Sicily Ferry Timetables
Latest update: 9 February 2024
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All of the Sicily Ferry Timetables are detailed in the different sections below. There are three island groups in Sicily: the Aeolian Islands, the Aegadian Islands and the Pelagie Islands, as well as the two individual islands of Pantelleria and Ustica.
The islands of each island group are interconnected while the two independent islands can be reached from the Sicilian mainland ports of Palermo and Trapani. Palermo is one of the busiest ports in Italy, connecting not only to the islands, but also to a number of Italian and foreign destinations. |
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Sicily Ferry Routes and Schedules
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The Aeolian Islands ferry schedules contain the timetables for every one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage listed islands, as well as the mainland ports from which you can sail to them.
Most visitors use the Sicilian mainland port of Milazzo to reach the Aeolian Islands which lie along the northern coast of the island region in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Of the seven islands that make up the archipelago, Vulcano is the closest to Milazzo at a distance of 33 kilometres with the fastest journey time taking 40 minutes. For every island there's a choice between ferry and hydrofoil with the latter the faster option. |
Vulcano, Aeolian Islands
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Individual Ferry Schedules from the Aeolian Islands
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The Aegadian Islands are situated just off the west coast of Sicily, close to the port city of Trapani. Most crossings in and out of the three islands are via Trapani but there are also a smaller number of sailings available from the nearby port of Marsala.
Favignana is the most popular of the three islands, largely due to its spectacular beaches of crystalline water. Levanzo is just a short hop of six kilometres from Favignana but very different: much quieter, smaller and without the dazzling beaches. its charm lies with its tranquility and a pretty port area of whitewashed buildings looking out on to the bright blue water in front of it. Marettimo is all about nature and offers some excellent hiking routes. |
Marettimo, Aegadian Islands
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Individual Ferry Schedules from the Aegadian Islands
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The timetables for crossings to and from the Pelagie Islands are a good deal simpler than they are for the two other island groups of Sicily detailed above. Although there are officially three islands in the archipelago, only two of them can be reached with public ferry or hydrofoil services. Those two islands are Lampedusa and Linosa while the islet of Lampione is little more than a large rock.
Lampedusa is by far the busier of the two islands and a real tourist hotspot with its numerous beaches, including the fabled Spiaggia dei Conigli. Linosa lies closer to the Sicilian mainland port of Porto Empedocle but ironically feels much more remote. It's an absolute joy though with its iconic multi-coloured houses. |
Lampedusa, Pelagie Islands
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Individual Ferry Schedules from the Pelagie Islands
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The seaside resort of Mazara del Vallo is another that lies on the west coast of Sicily; further south of both Trapani and Marsala.
Unlike the ports above, Mazara del Vallo doesn't serve the Aegadian Islands but instead provides crossings to the island of Pantelleria which is a good deal further from the Sicilian mainland at a distance of 107 kilometres. Journey times to Pantelleria from Mazara del Vallo are four and a half hours with crossings provided by the Siremar. Sailings are only available during the summer months and only on selected days of the week; typically Tuesdays and Thursdays. |
Mazara del Vallo
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Individual Ferry Routes from Mazara del Vallo
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The port city of Messina occupies an historically strategic position on the western coast of the Messina Strait which separates Sicily from Calabria on the Italian mainland. This makes it one of the busiest ports in Italy with a constant stream of cars taking the ferries in each direction. The timetables are almost irrelevant as there are two or three sailings per hour and it's never too long to wait before it's time to board the next ferry.
Messina also provides one of the alternative options to Milazzo for crossings to the Aeolian Islands; five of the seven islands can be reached directly from Messina with Filicudi and Alicudi the two exceptions that require a different route. |
Messina
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Positioned in the north-eastern corner of Sicily, the port of Milazzo is the one that's most closely associated with crossings to the Aeolian Islands. During the summer there are as many as 22 different sailing times departing from the port, either by vehicle and passenger ferry or by foot passenger only hydrofoil.
