Ischia

Two very different types of boat serve Ischia, and the right one depends on your luggage, budget and whether you have a vehicle.

• Hydrofoils and fast catamarans (aliscafi) carry foot passengers only. From Molo Beverello they reach Ischia Porto in roughly 50 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Fares are higher, typically around €20 or more one way. Operators on the fast routes include Alilauro, SNAV and Caremar.
• Traditional car ferries (traghetti) are slower but larger, steadier and cheaper, and they take vehicles, bicycles and bulky luggage. From Calata Porta di Massa the crossing runs about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, with passenger fares from roughly €13. The main car-ferry operators are Caremar and Medmar; additional companies such as Gestour and Capitan Morgan appear on the Pozzuoli service.

From Pozzuoli, car ferries reach the island in around 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes depending on the operator and the arrival harbour. If you are travelling light and value speed, take a hydrofoil from Beverello. If you have heavy bags, prone to seasickness, or want the lowest fare, the car ferry wins even without a car.

Unlike Capri, which has a single Marina Grande, Ischia has three arrival harbours spread around its coast. Picking the one nearest your accommodation saves you a hot, crowded bus or an expensive summer taxi.

• Ischia Porto — on the northeast shore, this is the island's main and busiest port. It has the most departures, the best bus and taxi connections and easy access to the main town, so it is the safe default for a first visit or if you are unsure.
• Casamicciola Terme — on the north coast, quieter and steeped in thermal-spa history, and close to Lacco Ameno and the Negombo gardens. Many car ferries from Pozzuoli berth here rather than at Ischia Porto, so check your ticket carefully.
• Forio — on the west coast, the island's second town, with beaches, sunsets and the Poseidon thermal gardens nearby. Crucially, Forio is served only by fast passenger boats, not car ferries, so it suits foot passengers heading to the western side.

Rule of thumb: staying on the west or south (Forio, Panza, Sant'Angelo) and travelling without a car? Aim for Forio to skip the summer bus crush. Otherwise, Ischia Porto is the most flexible landing point.

Ischia is one of the few Bay of Naples islands where visitors can still bring a vehicle — Capri effectively bars tourist cars altogether. But Ischia operates a seasonal divieto di sbarco (landing ban) that is widely misunderstood, so read the detail before you assume you are blocked.

For 2026 the ban runs from 3 April to 31 October and applies only to vehicles registered to residents of the Campania region (Naples and its surroundings), excluding island residents themselves. In practice this means tourists from other Italian regions, and international visitors with foreign-plated or rental cars, are generally allowed to disembark and drive on Ischia. There are exemptions for disabled badge-holders, second-home owners (one vehicle per household, with a permit) and certain operators.

If you do bring a car, remember two things. First, cars travel only on the conventional car ferries from Calata Porta di Massa or Pozzuoli — never on hydrofoils. Second, Ischia's towns enforce ZTL limited-traffic zones and seasonal parking rules, and roads are narrow and steep. Many visitors skip the hassle entirely and rely on the island's cheap SEPSA buses, taxis or micro-taxis instead. Rules can change each season, so confirm the current decree and your rental company's island policy before travelling.

The reason to endure the crossing is what waits on the island: thermal spa parks fed by volcanic hot springs, unique in the Bay of Naples. Two giants dominate, and both are on the western side.

• Giardini Poseidon Terme — in Baia di Citara near Forio, the island's largest thermal park, with around 20 pools ranging from warm to hot, sea-water pools, a steam grotto and a private beach terraced into the hillside. Note that a swimming cap is compulsory here.
• Negombo — in the pretty Baia di San Montano at Lacco Ameno, part botanical garden and part elegant water park, with about 14 pools set in nine hectares of Mediterranean planting and a sandy beach. No swim cap required.

Beyond the spas, the island rewards slow exploration: the medieval Castello Aragonese on its own islet by Ischia Porto, the fishing village of Sant'Angelo, the sand-heated Maronti beach and the vineyards of Monte Epomeo. It is a place to soak and stroll, not to rush.

Ischia pairs naturally with its tiny, photogenic neighbour Procida, and the hop is quick. Fast boats link Ischia Porto and Casamicciola to Procida in roughly 15 to 25 minutes, with Caremar hydrofoils among the frequent operators; departures run through the day in season. It makes an easy half-day add-on — see the Ischia to Procida ferry connection for timings. Note that Procida has its own seasonal vehicle landing rules, so go as a foot passenger.

Coming the other way, from Capri, there is no need to backtrack all the way to Naples in high season. Seasonal direct fast ferries (typically April to October, run by operators such as Alilauro and Alicost) connect Capri to Ischia in around 50 minutes to just over an hour, serving Ischia Porto, Forio and sometimes Casamicciola. Frequencies are limited — often only one or a few sailings a day — so plan around the timetable rather than turning up. Check the Capri to Ischia ferry route for the current seasonal schedule.

Sailings are frequent, but the popular routes — especially weekend and morning crossings and any car-ferry space in July and August — sell out. Book ahead online in peak season, and book your car on a specific departure well in advance, as vehicle capacity is limited and non-transferable.

A few practical habits save money and stress. Tickets are usually company-specific, so a return ties you to one operator's timetable; buying two singles often gives more flexibility to catch whichever boat leaves next. Fast hydrofoils are the first services to be cancelled or suspended in rough weather, while the heavier car ferries are more weather-resilient — worth knowing on a blustery shoulder-season day. Arrive at the port 20 to 30 minutes early for foot passengers, and considerably earlier with a vehicle to allow for loading and the queue at Porta di Massa or Pozzuoli.

Season matters too: the island is busiest and hottest from June to September, the thermal parks and most hotels open roughly from April to late October, and winter sees a reduced ferry timetable as many spas close. Late spring and September are the sweet spot — warm water, open gardens and calmer crossings.

Travellers often weigh the two islands, and they reward different trips. Capri is small, dramatic and glamorous — vertical cliffs, designer shopping and day-tripper crowds funnelled through one marina, with tourist cars effectively banned. Ischia is far larger and greener, built around thermal wellness, sandy beaches, working villages and a slower pace; it welcomes cars (with the seasonal Campania-resident exception above) and rewards a stay of several nights rather than a rushed day trip.

For ferry planning that means Ischia is more forgiving: more ports to choose from, cheaper and steadier car-ferry options, and the practical possibility of bringing your own wheels. If your priority is spa gardens, space to unwind and easy island-hopping to Procida, Ischia is the better base — and Capri becomes a seasonal day excursion rather than the main event.