Ferries, skyrocketing summer prices: in August +18% for a cabin

Maritime transport is becoming increasingly expensive. In the middle weeks of August, for a family of two people and a child, travelling by ferry costs on average 18% more than in the same month last year if one chooses to book a cabin, 15% more for a seat. Compared to May 2026, however, the increases in August amount to 78% and 82% respectively. Launching the alarm is Federconsumatori.

According to the study by the association's national observatory, the route most affected by the increases is the Livorno-Olbia route, which registers a 29% price increase compared to 2025. In the two middle weeks of August, for a family of three with car in tow, a round-trip ticket for a cabin can cost almost EUR 820. The increase compared to May 2026 is also significant, with price increases of 298% for seats and 251% for cabins.

Strong increases over last year are also recorded for the Civitavecchia-Arbatax and Palermo-Cagliari connections, which show increases of 29% and 22% respectively for cabins. More contained are the increases to reach Olbia from Civitavecchia, which stand at 10% for seats and 14% for cabins.

As the Federconsumatori national observatory reports, the tensions in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have contributed significantly to the rise in route prices, having driven up the cost of fuel.

The instability of the international geopolitical context has caused fares on maritime connections to skyrocket. In August, the most expensive routes were Livorno-Palermo, which touched EUR 946 for a seat and came close to EUR 1,500 for a cabin, and Genoa-Palermo, with prices of EUR 945 and EUR 1,340 respectively. The least expensive considered by the survey is the Naples-Cagliari route, where 430 euros are spent to book a seat and 549 euros for the cabin.