Italy Ferries

To Sardinia: the mainland car ferries

Sardinia is served by a network of car ferries from the Italian mainland, many of them overnight. The main departure ports are Genoa (the most direct link from the north), Livorno (useful for travellers coming from central Italy), Civitavecchia (the port of Rome), Piombino and Naples. The main arrival ports are Olbia and Golfo Aranci in the north-east, Porto Torres in the north-west, Arbatax on the east coast and Cagliari in the south.

Crossings from Civitavecchia to Olbia take roughly 5.5–8 hours depending on operator; Genoa to Olbia takes 10–12.5 hours and Livorno to Olbia about 7 hours. Many departures are timed to arrive in the morning, so you can sail overnight and save a hotel night. The main operators are GNV, Tirrenia, Moby Lines, Grimaldi Lines and, in season, Corsica Ferries. All carry cars, campervans and motorcycles. In July and August the routes are heavily booked; reserve vehicle space well ahead.

To Sicily: two very different crossings

The Villa San Giovanni–Messina strait crossing is one of the busiest ferry routes in Europe. At about 20 minutes, it is a functional link between Calabria on the toe of Italy and the city of Messina on Sicily. Caronte & Tourist sails around the clock, with departures at least every 40 minutes, so you generally queue and take the next boat. Bluferries, part of the state railway group, also carries vehicles, mostly between Villa San Giovanni and Messina Tremestieri. Trains cross on separate railway ferries.

The Naples–Palermo route is entirely different: an overnight car ferry linking the two largest cities in southern Italy. GNV takes about 11 hours and Grimaldi Lines about 8.5 hours, with up to three departures a day in summer. A cabin makes the overnight crossing comfortable.

Capri, Ischia and the Bay of Naples islands

The Bay of Naples islands are reached by short, frequent ferries from two piers in central Naples, Molo Beverello (high speed ferries) and Calata Porta di Massa (Caremar and Medmar ferries), and from Sorrento and Pozzuoli.

Capri is the most popular. NLG and SNAV high speed ferries from Molo Beverello take about 50 minutes; Caremar's ferries from Porta di Massa take 1 hour to 1 hour 25 minutes. The Sorrento–Capri crossing is just 20–30 minutes, with more than 30 boats a day in summer. Non-resident vehicles, including hire cars and foreign-registered cars, are banned on Capri from 30 March to 2 November 2026 and over the Christmas holidays, and every ticket includes the island's landing fee (€5 from April to October).

Ischia, the largest of the Bay islands, is served by high speed ferries (Alilauro, SNAV and Caremar, about 1 hour) from Molo Beverello and by Caremar and Medmar car ferries (about 1 hour 30 minutes) from Porta di Massa. Pozzuoli has a shorter car ferry crossing. From 3 April to 31 October 2026, cars registered in the Campania region cannot land on Ischia; foreign-registered cars are exempt.

Procida, the smallest of the three, is about 40 minutes from Naples by SNAV or Caremar high speed ferry, or about an hour by Caremar car ferry. It was a filming location for Il Postino and was Italy's Capital of Culture in 2022.

Caremar, the regional public operator, runs all year. NLG, SNAV, Alilauro and Medmar add most of the other departures, with reduced frequency in winter.

Sicily's small islands and the Tuscan Archipelago

Sicily's minor islands, the Aeolians, Egadi, Pelagie, Ustica and Pantelleria, are served from Milazzo, Trapani, Porto Empedocle and Palermo. Liberty Lines runs the fast passenger boats, and Siremar (Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori) runs the car ferries.

In Tuscany, Elba is about an hour from Piombino by car ferry with Toremar, Moby Lines and Blu Navy. Toremar also serves Giglio from Porto Santo Stefano and Capraia from Livorno.

Italy–Greece: the Adriatic overnight routes

Overnight car ferries across the Adriatic are a popular way for drivers and backpackers to combine Italy and Greece.

Ancona has sailings to Igoumenitsa and Patras with Superfast Ferries and Grimaldi Lines. The crossing takes about 16.5–22.5 hours, depending on the ship and the port. Patras is about 3 hours by road from Athens. The ships carry cars and have cabins, restaurants and deck space; the crossing is a full day and night at sea.

Bari–Igoumenitsa is a shorter alternative, from about 9 hours. Superfast Ferries sails daily all year and Ventouris Ferries adds summer sailings. Igoumenitsa in north-western Greece is the gateway to the Ionian islands and the Egnatia motorway; Corfu is a short ferry hop away.

Vehicle space fills quickly in July and August; book several weeks ahead for summer travel.

Operators

Italy's long-distance ferries are dominated by a handful of large companies. GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) sails to Sardinia and Sicily. Grimaldi Lines has the broadest network, including Sardinia, Sicily and Greece. Tirrenia and Moby Lines focus on Sardinia. In the Bay of Naples, Caremar, SNAV, NLG, Alilauro and Medmar share the island routes, and Travelmar runs the Amalfi Coast boats from Salerno. Compare routes and prices across operators via Direct Ferries or Ferryhopper, which list most of them in a single search.