Any timeAsk EneaThe Scopri Gaeta guide answers even at night.
From Gaeta the islands are half a morning away, but the departure port is not Gaeta itself: it is Formia, the closest port, linked to town by the Cotral bus. Here are the timetables valid until 24 October and from 25 October to 17 December 2026, current fares and what you need to know before you go.
Where do ferries to Ponza and Ventotene leave from if I am staying in Gaeta?
From the port of Formia, a few kilometres from Gaeta. The company connecting Formia with the islands is Laziomar, running both ships (which also carry vehicles) and fast hydrofoils, quicker and for passengers only.
One clarification, because it causes confusion: the other company serving Ponza, Vetor, sails only from Anzio in 2026. It has no service from Formia.
How do I get to the port of Formia from Gaeta?
By Cotral bus: the ticket costs 1.10 EUR one way and the journey takes 25-30 minutes. The first bus from Gaeta leaves at 04:30 on weekdays, useful if you are catching an early sailing. All the times are in our Cotral bus timetable for Formia and Gaeta.
At Formia port: up-to-date ferry times and how to get around between the station, the town centre and the port are on Scopri Formia, in the guides for Ponza and Ventotene and in how to reach Formia.
Ponza ferry timetables
Find your travel day: on the left the sailings from Formia, on the right the ones to come back. First the timetable valid until 24 October, then the one from 25 October to 17 December 2026.
hydrofoil = faster and more expensive, passengers only. All other sailings are by ship, which also carries cars and motorbikes.
Ventotene ferry timetables
Same periods: until 24 October and from 25 October to 17 December 2026.
hydrofoil = faster and more expensive, passengers only. All other sailings are by ship, which also carries cars and motorbikes.
How much does a ticket cost?
Laziomar fares per person, one way. Ship fares drop from 1 November.
The child fare applies from 4 to 12 years on the ship and from 2 to 12 years on the hydrofoil; younger infants travel free. On the hydrofoil luggage is charged separately at 1.90 EUR.
Is there a landing tax?
Yes, and it is not included in the ticket: you pay it on arrival.
- Ponza: 2.50 EUR from October to May, 5.00 EUR from June to September.
- Ventotene: 2.50 EUR in January, February, November and December; 4.00 EUR from March to October.
How much does it cost to take a car or motorbike?
Vehicles travel on the ships. Rates per crossing:
- Car up to 4 metres: 40.70 EUR
- Car over 4 metres: 59.80 EUR
- Motorbike up to 250 cc: 20.70 EUR
Before booking a car crossing, check the summer traffic restrictions in force on the islands: for a day trip, in most cases the car is a cost you can avoid.
Can I do Ponza as a day trip from Gaeta?
Until 24 October, yes: leave Formia at 08:00 by ship and return from Ponza at 17:45, every day. Allowing for the bus from Gaeta, plan to leave town by 07:00.
From 25 October the day gets shorter: the ship leaves Formia at 09:00 (08:30 on Mondays) and the last sailing from Ponza is at 14:30 (15:30 on Sundays). To see the island properly, it is worth staying one night.
For Ventotene, until 24 October: out at 08:45 and back on the 16:30 ship, every day. From 25 October: out at 09:15 (08:45 on Mondays) and back at 15:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; on Thursday take the 09:15 hydrofoil out and the 16:30 ship back; on Wednesday there is no same-day return.
Where do I buy tickets?
At the ticket offices in the port of Formia and on the company website. In high season, especially at weekends and around 15 August, book ahead: hydrofoils fill up and car passage has to be booked separately.
A word on the timetables
Laziomar states explicitly that timetables are subject to change without notice, and sailings can be cancelled in rough seas. The information on this page was taken from the company’s official website on 10 October 2026: always confirm your sailing at laziomar.it or at the ticket office before travelling.
And if you decide to stay ashore, the best sea is already in front of you: see our guide to the beaches of Gaeta.
