By Boat & Ferry in Sicily

By Boat & Ferry

Frequent car ferries, run by Caronte & Tourist, cross the strait between Villa San Giovanni in Calabria and Messina on the island, costing EUR 23 per car. The crossing usually takes about a half hour, and ferries leave about every 15 minutes, but during the summer months there can be considerable delays. Overnight car ferries operated by Tirrenia run all year between Naples and Palermo. Tirrenia also runs regular service between Palermo and Cagliari, Sardinia. SNAV has faster service between Palermo and Naples during the day, as well as a route between Palermo and Civitavecchia (near Rome). Passenger-only hydrofoils also cross the strait from Reggio di Calabria to Messina in about 15 minutes. Grimaldi Lines' Grandi Navi Veloci run beautiful cruise-ship-like ferries to Genoa (a 20-hour trip) year-round. Milazzo is the main port of departure for the Aeolian Islands, with Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI) the main operator of those ferries, as well as of boats between the various islands. Medmar and SNAV also have service between Naples and the Aeolians.

Boat & Ferry Information

Caronte & Tourist (0965/793111. www.carontetourist.it). Grandi Navi Veloci (091/587404 in Palermo. www.gnv.it). Medmar (081/3334411 in Naples. www.medmargroup.it). NGI (090/9284091 in Milazzo. www.ngi-spa.it). SNAV (091/6317900 in Palermo; 081/4285555 in Naples. www.snav.it). Tirrenia (892123. www.tirrenia.it).