M2M Ferry: Best Way to Ride From Mumbai to Alibag | My Experience!

M is for Mumbai. M is for moments. M is for memories. M is for magic and M is for M2M!

In the first week of December 2020, we decided to take a quick break and head out on a short road trip to Harihareshwar to celebrate hubby’s birthday. Guess what, M2M Ro-Ro ferry service is all it took for us to get out of Mumbai and make some memories on the road in our very first ride ever since the pandemic forced us home.

What are M2M Ferries?

M2M ferry is the recent Ro-Ro (roll-on / roll-off) ferry service rolled out jointly by the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT). The M2M ferry, the state’s first ro-ro service between Mumbai’s Ferry Wharf Bhaucha Dhakka and Mandwa port in Raigad Alibag, saves you a lot of time as it takes only about an hour to reach your destination as against transporting by road which takes anywhere around 3 to 4 hours given the road conditions between the two cities. The service was first launched in March 2019 but was shut down unfortunately owing to the lockdown. However, it was resumed again in August and has been one of the highlights for all the people looking for a quick getaway from Mumbai.

The M2M ferry is HUGE with a whopping capacity for 500 people and 150 vehicles.

Not only are the Ro-Ro M2M ferries time saving but they are super convenient as well, as they can accommodate your vehicle and bikes (bicycles too!) inside along with you as well!

All this luxury, by not burning a hole in your pocket!!

How to book tickets for M2M ferry? What are the timings for M2M ferry? What is the boarding point for M2M ferry?

Booking the tickets are easy peasy and can be done online in a jiffy. The M2M ferry is operational throughout the week with different departure times everyday so make sure to check the schedule at their website and book accordingly. The boarding point for M2M ferry at Mumbai is Ferry Wharf Bhaucha Dhakka Port and the end point is the Mandwa port in Raigad.

What are the rates and prices of M2M Ro-Ro ferry per passenger, vehicle and bikes?

1 adult passenger – Rs. 300

1 bike – Rs. 200

1 small vehicle – Rs. 800

1 medium Car – Rs. 1000

1 large car – Rs. 1200

1 bicycle – Rs. 100

Pet – Rs. 300

My Experience of riding in the M2M ferry over the Arabian Sea from Mumbai to Alibaug.

It was still pitch dark at 5.15 AM when we left our house towards Bhaucha Dhakka in the wee hours of the morning. Excitement filled our nerves as it was our very first road trip together and the fact that we were finally out on the road after a long hibernation at home post marriage made us both happy beyond bounds. We had booked the 7.30 AM M2M ferry to Alibaug (Mandwa port) and considering it was a weekday Tuesday, we had enough time in hand to reach the Mumbai port in time (15 minutes earlier than the time of departure).

Or that’s what we thought.

We were greeted by unexpectedly huge traffic on the Dahisar Checknaka and it took us almost around 1 hour to cross this barrier.

Clock kept ticking, dissolving into thin air and so did our heart beats.

At around 6.15 AM we finally started our journey from Dahisar.

A part of our excitement had now been replaced with anxiousness making us wonder if we’ll be able to make it in time. Google map showed 1 hour 10 minutes to Bhaucha Dhakka, making it a cut to cut race to the finish line.

The adventure had just begun!

For the next one hour... hubby kept his eyes glued to the road and me, to the Google map screen. Every minute crossed successfully on the road, was a victory. One station passed and then the other and the car kept running on the road smoothly, as per the estimated time on the Google map 7.10 AM, and thankfully we dint encounter major traffic elsewhere.

We heaved a huge sigh of relief at the end of such a thrilling chase to Bhaucha Dhakka; and were rewarded with a big ball of orange rising from the sea and reaching for the sky.

The M2M journey begins:

Seated in the car, still secured in seat belt, I jumped up and down on the seat as I saw the first glimpse of the rising sun through the car window. That moment was special!

Initial views from the M2M Ro-Ro ferry from Mumbai to Alibag.

The excitement was full throttle as we parked the car in the basement of the M2M ferry and climbed the steps towards the seating area in the ferry.

The best thing about the ferry were the considerable precautions being taken to look after the health and safety of passengers with the crew, ground staff and the other support staff on-board constantly making rounds to see if passengers had their masks on at all times. Anyone who was seen without a mask was promptly given a nudge to do the needful.

The views from the ferry were the next best!

And so the journey begins: M2M ferry Mumbai to Alibag!

While I saw waves being sliced mercilessly in half from one end, I saw the sky aglow with the grand splendour of the rising sun. The water of the ocean shimmered like dazzling diamonds - so precious that they were always out of reach.

Car carrier Ruby ace ship in the water seen from the M2M ferry

The cherry on the cake were the sea gulls that seemed to dance in celebration of our new found freedom as they kept following our ferry. I looked at the ocean and it seemed happy for some reason. The entire space... life itself seemed happy for some reason.

Perhaps it was a reflection of my own happiness;

or perhaps it was an illusion?

Passengers offering the gulls food items to eat which was happily accepted by the gulls!

But everything was so beautiful that it seemed nothing short of a dream.

We skirted the entire periphery of the ship and accessed all the decks to soak in views from all the angles possible.

Standing on the backside of the M2M ferry Mumbai to Alibag.

The ride ended too soon in 1 hour and we were back seated in our car which we had parked earlier. The sun was no longer the crimson ball of fire as we exited the Ro-Ro ferry at the Mandwa port in our car. It had risen high in the sky along with our spirits.

Mumbai To Alibaug M2M Ro-Ro Ferry Overview.

Location : Bhaucha Dhakka Mazgaon Jetty

Start point : Terminal R, Ferry Wharf, Bhaucha Dhakka, Mumbai Port

End Point : Mandwa beach Jetty in Raigad.

Premium Air Conditioned Cafeteria: M2M Ro-Ro Ferries to Alibaug are available from 'Bhaucha Dhakka'. It is the fastest and the cheapest way to reach Alibaug from Mumbai. You have a choice to sit inside the Air conditioned cafeteria section during the entire ride which offers high class amenities and appetizing food with a view. This ferry service can take you all the way from Mumbai to Alibaug all within 50 Minutes.

Inside the luxury cafeteria of M2M Ro-Ro ferry

How to Reach: Boarding point is Bhaucha Dhakka where one can easily reach from private or public transport. The nearest railway station is Dockyard station. Nearest BEST bus station is Mallet Bunder Bus stop and bus numbers are 44, 46, 48, 50 and 135.

How to book: Check their official website for the entire schedule and more details -- https://m2mferries.com/index.php

What to do? Alibaug makes for an ideal weekend getaway from Mumbai and offers a peaceful respite from the busy hectic life. There are lots of things to see and do in Alibaug as well! It is perfect to spend a few days or just a single day with your friends, family or solo to enjoy the beauties of nature.

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