Civitavecchia - Palermo
With GNV in 14 hours from Civitavecchia to Palermo
From
€83
Tickets and fares
Ferry prices to Sicily
What the ticket price is made of: a fixed fare across the Strait, separate items on the ferries to Palermo.
- A published fixed fare per vehicle class applies across the Strait of Messina
- On the overnight ferries to Palermo, passenger, accommodation and vehicle are separate items
- The Standard fare can be cancelled, the Special fare is cheaper and usually not refunded
The routes to Sicily compared by price
The routes to Sicily, each with the fare a car and driver start from. Choose the route and your travel date, and the amount is there.
Prices for a car incl. driver, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Prices and fares
Table of Contents
There is no single fare to Sicily, and the island runs on two pricing systems at once. A published fixed fare applies across the Strait of Messina, and you can look it up before you travel. On the ferries to Palermo the amount only comes together at the booking step, because the passenger ticket, the accommodation on board and the vehicle are counted separately. Prices as at August 2026.
A fixed fare across the Strait
Caronte & Tourist publishes the fares for the 20 minutes between Villa San Giovanni and Messina and updates them month by month. These are the rates for August 2026, each including the fuel surcharge and the charges for ETS and FuelEU Maritime:
| Ticket | Car | Motorhome up to 9 m |
|---|---|---|
| One way | €43.00 | €61.70 |
| Return the same day | €46.80 | €65.40 |
| Return within 3 days | €53.00 | €77.80 |
| Return within 90 days | €85.10 | €105.70 |
Up to five people are included in the vehicle fare, each further passenger costs €2.50 each way. Without a vehicle you pay €2.50 one way and €5.00 for the return; the return ticket is then valid for seven days and tied to the direction of travel.
It gets cheaper at night. The night fare applies between 22:00 and 04:00 and is offered from 15 September to 15 July, which brings the one-way crossing down to €37.70 with a car and €54.20 with a motorhome. Tickets at the standard fare can be used until 02:00 the following day. A trailer from six metres in length costs the full car fare, and motorhomes over nine metres fall under the commercial vehicle fare. The operator adjusts the fuel share on the first of each month.
What makes up the price on the overnight ferries
| Item | What it depends on |
|---|---|
| Ticket per person | route, season, age and how early you book |
| Accommodation | deck passage, reclining seat, inside or outside cabin, suite |
| Vehicle | a separate item next to the passenger ticket, by type and dimensions |
| Fixed charges | per person and journey, neither discounted nor refunded |
GNV states its from prices explicitly for one adult in a reclining seat or on deck passage, without a vehicle. On a crossing of eight to twenty hours the cabin is therefore not the minor item but the actual decision.
Then there is what no discount touches. Grimaldi Lines charges a fixed fee of €15 per person and journey on its routes to Sicily; on the Salerno - Palermo route a municipal surcharge of €1.50 per paying passenger has applied since April 2024. Since January 2024 every ticket also carries an EU ETS item per person and per vehicle, and its size depends on the route.
Standard fare or Special fare
Grimaldi Lines sells every crossing at two levels. The Standard fare is the full price and can be changed as well as cancelled. The Special fare is the lowest available price and can still be changed, but as a rule it provides no refund if you cancel. Discounts for children, residents and partner cards apply at both levels.
At GNV the lever is advance booking. You pay 20% of the total price when you book, at least €50, and turn the reservation into a ticket up to 30 days before departure. That costs nothing extra, but nothing can be changed during this phase, and anyone who lets the deadline pass loses the deposit.
Discounts
With Grimaldi Lines children under three travel free on all routes, without a claim to a seat of their own and no more than two per cabin. From three to under twelve there is a 50% discount on the crossing; fixed charges, EU ETS costs and services on board are excluded. There is a separate resident fare for people whose home or place of birth is on Sicily or Sardinia.
At GNV children under four travel as infants on the Italian routes, and from four to under twelve the child fare applies. The myGNV frequent traveller programme costs nothing: every €20 spent earns a point, and each point is worth €2.
Changes and cancellations
With Grimaldi Lines the operator keeps 10% of the Standard fare if you cancel up to 30 days before departure, 30% from 29 to 7 days before, 50% from 6 to 2 days and 100% from the day before as well as for a no-show. Fixed charges and EU ETS costs never come back. Changing the date, time or route costs €30 and is possible twice at most; after that the operator accepts no cancellation. Changing or adding a name, the accommodation, the vehicle or a pet is free of charge, and only the difference falls due.
At GNV the scale follows the booking date. For bookings from 10 June 2026 and journeys up to December 2026, 25% applies from booking until 20 days before departure, 30% from 19 to 14 days, 40% from 13 to 7 days and 100% from six days before departure. A partial cancellation is not provided for; a cancellation always covers the whole booking. You can rebook as long as check-in has not opened; if the new sailing is dearer you pay the difference, and if it is cheaper there is no money back.
From Malta to Pozzallo
On the catamaran route from Valletta to Pozzallo the ticket price covers the crossing including charges, but not meals; Virtu Ferries reserves the right to add a fuel surcharge. Tickets stay valid for one year. If you cancel more than 24 hours before departure, the unused part is refunded; within the last 24 hours and for a no-show there is no money back, though the booking can be changed free of charge. Vehicle tickets can only be changed in either case, and tickets from special offers cannot be refunded at all. All details are given without guarantee.
Common questions
FAQ - ferry prices to Sicily
Common questions about ticket prices and fares on the ferries to Sicily.
What does the price of a ferry to Sicily depend on?+
On the route. A published fixed fare per vehicle class applies across the Strait of Messina. On the ferries to Palermo the ticket, the accommodation and the vehicle are counted separately. Which sailings run on your day is shown by the timetable.
Are passengers included in the vehicle fare?+
Across the Strait, yes: up to five people travel on the vehicle fare, and each further passenger pays a small supplement each way. On the overnight ferries to Palermo the vehicle is a separate item alongside the ticket per person.
Does a motorhome cost more than a car?+
Yes, on every route. Across the Strait there is a separate fare column for motorhomes, and from nine metres in length the commercial vehicle fare applies. On the overnight ferries the price follows length and height. What else to keep in mind is on taking a motorhome on the ferry.
What discounts are there for children?+
With Grimaldi Lines children under three travel free, and from three to under twelve there is a discount of 50% on the crossing. At GNV children under four travel as infants on the Italian routes, and from four to under twelve the child fare applies.
Can I change or cancel a ticket?+
That depends on the fare level. A Standard fare can be cancelled, and the operator keeps part of it depending on how late you cancel. Special fares can still be changed, but as a rule they provide no refund if you cancel. Fixed charges never come back.
Check the price for your date
Compare the routes to Sicily for your travel date and book the crossing directly with the operator.