Ferry operator
Virtu Ferries
Profile of the operator between Malta and Sicily: routes, catamarans, check-in, luggage, pets and fares
- Malta - Pozzallo several times daily in 1 hour 45 minutes, with a summer coach onward to Catania
- Two fast catamarans with 800 to 900 seats and a vehicle deck, over 300,000 passengers a year
- Check-in 60 minutes ahead on foot, 90 minutes with a vehicle, passenger tickets fully refundable up to 24 hours ahead
About Virtu Ferries
Table of Contents
About Virtu Ferries
Virtu Ferries is the ferry operator between Malta and Sicily. It belongs to Virtu Holdings, a Maltese family holding company whose origins as a shipping line go back to 1945 with cargo ships between the Mediterranean and northern Europe; in the 1980s the group operated tankers in the Persian Gulf, and today it also has property, hotel and tourism interests. The group also includes Venezia Lines, with its seasonal fast boats between Venice and Istria, and Virtu Ferries Gozo. On the route to Sicily, the operator says it carries over 300,000 passengers and 70,000 vehicles a year, with just over a thousand round trips; it has leased its own terminal and quay in Marsa for 26 years since 2010.
Ships
Two fast catamarans sail this route: the Saint John Paul II, delivered by Incat in Tasmania in 2019, with room for 900 passengers and 167 cars or 23 lorries, and the Jean de la Valette from Austal in Western Australia, with 800 passengers and 156 cars. On board there are two classes, Euro Class in the salon and Club Class on the bridge deck with reclining seats, an outdoor area, its own check-in and priority disembarkation, plus a bar, shop and Starlink Wi-Fi. Ramps and a lift open up the salons for passengers with reduced mobility.
Routes to Sicily
Valletta - Pozzallo is the core route: 50 nautical miles in 1 hour 45 minutes, several times daily year-round, with early departures from Malta and late ones back for day trips. From July to September the operator also sells Valletta - Catania: the ferry to Pozzallo plus an operator coach over 112 kilometres to the port of Catania, foot passengers only. Departure is from the terminal in Marsa in the Grand Harbour, arrival in the port of Pozzallo at Sicily's southeastern tip, where the operator runs a booking office on Largo dei Vespri Siciliani.
Check-in, vehicles and pets
On foot, you're at the terminal one hour before departure, with check-in opening two hours before and closing 30 minutes before departure; with a vehicle, you're at the terminal 90 minutes before. Only an ID card or passport counts as a travel document. Foot passengers can bring up to three items of luggage of up to 50 × 40 × 80 centimetres each, plus one item of hand luggage up to five kilos at their seat; in the car, luggage is unlimited, sports equipment included. Cars up to five metres, campers up to seven metres, motorbikes and bicycles travel on board. For dogs and cats there's a pet cabin, the car, an outside-deck carrier or a small-animal carrier in the salon, with an EU pet passport and registration required. More in the guides Motorhome on the ferry and Taking your dog on the ferry.
Fares & booking
Tickets are available online, by phone, at travel agents and at the terminal; groups of up to 20 people can book online, and reservations for later dates must be paid within 48 hours. Port fees and the ETS surcharge are added to the fare, and the same-day return is cheaper than a standard return. The terms are generous: full refund of passenger tickets up to 24 hours before departure, no no-show penalty, and free name changes and date changes within the same fare tier. Current prices are shown in the booking window, and the price overview gives a general picture.
FAQ Virtu Ferries
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers about Virtu Ferries and the ferry between Malta and Sicily
Which routes does Virtu Ferries run to Sicily?+
The fast ferry Valletta - Pozzallo year-round, several times daily in 1 hour 45 minutes, and in summer Valletta - Catania as a combination of the ferry to Pozzallo and an operator coach to the port of Catania, foot passengers only.
When do I need to be at the terminal with Virtu Ferries?+
On foot, one hour before departure; check-in opens two hours before and closes 30 minutes before departure. With a vehicle, be at the terminal 90 minutes before. Only an ID card or passport counts as a travel document.
Where does Virtu Ferries depart from in Malta?+
From the operator's own passenger terminal in Marsa, at the inner end of the Grand Harbour, on Xatt l-Għassara tal-Għeneb, not from Valletta's old town. The operator has run the terminal and quay in its own right since 2010, with parking nearby.
Does Virtu Ferries take pets?+
Yes, four options: the climate-controlled pet cabin on the garage deck (surcharge, booking required), your own car with windows open (up to three animals free), a carrier on the outside deck, or a small animal in a carrier in the salon. An EU pet passport and vaccination records are compulsory. Details at Taking your dog on the ferry.
Can I bring my car or motorhome?+
Yes, cars up to five metres, campers up to seven metres, motorbikes and bicycles; caravans pay the light-vehicle rate, and bicycles travel free with registration. Luggage in the car is unlimited. Details in the guide Motorhome on the ferry.
What are the cancellation terms?+
Generous: Virtu refunds passenger tickets in full if you cancel up to 24 hours before departure, there's no no-show penalty on passenger tickets, and name changes and date changes within the same fare tier are free. Current prices are shown in the booking window, and the price overview gives a general picture.