Ferries to Palermo

Palermo is Sicily's largest ferry port and lies right on the edge of the old town. From here you can reach 19 destinations: the island of Ustica on the doorstep, the Aeolian Islands, plus Naples, Civitavecchia, Genoa, Livorno, Cagliari and Tunis. Together the services add up to as many as 46.5 departures a day, and crossings take between 1.5 and 19.5 hours. The port is served by Grandi Navi Veloci, Grimaldi Lines, Liberty Lines and Siremar.

Getting there and the terminal

The port has several moles, and which one applies to you depends on the operator. Grimaldi Lines checks in at the Stazione Marittima on the Molo Piave, Via Cardinale Dusmet, 90133 Palermo; if you come by car, follow the signs into the centre as far as Via Emerico Amari, which leads straight to the port entrance. Grandi Navi Veloci has its ro-ro terminal at the Molo Santa Lucia on the Calata Marinai d'Italia.

The island services run separately from this: the ferries to Ustica are handled by the agency at Calata Marinai d'Italia, Banchina Sammuzzo, while berthing is at Banchina Piave or Banchina Vittorio Veneto. The Liberty Lines hydrofoils leave from the Molo Trapezoidale by the Marina Yachting, where the ticket desk is as well.

Check-in

For the Italian routes, Grimaldi Lines requires you to be at the port at least two hours before departure, with or without a vehicle. For Tunis it is three hours, and boarding there ends one hour before departure. Under the operator's terms, anyone arriving after these times and after boarding has finished loses the right to travel.