The routes and distances that the ferries to Elba must travel to make the scheduled trips, following a timetable and the route traced, are as follows:
- Ships Piombino Portoferraio: 13.5 nautical miles;
- Ships Piombino Rio Marina: 9.2 nautical miles;
- Ships Piombino Cavo: 7.5 nautical miles.
There are also internal island hydrofoil rides that connect Portoferraio to Cavo along the 7.5 nautical miles of the route.
It is possible, subject to availability, to purchase tickets upon departure at the port ticket office of the specific shipping company that carries out the route, or to book them online and receive them in pdf format, being able to also examine an overview thanks to the different journeys with the updated timetable and quickly get a quote. Vehicles (not on hydrofoils), hand luggage and pets can be brought with you by following a few simple rules and adding them to the travel document, with which, together with the documents, you can go alongside for check-in.
All information on ferries to Elba
Races to the island only depart from the port of Piombino, a port city in the province of Livorno, in Tuscany, separated by the homonymous canal from the three Elba ports, which are, in order of importance, those of Portoferraio, Rio Marina and Cavo. The Piombino channel, just ten kilometers wide, is a junction point between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea and it divides the east coast of the island from the Tuscan mainland coast.
Each shipping company has its own rules regarding the timing of presentation for boarding. Equipped with a ticket and passenger documents, with Moby you must show up for boarding at least thirty minutes before departure if you are on foot, and within an hour and a half of departure if you are traveling by vehicle. With Toremar it is mandatory to show up for boarding at least thirty minutes before departure, while with Blu Navy check-in must be carried out fifteen minutes before if on foot and thirty minutes before by vehicle.
Port of Piombino: the docks and how to get there
The berths of the port of Piombino dedicated to passenger traffic to and from the ports of Elba are as follows:
- Elba jetty (piers 5 and 6);
- Aliscafo (hydrofoil) jetty (pier 7);
- Dente Nord Capitaneria (pier 8);
- Piazzale Premuda, which can be set as a destination address on the GPS navigator.
Once you enter the port area, it is not difficult to reach the different embarkation piers thanks to the billboards and signs, also present on the state road.
To reach the area by car from the rest of Italy, from the North you have to take the A1, A15 and A12 motorways to the Rosignano Marittimo exit, then continue on the SS 1 Aurelia; from the South, once in Rome, take the A12 motorway in the direction of Civitavecchia and proceed on the SS 1 Aurelia. In any case, from the state road the indications for the port are well indicated by signs. To arrive by train, simply reach the Piombino Marittima railway station, located in front of the port, or use the fast connection available from the central station.
How to book, times and costs
Before booking a maritime transport ticket, it is advisable to have an overview of all the routes and the daily departure and arrival times that are prepared by the shipping companies operating on certain connections. The information on all the ferry crossings to Elba, both those carried out by Moby and by Toremar and BluNavy, can be compared and evaluated overall on the page to which the specified link refers, where hypertext links can be found relating to all the existing crossings from and for the island, as well as to the internal ones.
Either by clicking on the desired route or by scrolling up the same page, you will also find a form that can be filled in by entering the desired route, one-way or even return, the departure dates and the number of passengers with or without a vehicle following; by clicking on the “Search” button, the list of all the journeys of the day appears, also visible on the pages to which the links of the routes refer, with the following updated information:
- departure and arrival times;
- type of vessel and shipping company;
- price;
- duration of the crossing;
- possibility to book online.
By setting the arrival and departure dates and choosing the desired journeys, you have an estimate, which can simply be evaluated (automatically lapses if payment is not made within a certain period of time) or even paid to thus receive tickets by email.
Ships from Piombino to Portoferraio
The Piombino Portoferraio ships are the ones that make the largest number of trips to the island compared to those that are made to the other two Elba ports used for passenger traffic. Ferries take an hour to complete the 13.5 nautical mile stretch, which is also covered by hydrofoils, which take 40 minutes to reach the destination. The fast units are from the Toremar company, which also uses ferries on the route. The line carriers of the other two operating shipowning companies, Moby and BluNavy, are instead exclusively ferries. Also from the last link you land on the specific page of the route where there is the form for online ticket reservations, a picture that gives a general overview of the journey and the list of all the trips for the day with all the timetables, prices and the information necessary to get a quote or complete the purchase.
With Moby and Toremar there is the formula known as “Parti Prima“, thanks to which you can travel, on the same day, even with a line timetable earlier than the one booked, subject to availability, on ferries to Elba.
Each passenger can bring twenty kilos of gross hand baggage on board free of charge on ships and ten kilos on high-speed vessels. You are required to ensure that this does not constitute a danger or hindrance to other passengers or the crew, who can arrange their accommodation.
Check-in takes place on the boarding ramp of the Piombino Portoferraio ships, where tickets in digital format on a smartphone or other device, or printed tickets, and identity documents, including those of minors, must be shown.
Ships from Piombino to Rio Marina
The Piombino Rio Marina ships are operated by the Toremar shipping company and take 45 minutes to complete this 9.2 nautical mile route on which no hydrofoils travel. At the link indicated you can not only consult a series of information such as timetables, prices, first and last departures of the ferries to the island of Elba that moor in the town hall of the municipality of Rio and a map that highlights the specific route, but also receive an automatic quote by entering in the appropriate form or, further down, in the boxes at the top of the list of trips, the dates of the outward journey and possibly also the return, the number and age of passengers and select one of the options relating to the accompanying vehicle.
If you buy tickets online, you can go directly to the square in front of the Piombino Rio Marina ships, without having to go through the port ticket office, to carry out the electronic check-in simply by showing travel documents, even in digital format, identity documents and vehicle registration certificate if you are traveling with a vehicle in tow.
Ships from Piombino to Cavo
The Piombino Cavo ships take 30 minutes and the hydrofoils (on which it is not possible to embark vehicles) only 15 minutes to reach the port of Elba closest to the mainland. The check-in procedure, which requires the presentation of the ticket and documents, is carried out directly alongside, as always when embarking on the ferries to Elba with the travel tickets purchased online, avoiding the passage through the ticket office and possible line of people.
The distance of 7.5 nautical miles is navigated by Moby and by the company acquired by it Toscana Regionale Marittima (Toremar). By clicking on the hypertext link of the route, you have the possibility to obtain a quote and, if interested, proceed with the purchase of the ticket online, filling in the form with the information relating to your journey or choosing from the list, after having set the departure date (today’s date appears by default), the trips you are interested in.
Also on this route, with the ships of the Moby and Toremar fleet, it is possible to take advantage, in case of need, of the “Parti Prima” formula, with which, on the same day, you can travel on the Piombino Cavo ships also with an earlier line timetable than the one booked, subject to availability.
You can transport dogs, with leash and muzzle, cats and other small pets in the carrier, only on the external decks.
For each seat booked, the ticket is increased by the booking fee, also provided for by the companies’ tariffs.
The rides are much more frequent in the summer, but throughout the year they are still operational, with availability checked in real time, where possible, as some could be canceled without notice even at the Captain’s discretion (as in the case of unsuitable weather and sea conditions). This happens for all three routes just listed and described.