In nearly every case it's the hydrofoil that provides the faster journey time with services operated by Liberty Lines to and from each of the seven islands. Most of the islands don't require a car to visit them with the possible exceptions of Lipari and Salina, but even in those cases it's not the favoured option with most people choosing to get around on foot or by public transport. |
Milazzo
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Individual Ferry Routes from Milazzo
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The Sicilian capital of Palermo offers the most complex set of timetables with sixteen different destinations available. Among those destinations are all seven of the Aeolian Islands and the port of Milazzo which all lie to the east of Palermo.
More popular however, are crossings to the single island of Ustica which is situated 66 kilometres directly to the north of the capital and can only be reached from Palermo, whereas the Aeolian Islands can all be reached from other, closer ports. Beyond Sicily there are maritime connections with big Italian cites such as Naples, Genoa and Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. |
Palermo
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Individual Ferry Routes from Palermo
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The island of Pantelleria is located considerably closer to the African mainland than it is to Sicily. However, the island is very much Italian and has its own unique culture with a mixture of architectural, linguistic and culinary influences.
From the Sicilian mainland there are two ports from which you can reach Pantelleria, either by ferry or hydrofoil, but only during the summer. The port of Trapani offers the slightly greater flexibility than the other port: Mazara del Vallo; from Trapani there are three sailing times which include option of car ferry or foot passenger hydrofoil. The ferries take just under six hours from Trapani while the hydrofoils are just over two hours. |
Pantelleria
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Individual Ferry Routes from Pantelleria
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Just one destination is reachable from the port of Pozzallo which is situated in the south-eastern corner of Sicily in the province of Ragusa. Around 100 kilometres south-west of Pozzallo lies the island of Malta and its capital Valletta with crossings available all year round with Virtuferries and up to three times a day.
The sailings take place in what are called "fast ferries", the kind of middle ground between car ferries and hydrofoils but with the key point that they're for foot passengers only. Journey times between the two ports are around an hour and 45 minutes although the price can be quite high at €130 each way. |
Pozzallo
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Individual Ferry Routes from Pozzallo
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A 45 minute drive south-east of Palermo brings you to the port of Termini Imerese which, like the Sicilian capital, is situated on the island region's north coast and facing the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The port is connected by sea to two Italian cities further to the north and provides a solution for people that don't want to make the whole journey by car. Crossings to both Naples in Campania and Civitavecchia in Lazio take place overnight and on selected days of the week. These are long crossings, with Civitavecchia for example almost 500 kilometres away and requiring a journey of around twelve and a half hours. Naples is slightly closer and takes nine and a half hours with a mid-morning arrival time. |
Termini Imerese
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Individual Ferry Routes from Termini Imerese
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Aside from being a port for cruise liners, Trapani provides crossings to four different Sicilian islands. The closest of those are the Aegadian Islands of Levanzo, Favignana and Marettimo, with as many as eighteen sailing times per day at the height of summer.
The Aegadian Islands are generally small, with a limited number of accommodation options, as opposed to Trapani with its larger range of hotels, restaurants and greater nightlife. Favignana is reachable in half an hour by hydrofoil and ideal for a day-trip. If you feel like venturing further than the Aegadian Islands then there's the option of the two hour hydrofoil to Pantelleria. |
Trapani
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Individual Ferry Routes from Trapani
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The island of Ustica is one of the most popular spots in Italy for diving and offers a wealth of marine life to explore in its crystal clear waters. It lies 66 kilometres directly north of Palermo, with crossings available all year round.
Two companies operate the routes between Ustica and Palermo with Siremar providing vehicle ferries and Liberty Lines with their hydrofoils for foot passengers only. During the summer months there are as many as six crossing times in each direction with the fastest journeys provided by the hydrofoils. The Siremar ferries take around three hours to make the crossings while the hydrofoils take half the time and free up valuable time for diving. |
Ustica
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Individual Ferry Routes from Ustica
