Sorrento to Capri Ferry

The Sorrento to Capri ferry is the shortest and most frequent way onto the island. Boats leave from Marina Piccola, the port of Sorrento, and reach Marina Grande on Capri in about 20 minutes on the high-speed ferries of Alilauro Gruson (part of the Gescab group) and NLG (Navigazione Libera del Golfo), or about 30 minutes on SNAV and Caremar. In late September 2026 there were more than 30 departures a day, the first at 07:15 and the last at 19:25. One-way adult tickets cost from about €17 on Caremar's slower summer ferry up to €28 on the fastest jets. The one thing a first-timer should know: the outbound trip is easy, the return is the bottleneck. In high season the late-afternoon boats back to Sorrento fill first, so book your return before you leave.

Ferry options compared

Five ferry companies sail the Sorrento to Capri route, and the differences between them are small. Every boat is a passenger-only fast craft (high-speed ferries, catamarans and hydrofoils). There are no cabins and no space for vehicles, and on a crossing this short you don't need them. Most vessels have an air-conditioned lounge, and some have a snack bar.

• Alilauro Gruson (Gescab). The most frequent operator, with departures from 07:15 on weekdays to 18:20 in the late-September 2026 timetable. High-speed ferry, about 20 minutes, €24–26. The best choice if you want flexibility.
• NLG (Navigazione Libera del Golfo). Jets in about 20 minutes, typically €25–28. Fewer departures, but well spaced through the morning and afternoon.
• SNAV. Fast ferries in about 30 minutes, €24–26, with four or five departures a day toward Capri. SNAV sells some sailings together with Gescab.
• Caremar. The regional public operator and the cheapest ferry. Its fast ferry takes about 30 minutes and cost €21.40 in 2026. In summer a slower Caremar ferry adds a cheaper sailing from about €17. Caremar also runs the last boat of the day, at 19:25.
• Laser Capri. Smaller motorboats with a handful of departures, €25. Seremar is also listed by Direct Ferries, but it did not appear in the week we checked.

For most travellers the choice comes down to departure time rather than company. If you get seasick, pick a larger boat (Caremar or SNAV) and sit low and central. The fastest ferry is not always the smoothest.

Timetable and season

The Sorrento Capri route runs all year, but frequency changes a lot. In the high season (roughly Easter to the end of October) Ferryhopper counts up to 40 ferry crossings a day. In winter it is around 10 a day. Timetables change week by week, so treat the times below as a snapshot of late September 2026, not a promise.

Sorrento to Capri

In the week of 26 September 2026, the early morning departures were 07:15 (Alilauro Gruson, weekdays), 07:45 (Caremar fast ferry), 08:00 (Laser Capri), 08:20 (SNAV) and 08:30 (NLG). Through the morning there were boats at 08:45, 09:00, 09:20, 09:25, 09:40 and 09:55, then 10:20, 10:35, 10:45 and 11:10. Afternoon sailings included 12:35, 13:35, 14:05, 14:35, 14:40, 15:50, 16:05, 16:10 and 16:35. The last ferry was Caremar at 19:25.

Capri to Sorrento

The return starts at 07:00 with Caremar. The last boats in late September 2026 were 18:30 (Alilauro Gruson), 18:33 (Laser Capri), 18:40 (Caremar) and 19:00 (Alilauro Gruson). There is no later public boat. Miss it and you pay for a private boat or a night on Capri.

Check the day's ferry schedules the evening before. The operators publish them on their own sites, and Ferryhopper, Direct Ferries and naplesbayferry.com show them all together.

Getting to the port of Sorrento

The port of Sorrento (Porto di Sorrento) sits at sea level below the cliff the town is built on. Every scheduled Sorrento to Capri ferry leaves from here, and each company has its own ticket office on the quay. At the port, buy tickets at the window of the company you want to sail with.

