Ferries in the Mediterranean

This page aims to provide an overview of all the ferry services in the Mediterranean Sea between southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The Mediterranean Sea is sub-divided into a number of smaller seas, each with their own designation (from west to east). The ferries are - as far as possible - ordered by sea which they traverse.

Discounts

As of Oct 2018, Grimaldi Ferries provides free passage (no seat or berth) for children under 2 years old (and for children under 12 on some routes to Sicily), and 50% off ship passage (not including fixed dues for children under 12 years old). It offers a 20% discount (fixed dues excluded) for passengers over 60 for voyages from/to Spain, Sicily and Sardinia.

Map of the Mediterranean Sea.

Alboran Sea

The Alboran Sea is between Spain and Morocco. Ferries leave from Algeciras on the Spanish side and arrive at Tangier and Melina in Morocco. There is also a connection from Barcelona to Tangier.

Balearic Sea

The Balearic Sea is between mainland Spain and its Balearic Islands.

• You can arrive to Barcelona by boat from the Balearic Islands, from Genoa and from Rome. For further information, check http://www.gnv.it and http://www.grimaldi-ferries.com.

The cheapest cabine-less ticket is cheaper then the bus Rome - Barcelona.

Ligurian Sea

The Ligurian Sea is between Corsica and Liguria (Italy).

Italy

• From Genoa: Grandi Navi Veloci crosses to Barcelona weekly, and takes about eighteen hours. It also offers a weekly crossing to Tangiers, which takes around forty-six.

Other direct ferry routes from Genoa are; Bastia (Corsica), Olbia, Palermo (Italy) and Porto Torres. It is best to book early to avoid over-booking on the ferries.

Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea is enclosed by Sardinia, Italian peninsula and Sicily.

Italy

A ferry leaving the port of Civitavecchia

• From Civitavecchia (near Rome)
  • To Barcelona (Spain). You get 20% discount with the RailPlus card. Takes approx. 22hr.

    The cheapest cabine-less ticket is cheaper then the bus Rome - Barcelona. http://www.grimaldi-ferries.com

  • To Golfo Aranci (Sardinia), Corsica & Sardinia Ferries
  • To Olbia (Sardinia), Moby Lines, Tirrenia or Snav
  • To Palermo (Sicily), Grandi Navi Veloci or Snav
  • To Porto Torres (Sardinia), Grimaldi Lines
  • To Toulon (France), GLD Lines
  • To Tunis, Grandi Navi Veloci / Grimaldi Ferries

For detailed info of all these lines, see Guide to Mediterranean Ferries

The port of Naples is one of the busiest of the Mediterranean Sea

• From Naples to:
  • Aeolian Islands – Lipari (16hr), Panarea (14hr), Stromboli (12hr), Salina (15hr), Vulcano (17hr). Siremar or [Snav].
  • Cagliari (Sardinia) – Tirrenia. Takes approx. 13½hr.
  • Gulf of Naples – Capri, Ischia (45min by hydrofoil or 1hr by ferry), Procida. Snav
  • Milazzo (Sicily) – Siremar. Takes approx. 18hr.
  • Palermo (Sicily) – Takes about 10¼hr with Tirrenia or 10½hr with Grandi Navi Veloci.
• From Salerno to:
  • Catania (Sicily) – Grimaldi Lines. Takes about 13hr.
  • Valletta (Malta) – Grimaldi Lines. Takes about 26½hr.
  • Palermo (Sicily) – Grimaldi Lines. Takes about 10hr.
  • Tunis (Tunisia) – Grimaldi Lines. Takes about 25hr.

Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea is between the Italian peninsula and the coasts of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania.

Albania

Durrës

• From Durrës to:
  • Ancona (Italy) – Adria ferries
  • Bar (Montenegro) – bi-weekly connection with Montenegro Lines
  • Bari (Italy) – Agemar or Azzurra Line
  • Kotor (Montenegro)
  • Trieste (Italy) – Agemar

Bosnia

• The coastal town of Neum does not seem to be served by any ferry line. Nearest larger ports are Split and Dubrovnik, both in Croatia.

Croatia

• From Pula
  • To Venezia during summer
• From Rijeka
  • All along the Croatian coast to Split, Starigrad, Dubrovnik
• From Split
  • To Pescara (Italy), via Starigrad (Hvar)
  • To Ancona (Italy)
  • Numerous local lines, detailed schedules for local lines
• From Dubrovnik
  • To Bari (Italy)
  • Numerous local lines
• From Zadar
  • To Ancona (Italy)
• From Ploče
  • local lines.

