Ferries to and from Sicily

Last Updated: May 25, 2024

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Ferries to and from Sicily

Getting to Sicily by ferry is convenient and comfortable, thanks to many connections.

In addition to a flight or by land, you can reach Sicily by ship by sea.
The port of Palermo is the most connected with the rest of Italy and the busiest routes are the Civitavecchia – Palermo, Naples – Palermo and the most distant Genoa – Palermo.
However, depending on your port of departure, you may agree to reach the ports of Messina or Catania.
Getting to Sicily by ferry with your car is an excellent solution to start a traveling holiday in Sicily.

Sicilian ports

If you intend to reach Sicily by sea, you will have the opportunity to choose your port of call: the most connected with the rest of Italy is definitely the Port of Palermo.
Other Sicilian ports connected by direct routes with the rest of Italy are those of Termini Imerese, Milazzo, Messina and Catania.

In addition, from Sicily you can also reach abroad: the ports of Trapani and Pozzallo offer direct connections with France, Tunisia and Malta.

In addition to these, the Aeolian Islands are also connected directly to the ports of Southern Italy: you can see all the links on the page dedicated to how to get to the Aeolian Islands.

Advantages of travelling by ferry

Booking ferries to Sicily well in advance is the best way to find cheap prices.
Do not wait for the last minute, especially if you are traveling by car in the summer months: you risk finding a full house or paying a very high price.

Ferries to and from Sicily
Sicilian ports
Advantages of travelling by ferry
Comfort and suggestion
Travel with car
Ticket price
Who is recommended the ferry
Ferry companies sailing to Sicily
Video

Comfort and suggestion

The sea is the essential element, characterizing an island: that’s why reaching Sicily by sea is the best way to get immediately in tune with its traditions and its personality.

Travelling by ferry to Sicily is certainly fascinating, a slow journey that will make you dream of being a great traveler of the past centuries, but without the inconveniences of the past: modern ferries are equipped with many services and amenities, including comfortable cabins, bars and restaurants, cinemas and shops.

True, it is a much longer journey than the plane, but the ferry trip hours are more pleasant: it starts in the late afternoon or evening and most of the trip takes place at night, so you can comfortably sleep without even realizing that you are traveling.

During the day you can go out for a breath of air on the deck, stretch your legs or sit in the sun. The hours by ferry are pleasantly lazy!

Travel with car

The main advantage of the ferry compared to the plane is of course the ability to bring your own car: this will allow you to organize a traveling holiday of the island, go to the discovery of beaches and villages not accessible by public transport, with the freedom to leave at the time you prefer and stopping whenever you want.

Ticket price

Booking online well in advance you can find some really advantageous offers so comparing the price of the ferry with the sum of air tickets for all members of the family or group traveling the ferry is cheaper.

Remember that by taking your car with you, you save money on car hire.

Who is recommended the ferry

Reaching Sicily by ferry, instead of by plane, is particularly recommended to:

families with children: children do not like the plane because they have to stand for hours on an uncomfortable seat. By ferry they can move, walk, play (some ferries also have a children’s play area). Remember that very young children suffer from earache when travelling by plane.
groups: if you are a group you can save money by dividing the money of the car. The ferry is therefore cheaper than the plane.
People who suffer from claustrophobia or are afraid to fly: the aircraft cabin is a cramped space, with a narrow corridor and seats next to each other that force people to a very close distance. If this creates anxiety or tension choose the ferry, which with its wide spaces and the possibility to go out outdoors will allow you to travel more relaxed.

Ferry companies sailing to Sicily

Connections to and from Sicily are offered by the shipping companies Grandi Navi Veloci, Grimaldi Lines, Tirrenia, Siremar, Liberty Lines, caronte&tourist, Corsica Ferries and Virtu Ferries.

Grandi Navi Veloci
Born in 1992 with the first ship Majestic, Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) transports cars and passengers between Italy, Spain, Tunisia, France, Morocco and Sicily and Sardinia. It is one of the main Italian shipping companies operating in the field of passenger and freight transport in the Mediterranean Sea.

Grimaldi Lines
Grimaldi Lines is part of the famous Grimaldi group, which includes the operators Minoan Lines, for ferries in Greece, and Finnlines, in the Baltic Sea. Grimaldi Lines offers numerous ferry connections between Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, Greece, Sardinia and Sicily. Currently the group possesses one of the greatest fleets of ships to the world.

Tirrenia
The company Tirrenia connects the Italian ports with the Sardinia, the Sicily and the Tremiti islands and is currently one of the main naval operators in Europe. Thanks to its fleet composed mainly from fast ferries, it carries out approximately 60 thousand drafts to the year, transporting beyond 13 million passengers and 2 million cars.

Liberty Lines
Liberty Lines, formerly known as Ustica Lines, is a company that offers connections between Italy and the Aeolian Islands, the Pelagie Islands, the Egadi Islands, the island of Ustica and Pantelleria. Founded in 1993 offering routes between Naples and various islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea, today transports more than one and a half million passengers per year, with a fleet of over 30 high-speed hydrofoils, catamarans and monohulls.

Ferries to Sicily