From mainland Europe to the islands

Woman with a cap overlooking at the blue sea from the ship's open deck
17 September, 2024

Mainland Europe offers countless opportunities to visit the islands in the Mediterranean by ferry. We have put together a simple guide for you!

Whether from the north or south of the Mediterranean, state-of-the-art ferries that depart from larger and smaller ports along the European continent will take you quickly, comfortably and inexpensively to one or more of the magical islands of Italy, Spain, Greece and France.

In fact, the ferry companies of the Mediterranean, with their decades of experience in passenger transport, have raised ferry transport to the highest level and for this purpose use the newest and most sophisticated ferries. Experience has shown that the holidays with a ferry begin by the time of the embarkation! Added to this, it is the majestic Mediterranean Sea with its varied island landscape, which ensures eternal memories with every travel experience.

This guide is intended to make your ferry trip in the Mediterranean from mainland Europe, a dream! Once you have completed your booking, all you have to do is let the time pass until you embark!

Therefore, book your dream trip in advance and benefit from lucrative early booking discounts of up to 50% and our travel cancellation insurance, which offers you the opportunity to receive a full refund of the ferry price even 45 days after the trip.

Below you will find a list of the most popular ferry routes from mainland Europe to the Mediterranean islands. For a list of all routes offered with real-time availability and prices, please use our booking platform or the intuitive map view.

Ferry connections from mainland Italy

Mainland Italy offers plenty of ferry connections all year round to Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, the Tuscan Archipelago, the Aeolian Islands, the Gulf of Naples and the Tremiti Islands.

You can access the individual route pages via our collection page, Italian ferry routes!

Tip 1: From the Italian ports along the Adriatic, you can cross to Greece and Albania!

  • Brindisi - Igoumenitsa / Corfu
  • Bari - Igoumenitsa / Sami (Kefalonia) / Corfu / Patras
  • Ancona - Igoumenitsa / Corfu / Patras
  • Venice - Igoumenitsa / Corfu / Patras
  • Brindisi - Vlora
  • Bari - Durres
  • Ancona - Durres

Tip 2: You can reach the ports of Morocco and Tunisia from the Italian mainland!

  • Genoa - Nador / Tanger-Med
  • Genoa - Tunis
  • Civitavecchia - Tanger-Med
  • Civitavecchia - Tunis
  • Salerno - Tunis

Ferries to Corsica

  • Savona - Bastia / Ile Rousse
  • Genoa - Ajaccio / Bastia
  • Livorno - Bastia / Ile Rousse
  • Piombino - Bastia

Ferries to Sardinia

  • Genoa - Olbia / Porto Torres
  • Livorno - Golfo Aranci / Olbia
  • Piombino - Golfo Aranci / Olbia
  • Civitavecchia - Arbatax / Cagliari / Olbia / Porto Torres
  • Naples - Cagliari

Ferries to Sicily

  • Genoa - Palermo
  • Livorno - Palermo
  • Civitavecchia - Palermo / Termini Imerese
  • Naples - Termmini Imerese / Palermo
  • Vibo Valentia - Milazzo
  • Reggio Calabria - Messina / Milazzo

Ferries to the Tuscan Archipelago

  • Livorno - Capraia
  • Piombino - Cavo (Elba island) / Portoferraio (Elba island) / Rio Marina (Elba island) / Pianosa
  • Porto Santo Stefano - Giglio

Ferries to the Aeolian Islands

  • Vibo Valentia - Lipari / Panarea / Santa Marina Salina / Stromboli / Vulcano
  • Reggio Calabria - Lipari / Rinella / Santa Marina Salina / Vulcano

Ferries in the Gulf of Naples

  • Beverello - Capri
  • Castellamare di Stabia - Capri
  • Sorrento - Capri

Tip 3: Visit the Amalfi Coast with ferries that run along the coast from the mainland!

  • Beverello - Positano / Sorrento / Amalfi
  • Sorrento - Amalfi / Positano / Beverello
  • Positano - Amalfi / Sorrento / Beverello
  • Amalfi - Positano / Sorrento / Beverello

Ferries to the Tremiti Islands

  • Vieste - Tremiti
  • Peschici - Tremiti
  • Rodi Garganico - Tremiti
  • Termoli - San Domino / San Nicola

Ferry connections from mainland Spain

From mainland Spain you can visit the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Sardinia.

You can access the individual route pages via our collection page, Spanish ferry routes!

Tip 4: From mainland Spain you can also visit the mainland of Morocco, Algeria and Italy with direct connections!

