Cruise tours have their place. But some ports hand you a better deal for the price of a coffee: the humble commuter ferry. Locals use them to cross rivers and harbours; you can use them as floating city tours with A-plus views, zero faff and a pleasantly local vibe. Here’s where to ride the boats real people ride; and what you’ll see from the railings.

Lisbon: Cais do Sodré → Cacilhas (and up to Cristo Rei)

From the cruise pier it’s a flat stroll or quick tram to Cais do Sodré. Step aboard the orange-and-cream Transtejo boat and in ten breezy minutes you’re gliding past the 25 de Abril Bridge with Lisbon stacked like a theatre set behind you. Tickets are roughly €1.50 one-way, boats run about every 20 minutes, and the dock at Cacilhas connects to a short bus ride or riverside walk to the viewpoint at Cristo Rei. Treat it as a budget river cruise with a statue finale. 

How to ride: Tap in at the riverside terminal behind the station; the same hall also sells Navegante travel cards. Keep your ticket for the return hop. 

Stockholm: SL ferries to museums—or a longer run to Vaxholm

Stockholm’s prettiest “bus” may be the Djurgården ferry (SL line 82), which shuttles between Slussen, Skeppsholmen and Djurgården (handy for the Vasa and ABBA museums) and accepts regular SL tickets. It’s short, cheap and wonderfully scenic across a stage set of palaces, spires and spruce-lined shores. If you have longer, line 83 runs out to Vaxholm in about an hour for a pocket-archipelago sampler; Waxholmsbolaget boats extend even deeper into the islands year-round. 

Nice extra: The city has even piloted a wake-free electric hydrofoil on commuter routes; proof that a “green bus” can be a boat. 

Amsterdam: the free ferries behind Centraal

Walk through Amsterdam Centraal and you’ll hear a ship’s horn. That’s your cue to join locals rolling bikes onto the free blue-and-white GVB ferries. The Buiksloterweg boat takes five minutes across the IJ to the EYE Film Museum and A’DAM Lookout; the NDSM ferry gives a longer ride to the street-art-sprinkled wharf. Services are frequent, 24/7 on the short crossing, and cost precisely nothing. It’s the best value panorama in the city. 

Copenhagen: yellow harbour buses as a moving postcard

Those cheery yellow boats zig-zag the harbour all day. Routes 991 and 992 link Orientkaj with Teglholmen via the Opera House, Nyhavn, the Royal Library and Islands Brygge—essentially a floating hop-on route on the same ticketing as buses and metro. A short Opera–Nyhavn hop takes four to five minutes and costs about 15–20 DKK. Bring a phone with the DOT app for tickets; then sit outside and collect skylines. 

Naples: Bay-of-Naples ferries as DIY day trips

Naples’ cruise pier sits by Molo Beverello, where high-speed boats sprint to Capri and Sorrento and classic ferries lumber to Procida and Ischia. None of this is “pennies,” but the views of Vesuvius, Castel dell’Ovo and the Amalfi headlands make the fares feel like you’ve upgraded to a private tour. Sorrento is about 35–45 minutes from €16; Procida starts around €17–25 and takes 30–60 minutes depending on the boat. Factor in queues and sea state—and check you’ve time to get back before sail-away. 

Port tip: High-speed boats leave from Molo Beverello; slower ferries from Calata Porta di Massa. There’s a shuttle between the two if you pick the wrong pier. 

Istanbul: cross continents for the price of a tea

Şehir Hatları’s sturdy white ferries link Eminönü, Karaköy and Beşiktaş with Kadıköy and Üsküdar on the Asian shore. Tap an Istanbulkart and sail past mosques, palaces and the Bosphorus Bridge while gulls audition for your simit. Standard inner-city crossings are a few dozen lira, and there are set-price Bosphorus “short” and “long” tours run by the municipal line if you have more time. 

Marseille: the tiniest “cruise” in France

The Vieux-Port’s dinky Ferry-Boat crosses 283 metres between City Hall and the Rive-Neuve quay in about three minutes. It’s a charming way to spare your legs and collect a sun-glossed photo of the Old Port for €0.50. In summer, RTM’s sea shuttles run along the coast for €5, turning a transfer into a tour. 

How to work this into an actual cruise day

Timebox it. These are public services, not chartered tours. Boats can be busy at commuter peaks or paused for weather; allow margins so you’re never racing the gangway.

Pay like a local. Lisbon’s ferries sell singles at the pier; Stockholm and Copenhagen use the SL/DOT systems; Amsterdam’s IJ ferries are free; Istanbul works best with an Istanbulkart. The Naples routes are regular ticketed ferries with differing piers and prices—confirm before you queue. 

What you’ll see. Expect bridge-and-skyline money shots in Lisbon, museum-lined shores in Stockholm, Noord’s creative docks in Amsterdam, copper spires in Copenhagen, a full Vesuvius profile in Naples, mosque silhouettes in Istanbul and postcard Marseille in miniature.

Which itineraries get you there?

Western Med sailings commonly call at Lisbon, Marseille and Naples; Northern Europe and Baltic-style routes frequently include Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm; Istanbul appears on Eastern Med or Black Sea cruises. If your port schedule lists those names, you’ve got a ready-made ferry-hop day—no pricey “panoramic cruise” needed.

One last, gently bossy note

Check live timetables on the operator sites before you stride off the gangway, and keep an eye on the weather. The joy of ferry-hopping is how easy it is; the secret is giving yourself the kind of buffer that keeps it fun. Then head for the rail, tuck your ticket somewhere safe, and enjoy the cheapest grandstand seat in town.