Ferries in the Mediterranean

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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.

Please add website links, sailing frequencies, sailing durations, discounts. As the purpose of this page is to provide travellers who want to cross the Med with info, while adding, focus on international lines, instead of meticulously adding small ferries connecting island to the mainland.

Discounts

Travellers owning a RailPlus pass are in some ferry lines eligible for a 10-20% discount on the fare price. See for example [6] and [7]

Alboran Sea

(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 (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 between Corsica and Liguria (Italy)

Italy

• From Genoa: Grandi Navi Veloci http://www.gnv.it/ 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 enclosed by Sardinia, Italian peninsula and Sicily

Italy

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

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

  • 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

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

Albania

• From Durrës
  • A bi-weekly connection to Bar (Montengro). See http://www.montenegrolines.net
  • To Kotor (Montengro)
  • To Bari (Italy) Agemar / Azzurra Line
  • To Ancona (Italy), Adria ferries
  • To Otranto (Italy), Veronica Line
  • To 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 [8]
• From Umag
  • To Venezia during summer [9]
• From Poreč
  • To Venezia during summer [10]
• From Rovinj
  • To Venezia during summer [11]
• 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 [12]
• 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
  • Bari (Italy) - daily
  • Ancona (Italy) - Twice a week, only in the summer. Takes approx 16h.
  • Durrës (Albania) (bi-weekly). [13]
• From Kotor it is possible to take a ferry to
  • Bari (Italy) - weekly, only in the summer

Italy

• From Ancona to:
  • Bar (Montenegro) - Twice a week, only in the summer. Takes approx 16h. [14]
  • Split (Croatia) Snav or Snav ferries or Jadrolinija or Jadrolinija ferries or Blue Line or Blu Line Ferries
  • Zadar (Croatia) [15]
• From Pescara to
  • Split (Croatia) via Starigrad (Hvar) [16] or [17] or Snav ferries
• From Venice to
  • Izola (Slovenia) [18]
  • Piran (Slovenia) [19]
  • Greece

Slovenia

• From Izola
  • to Venice (Italy) [20]
• From Piran
  • to Venice (Italy) [21]

Ionian Sea between Italy, Greece, and Albania

Greece

Ferries travelling over the Ionian Sea connect Italy, Greece and Albania. The main ports of Italy are Bari, Brindisi, Venice and Ancona, while the main ports of Greece serving this route are Patras and Igoumenitsa

• From Patras
  • to Bari (Italy): The trip lasts approximately 16-17 hours Superfast Ferries
  • to Ancona (Italy) : The trip lasts approximately 22 hours. The route is operated by Anek Lines or Minoan Lines or Minoan ferrie or Superfast Ferries and you may find updated schedule info in Ferryhopper
  • to Venice (Italy) : The trip lasts approximately 33 hours. The route is operated by Anek Lines or Minoan Lines.

• From Igoumenitsa (Greece)
  • to Bari (Italy): The trip lasts approximately 10 hours
  • to Brindisi (Italy): The trip from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi lasts between 7.5 and 10 hours
  • to Ancona (Italy): The distance between Ancona and Igoumenitsa is about 723 km or 390 nautical miles and the ferry trip is about 17 hours
  • to Venice (italy): The trip lasts between 26 and 27 hours

Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey

Within the Aegean Sea there are some smaller seas, including the Thracian and the Myrtoan Sea and the Sea of Crete. [22]

The major ferry companies that operate in the Aegean Sea are:

• Blue Star Ferries
• SeaJets
• Minoan Lines
• ANEK Lines
• Golden Star Ferries
• Aegean Speedlines

Smaller trips are operated by local companies e.g.

• Between Lesvos (Greece) and Dikili and Ayvalik (Turkey) there are regular ferry-services.
• From Rhodes to Marmaris The route is operated by [www.e-ferry.gr e-ferry]

As more than 230 inhabited islands are located in the Aegean Sea, there are multiple ferry connections between these islands. Most of the islands are connected to Athens through the port of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrion. Usually the larger islands (e.g. Crete, Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos), while the smaller ones (e.g. Anafi, Nisiros) are served with two or three itineraries per week. The itineraries get denser during summer.

As the ferry routes in this island archipelago are quite complex, it is suggested to use a ferry schedule repository to get the most updated info as well as corresponding connections between islands that are not connected directly.

Sea of Marmara (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.

• From Rhodes to Marmaris www.e-ferry.gr

Cilician Sea (between Turkey and Cyprus)

• From Cyprus
  • Ferry between Limassol or Larnaca and Lebanon, Greece (Rhodes, Kos), Egypt, Israel and Syria [23]
  • also ferries run between Mersin, Tasucu, Anamur, and Alanya in Turkey and Kyrenia, and Famagusta in Northern Cyprus

Black Sea (between Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Russia)

• UKR Ferry (this shipping company provides passenger transportation on its routes.), Sabanskyy lane 4a, Odessa 65014, Ukraine, ☎ +380 (482) 34-40-59 ([email protected]), [1].
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Poti/Batumi [2]
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Varna [3]
  Odessa Ilyichevsk to Derince (Turkey, port on Marmara Sea)) [4]
  Kerch to Poti [5]
  Varna to Poti/Batumi [http://www.ukrferry.com/eng/tariffs/tariffs-pass-varna-poti-batumi.php  edit
• Navibulgar (Navigation Maritime Bulgare) German-Bulgarian owned company has two vessels and according to their website they provide passenger transportation between Varna - Odessa Ilichevsk - Poti/Batumi - Ilichevsk - Varna [24].
• 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 [25]

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