When considering taking a ferry between Croatia and Italy there are several options available. You can take ferries (or catamarans) from the ports of Dubrovnik, Split, Stari Grad & Hvar (island of Hvar), Rab, Novalja (Pag), Pula, Rovinj, Porec or Umag to Italy.
Some of these routes are operated by classic car/passenger ferries while others offer fast journeys by modern catamarans. The only route that operates all year-round is Ancona to Split with Jadrolinija. All other routes are seasonal.
An excellent website to check ferry schedules, prices and book tickets is DIRECT FERRIES. The booking process is quick, secure and easy with instant confirmation.
If you prefer flying, choose one of the numerous flights between Croatia and Italy available throughout the year.
If you need to take a ferry from the south of Croatia to Italy there two different options. Croatian company Jadrolinija runs an overnight ferry between Dubrovnik and the port of Bari in Puglia region of Italy. This ferry runs from the beginning of April until the end of November, with more frequent sailings during the summer months.
Please note that there are not ferries between Venice and the southern part of the Croatian coast (Split or Dubrovnik). In this case we advise you to travel down the Italian side of the Adriatic coast and then take either ferry from Ancona to Split or ferry from Bari to Dubrovnik.
If you would like to travel from Central Dalmatia to Italy, then you can do this from Split and the island of Hvar (Stari Grad). Jadrolinija, the Croatian state company, operates the route from Split to the port of Ancona all year round with stops on Hvar during July and August only.
Italian company SNAV operates a ferry service on the same route from April until October each year. All ferries on this route are passenger/car ferries with all the facilities required for a comfortable journey (airline seats, range of cabin accommodation, restaurants, bars, shops, lounges).
GS Travel offers catamaran crossings betwen the port of Termoli in southeast-central Italy (region of Molise) to the port of Hvar situated on the western side of the island of Hvar. This service is available only during the summer.
Travelling between Istrian ports and Venice is easy and comfortable due to the catamarans that are available in the summer. Venezia Lines and Kompas run modern and fast catamarans between Venice and ports of Pula, Rovinj, Porec and Umag.
Liberty Lines operates fast hydrofoils between Trieste and the Croatian ports of Porec, Rovinj and Mali Losinj (this service is available in July and August).
Another connections between Italian ports and Istria and Kvarner is available thanks to Italian company Gomo Viaggi which is based in Pesaro. This company runs catamarans between Cesenatico in Emilia-Romagna region in Italy and ports of Rovinj, Rab and Mali Losinj in Croatia.
In addition, they operate catamarans from Pesaro to the island of Rab, the island of Pag (Novalja) and Mali Losinj. Both routes are only seasonal (from mid-June until the end of August) and operated by fast and modern catamarans.