Page 205 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

(1994) still draw tourists in their droves. Since 2000, the Aeolians have been listed as

a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

GETTING TO THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS

BY FERRY AND HYDROFOIL

Essentials The main embarkation point is Milazzo, from where ferries (navi or
traghetti) and hydrofoils (aliscafi) depart year-round (weather permitting), with more
frequent departures during the high season (June–Sept). There is also a twice-weekly
year-round ferry service from Naples, and a daily year-round service from Messina.
In summer there is also one daily hydrofoil connection with Palermo and Naples. The
car-carrying ferries take roughly twice as long to most destinations as the hydrofoils,

but are around sixty percent cheaper. Hydrofoils are also more prone to cancellation
in bad weather, particularly out to the more distant islands, and the low-season ferry
to Naples is subject to frequent cancellations.

Ferry and hydrofoil operators Services from Milazzo are with three main
companies, all of which have offices at the port: Siremar (ferries and hydrofoils;
siremar.it), Ustica Lines (hydrofoils only; usticalines.it), and NGI (ferries only;

ngi-spa.it). Hydrofoil services to Naples are run by SNAV ( SNAV.it).

Tickets Tickets are sold at the companies’ harbourside offices before departure, and
timetables are posted at every office; up-to-date schedules are also available online
on the company websites. In July and August, and at the beginning and end of public
holidays you might need to buy tickets in advance (for which there is a surcharge);
otherwise, services are rarely full.

Fares Sample one-way high-season fares from Milazzo are around €16 by hydrofoil

or €10 by ferry to Lipari; €21/14 to Stromboli; and €28/16 to Alicudi. Hydrofoils
from Messina to Lipari cost around €23, while from Palermo you’ll pay around €26 to
Alicudi, €38 to Lipari and €54 to Stromboli. Transporting a car on the car-ferry starts
at around €30 one-way (Milazzo to Lipari), while on all services children under 4 go
free and under-12s go half-price.

DEPARTURES FROM MILAZZO

Getting to Milazzo Milazzo is 50min from Messina by bus (
giuntabustrasporti.com); arrivals are timed to coordinate with hydrofoils, and drop
you right by the hydrofoil dock. Be sure to take a bus that goes via the autostrada; if

not, journey time is 90min. Several companies run minibus shuttle services between
the port and Catania airport, costing €25 per head. There is also a direct bus to and
from Catania airport at least twice daily from April to October ( giuntabus.com).
Trains are not as convenient, as Milazzo station is on the edge of town and the buses to