Ferries to Italy

Ferries to and from Italy

Italy has more ferry routes than almost any country in Europe. Its long coastline and big islands mean that for Sardinia, Sicily, Elba and Capri the ferry is simply how you get there, and in summer the overnight ships to Greece, Spain and Tunisia are part of the holiday.

The location of Italy in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea has ensured that there are many ferry services with other countries. You can travel by ferry between Italy and Greece, Croatia, Albania, Spain, France, Morocco, Tunisia and Malta.

Coming from the UK with a car? There is no ferry from Britain to Italy. Most people take a Channel crossing to France and drive down, roughly 1,000 km from Calais to Milan. The option that saves the most driving is a ferry to Santander or Bilbao, the drive to Barcelona and a Grimaldi or GNV ferry from there to Civitavecchia, Porto Torres or Genoa.

You can also discover the beauty of the Italian islands by ferry. Whether you want to visit the famous Sardinia, Sicily, Elba or Capri or explore lesser-known gems like Ischia or Lampedusa, you will find a ferry route matching your preferences and budget.

There are also nice ferry connections with Malta, Corfu and Corsica from Italy and even from Albania to Italy.

Our take for drivers from the UK. Do not drive the length of Italy to reach an island. For Sardinia and Corsica sail from the south of France, Toulon or Nice, and for Sicily take the overnight Genoa to Palermo ship from the top of the country: it replaces 1,000 km of autostrada and a hotel night. Elba is the exception, an hour from Piombino and perfect for a few days on the way south. Our own Italian crossings are the boat to the Lavezzi islands from Bonifacio, between Corsica and Sardinia, and the Tuscan island hop; our seven tips for Elba and the islands around Sicily are where to start if you want more than the mainland.