Ferry Website: http://www.prudenceferry.freehomepage.com/index.html
How much will it cost: $6.50 round trip, Bicycles are $1.10. (as of 2008)
When to leave: Google map it and then add 45 minutes to estimated travel time. My suggested directions are below
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=church+and+thames+bristol,+ri&sll=41.671021,-71.270328&sspn=0.022728,0.051327&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr
==============================
Interstate 95 to Providence to Interstate 195 East out of Providence (best from west of Boston)
Proceed heading east looking for exit marked Broadway. Yours is the next exit. You will take Exit 7 marked Barrington, Newport Route 114 South. Follow Route 114 through Barrington, Warren, and on to Bristol. After entering Bristol you will pass shopping center on your left with an Almacs. Continue through several lights and you will come to a fork in the road. Stay to the right and follow road along the water. You will pass a large factory,a J.T. O’Connell Hardware and then look for a fire station on the right. There is a park immediately following the station. The entrance to the dock is right after the park.
Tickets are $6.50 round trip. Bicycles are $1.10. To park: Turn up Church St or State St and park next to the park, which is two blocks up from the dock (the park is the third block). See the map. The parking is in yellow with arrows.
==================================================
From 24 S (best from Boston)
Take 24 S all the way to Rt 195. Here follow the signs for 24 S. You will actually get on 195 East for one exit and then get back on 24 S. This is very easy if you follow the signs. Stay on 24 S to the end. You will end up on the island that Newport is on. Take exit 2 (I think) for 114 N. This is also the exit for the Mount Hope Bridge. Go over the Mt Hope Bridge. Stay on 114 N. This should become Hope Street (also look for the red,white & blue down the center of the road).
Tickets are $6.50 round trip. Bicycles are $1.10. To park: Turn up Church St or State St and park next to the park, which is two blocks up from the dock (the park is the third block). See the map. The parking is in yellow with arrows.
==================================================
For those with extra time, there’s a Dunkin Dounuts. It’s near the black dot on the map (on Hope Street). Also there are some stores around on Hope Street.
