

The seven-hour drive from my home in Norfolk, Virginia, to visit my family in New Jersey can be brutal. Luckily, I’ve found a way to break up the trip and make it more enjoyable: a ride on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry with my car.

The ferry from Lewes, Delaware, to Cape May, New Jersey — which takes about an hour and a half — doesn’t save me time. In fact, when factoring in the time needed to get on and off the boat, it actually adds between 30 minutes to an hour to my itinerary.

However, it gives me a much-needed break from the long drive and allows me to take in some incredible views along the way. Here’s what my most recent ride on the ferry was like.

We purchased our tickets in advance.

The ferry operates year-round, and ticket prices can vary seasonally. For our April sailing, we paid $94 for two round-trip tickets and vehicle transportation.

Although tickets can be purchased day-of, I definitely recommend booking in advance, as the ferry can fill up quickly.

We arrived at the terminal an hour before departure.

The ferry begins boarding vehicles a half an hour before the official departure time. It was a beautiful morning, so after parking in our assigned lane, my husband and I got coffee from Lewes Coffee Co., which is located at the terminal.

The café also sell baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, snacks, and souvenirs. Next door, there’s also a full-service restaurant called Grain on the Rocks.

We took a walk along the waterfront at the terminal.

At the Lewes terminal, you can walk along the waterfront and watch the ships come in. My husband and I strolled along the docks to stretch our legs.

During the summer, you can dine at Grain’s outdoor restaurant space and beer garden, but this section was closed during our trip.

We boarded the ferry in our car.

Upon hearing the boarding announcement, we headed to our car and waited until it was our turn to drive onto the ship. The ferry can accommodate different types of vehicles, including motorcycles and RVs.

The employees directed parking carefully, and the boarding process was very smooth.

Once we parked, we headed inside to grab a snack.

We purchased soft pretzels and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the cafeteria, which also sells hot food and beverages. Then, we took a walk around the deck to explore.

The ferry offers other indoor amenities, including a gift shop and a bar on the upper deck.

We found plenty of outdoor seating on the ferry.

There’s lots of outdoor seating on the ferry, so we had no trouble finding a place to sit down and enjoy the views of Delaware’s shoreline as the ship pulled away from the dock.

We watched a few kitesurfers making the most of the strong breezes on the water.

In the spring and summer months, you can occasionally see dolphins from the deck. If you’re traveling in the winter, you might even catch a glimpse of a whale. We didn’t have any sightings this time, but we’ve seen both animals on previous trips.

However, we spent most of the trip indoors due to the wind.

Despite the blue skies, we were sailing on a particularly windy day, and the captain eventually requested that all passengers remain seated until we were closer to shore.

Thankfully, there is ample indoor seating, so we settled in at a table and spent an hour or so reading.

We debarked at the Cape May Terminal.

As we approached Cape May, we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine again.

Deboarding after the ride couldn’t have been easier, and overall, it was a great trip. In my opinion, the journey between Lewes and Cape May turns a mundane drive into the perfect coastal day trip.

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