I took 2 kids and a dog on 3 separate ferries to get to our summer vacation. The 6-hour journey was so much better than driving.

After our two-hour starting drive, we arrived at the ferry and found a parking lot facing the water with several lanes for cars to park in.

Attendants told us which lane to wait in. When it was time to board the ferry, they guided cars when it was their turn to board and told us where to park on the boat.

Our car had to be parked against a wall, which meant the people on the passenger side wouldn't be able to get out easily.

My youngest daughter and I got out before the car was parked and waited on the ferry until the rest of our family could join us.

Eating dinner on the ferry was a big time saver for us.

We didn't have to stop for dinner along the way like we'd do if we were driving, which can be a real time sucker with little kids.

The ferry featured several seating areas, including an indoor dining room.

Although there were indoor cabins that allowed pets, our dog isn't great with other dogs, so we opted to sit outside.

Outdoor seating areas provided a good place to sit and get some fresh air.

My kids had fun exploring a special learning room inside the ferry.

It featured fun displays with facts about the Long Island Sound.

Because we took a ferry to Long Island around sunset, we saw some incredible views during our journey.

On the way back to Vermont, it was daytime, but watching the water as we traveled was still cool.

Since my daughter and I couldn't get in the car in the parking lot, we waited toward the front of the ship as it docked.

We got an up-close view of what it looked like from the front of the ship as it came to shore, which was pretty neat.

When the boat docked, we walked off and waited on a nearby bench for the rest of our party to drive off and pick us up.

The process was smooth and easy, and it was fun for my daughter to see the cars drive off the boat as we waited.

Unlike the big ferry, we didn't get out of the car on the ferries to Block Island and Sag Harbor. They were very short rides, under 10 minutes each.

Even though we were in the car, my kids stayed pretty entertained, and changing boats helped to break up the journey.

Overall, it was still a pretty long journey. But I thought the benefits of taking the ferry versus driving straight to the Hamptons were plenty.

We avoided a lot of potential traffic by not driving through New York City or all the way out on Long Island — a route that can get pretty congested and make travel times unpredictable. We also saved time by using the first ferry ride as our meal break.

The ferry really mentally broke up the trip for all of us. A long travel day with two little kids and a pet can be difficult, and having some time out of the car in the middle of it was a big help.