Guide
Taking a motorhome to Sicily
Dimensions, check-in deadlines and gas cylinders: what applies on the ferries to Sicily
- Every overnight ferry to Palermo takes motorhomes
- From Genoa the ferry saves more than 1,200 kilometres of motorway
- The price follows length and height, including everything fitted on the outside
Taking a motorhome on the ferry
Table of Contents
For motorhome travellers the ferry to Sicily is not a comfort, it is a short cut. From Genoa it is more than 1,200 kilometres of motorway through the length of Italy; the overnight ferry turns that into a crossing you spend asleep.
Which route for campers?
Every ferry to Palermo takes motorhomes. The choice follows where you start, whether you are driving down through Italy or collecting a hire motorhome, and how much driving time on land you want to save: Genoa saves the most, Livorno and Civitavecchia sit in between, and Naples is the shortest crossing with the densest service.
Where the sailings are few, and from Civitavecchia a ship leaves for Palermo only on Fridays, vehicle capacity is the limiting factor. If you want to stay flexible, take Naples.
Dimensions decide the price
You book by length and height, including everything fitted on the outside: bike rack, roof box, retracted awning, towbar. A few centimetres can tip you into the next fare band. Measure the vehicle yourself instead of taking the figure from the manufacturer, and do the same with a hire motorhome before you drive to the port.
Check-in with a vehicle
With GNV you should be at the berth two hours before departure; check-in closes 45 minutes before departure in Genoa, Naples and Civitavecchia, and in Palermo, for the return, already 30 minutes before. With Grimaldi Lines the same two hour deadline applies with a vehicle, and on several routes there is fast check-in directly at the berth.
Before you leave the vehicle: engine off, in gear, handbrake on, mirrors folded in.
Gas cylinders and power on board
Gas cylinders may travel, but they have to be closed and secured before boarding. During the crossing neither gas nor electrical operation is allowed in the vehicle, and the fridge stays off too. There is no shore power for campers on these routes.
The vehicle deck is closed
For the whole crossing you cannot get back to your motorhome. On an overnight sailing of eight to twenty hours that means everything you need has to come up with you beforehand - medicines, charging cables, a change of clothes, the papers and everything for the night.
Book early
Vehicle spaces sell out earlier than passenger places on all the Sicily routes, and on the weekly connections a full deck means a week's wait. In the Italian summer holidays it is best to book months ahead.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Common questions on this subject.
Do the ferries to Sicily take motorhomes?+
Yes, all the overnight ferries to Palermo, GNV and Grimaldi Lines, carry motorhomes, caravans and a car and caravan. The short crossing over the Strait of Messina is a car ferry throughout. Which sailings run on your travel day is shown by the timetable.
Is the ferry worth it compared with driving?+
On the long routes, clearly. From Genoa to Sicily it is more than 1,200 kilometres of motorway by road, with tolls and at least two days of driving, and the ferry turns that into one night on board. From Naples the sum is closer, and there the ferry mainly saves the drive through Calabria.
How is the price worked out?+
By the length and height of the vehicle, including everything fitted on the outside: bike rack, roof box, awning, towbar. Measure it yourself once before booking, because booking too tight means paying the difference at the desk.
What applies to gas cylinders?+
They may travel, but they have to be closed and secured before boarding. During the crossing neither gas nor electrical operation is allowed in the vehicle, not even for the fridge. You cannot get back to the vehicle on the way anyway, as the deck is closed.
How early do I have to be at the port with a motorhome?+
With GNV, two hours before departure at the berth; check-in closes 45 minutes earlier in Genoa, Naples and Civitavecchia, and 30 minutes in Palermo. With Grimaldi Lines the rule with a vehicle is two hours. In high season allow extra time for the queue at the port entrance.
Can my dog travel with me?+
Yes, on every route, though it may not stay in the vehicle during the crossing. What applies is on taking a dog on the ferry.