When thinking about planning a beautiful vacation to the Aeolian Islands, useful information includes how to get there and what means of transportation to use. The Aeolian archipelago does not have any airports, but there are numerous and frequent sea connections from the coasts of Sicily, Calabria, and Campania.
To reach the Aeolian Islands, you need to take a ferry or a hydrofoil, and below you will find all the ferry and hydrofoil connections along with the nearest airports to the main boarding ports.
Firstly, we can say that Milazzo is the main departure port for the Aeolian Islands, with various boats departing daily all year round. The internal connections between the islands are managed by hydrofoil by the Ustica Lines and Siremar navigation companies, while the Siremar and Ngi navigation companies offer multiple ferry crossings to the Aeolian Archipelago.
Most ferries first dock on the island of Lipari and then proceed to the other islands. If you plan to bring a car, keep in mind that only Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, and Filicudi have roads suitable for car traffic. Another useful thing to know is that the ferry crossing from Milazzo to Vulcano takes one hour, while reaching Stromboli or Alicudi requires at least two and a half hours.
What is the best connection to the Aeolian Islands?
What you need to know about connections is that with Traghetti Eolie, you can compare all departures and the most convenient fares for your trip, 24 hours a day, and also purchase the ticket independently. You just need to select the date and route that best meet your needs, and after filling in the details, you can complete the payment process using your preferred method to receive the tickets via email shortly.
Regarding the connections between the Aeolian Islands, these are very frequent during the summer season but more sporadic during autumn and winter due to sea conditions. The connections departing from Lipari, which is the main island of the archipelago, are definitely the most convenient.
In fact, the island of Vulcano is easily reachable with 10 minutes of navigation, Salina in 20 minutes, Panarea in an hour (unless you choose a fast hydrofoil), and Alicudi, Filicudi, and Stromboli in about an hour and 35 minutes. The longest route is the one between the two islands of Alicudi and Stromboli, which takes 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Finally, if you want a curiosity about who discovered the Aeolian Islands, we know that Lipari was conquered by Agrippa, an admiral of Octavian, in 36 BC. He made the island of Vulcano the base of his fleet for operations preceding the naval battle of Milazzo and the subsequent landing in Sicily.
