How to get to Sicily from Toulon by ferry?

Do you want to go to Sicily on your next holiday? Discover our guide to Sicily from Toulon by ferry.

The largest island in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is one of the most frequent tourist destinations in Europe. In 2016, hotel establishments registered a total of 13.5 million nights in Sicily: Sicilian tourism remains a major activity hub for the third economy of the euro area, which rises to the rank of the 5th most visited country in the world (52.4 million visitors in 2018). With its attractiveness made up of the beauty of its landscapes, its climate, its culture and gastronomy, Sicily has opened new ferry lines in 2019 from Toulon and Nice . Located on the peninsula of Calabria, Sicily houses two of the ten largest Italian cities ( Palermo and Catania ), more than 5 million inhabitants and a leading historical and cultural heritage in Europe.

Going to Sicily from Toulon by ferry is a travel solution offering the freedom to discover the island with its own vehicle, to visit its most beautiful sites ( the Etna and Stromboli, Taormine, Cefalù , Agrigento , Selinunte, the Egades and Eoliennes, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse, etc.) and its multi-millenary history. The adventure tempts you? Here's how to go to Sicily from Toulon by ferry!

The ferry companies linking Sicily to Toulon

If you had to go to Cagliari (Sardaigne), Genoa , Naples , Salerno or Civitavecchia to go to Sicily, 2019 is the novelty of shipping from France: the company Corsica Ferries opened a line from Toulon and Nice , to Trapani, the port located west of the Sicily closest to France.

The first departure took place on April 21, 2019, and the company plans three rotations a week, one from Nice and two weekly trips from Toulon. Here is a measure that should delight the frile of air transport and road-trip enthusiasts (on the other hand, it will once again upset activists and ecologist sympathizers). Since Sicily is an ideal destination to visit by van, fitted van or by car, it will only be enough to go to the port of Toulon to reach the Sicilian coasts via the port of Trapani, but after 19 hours of crossing. Note that there are also stopovers in Corse and in Sardinia. Corsica Ferries is currently the only shipping company to have opened these two lines. The shipping giant now has 12 ferries and a high-speed ship, serving Corsica, Sardinia , the island of Elbe, Majorca and now the Sicily, through 19 lines. The Valley of the Temples, the ruins of Taormine, the typical fishermen’s villages, the Madonies, the heavenly beaches and the Etna are now only a few hours away.

Plan a ferry ride in Sicily with Direct Ferries

Direct Ferries , the ferry crossing comparison makes it easy to book its journey for Trapani from Toulon. The website allows you to find the best rates at times – unfortunately imposed -, as close to your holiday dates. If there is for the moment only the Corsica Ferries company that connects France to Sicily, you can however push to Genoa by travelling with the Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) if the journeys from Toulon and Nice are incompatible with your preferences.

How to book your ferry trip to Sicily from Toulon?

As with planes and other public transport, it is best to book your ticket several weeks in advance if you have the option. Nothing simpler to book a ticket. On the site Direct Ferries , specify your holiday dates for the route and return to Toulon-Trapani, the desired schedules, the number of passengers, the possible number of animals and the type, brand and model of your vehicle (car, bike, motorhome, van/van, etc. or no vehicle).

Then compare the different prices compared by the search engine. On the Direct Ferries website, we find, at the time of writing this article – but prices can quickly fluctuate upwards – from crossings between 130 € and 144 € go and return with a van in a cargo bay. Then choose your seat, your desired cabin type (optional option, but you will sleep on the deck or in the vessel room), then find out if you want a meal and priority boarding. These options will logically impact the price upwards.

Last thing : it may be better to subscribe to the cancellation insurance without charge, for 9,75 € per passenger. You will see, but many reservations are modified or cancelled, and the standard ticket imposes up to 35 € of change fees. Note that you may be tempted to make the reservation directly on the site of Corsica Ferries to find a cheaper ticket, but you will be disappointed: the rates are substantially the same.

Can't you board Toulon on the dates proposed by the site? Hold Nice and Genoa with the GNV...