Travelling to Elba with your own car is surprisingly straightforward. Several ferries leave the port of Piombino for the island every day and you simply drive your car on board. Once you arrive, having your own car gives you the freedom to explore Elba at your own pace. We travelled to Italy by car and turned the journey to Elba into a short road trip of its own. In this article, I’ll explain how we travelled to Piombino, where you can book the ferry to Elba and exactly what to expect when checking in and boarding with a car.
Read this article in DutchDriving to Elba as part of a European road trip
Depending on where you are travelling from, the drive to Piombino can easily become part of a longer European road trip. Rather than covering the entire distance as quickly as possible, we decided to make the journey itself part of our trip. We first spent a night in southern Germany before continuing towards Switzerland the following day. Instead of simply taking the fastest route south, we drove across the historic Tremola road over the Gotthard Pass. It is a wonderfully scenic mountain route and made the journey into Italy much more interesting. From there, we continued into Tuscany, where we stayed for three nights in Riparbella, within easy reach of Piombino. This gave us a few days to explore Tuscany before taking the ferry across to Elba.
Where does the ferry to Elba leave from?
Most travellers taking their own car to Elba catch the ferry from Piombino. Several ferry companies operate services from here to the island. The main arrival port is Portoferraio, although there are also ferries to Rio Marina and Cavo. We travelled from Piombino to Portoferraio, with the crossing taking around one hour. Portoferraio is a convenient place to arrive as it is fairly central and you can easily continue by car to other parts of Elba.
How to book the ferry to Elba
Several ferry companies operate between Piombino and Elba, including Moby, Toremar and Blu Navy. One of the easiest ways to book is through Direct Ferries, where you can see different departure times and compare the available options. It is also worth checking with your accommodation before booking. Some hotels, resorts and apartments on Elba offer discount codes for ferry tickets to their guests. When making your reservation, you need to enter the number of passengers as well as details of the car you are taking on board. Outside the busiest summer months, it may be possible to arrive at the port without a reservation, particularly as there are several sailings each day. Spaces for cars are limited, however, so during the high season I would always book the ferry to Elba in advance.
Taking your own car on the ferry from Piombino to Elba
Driving to the ferry terminal in Piombino is easy. Simply follow the signs for Isola d’Elba and Porto. Once you reach the ferry area, your ticket will be checked and scanned. You will then be directed to the correct lane, where you wait until boarding begins. It may sound slightly chaotic if you have never taken your car onto a ferry before, but everything is well organised and the process is easy to follow once you are there.
How early should you arrive for the ferry to Elba?
The required check in time varies between ferry companies. We booked our crossing with Moby and travelled with our own car in the middle of summer. For our sailing, we had to be at the port no later than 90 minutes before departure. Passengers travelling without a vehicle were required to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure during the summer. Toremar has a shorter minimum check in time. Always check the details on your own booking confirmation before travelling as the requirements can vary. Personally, I would arrive at the port well ahead of time when travelling with a car. Traffic can always cause delays and arriving early may have another unexpected advantage.
Can you take an earlier ferry to Elba?
This was one of the most useful things we discovered about travelling to Elba by ferry. With Moby and Toremar, it may be possible to take an earlier ferry on the same day if there is still space available. Moby calls this option Parti Prima. Our ferry was booked for 17:30, but because we were travelling with a car we needed to be at the port at around 16:00. A ferry was due to leave at exactly that time and there happened to be space for us. Instead of waiting at the port for an hour and a half, we were allowed to join the queue and board the earlier ferry. It meant we avoided the wait and arrived on Elba an hour and a half earlier than expected. We were lucky again on our return journey and managed to take a ferry an hour and a half earlier than the one we had booked. Of course, there is no guarantee that this will be possible. There needs to be space on an earlier sailing. But if you arrive at the port ahead of schedule, it is certainly worth asking whether you can leave earlier.
Explore the old centre of Piombino before your ferry
Piombino is often seen simply as a port town and the place where you catch the ferry to Elba. That is a shame because its historic centre is well worth exploring. Rather than driving straight from Tuscany to the ferry terminal, allow some extra time for Piombino on the day you travel to Elba. We had lunch in the old centre before walking to Piazza Bovio, a long square that stretches out towards the sea almost like a terrace above the water. From here, you can watch the ferries passing along the coast and see Elba in the distance. Not much later, you will be sailing past the same stretch of coastline towards the island. It is a lovely place to spend your final hours on the Italian mainland before making the crossing.
Driving your car onto the ferry
Once boarding starts, cars are directed onto the ferry one by one. Staff show you exactly where to drive and where to park. Cars are parked very close together. In our case, we could only get out on one side and there was not enough room to open the boot because the car behind us was parked so close. It is therefore a good idea to take everything you will need during the crossing out of the car before driving onto the ferry. Once parked, all passengers have to leave the vehicle deck. You can sit inside in the air conditioned passenger area or head up to the outdoor deck and enjoy the views during the crossing.
The ferry crossing from Piombino to Portoferraio
For me, the ferry to Elba was not simply a way of getting from the mainland to the island. It felt like part of the trip itself. As Piombino slowly disappears behind you, the views open up across the sea and Elba gradually comes closer. The regular ferry crossing to Portoferraio takes around an hour. Facilities depend on the particular ferry you are travelling on as the vessels used on this route are not all the same. Our experience on board was very good. Everything went smoothly and the crossing felt surprisingly short. Once you reach the northern coast of Elba and Portoferraio comes into view, it is worth heading outside onto the deck. Arriving by sea gives you a lovely first glimpse of the island before you drive ashore.
Arriving on Elba with your own car
As the ferry approaches Elba, an announcement lets drivers know when they can return to the vehicle deck. From there, you simply wait until the cars in front of you begin to drive off. And then, suddenly, you are on Elba with your own car. Our first stop was a supermarket to pick up a few things before driving to our accommodation in Nisporto. It was particularly convenient not having to collect a hire car after arriving. From the ferry terminal in Portoferraio, we could simply drive straight to where we were staying.
Is it worth taking your own car to Elba?
For us, taking our own car to Elba worked extremely well. The ferry from Piombino to Portoferraio was easy to book, the crossing was short and getting the car on and off the ferry was straightforward. Once on Elba, having a car also gave us plenty of freedom to explore the island. Another advantage is that you can turn the drive to Piombino into a road trip rather than treating it simply as a long journey to the ferry terminal. We combined nine days on Elba with an overnight stay in Germany, the scenic drive along the Tremola road and three days in Tuscany. As a result, the journey south felt like part of the trip from the very beginning.
Where to stay on Elba
If you are still looking for somewhere to stay on Elba, we spent nine nights at Vistamare La Fonte, part of Elba Island Resort in Nisporto. When booking a three room apartment, you stay at La Fonte, a small and peaceful resort with a swimming pool. On several days during our stay, we practically had the pool to ourselves. If you would prefer to stay elsewhere on the island, Hotel Sardi in Pomonte, Hotel Gallo Nero in Marciana and Hotel Plaza in Porto Azzurro were also among the well reviewed options featured when we planned our stay.
Hotel Plaza
Hotel Punto Verde
Hotel L'ogliera
