How Much Are The Ferries On Lake Garda?

How Much Are The Ferries On Lake Garda?

A one-way adult ticket costs between 3.50 and 17.50 euros depending on how far you travel, set by seven fare sections that stretch from a 1.50 euro urban hop up to the full Desenzano to Riva crossing. Children aged 4 to 11 and eligible seniors pay reduced columns, a one euro surcharge applies on board, and day passes run from 23.50 euros for a single zone to 39.50 euros for the whole lake.

The public ferry service on Lake Garda is run by Navigazione Laghi, the state operator, and its fares are fixed by a single tariff sheet rather than by each town or by the season. That is good news for anyone planning a trip, because it means the price of your crossing can be worked out in advance from one published table. The sheet in force dates from 1 April 2026 and covers the whole passenger network, from Sirmione in the south to Riva del Garda in the north. The fare scale is published on the operator's official rates page, and it is the only source you need for any passenger ticket on the lake.

The structure surprises people who are used to point to point pricing. Instead of pricing each route individually, the operator divides the lake into seven fare sections plus an urban category. The further apart your departure and arrival ports sit on that scale, the more you pay, regardless of which boat you catch. A fast catamaran and a slow battello on the same route cost the same base fare, though the fast service carries a supplement that we cover further down.

The summer timetable, the busiest and most complete one, runs from 16 May to 4 October 2026, with a reduced spring service before it and an autumn and winter service after. Timings change between seasons but the fare scale does not, so the numbers in this article hold across the year. If you want the full route picture rather than just the prices, the guide to Lake Garda Boat Tours covers the public network alongside the private cruise options, and the dedicated page on the public ferry network explains the routes and landing stages in detail.

For many visitors the ferry is the backbone of a lake holiday, especially without a car. Before committing to public boats only, it is worth seeing how a scheduled cruise compares, since a guided trip bundles commentary, a destination stop and often food into one ticket.

How Is The Fare Worked Out?

The fare is worked out by crossing the row of your departure port with the column of your arrival port in the tariff matrix, which returns a section number from 1 to 7. Section 1 costs 3.50 euros for an adult one way and section 7 costs 17.50 euros, with the sections between priced at 6.00, 7.50, 11.50, 14.00 and 16.00 euros. An urban hop within one port area costs 1.50 euros.

The operator's own instruction is to cross the line and the column of your departure and arrival ports, and the example printed on the sheet itself is Sirmione to Riva, which comes out as fare section 6. The matrix covers 30 fare points, which correspond to 28 landing places around the lake, from Desenzano and Sirmione in the south up through Salò, Gardone Riviera, Gargnano and Limone to Riva, Torbole and Malcesine in the north. Limone and Malcesine each appear twice because they also serve the car ferry network on the western side.

The key practical point is that distance on the map matters less than the section the operator assigns. Peschiera to Sirmione, a short hop around the south eastern corner, sits in section 2 at 6.00 euros, while Sirmione to Desenzano, a similar looking run on the map, is section 1 at 3.50 euros. Sirmione to Riva, the long northward journey the sheet uses as its worked example, is section 6 at 16.00 euros, and Desenzano to Riva, the longest single passenger crossing on the lake, is section 7 at 17.50 euros.

Two surcharges sit outside the section scale. Buy your ticket on board rather than at the landing and you pay an extra 1.00 euro per passenger, per item of luggage or per vehicle, though the surcharge is dropped when the ticket office is closed. And places on any sailing are limited to the maximum capacity of the vessel, which is why busy summer crossings can turn passengers away at the pier even when the timetable shows a departure. If you are weighing up whether to reserve in advance, the article on whether you need to book a ferry on Lake Garda goes through the peak days and the practical risks.

One more thing the tariff sheet makes clear: the passenger fleet carries no vehicles at all. Bicycles travel as luggage on the passenger boats, but if you have a car, the only crossing on the lake is the Maderno to Torri del Benaco car ferry, which runs on its own separate tariff that we break out in full further down.

What Do The Main Crossings Cost?

