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Italy Transport

Whether you go with your own car, rent a car, or go by boat or plane, on this page you will find all practical information about transport in Italy.

Car hire

Rental locations

Cars can be hired at major international rental companies at airports and stations and in cities, but also at many smaller national or local rental companies.

Rental car booking

The rates can vary greatly per season and per provider. Booking in advance can be cheaper.
It is possible to rent an ‘all-inclusive’ car in Italy via Sunny Cars. You can check the availability of rental cars in the search engine and book your car hire of choice:

More information on car rentals can be found here.

Requirements

Drivers license

In order to rent a car in Italy, the driver must have a valid driver’s license.
Often the driver must be in possession of the driving license for at least 1 or 2 years.

Age

The driver must often be at least 21 years old.
Sometimes the age limit is lower or higher depending on the rental company or the type of vehicle.
Drivers under 25 years of age often have to pay a young driver’s allowance.

Deposit

A car can only be rented with a credit card (with pin code) in the name of the main driver. Cash is rarely accepted as a deposit.

Particularities

Winter equipment

Check in the winter whether the rental car is equipped with the right winter equipment. Winter tires are recommended in winter conditions and snow chains can be made mandatory with a sign.

Ferry services

Ferries to Sicily from Italy

Cagliari (Sardinia) – Palermo ± 12 hours (Tirrenia)
Civitavecchia – Palermo ± 14 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Civitavecchia – Termini Imerese ± 15 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Genoa – Palermo ± 21 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Livorno – Palermo ± 18 hours (Grimaldi Lines)
Naples – Palermo ± 11 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Naples – Palermo ± 11 hours (Tirrenia)
Naples – Termini Imerese ± 11 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Naples – Trapani ± 7 hours (Liberty Lines)
Reggio di Calabria – Messina ± 0.35 hours (Liberty Lines)
Salerno – Messina ± 9 hours (Caronte & Tourist)
Salerno – Palermo ± 10 hours (Grimaldi Lines)
Salerno – Catania ± 13 hours (Grimaldi Lines)
Villa San Giovanni – Messina ± 0.20 hours (Caronte & Tourist)

Ferries to Elba from Italy

Piombino – Cavo ± 0.20 hours (Toremar)
Piombino – Cavo ± 0.30 hours (Moby)
Piombino – Portoferraio ± 0.40 hours (Toremar)
Piombino – Portoferraio ± 0.40 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Piombino – Portoferraio ± 1 hour (Moby)
Piombino – Portoferraio ± 1 hour (Blu-Navy)
Piombino – Rio Marina ± 0.45 am (Toremar)

Ferries to Elba from France

Bastia (Corsica) – Portoferraio ± 1.30 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)

Ferries to Sardinia from Italy

Civitavecchia – Arbatax ± 11 hours (Tirrenia)
Civitavecchia – Cagliari ± 11 hours (Tirrenia)
Civitavecchia – Olbia ± 5.30 am (Tirrenia)
Civitavecchia – Olbia ± 6.30 am (Grimaldi Lines)
Civitavecchia – Porto Torres ± 7 hours (Grimaldi Lines)
Genoa – Arbatax ± 18 hours (Tirrenia)
Genoa – Olbia ± 11 hours (Moby)
Genoa – Olbia ± 10 hours (Tirrenia)
Genoa – Porto Torres ± 12 hours (Grande Navi Veloci)
Genoa – Porto Torres ± 10 hours (Tirrenia)
Livorno – Golfo Aranci ± 6.30 am (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Livorno – Olbia ± 7 hours (Moby)
Livorno – Olbia ± 8 hours (Grimaldi Lines)
Naples – Cagliari ± 15 hours (Tirrenia)
Palermo (Sicily) – Cagliari ± 12 hours (Tirrenia)
Piombino – Golfo Aranci ± 6 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Piombino – Olbia ± 5.30 am (Moby)

Ferries to Sardinia from Spain

Barcelona – Porto Torres ± 12 hours (Grimaldi Lines)

Ferries to Sardinia from France

Marseille – Porto Torres ± 11 hours (Corsica Linea)
Marseille – Porto Torres ± 6 pm (La Meridionale)
Nice – Golfo Aranci ± 13 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Toulon – Porto Torres ± 7 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Toulon – Golfo Aranci ± 14 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Ajaccio (Corsica) – Porto Torres ± 4 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Ajaccio (Corsica) – Porto Torres ± 4 hours (Corsica Linea)
Bonifacio (Corsica) – Santa Teresa Gallura ± 0.50 hours (Moby)
Bonifacio (Corsica) – Santa Teresa Gallura ± 1 hour (Blu-Navy)
Porto Vecchio (Corsica) – Golfo Aranci ± 2.30 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Porto Vecchio (Corsica) – Porto Torres ± 3.30 hours (Corsica & Sardinia Ferries)
Propriano (Corsica) – Porto Torres ± 3.30 am (La Meridionale)

Prices

The prices depend among other things on the occupation, the time of booking and the travel period.

Information and tickets

Blu-Navy: blunavytraghetti.com
Caronte & Tourist: carontetourist.it
Corsica Linea: corsicalinea.com
Corsica & Sardinia Ferries: corsicaferries.com
Grande Navi Veloci: gnv.it
Grimaldi Lines: grimaldi-lines.com
La Meridionale: lameridionale.fr
Liberty Lines: libertylines.it
Moby: moby.it
Tirrenia: tirrenia-prenotazioni.it
Toremar: traghetti-toremar.com

Particularities

Note: If you want to make a phone call or use the internet on a ferry, keep an eye on your calling costs. You usually receive a text message when you cannot connect to a local EU network and information about the (high!) Rates for a maritime satellite connection. On land (or close to the coast) the rates from your EU bundle apply.