• On foot from Piazza Tasso: 10–15 minutes down a series of steep steps and along the road. Easy going down, hard work coming back up with luggage.
• By local bus: small town buses run from Piazza Tasso down to the port in a couple of minutes. Board on the side of the square heading west toward the water.
• By lift: in the Villa Comunale park a lift goes down to the waterfront. From the bottom you walk a few hundred metres along the shore to Marina Piccola.
• By taxi: the simplest option if you have bags or are staying on the edge of town.
• From Naples by train: the Circumvesuviana ends at Sorrento station, a short walk from the town centre. The ride from Naples takes about 70–75 minutes. See Naples to Sorrento ferry for the train versus boat comparison.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before departure in high season. The quay gets crowded, and you may need to queue to buy tickets or swap an online booking. If you are staying in Piano di Sorrento, a few seasonal boats (Laser Capri and HP Travel) leave from Marina di Cassano, the Piano di Sorrento harbour, from about €22.50. Ferryhopper lists these Piano di Sorrento sailings from March to October only.

Arriving in Capri

All ferries from Sorrento arrive at Marina Grande, Capri's main harbour on the north coast. From there:

• Funicular to Capri town: the funicular climbs from Marina Grande to Piazza Umberto I (the Piazzetta) in about four minutes. A single ride cost €2.40 in 2026. Large bags need their own ticket. From May to September the queue can take longer than the ferry ride, so go straight there when you land.
• Buses: buses run from Marina Grande to Capri town and Anacapri. Anacapri is the base for Villa San Michele and the chairlift up Monte Solaro.
• Boat tours: kiosks at Marina Grande sell round-the-island boat tours and trips to the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto closes when the sea is rough.
• Taxis: open-top taxis wait at the port. Agree the fare before you get in.

Non-residents cannot bring vehicles to Capri. In 2026 the ban runs from 30 March to 2 November and again from 28 December to 3 January 2027, and it covers hire cars and foreign-registered cars too. That is why no ferry on this route carries vehicles.

Tickets and prices

You can book Capri ferry tickets online with the operators or through aggregators, or buy them at the port ticket office on the day. Most companies send an e-ticket or QR code. Some ask you to swap it for a paper boarding pass at their window, so allow time.

What you pay depends mostly on the company and the boat type, and the spread is narrow: about €17–28 one way for an adult. Every ticket to Capri includes the island's landing fee (contributo di sbarco). It is €5 per person from 1 April to 31 October and €2.50 from November to March. Children under about 12 usually pay up to 50% less, and under-2s travel free. The exact age bands vary by operator.

When to book:

• July, August and weekends: book your return a few days ahead, and your outbound if you want a boat between 08:30 and 10:30.
• Shoulder season: buying at the port on the day usually works, but booking online saves the queue.
• Winter: buy at the port. There are fewer boats, but plenty of seats.

Luggage rules are strict on the jets. NLG allows one piece up to 50×30×15 cm and 5 kg. Larger cases cost extra. If you are moving hotels between Sorrento and Capri, a larger Caremar boat is the easiest option for big bags.

Tips

• Beat the crowds. The first boats (07:15–08:30) reach Marina Grande before the big waves of day trippers. The funicular queue is shorter and Capri town is quiet for an hour or two.
• Pick your side. On the way out, sit on the left side of the boat for views along the Sorrento coast toward Punta Campanella.
• Watch the wind. The high-speed ferries are cancelled first in rough seas. If the forecast is bad, the larger Caremar boats are more likely to sail. If your ferry is cancelled, ask the operator's ticket office about a refund or a seat on a later boat.
• Don't cut the return fine. Aim for a boat at least an hour before the last ferry, so you still have options if it is cancelled or full.
• Day trip or overnight. A day trip covers Capri town, the Gardens of Augustus and Anacapri. For the Blue Grotto, Monte Solaro and a quiet evening in the Piazzetta after the day trippers leave, stay a night.
• Visit more than one island town. Capri has two: Capri town and Anacapri. The island buses connect them, so you can visit Villa San Michele in the morning and the Piazzetta in the afternoon.
• Continue on. Capri also has direct boats to Naples (see Naples to Capri ferry) and seasonal boats toward Positano and the Amalfi Coast. Our Bay of Naples ferries guide shows how the routes fit together, and the Capri ferries page covers Marina Grande in detail.