Bainbridge Island- Seattle Ferry options?
 

We are staying up near Port Townsend over the Thanksgiving weekend and I will need to be dropped off at SEATAC on Sunday afternoon - any thoughts/idea on how busy the Bainbridge Island- Seattle Ferry will be on Sunday lunchtime (12/01) compared with driving to the Southworth Ferry to Fauntleroy. We don't really want to have to go to Tacoma and north.

there is also the ferry to edmonds from kingston. thats what id take if I was driving back and have done it many times.

Sunday afternoon will be busy. plan on having to wait a ferry cycle if you are driving.

If all you are are PAX then go to bainbridge then walk to light rail to airport from downtown port.

If you have to wait the drive down to Tacoma and back will be faster.

Are you heading to Portland?

If it was me, I wouldn't choose either Bainbridge nor the Edmonds boats; I'd go straight from Port Townsend over to Whidbey Island (Coupeville.) Why? Because you can book space on that ferry, thereby removing any uncertainty about waits. From the Whidbey terminal, you can take SR 20 straight to I-5 and south from there. The short northbound portion on Whidbey is more than compensated by the absence of any potential waits or traffic issues you'd encounter in either the Bainbridge or Edmonds routes. The Fauntleroy route is a major time-suck, mainly in waiting times and the time needed to get from the Fauntleroy dock over to I-5 heading south.

Stop at wonderful Deception Pass for a gander at the channel. If the tide is changing, the flow through the gap can be awesome.

https://www.wsdot.com/Ferries/Schedu...x?route=pt-key
Map - https://goo.gl/maps/qsYJYgGDBGJArmXG7

I agree with Gardyloo about the best route--I hope you have gotten your ferry reservations (as of now, there is still space on the 6:30 and 8:00 am sailings). This option even gives you the choice of completely bypassing Seattle on I-405.

Thanks for the responses - appreciated. yes the Port Townsend Ferry is pretty full:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d22bc07600.jpg

With the end of the Thanksgiving weekend and to be on the safe side, I think we will probably drive to Tacoma and back up the 20 or so miles to Seatac - I will be dropped there and the rest of the family have the unenviable drive back down I-5 to Portland - thanks for the insights though.