Naples to Palermo by boat?
 

I want to travel from Naples to Palermo in mid-March by boat (ferry). I arrive in Naples around 2 PM. I will pick up a rental car in Palermo. I would appreciate any information regarding this transit. I understand that there are high and low speed vessels making the trip. I need info on departing times and locations (from Napoli), accomodations available, cost if known, and any other pro, con, or rec. that anyone can offer. There will be 2 travelers. Thank you in advance. JR

I've posted extensively on this question on this site. Go to the Tirrenia Lines site: <BR>www.tirrenia.it <BR>for complete information and fares. The Tirrenia ferry leaves every evening at 20:45 and arrives the following morning in Palermo at 6:30. The high-speed catamaran service does not commence until late April, so you're limited to the regular (&quot;traditional&quot;) overnight car ferry, the train, or the airplane. You can reserve a double cabin, inside or outside, with private facilities, or simply two reclining seats in a public auditorium for less money. The ships on this route, the Florio and the Rubattino, are nearly brand-new and quite large (30,000 tons, 175 metres in length, 1500 passengers and 700 vehicles, and travel at 23 knots). They have restaurant and cafeteria service, and a movie theatre, as well. March is low season, and fares are the lowest of the calendar year. Cabins should be reserved in advance.

I just topped two recent threads on this subject for you.

Correction: the ships carry 1,378 passengers and displace 30,800 tons!<BR><BR>Fare (LOW season) is 65.43 Euros per person in a double outside cabin with private facilities. Inside cabins are marginally cheaper.<BR><BR>A reclining seat costs 39.08 Euros per person in low season. (As the journey is less than 10 hours, it's not much different than a transatlantic trip by plane, so a reclining seat is not all that terrible!)

Took the Tirrenia overnight ferry from Palermo to Naples this past June and would use it again. As GAC mentions, the faster hydrofoil only operates in high season so you'd have to use the slow one also. We reserved ahead for a double inside cabin and for our rental car. I posted here with some info...I'll try to find and top it. If you have any additional questions post again.

I would fly. My family and I took the ferry from Palermo to Naples a couple of years ago. We did not like it at all. We had a first class cabin that slept four. The ride made us feel sick. My daughter got sick after we got off, and it took me about 2 days to feel myself again from the movement of the boat.<BR><BR>So, instead of taking the boat back to Palermo, we flew. Got back in 45 minutes vs. 12 hours. It was the best thing I ever did!

Did you travel on the older ferries, or on the Florio or Rubattino? Were the sea conditions rough at the time?

You can see photos of the interiors of many of the Tirrenia ships in:<BR>www.navitirrenia.org (a non-official site)