The main crossings cost 3.50 euros for Sirmione to Desenzano, 6.00 euros for Peschiera to Sirmione, 16.00 euros for Sirmione to Riva and 17.50 euros for Desenzano to Riva, all adult one way. Midlake pairs such as Garda to Sirmione or Bardolino to Salò fall in the middle sections at 7.50 to 14.00 euros, and short urban hops within a single port area cost 1.50 euros.

Here is the full section scale with the named town pairs the operator's own matrix uses as anchors. The adult column is the full fare, the one that applies to most visitors. Reduced columns for children, seniors, residents and groups sit alongside it and are covered in the next section.

The southern basin is where the ferry is cheapest and busiest. Desenzano to Sirmione takes about 20 to 25 minutes on the summer timetable and costs 3.50 euros, which makes it one of the best value boat rides anywhere in Italy for the scenery it delivers: the crossing passes the whole Sirmione peninsula and lands you directly below the castle. Peschiera to Sirmione, 6.00 euros, is the other high volume pair, connecting the two rail gateway towns of the south eastern shore.

Crossing times come from the published timetable, not from journey planners, and the only southern crossing the timetable states clearly is that Desenzano to Sirmione run at roughly 20 to 25 minutes. Northern crossings vary by service type, with fast catamarans and hydrofoils cutting the time but adding the rapid supplement. For the northern hop between Malcesine and Limone, a separate private shuttle also operates alongside the state ferry, and the article on the Malcesine to Limone boat ride compares the two.

What Are The Reduced Fares?

Reduced fares run in two published columns: a 1.20 column for seniors, residents and groups of fifteen or more, and a 1.50 column for children aged 4 to 11 and school parties. On a section 2 crossing that means 4.80 euros for a senior and 3.50 euros for a child instead of the 6.00 euro full fare. The reductions apply across all seven sections.

The two columns sit beside the full fare on the tariff sheet, and the operator's example for section 2 shows exactly how they work: 6.00 euros full, 4.80 euros reduced for the senior, resident and group categories, 3.50 euros for children. The same proportional pattern repeats down the scale, so a child fare on the long Desenzano to Riva crossing costs a fraction of the 17.50 euro adult price rather than a flat rate.

Who qualifies matters. The senior and resident column is aimed at Italian residents of the lake municipalities and at organised groups, so most holidaymakers will not qualify for it and should budget on the full column. The child column, for ages 4 to 11, is the one visiting families will use constantly, and it makes the ferry an inexpensive way to move children around the lake. School groups travel on the same child column, which is why weekday morning sailings in term time can fill up early.

Groups of fifteen or more get the reduced column on ordinary services, but note that the rapid supplement and special cruises are excluded from most reductions. If your group plans to use fast services, budget for the supplement on top of the reduced base fare. The ferry versus boat tour comparison works through the cases where a group is better off on a private charter than on fifteen individual ferry tickets.

What Does A Day Pass Cost?

A whole lake day pass costs 39.50 euros for an adult and 20.00 euros for a child aged 4 to 11, and it includes the fast services. Upper or lower lake passes cost 27.00 euros for an adult, single zone passes cost 23.50 euros, and the three day whole lake version costs 79.00 euros. Reduced columns for seniors, residents and groups sit alongside every one of these prices.

The day pass, called a free circulation ticket, allows a whole day of travel with no stop limit inside its zone. That is a different proposition from a return ticket: you can hop off at Sirmione for the castle, sail on to Salò for lunch and come back down the eastern shore in the evening, all on one ticket. For an itinerary of three or more ports in a day, the arithmetic usually beats buying singles.

A note on the gaps in that table: the tariff sheet prints the senior, resident and group columns and the remaining three day zonal figures, but the exact values are best read off the operator's own sheet at the time you buy, since the columns are dense and easy to misread. The whole lake and upper or lower lake prices shown above are printed on the sheet directly.

The zones are geographic. The upper lake zone runs from Maderno and Torri del Benaco northward, the lower lake zone from Gargnano and Torri southward, and the four single zones cover the north, the centre, the west and the east respectively. Whole lake passes are the only ones that include the fast services without a supplement; on the zonal passes you can board a fast service only by paying the extra charge.

