Palermo has two kinds of ferry that have little in common: large overnight ships to the mainland and Sardinia, and fast hydrofoils to the islands. They have different operators, luggage rules and timetables. Our Palermo ferry hub lists the routes; this guide compares what the operators' own pages say.
1. The port and the airport
The Port Authority of the Western Sicily Sea (AdSP del Mare di Sicilia Occidentale), whose site carries the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport banner, describes Palermo as a reference port for cruise traffic and scheduled links in the Mediterranean. Its port page, last updated on 29 April 2026, says the distance from Punta Raisi airport is about 25 km and that regular coach services provide the link (our translation from the Italian). The authority publishes lists of scheduled ships and of 2026 cruise calls as downloadable files, which we did not open. If you fly in, our flights index covers the flight leg.
2. Overnight to Naples
GNV's Naples-Palermo page says the crossing is approximately 10-12 hours with daily departures all year round, and that departures are generally in the evening. Grimaldi Lines publishes a timetable on its own route page. Read on 30 October 2026, it lists the following for Naples to Palermo from 12 October 2026 to 31 January 2027:
| Direction | Departure days and times listed on Grimaldi's page |
|---|---|
| Naples to Palermo | Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 22:30, arriving next day at 07:00; Friday at 22:30, arriving Saturday at 07:00. |
| Palermo to Naples | Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:00, arriving the same day at 19:30; Thursday and Saturday at 20:30, arriving next day at 07:00 (from 19 October to 20 December 2026 and 1 to 31 January 2027). |
The page lists a different set of days for 21 to 30 December 2026 and says times are subject to change, for example because of weather or sea conditions. Our hub, which relies on a booking site, quotes shorter crossing times and six to seven days a week for this route, so the sources differ. The operator's own page is the one to follow, and it lists only some days.
3. Genoa, Livorno and Cagliari
GNV's Genoa-Palermo page says 6 weekly departures, which become 7 in the summer months, a crossing of just over 20 hours, and evening departures generally between 9:00 PM and 11:30 PM. Our hub quotes a booking site's 18 hours 30 minutes and 18 hours 10 minutes, so these differ as well.
Grimaldi's Livorno-Palermo page lists, from 12 October 2026 to 20 December 2026 and 1 to 31 January 2027, departures from Livorno on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 18:30, and from Palermo on Tuesday and Thursday at 18:30 and Saturday at 19:30. Its Palermo-Cagliari page, valid until 31 December 2026, lists Palermo to Cagliari on Sunday at 09:00 arriving 21:00, and Cagliari to Palermo on Saturday at 17:00 arriving Sunday at 05:00.
4. Hydrofoils to Ustica and the Aeolian Islands
Liberty Lines runs hydrofoils; its Ustica page says it connects the island by hydrofoil, and the company's timetable page links separate timetable files for the Aeolian Islands and for Ustica, which we did not read. The company says fares come from its service contract with regional and national government and are shown in its online booking. Its alerts page, read on 30 October 2026, lists among other notices one titled 'new provisions from 28.10.2026, mooring at the Lipari stop'; treat it as a dated example of why you check the alerts before you travel.
Liberty Lines states you may bring only one piece of hand luggage, with a limit of 10 Kg and 60x40x20 cm, and that additional baggage needs a baggage ticket. Check it before you pack for an island day.
5. Boarding, assistance and what to ask
- Grimaldi, Sardinia routes from Palermo and Cagliari: fast check-in is shown at the boarding area; foot passengers should be there no later than one hour before departure and passengers with a vehicle no later than two hours before.
- Grimaldi: every ferry has cabins for people with reduced mobility; contact the call centre at least forty-eight hours before assistance is needed, or 24 hours before on the public-service lines, which include Naples-Cagliari-Palermo.
- GNV: all passengers must complete check-in and carry a valid identity document, including minors.
- Liberty Lines: notify special-assistance needs at booking, request services at least 48 hours before departure and show up for boarding at least 30 minutes before departure time.
Ask in writing which vessel and which pier your booking uses, how the luggage is handled, and what happens if the sailing is changed.
6. Keeping a margin before your ship leaves
An overnight crossing is a travel day, and a hydrofoil island visit is a day trip that must end well before your cruise ship's all-aboard time. Work backwards from that time, not forwards from the boat's departure. See why separate tickets need a buffer and the all-aboard worksheet. For the Naples end of the overnight ship, see our Naples ferry hub, and for the city itself a Palermo tasting day. Back to the Palermo ferry hub.
Checked on 30 October 2026: AdSP del Mare di Sicilia Occidentale (Palermo port and arrivals pages), GNV (Naples-Palermo, Genoa-Palermo and check-in pages), Grimaldi Lines (Naples-Palermo, Livorno-Palermo, Palermo-Cagliari and passengers-with-disability pages) and Liberty Lines (Ustica, timetable, luggage, assistance and alerts pages). We did not read the timetable files, we did not open Moby, and we quote no prices: check each operator before you book.