A little question about ferries with Interrail Global Pass

I believe there's a ferry to Malta from a relatively obscure spot on the south coast of Sicily. Fares are high for the distance covered. I'd check airfares on skyscanner.com; flying might be a better option.

Sorry, Tyrker, I did mean Catania, which is serviced by Grimaldi. Regarding their discounts, here is a quote from
https://www.interrail.eu/en/plan-your-trip/trains-europe/ferries/grimaldi-lines:

"Discounts for Interrail pass holders ----- Interrail pass holders get a 20% reduction on on-ship passage and 10% discount on accomodation (cabin, berth, pullman seats). " So at least that is explicit.

It does look as though I would be justified in interpreting the words "... before boarding the first train, free bus or free ferry of each day" as excluding discounted ferries from the rule, but it would be good to have a really qualified answer.

The Grimaldi ferry departs Catania at 5:15pm on Sundays and arrives in Malta 7 hours later, i.e. shortly after midnight, and leaves again for Catania Monday morning at 4am! Neither of them very comfortable timings ...

Thank you, acraven, too.

But if I am planning a European tour this year, it is specifically in order not to fly. I am giving up my usual trip to Thailand this year as an (admittedly only symbolic, but for me important) small contribution to preserving the environment. At almost 82, I want to set an example to the middle generation (the younger generation seems to be closer to getting it, thanks to amazing Greta Thunberg) and, quite simply, to know that I am not adding more to the damage we are doing, however small my drop in that huge ocean.

Thanks Tyrker. I actually started my research with Virtu, but their prices are horrendous, and no discounts offered. So when I discovered Grimaldi, I concentrated on that.

Just possibly, given what I wrote above, I might reconsider Virtu if other criteria are more favourable. Or, of course, simply drop the idea of visiting Malta... But I am quite hooked on discovering Gozo.

Yes Tyrker, I would say, criminal even!

I'm on the point of giving up on Malta. Rick's blog advises somewhere not to force going to places that are too much of a hassle, and this one has become just that. But this research has now focussed me on Sicily, which I had not considered including earlier. So perhaps I will substitute Mount Etna for Gozo! It doesn't seem too bad an exchange. :-)

Sicily is fabulous, but it's a large Island with widely-scattered sights and no fast trains, so a decent visit via public transportation requires a lot of time. My 18 days wasn't enough, and I was very happy to skip almost all the Greek ruins.

Percentage discounts do not require using a counted travel day on a flexi-style Eurail or Interrail Pass. (The independent Swiss Travel Pass is the only pass with different rules about this.)

Thank you, Laura!