There are also two bundled products that undercut the standard pass prices. Trenitalia sells a combined train plus daily boat pass to Desenzano or Peschiera at 21.60 euros for the lower lake zone instead of 27 euros, valid for arrivals by rail, on the operator's own combined ticket page. And a regional integrated ticket pairs Arriva buses with the boats. If you are basing yourself in one town and making day trips by water, the guide to seeing Lake Garda without a car shows how the passes fit a car free itinerary.

What Is The Fast Service Supplement?

The fast service supplement is an extra charge on top of the ordinary one way fare, published on a per section scale that runs from 2.50 to 6.00 euros. You cannot board a rapid service with an ordinary ticket alone: the tariff sheet states that travellers on rapid services must carry the specific supplement, and day passes other than the whole lake version do not include it.

The rapid services, marked Sr in the timetables, are the catamarans and hydrofoils that cut crossing times on the long north south runs. They are the difference between a slow scenic battello from Desenzano to Riva and a fast crossing that takes a fraction of the time. The supplement exists because the fast boats cost more to run and carry fewer passengers, so the operator prices the speed separately from the distance.

The scale runs from 2.50 euros on the shortest sections to 6.00 euros on the longest, so a fast Desenzano to Riva crossing costs the 17.50 euro section 7 fare plus up to 6.00 euros. The exact supplement for each individual section is the one figure the published sheet does not state unambiguously, so treat the 2.50 to 6.00 euro range as the planning envelope and confirm the exact figure at the ticket office when you buy. Whole lake day passes include the fast services, which is a large part of why they are worth considering for any ambitious multi port day.

For most visitors the decision is simple. If you are making one long crossing and are short on time, the supplement buys back an hour or more. If your crossings are short hops in the southern basin, the fast services rarely serve them anyway, and the ordinary fare is all you will ever pay. The article on how much a boat ride on Lake Garda costs puts the supplement in the wider context of every way to get on the water, from the 1.50 euro urban hop to private charters.

What Does The Car Ferry Cost?

The Maderno to Torri del Benaco car ferry, the only vehicle crossing on Lake Garda, charges 7.50 euros per adult passenger and 12.30 euros one way for a car up to 3.50 metres, driver included. Motorbikes start at 9.80 euros, bicycles cost 9.20 euros, campers cost 25.00 euros, and every return crossing is double the one way fare.

This is a separate tariff from the passenger network, published on its own sheet and in force from the same April date. It exists because the passenger fleet carries no vehicles, so the Maderno to Torri route, which links the Lombardy and Veneto shores roughly at the lake's waist, is the only way to move a car across the water without driving around the southern tip.

A return crossing is double the one way fare, so a car and driver go out and back for 24.60 euros in total. Longer vehicles and campers sit higher on the same sheet, so check the exact band for your vehicle length at the toll booth before boarding. Note one operational restriction: from 3 September 2026 buses and trucks are not carried on the Maderno to Torri routes, which matters if you are travelling on an organised coach transfer that planned to use the ferry.

The ferry is also a shortcut worth knowing about even for foot passengers staying on the western shore, since it links Gardone Riviera and Torri del Benaco areas without the long drive around. From the Torri side, the eastern shore towns of Garda and Bardolino are close by road, and a scheduled cruise from there reaches Sirmione with a guide on board. The Guided Boat Cruise to Sirmione from Garda and Bardolino runs 4 hours, rates 4.3 from 185 reviews and costs from 63.12 dollars per person, a different proposition from the ferry since it includes commentary and a stop at the peninsula rather than just the crossing.

Compared with the car ferry, that cruise is priced per person and carries no vehicle, so the two products answer different questions. The ferry moves your car; the cruise fills your day.

When Is A Boat Tour Better Value?

A boat tour beats the ferry on value when you want commentary, a swim stop, food or a fixed sightseeing loop rather than transport, since the cheapest ferry crossings are priced for getting somewhere rather than for the experience. The 25 minute Sirmione peninsula cruise costs from 13.77 dollars, close to the 3.50 euro ferry fare territory, while half day cruises with lunch start from 72.30 dollars per person.

