When you travel by sea, your vacation begins once you set foot on a Long Island ferry. These local trip ideas are perfect for one-day getaways.  

With no cars, Fire Island offers visitors a different mindset just a 25-minute ferry ride away. Eight communities can be accessed from Bay Shore ferries: Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Atlantique, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Ocean Bay Park. From Sayville, catch the ferries to Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Sailors Haven and Sunken Forest. LGBTQ communities are centered in Cherry Grove and The Pines. Most other hamlets have their own identities, from insular to family-friendly. Most beaches of are accessible to the public and are considered to be among the most pristine beaches in New York.

in Sayville is $12 per car per day Mon-Thur., $19 Fri.-Sun. Parking in Bay Shore is $15 per car per day Mon.-Thur., $25 Fri.-Sun.  The Bay Shore ferry round trip is $25 per person, $13 ages 2-11; cash only The Sayville ferry round trip is $20 per person, cash or credit cards accepted.

fireislandferries.com; sayvilleferry.com

Ride the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport ferry with your car, and you’ve got options. A 20-minute drive from the Bridgeport Ferry Landing brings you to Norwalk, Connecticut, where you’ll find museums and restaurants.

At the , you’ll see over 7,500 animals of hundreds of species including seals, sea turtles, sharks, rays and meerkats. During your visit, you can touch a variety of creatures that live in Long Island Sound and learn about conservation efforts in the area. Plus, you can enhance your experience with a fully immersive 4D movie. Open daily, maritimeaquarium.org.

The award-winning was built with an eye to what excites and stimulates a child’s mind. Geared toward children ages 10 and younger, this small but active center engages even the youngest crawlers. Open daily, steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Great Norwalk restaurants include , and the small but delectable serves wine and a rotating section of local draft beers. At the latter, visitors can dine on popular menu items like the lobster roll, fried chicken roll, and steak and cheese. 

If you’re the gambling kind, visit  and . Beyond the tables and slots, there's a full schedule of entertainment, restaurants and plenty of hotel rooms should you want to make it an overnight getaway. 

88844ferry.com 

Bring your bikes on the round-trip Viking Ferry from Montauk to Block Island — there’s a lot of ground to cover in a day, especially if headed to a remote beach or to the island’s two lighthouses. Fri.-Sun. May 23-June 8 (plus Memorial Day), daily June 13-Sept. 15, Fri.-Mon. Sept. 19-Oct. 13. $45, $30 ages 5-12, bikes $5, fares are one way when booked online. $15 per day; reservations recommended.

The ferry leaves you at Champlin's Marina in New Harbor. Head to  (open 10 to 4 p.m. daily, admission $10, blockislandhistorical.org), which is stocked with artifacts from first settlers, photos of offshore boating disasters and plenty of island history. Then start with a 7-mile loop — south from Old Harbor to top sights including and  beach. Most restaurants can be found right in Old Harbor, where you catch the ferry back home. 

vikingfleet.com

Take your car on the Cross Sound Ferry from Orient Point to New London (starting at $68 off-peak and $72 peak each way for standard car and driver; fuel surcharge may be added). 

The Fort Trumbull State Park visitor’s center (open Wed.-Sun.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Memorial Day to Labor Day, portal.ct.gov) features an introductory movie about the fort and interactive exhibits ($6, $2 ages 6-12).

New London also has the Lyman Allyn Art Museum (closed Mon., lymanallyn.org), featuring particularly strong collections of American paintings and decorative arts. The museum also presents a range of exhibitions and programs. ($12 ages 12 and older) 

More info: longislandferry.com