Italy Guide
Getting around
By ferry and hydrofoil
Italy has a well-developed network of ferries and hydrofoils operated by a number of different private companies. Large car ferries connect the major islands of Sardinia and Sicily with the mainland ports of Genoa, Livorno, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Fiumicino and Naples, while the smaller island groupings – the Trémiti islands, the Bay of Naples islands, the Pontine Islands – are usually linked to a number of nearby mainland towns. The larger lakes in the north of the country are also well served with regular ferries in season, although these are drastically reduced in winter.
Fares are reasonable, and on some of the more popular services – to Sardinia, for example – you should book well in advance in summer, especially if you're taking a vehicle across. Remember, too, that sailings are cut outside the summer months, and some services stop altogether. You'll find a broad guide to journey times and frequencies in the "Travel details" section at the end of relevant chapters; for full up-to-date schedules and prices, check the Italian website 
www.traghetti.com , which has links to all the main ferry companies, or contact one of the ferry agents below.