Hi, I am planning to make a short trip to the Aeolean Islands during my Europe trip this spring. We are on a bit of a tight schedule. From what I have seen so far, I feel that the Ustica hydrofoils are my best bet. Do I need to book ferry tickets in advance? There is a 3 Euro reservation fee that is added for each booking. I'd rather not pay this if it is not necessary, but I don't want to get stuck somewhere. As I said, I am on a bit of a tight schedule. We are going from Milazzo to Stromboli, the next day to Lipari, and finally the next day to Vulcano and back to Milazzo that evening. I know that it is rushed but I know that it can work. Second, when I go through the booking on their website, I see that we are allowed one luggage per person under the size 60x40x20 cm. How strict are they with this rule, as we will be carrying backpacks that are slightly larger than this. If I book the ticket, but not the baggage, and they tell me my bag is too big, can I add it to the ticket.
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
Glen, we made Lipari our base and did day trips to Vulcano. No reservations were needed. It was short ride on the hi-speed ferries. We just walked on. I do not know how long the ferry ride is to Stromboli, but can tell you from our experience that Lipari town was a fantastic base. Make sure that you see the museum; facinatiing! We also did not need reservations, etc.for the ferry from Milazzo to Lipari. When we went there were no luggage restrictions. There was also at least two hi-speed ferry companies that serviced the islands. Please check the Ustica website and see if they allow other packages and baggage.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
10 posts
Hi Glen, I have just researched extensively a similar tight schedule and agree with the other post that making Lipari your base is your best option. There is another ferry line "Siremar" - i suggest you post your question on TripAdvisor (under Sicily Forum) and hopefully "Vagabonda" will respond with more details (gives superb advice !). Good Luck !
Sissy
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
Glen, best to do day trips from Lipari, which has more frequent connections (as far as I can tell from available schedules). If you're on a tight schedule, you probably don't want to spend time packing and unpacking and checking in and out of hotels every day. I understand that it is now mandatory to have a guide if you want to climb the volcano at Stromboli.
Posted by
OP
Ottawa, Canada
6 posts
I need to stay overnight in Stromboli in order to do the guided tour of the volcano which takes place in the evening (5:30pm) as this is of high interest to me. The ferry schedules from siremar are somewhat confusing and both ferries companies have less frequent trips to stromboli. But perhaps there are more transfers between lipari and stromboli from which I cannot find the information online.