Home/Boat rental in Milazzo
Sicily · The gateway to the Aeolians
Milazzo is the port with the most boats leaving for the Aeolians: from here the archipelago is under an hour's sailing away. You can board a ferry boat and split the cost with many, take a small-group RIB, be driven by a skipper, or set off for a whole week in cabin charter. Here you find the formats, the prices and the logistics.
Where you set off from
If you want the widest choice, Milazzo is almost always the right boarding point. It is the Sicilian port closest to the Aeolians, and from here everything leaves every day: from the big ferry boats that carry many passengers to the RIBs for small groups, from skippered boats to vessels for a week's cruise. Arriving by car you find easy boarding, without first having to cross to the islands by hydrofoil.
This abundance turns into prices for every budget. The cheapest way to see the islands in a day is the shared ferry boat; those who want privacy and speed choose the small-group RIB; those with a whole week set off in cabin charter. The same gateway, four different ways to pass through it.
For every way of reaching the islands, the average spend we see in Milazzo. These are average market prices: they vary by season and availability, and climb in August.
The cheapest way to see the islands in a day: many passengers on board, cost split among everyone, Lipari and Vulcano on the classic loop.
The average spend per person by ferry boat starts from around 44 euro.
Few people on board, faster, stops made to measure: the same itinerary as the ferry boat, but with privacy and exclusivity.
The small-group RIB costs around 110 to 120 euro per person.
The whole boat for your group, with someone who knows the sea at the helm: for those without a licence or who want a day made to measure.
The average spend runs from around 450 to 650 euro per day for the boat.
A cabin on a boat shared with a crew, to work round the archipelago in a week sleeping on board.
The spend per person for the week starts from around 750 euro.
These are average market prices: we track the Milazzo listings regularly, and they vary by season and availability. Fuel and extras on board are usually charged separately. Get in touch for a tailored proposal, at no cost to you.
To understand before you choose
In Milazzo the same trip to the Aeolians has two very different prices, and the difference is not the destination: the islands you see are the same. The ferry boat carries many passengers and splits the cost among everyone, so the seat is cheap, from around 44 euro per person. The small-group RIB carries few people, goes faster, stops where you decide and gives you a private day: that is why it rises to 110 or 120 euro per person.
The choice depends on what you are after. Want to see the islands spending as little as possible, in the company of other travellers? The ferry boat. Prefer a fast boat, few people and stops made to measure? The RIB, where you pay for the exclusivity and the pace, not a different destination.
Where to go next
Lipari and Vulcano for the day, Panarea and Stromboli by night: the most requested trips from the Sicilian port and what to expect.
Go to the tours →The whole boat for your group with a skipper at the helm, no licence needed. The details, the routes and the average price for a day out.
See the skippered boat →Want to stay on board a whole week? Here you find cabin charter, the whole boat and how to arrange a cruise.
See sailing holidays →Questions about Milazzo
A shared tour to the Aeolians starts from around 44 euro per person by ferry boat, the cheapest format because it carries many passengers. The same itinerary in a small-group RIB costs around 110 to 120 euro per person: you pay for the exclusivity and the speed, not a different destination. These are average market prices, they vary by season and availability.
Because it is a different service for the same islands seen. The ferry boat splits the cost among many passengers, so the seat is cheap. The small-group RIB carries few people, goes faster, stops where you decide and gives you privacy: that is why the price per person rises to 110 or 120 euro. Same destination, different experience and pace.
Boarding is at the port of Milazzo, where there are paid car parks a few steps from the quays. In high season it pays to arrive early, because the parking near the pier fills up fast. To reach Milazzo by car, train or hydrofoil, everything is in the travel guides.
The next step
Give us the date, how many of you there are and whether you prefer the ferry boat, the small-group RIB, the skippered boat or a week in cabin charter: we reply with the options that best fit the current price, no strings attached and at no cost to you.
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