Ferry Ports Compared: Where to Sail From to Sardinia?
If you're traveling to Sardinia with your own car, you can choose between several departure ports in Italy and even France. An overview of which port makes sense for which route.
| Port | Shipping Lines | Destinations in Sardinia | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genoa | Moby, Tirrenia, GNV | Olbia, Porto Torres | Switzerland/southern Germany, widest selection |
| Savona | depends on season | same as Genoa | Backup port when Genoa is booked out |
| Livorno | Moby, Grimaldi | Olbia, Golfo Aranci | Southern Germany/Austria/Switzerland via Gotthard-Brenner |
| Civitavecchia | Tirrenia, Grimaldi | Olbia, Cagliari, Porto Torres, Arbatax | Combining with a Rome trip |
| Toulon (FR) | Sardinia Ferries | Porto Torres | France, western/northern Germany, Benelux |
Genoa
The largest and best-connected ferry port for Sardinia travelers from Central Europe. Moby, Tirrenia, and GNV sail from here, among others, to Olbia and Porto Torres. Advantage: good motorway connections and the widest choice of departure times. On the night route to Olbia, for example, Moby uses the ships Moby Aki and Moby Orli.
Savona
Located only about 40 kilometres from Genoa, and used by some lines as a backup port with its own departures – handy if the connection from Genoa is booked out or doesn't fit your schedule.
Livorno
The ferry port sits right in the lively Tuscan port city. Moby and Grimaldi serve the route from here to Olbia and Golfo Aranci respectively. One advantage over Genoa: if you're traveling from southern Germany, Austria, or Switzerland via the Gotthard/Brenner, you often have a shorter drive to the port.
Civitavecchia (near Rome)
The most important ferry port in central Italy, served by Tirrenia and Grimaldi to Olbia, Cagliari, Porto Torres, and Arbatax. Useful if you're already planning a stopover in Rome, or traveling from further south.
Toulon & France
Since 2016, Sardinia Ferries has also offered direct connections from France: Toulon–Porto Torres as well as Porto Vecchio (Corsica)–Porto Torres. For travelers from France, western Germany, or western Switzerland, this can significantly shorten the drive to the port – though the crossing itself is usually longer than from the Italian ports.
Which port suits whom?
- From Switzerland/southern Germany: usually Genoa or Livorno, depending on the exact route.
- From western/northern Germany or the Benelux countries: depending on your destination in Sardinia, Toulon can be a surprisingly good alternative.
- Combining with a city trip: Civitavecchia (Rome) or Genoa/Livorno (Liguria/Tuscany) work well for a stopover.