Ferry Routes from Malta to Sicily

Categories: TourTrip

Malta is one of the smallest islands in the world located in the central Mediterranean conveniently spreading between south Italy and the North African coast which makes it for a perfect brisk ferry ride to the island of Sicily, largest Italian island. After experiencing UNESCO World Heritage Sites, make your way to Sicily for dazzling landscapes and diversity of cultural treasures. Both Malta and Sicily have a mild climate making it an attractive and easily accessible destination year around. If you are up for a cultural adventure, hop on the ferry from Malta to Sicily and enjoy picturesque views with a glass of Vino Alla Mandorla in just 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Where to book ferries from Malta to Sicily

Ferries depart from Valetta’s harbor in Malta for Sicily Catania or Pozzallo ports offering you a variety of daily sailings.

Grimaldi Lines operate one route, Valletta to Catania which runs one time weekly on Mondays and takes approximately 7 hours of travel time whereas Virtu Ferries operate two routes, from Valletta to Catania running 7 times per week with a duration of 4 hours and from Valletta to Pozzallo about 12 times weekly with travel time of approximately 2 hours.

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Both of the companies provide convenient online bookings with great offers for the month of September and kids.

Ferry Routes between Malta and Sicily

Valletta-Catania Ferry

Make sure to spend some time in Malta’s capital – Valletta before you leave for Sicily as it offers a great variety of architecture and historic walks, it is a world’s heritage sigh after all.

There are two ferry companies that services routes from Valletta to Catania, second largest city in Sicily famous for its Mount Etna and Cathedral connecting Sicily with Malta.

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Grimaldi Lines runs once per week with a sailing duration of 7 hours 15 minutes and Virtu Ferries offers daily schedules with a duration from 4 hours 15 min offering you daily departures in the morning and afternoon for selected destinations only.

Grimaldi Lines

Grimaldi Lines are part of the privately owned Grimaldi Group company based in Naples, Italy which specialized in cargo and passenger transfers.

Grimaldi Lines offers ferry every Monday that departs at 04:00 in the morning and reaches Catania around 11:00 in the morning with an average price of a round-trip ticket of 100 – 200 euros. Return ferries run every Sunday and depart at 17:15 in the evening. Grimaldi Lines currently running a promotion for children. Check out their website for more details.

Virtu Ferries

Virtu Ferries is a Maltese based company that offers transfers from Malta to Sicily by catamaran and not cruise ships like Grimaldi Lines. If you are interested in sightseeing during the transfer and do not mind water splashes then catamaran would be a better option for you. However, if you are suffering from seasickness, pick standard cruise ferry as it provides more stability in the water.

Virtu Ferries offer express sailing from Malta to Sicily’s Catania every day other than Wednesday offering morning departures at 05:00, 05:30, and 06:30 depending on the day of the week with 2 departures on Friday (morning and evening) with total travel time of 4 hours and 15 minutes for the price of 140 euros. Check out their website for more details. Please keep in mind that trips to Catania are done through Pozzallo port by the coach transfers for the additional 14 euros for the coach transportation.

Valletta-Pozzallo Ferry

Only Virtu Ferries

Virtu Ferries offers express ferry rides to Pozzallo located in the Ragusa region which is famous for its Arabic and Spanish fusion of cultures and infamous Blue Flag beaches. They operate twice every day with departures in the morning and afternoon with an average travel time of 1 hour and 45 minutes for the price of 65€ - 130€ depending on the season. Virtu Ferries is currently offering discounted travel to Sicily from Malta, refer to the offer here.

According to public reviews, Virtu Ferries are winning with great reviews over Grimaldi Lines. Make sure to pick the company that suits your needs and schedule as well as the type of transportation you are looking for.

Other ways to get from Malta to Sicily

Day trips from Malta-Sicily and how Long

If you are short on time and do not want to think of organizing and researching on ferry rides from Malta to Sicily you can easily book one of the day excursions with include pick-up, transportation, guided tour services, taxes and fees ranging between 120-150 euros depending on the sightseeing you are most interested in as well as if you opt-in for food and beverages. Surprisingly enough, the day trips will end up costing you same or less as ferry tickets with less organizing and stress added. Definitely, something to consider. Most of the tours include sightseeing of Pozzallo and Mount Etna. Please visit DiscoverMalta for more details on the tours.

Virtu Ferries also offers daily excursions as part of their service offerings with prices ranging from 95-185 euros and selected departures for summer and winter including scenic, historical and cultural tours satisfying even the pickiest travelers. The best part as it is almost the same price as the standard ferry fair anyways. For more details please check out their website.

Road trip from Malta to Sicily

If you are interested in the thrill of self-guided adventure and would like to discover hidden gems of Sicilian villages, beautiful nature, and glorious food then you can easily turn this into a road trip by taking your car or rental car on a ferry. Make sure to have your maps! You can rent a car in Malta for as cheap as 5 euros a day. Find more information here. Virtu Ferries and Grimaldi Lines allow cars on board their catamarans and cruise ships for the charge of 77 - 140 euros depending on the season and the size and weight of the vehicle. Driving time from Valetta to Palermo would be approximately 6 hours including the ferry ride where the actual driving time from the port of Pozzallo would be just under 4 hours with the fuel cost of 50 euros for 300 kilometers driven.

Fly from Valletta to Sicily

If you are short on time and would like to visit more places with minimum time spent, then flying might be right for you. The flights range between 36 to 200 euros and only take under an hour operated by Ryanair and Air Malta to get you from Valetta to Sicily. Both of the airlines offer multiple daily non-stop departures. There is only one thing to keep in mind and it is luggage, Ryanair and Air Malta do offer cheap flights but baggage would be extra which is fine as you all you will need is a bathing suit and a smile anyways.

Best way to get from Malta to Sicily

Best way to get from Malta to Sicily is by plane if of course, you are not afraid of flying, not only it is a quick flight which can transport you from Malta to Sicily in under an hour, but it is by far the cheapest option as well saving you the time you would definitely need to roam the markets and taste the wonderful cuisine that Sicily has to offer. Second best option will be to take a ferry, which is slightly longer of about 2 hours and anywhere from 2-3 times as more expensive as flying but does offer a very beautiful sea route and an opportunity to experience a cruise sailing for those that do not live by the water.

Cheapest way to get from Malta to Sicily

Cheapest way to get from Malta to Sicily is absolutely by plane, in particular by Ryanair, as the company usually have deals on most of their locations especially in the winter months but it is not an issue as the weather in Sicily is warm and welcoming year round. You can get tickets for as cheap as 36 euros and it would take less than an hour of travel time. Second cheapest and probably most convenient way would be to book one of the daily guided tours as they would take care of all the planning and hassle of logistics and planning and let you relax and take in the seaside views, gastronomy, history, and architecture of Sicily.

Updated: Feb 02, 2024
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Ferry Routes from Malta to Sicily. (2024, Feb 11). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/ferry-routes-from-malta-to-sicily-essay

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