The honest comparison depends on what you are buying. A ferry ticket buys a seat and a crossing; the scenery is free either way. A tour buys a route designed for the scenery, a guide who names what you are looking at, and often an inclusion such as lunch or an aperitif that would cost extra ashore. On pure cost per minute on the water, the short Sirmione peninsula cruise is remarkable: from 13.77 dollars for 25 minutes, rating 4.7 from 3,495 reviews, it loops the peninsula past the Grotte di Catullo and the thermal spring, sights the ferry only glimpses in passing.

At the other end of the scale, the Half Day Lake Garda Cruise with Lunch from Peschiera costs from 72.30 dollars per person for 4 hours, rates 4.4 from 849 reviews, and includes a meal that would easily run a third of the ticket price in a lakeside restaurant. Against four separate ferry hops plus restaurant lunch, the arithmetic is closer than the headline price suggests, and the tour removes every queue and timetable dependency from the day.

The general rule that falls out of the numbers: use the ferry for point to point travel, especially in the south where sections 1 and 2 cost less than a coffee in some piazza bars, and use a tour when the boat itself is the activity. Families with children often mix the two, a morning cruise around the peninsula, then an afternoon of ferry hops between towns. The full breakdown of boat trip prices across the lake covers every format from sailing trips to private charters, and the guide to the best boat trips on Lake Garda ranks the experiences rather than the fares.

One last framing that helps: the ferry's whole lake day pass at 39.50 euros and a half day cruise at 72.30 dollars are not really competitors. The pass is a transport budget for a day of towns; the cruise is an event. Visitors who budget for one of each, and use the 3.50 euro short crossings freely in between, generally report the best ratio of water time to money spent on the lake.

Common Questions About Lake Garda Ferry Fares

How Much Are The Ferries On Lake Garda?

Adult one way fares run from 3.50 euros for the shortest section to 17.50 euros for the full Desenzano to Riva crossing, with a 1.50 euro urban hop. Children aged 4 to 11 pay reduced fares, seniors, residents and groups have their own column, a 1.00 euro surcharge applies to tickets bought on board, and day passes cost from 23.50 euros for a single zone to 39.50 euros for the whole lake.

Is The Lake Garda Ferry Cheaper Than A Boat Tour?

Yes for transport. The shortest crossings cost a few euros, while tours start from 13.77 dollars for a 25 minute Sirmione loop and rise to 72.30 dollars and more for half day cruises with lunch. But a tour includes commentary, stops and often food, so it is an activity rather than a crossing and the two are not direct substitutes.

Do Children Travel Free On The Lake Garda Ferries?

The published tariff sheet shows reduced columns for children aged 4 to 11 and full fares for adults, but it does not state a free infant category, so check at the ticket office for the under 4 policy before travelling. The child column is a substantial reduction: on a section 2 crossing a child pays 3.50 euros against the 6.00 euro adult fare.

What Is The Surcharge For Buying A Ticket On Board?

Buying on board costs 1.00 euro extra per passenger, per luggage item or per vehicle, and the surcharge is not applied when the ticket office at the landing is closed. Buying at the office or through contactless payment on board avoids the extra euro.

Does The Day Pass Include The Fast Ferries?

Only the whole lake day pass at 39.50 euros for an adult includes the fast services. The upper lake, lower lake and single zone passes cover ordinary routes only, and you can board a fast service with them only by paying the rapid supplement, which runs from 2.50 to 6.00 euros depending on the section.

Can You Take A Car On The Lake Garda Ferry?

Only on the Maderno to Torri del Benaco car ferry, which is a separate tariff: 12.30 euros one way for a car up to 3.50 metres with the driver included, 9.20 euros for a bicycle and rider, 25.00 euros for a camper, with returns at double the one way fare. The rest of the passenger fleet carries no vehicles at all, and from 3 September 2026 buses and trucks are not carried on the car ferry route either.