  • Tarifa - Tangier Ville (City)
  • Algeciras - Ceuta / Tangier / Tanger-Med
  • Malaga - Melilla
  • Motril - Al Hoceima / Melilla / Nador / Tanger-Med
  • Almeria - Ghazaouet / Melilla / Nador / Oran
  • Valencia - Mostaganem
  • Barcelona - Nador / Tanger-Med / Civitavecchia / Genoa

Ferries to the Canary Islands

  • Huelva - Arrecife / Las Palmas de Gran Canaria / Santa Cruz de Tenerife
  • Cadiz - Arrecife / Las Palmas de Gran Canaria / Puerto del Rosario / Santa Cruz de La Palma / Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Ferries to the Balearic Islands

  • Denia - Formentera / Ibiza / Palma de Mallorca
  • Valencia - Ibiza / Palma de Mallorca / Mahon
  • Barcelona - Alcudia / Ciutadella / Formentera / Ibiza / Mahon / Palma de Mallorca

Ferries to Sardinia

  • Barcelona - Porto Torres

Ferry connections from mainland Greece

Mainland Greece offers year-round ferry connections to its diverse islands and archipelagos, such as the Ionian Islands, Crete, the Saronic Islands, the Cyclades Islands, the Dodecanese, the Sporades Islands and the North Aegean Islands.

You can access the individual route pages via our collection page, Greek ferry routes!

Tip 5: From mainland Greece, you can visit other ports on the mainland to avoid long journeys by car!

  • Porto Heli - Piraeus / Hermioni
  • Hermioni - Piraeus / Porto Heli
  • Methana - Piraeus
  • Piraeus - Porto Heli / Hermioni / Methana / Kavala / Thessaloniki
  • Lavrio - Kavala
  • Thessaloniki - Piraeus
  • Kavala - Piraeus / Lavrio

Ferries to the Ionian Islands

  • Igoumenitsa - Corfu / Sami (Kefalonia) / Paxi
  • Patras - Pisaetos (Ithaca) / Sami (Kefalonia)
  • Kyllini - Poros (Kefalonia) / Zakynthos
  • Gythio - Antikythira / Kythira
  • Piraeus - Antikythira / Kythira

Ferries to Crete

  • Gythio - Kissamos (Crete)
  • Piraeus - Chania / Heraklio / Kissamos / Sitia

Ferries to the Saronic Islands

  • Porto Heli - Hydra / Poros / Spetses
  • Hermioni - Hydra / Poros / Spetses
  • Methana - Aegina / Myli (Angistri) / Poros
  • Piraeus - Aegina / Myli (Angistri) / Poros / Hydra / Spetses

Ferries to the Cyclades

From Piraeus to

  • Aegiali (Amorgos), Katapola (Amorgos), Anafi, Donousa, Folegandros, Ios, Iraklia, Kimolos, Ano Koufonisi, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Schinoussa, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros, Tinos

From Lavrio to

  • Andros, Folegandros, Ios, Kea, Kimolos, Kythnos, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Sikinos, Syros, Tinos

From Rafina to

  • Andros, Ios, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Tinos

From Thessaloniki to

  • Mykonos, Syros

From Kavala to

  • Mykonos, Syros

Ferries to the Dodecanese

From Piraeus to

  • Astypalea, Halki, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Diafani (Karpathos), Kasos, Kastellorizo, Leipsoi, Leros, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos

Ferries to the Sporades

From Volos to

  • Alonissos, Skiathos, Skopelos, Agnontas (Skopelos), Glossa (Skopelos)

Ferries to the North Aegean

From Piraeus to

  • Chios, Mesta (Chios), Fourni, Agios Kirykos (Ikaria), Evdilos (Ikaria), Kos, Lemnos, Mytilene, Oinousses, Psara, Karlovasi (Samos), Vathy (Samos), Sigri (Lesvos)

From Lavrio to

  • Agios Efstratios, Lemnos

From Thessaloniki to

  • Chios, Fourni, Evdilos (Ikaria), Lemnos, Mytilene, Karlovasi (Samos), Vathy (Samos)

From Kavala to

  • Agios Efstratios, Chios, Fourni, Agios Kyrikos (Ikaria), Lemnos, Mytilene, Karlovasi (Samos), Vathy (Samos)

From Alexandroupoli to Samothraki

Ferry connections from mainland France

Although France itself does not have many islands, it is certainly possible to visit Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands.

You can access the individual route pages via our collection page, French ferry routes!

Tip 6: You can also cross to Morocco from mainland France!

  • Sete - Nador / Tanger Med / Tanger Ville

Ferries to Corsica

  • Toulon - Ajaccio / Bastia / Ile Rousse / Porto Vecchio
  • Nice - Ajaccio / Bastia / Ile Rousse / Porto Vecchio
  • Sete - Ile Rousse

Ferries to Sardinia

  • Toulon - Porto Torres
  • Nice - Porto Torres

Ferries to the Balearic Islands

  • Toulon - Alcudia / Ciutadella
  • Sete - Alcudia
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