For detailed info of all these lines, see Croatia Ferry Guide or All international and local ferries in Croatia

Montenegro

• From Bar it is possible to take a ferry to:
  • Ancona (Italy) - twice a week, only in the summer. It takes approx 16h.
  • Bari (Italy) - daily
  • Durrës (Albania) – bi-weekly with Montenegro Lines
• From Kotor it is possible to take a ferry to:
  • Bari (Italy) - weekly, only during the summer

Italy

• From Venice to:
  • Izola (Slovenia)
  • Piran (Slovenia)
  • Greece
• From Ancona to:
  • Bar (Montenegro) - Twice a week, only in the summer. Takes approx 16h.
  • Split (Croatia) Snav or Jadrolinija ferries or Blu Line Ferries
  • Zadar (Croatia)
• From Pescara to:
  • Split (Croatia) via Starigrad (Hvar) or or Snav ferries
• From Bari to:
  • Bar (Montenegro) – Jadrolinija
  • Dubrovnik (Croatia) – Jadrolinija
  • Durrës (Albania) – Adria Ferries or Ventouris Ferries
  • Kefalonia (Greece) – Ventouris Ferries
  • Patra (Greece) via Corfu and/or Igoumenitsa – Superfast Ferries
  • Zakynthos (Greece) – Ventouris Ferries
• From Brindisi to:
  • Corfu (Greece) – European Seaways, Red Star Ferries or Grimaldi Lines
  • Igoumenitsa (Greece) directly or via Corfu – European Seaways or Grimaldi Lines
  • Kefalonia (Greece) – European Seaways, Red Star Ferries
  • Patras (Greece) – Grimaldi Lines
  • Saranda (Albania) – Red Star Ferries
  • Vlorë (Albania) – European Seaways, Red Star Ferries
  • Zakynthos (Greece) – European Seaways, Red Star Ferries

Slovenia

• From Izola
  • to Venice (Italy)
• From Piran
  • to Venice (Italy)

Ionian Sea

The Ionian Sea is between Italy, Greece, and Albania.

Greece

• From Patras to:
  • Ancona (Italy) – Anek Lines or Minoan Lines or Superfast Ferries
  • Bari (Italy) – Superfast Ferries
  • Brindisi (Italy) – Grimaldi Lines
  • Venice (Italy) – Anek Lines or Minoan Lines

Aegean Sea

The Aegean Sea is between Greece and Turkey. Within it, there are some smaller seas, including the Thracian and the Myrtoan Sea and the Sea of Crete.

• Between Lesvos (Greece) and Dikili and Ayvalik (Turkey) there are regular ferry-services.

Sea of Marmara

The Sea of Marmara is between the Aegean and Black Sea. Lots of ferry and fast ferry lines connect northern and southern coasts of Marmara, some examples are:

• From Istanbul to Princes' Islands, Yalova, Guzelyali (near Bursa), Mudanya (also near Bursa), Marmara Islands, and Bandirma
• From Tekirdağ to Marmara Islands, Erdek, Bandirma, and Gemlik
• From Silivri to Marmara Islands
• From Şarköy to Marmara Islands

Also ferries run between Gelibolu/Eceabat on the northern bank of Dardanelles Strait (which links Aegean Sea and Marmara) and Lapseki/Çanakkale on the southern bank, respectively.

Cilician Sea

The Cilician Sea is between Turkey and Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean countries such as Lebanon.

• Between Turkey and Cyprus
  • Ferry between Limassol or Larnaca and Lebanon, Greece (Rhodes, Kos), Egypt, Israel and Syria
  • also ferries run between Mersin, Tasucu, Anamur, and Alanya in Turkey and Kyrenia, and Famagusta in Northern Cyprus
• Between Turkey and Lebanon
  • Twice-weekly ferry between Tasucu, just outside Mersin, Turkey to the Lebanese city of Tripoli. Run by Akgunler Denizcilik.

Black Sea

The Black Sea is between Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Russia.

• UKR Ferry (this shipping company provides passenger transportation on its routes), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail].
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Poti/Batumi
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Varna
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Derince (Turkey, port on Marmara Sea)
  Kerch to Poti
  Varna to Poti/Batumi  
• Navibulgar (Navigation Maritime Bulgare), ☎ [phone], [phone], [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. German/Bulgarian-owned company provides passenger transportation between:
  Varna (Bulgaria) and Poti/Batumi (Georgia) -- passenger €100, car €220
  Varna (Bulgaria) and Chernomorsk (near Odessa, Ukraine)
  Chernomorsk (Ukraine) and Poti/Batumi (Georgia)
  (updated Mar 2017)
• From Russian port of Sochi ferries go to Trabzon (Turkey) and Batumi (but you have to be a citizen of Georgia, Russia or CIS to board this one). Website of the port in Sochi