Catalina Island Boats, Ranked: The Cheapest Leaves From Newport Beach

Ranked by each operator's posted adult round-trip fare, island fees and tax included, with a tie going to the faster crossing.

The cheapest boat to Catalina Island doesn't leave from Los Angeles County. It leaves from Newport Beach, where the Catalina Flyer charges an adult $94 round trip. That's $7 to $17 less than any Catalina Express ticket out of San Pedro, Long Beach or Dana Point.

That's the whole field. According to Love Catalina, the island's tourism site, scheduled ferries run from four mainland ports, and five routes come out of them. Every price below is what the operator posted as of Friday, with the island's wharfage fee and tax already in it.

1. Catalina Flyer, Newport Beach to Avalon: $94, about 75 minutes. It's a catamaran that makes multiple round trips a day, according to the operator's website. It sails from the historic Balboa Pavilion, and the ticket already covers the wharfage fee and the island tax. The operator asks riders to arrive at least 45 minutes early, though its fare page says at least an hour. Check that day's times on its booking page.
2. Catalina Express, San Pedro to Two Harbors: $101, about 75 minutes. It's the same $93 base fare as every L.A. County Express ticket. It comes out $2 cheaper only because Two Harbors charges an $8 fee and tax, while Avalon charges $10. I'm least sure this one belongs at No. 2, because it isn't the same trip. It lands at the quiet village on the island's west end, and the posted 8:45 a.m. boat from San Pedro goes by way of Avalon, which adds about an hour and 15 minutes.
3. Catalina Express, Long Beach to Avalon: $103, about an hour. It's the fastest crossing on the list. The winter schedule posts boats at 6 a.m., 9:50 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day, plus an evening sailing every night.
4. Catalina Express, San Pedro to Avalon: $103, about 1 hour 15 minutes. It's the same price as Long Beach but 15 minutes slower. On the posted schedule, the 2:55 p.m. boat also stops at Two Harbors on the way, adding roughly another 1 hour 15 minutes. Same price, slower boat, so the tie goes to Long Beach.
5. Catalina Express, Dana Point to Avalon: $111, about 1 hour 30 minutes. It's the most expensive ticket and the longest ride. The winter schedule lists a 9:30 a.m. boat daily and a 2:45 p.m. boat on two days a week.

Here's the hot take I'll defend: an Angeleno counting dollars should drive to Newport. Two adults and two kids pay $346 on the Flyer and $370 out of Long Beach. Parking doesn't close that gap. The Balboa Pier lot the Flyer recommends typically runs $15 to $30 a day, according to Love Catalina, and Catalina Express lists daily parking at $26.95 in Long Beach and $23 in San Pedro.

Now the fight with my own list. The Flyer counts riders as adults until 60, while Catalina Express counts anyone 55 or older as a senior. That means a 57-year-old pays $93 out of Long Beach or San Pedro and $94 in Newport. Bikes flip it too. The Flyer charges $20 per bike and the Express charges $7, so a cyclist's round trip runs $114 from Newport and $110 from Long Beach.

The Express prices sit on a schedule posted through March 31, 2027, though Catalina Express also says its fares can change without notice. The Flyer's prices carry no end date, just a line saying they can change without notice.

Source: catalinainfo.com, retrieved November 6, 2026. Other sources: lovecatalina.com, catalinainfo.com (3), catalinaexpress.com, catalinaexpress.com (2).