Everything you need to know on how to get to Favignana
A complete guide on everything you need to get to the island of Favignana, the best way of visiting the island, and why it is the best option for you
First of all, if you are interested in knowing what to do and see in Favignana have a look at my dedicated blog post here, before continuing to read the useful travel tips below...
How to get to Favignana
The best way to get to the Island is by hydrofoil from the port of Trapani. Prices are 30€ per person for a return ticket, and the crossing takes about 30 min. One of the main companies is Liberty Lines, click here to book your trip. Taking a ferry will be the next option, however, the journey will take double the time and is more expensive. Therefore, I would only recommend it if you are planning to take your own car (or campervan) to the island as no vehicle will be allowed on the hydrofoil. But is it worth it to visit in your own vehicle?
Well, not really! Renting a different mode of transport directly on the island will cost you much less than actually taking your own vehicle with you. You can easily reach the port of Trapani early in the morning and park your car right by it. Parking for the entire day is about 15€ and can easily be booked and controlled via an app called 'Easypark' (a pink icon with an 'e' on it).
In case you are planning to visit the other two islands as well, Liberty Lines hydrofoils have great connections to those ones too. But let’s get back to Favignana for now…
How to go around in Favignana
Favignana is a small island and can easily be visited in a day. The first hydrofoil departs at about 7:00 and the last one from Favignana back to Trapani leaves the island at about 21:00, so plenty of time to see the main attractions the island has to offer.
The best way of going around will be renting a bike or bicycle. You could also rent a car if you are not a two-wheel drive person, however, this is not an option that I would recommend as the streets in Favignana are very narrow in some parts of the island and you might be struggling to find a parking spot close to the most popular beaches. Local buses are also available to use (about 2,50€ per ride), thus they were recently introduced, it is not very clear where the actual bus stops are and are not yet very reliable in terms of timings (there is something like a bus every two hours meaning it might take you about a month or so just to get around the island if you depend on them!). There are also some private companies that pick you up at your desired location, yet they are more expensive of course. You can find more info on which companies to use around the island regarding it if needed. Taxis? Definitely not a budget option as prices tend to be very high.
Where to rent a Bike or Bicycle in Favignana
Once you get to the island you will be surrounded by dozens of locals trying to rent you any sort of mode of transport but make sure you have a proper look around before saying yes to the first person approaching you. I visited Favignana with family and friends and some of us decided to go for the bicycle option, which, as you can see below was also a very useful backpack carrier for the whole group :D
We rented them at ‘Noleggio Grimaldi’ located about 5 min walk from the main port (website here), it’s a rental shop in Lungomare Duilio. You will easily recognize it as it has two big, checkered flags at the entrance. Compared to other rental shops right by the port of Favignana, their bikes and bicycles were much newer and clearly taken better care of. Prices for a Bike rental are about 60€, while a bicycle will cost you about 10€ (or 20€ for an electric one) for the entire day.
Personally, we decided to visit Favignana on land. However, if you are planning to rent a boat or dinghy and see the island from the sea, there are many options too but make sure you know how to drive one as the beaches around the island are very busy with boat traffic and the conditions of the sea might not always be ideal. Make sure you check the weather and especially the wind forecast before renting and book well in advance as they tend to run out very quickly. Prices for a small dinghy were about 200€ for a day, not too bad if you are in a group I guess.
Boat tours around the islands are another option and they usually offer lunch on board. They have specific timings and go from around 10:00 to 16:00 every day. Although, they are very crowded (unless you want to sell a kidney to go on a private guided boat tour 😬). Prices for the boat tours differ depending on the option you choose, yet do not expect to spend less than 70-80€ per person.
I hope you will find my tips helpful and as always, feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch if you need any further tips!
