Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Boat -- Ferries, from the Tuscan mainland port of Piombino (9km/5 1/2 miles away), are the most common way to reach Elba. (Piombino is an hour's drive south from Livorno; 1 1/2 hr. south of Pisa; 2 hr. southwest of Florence; and 3 hr. northwest of Rome. If traveling by rail, take a train to Campiglia Marittima, then a bus to Piombino seaport.) Nearly all boats from Piombino sail nonstop to the principal Elban port of Portoferraio, though a few offer service to the smaller marinas of Cavo and Rio Marina. Two companies, Moby and Toremar, handle the Piombino-Elba passage, offering 15 boats per day in the off season and boats every 30 minutes from May through September. Both Moby and Toremar have easy-to-find ticket offices in Piombino and Portoferraio: Moby (www.moby.it), in Piombino: tel. 0565/221212; in Portoferraio, Calata Italia: tel. 0565/914133). Toremar (www.toremar.it): in Piombino (tel. 0565/31100 or 0565/226590); in Portoferraio, Calata Italia 44 (tel. 0565/960131); in Rio Marina, Calata Voltoni 20 (tel. 0565/962073); in Cavo, Via Michelangelo 54 (tel. 0565/949871). Crossing time between Piombino and Portoferraio is about an hour, slightly less from Piombino to Rio Marina. In calm weather, Toremar also operates a hydrofoil (for foot passengers only; no cars) from Piombino to Cavo (15 min.) and Portoferraio (30 min.).

Mid-season fares along the main Elban ferry routes are as follows: Piombino-Portoferraio costs 11€ (Toremar) or 14€ (Moby) each way for single passengers; 40€ (Toremar) or 44€ (Moby) each way for automobile and driver. Piombino to Rio Marina with Toremar is 8.50€ each way for passengers; 38€ each way for cars. Prices are slightly higher in "high season" (Fri-Sun in summer) and lower in the off season. The Toremar hydrofoil from Piombino to Cavo is 10€ per person each way year-round; the hydrofoil from Piombino to Portoferraio is 14€ per person each way year-round.

Tip: When driving into Piombino to catch a ferry to Elba, you can save time and hassle by buying your tickets at one of the roadside ticket offices on the outskirts of town. Otherwise, you can buy your tickets at the port, where you'll often find long queues even in low season. If bringing a car to Elba in high season, it's not a bad idea to book your ferry a few days in advance (at any travel agent in Italy, or online at either of the companies' websites), though the worst that might happen if you don't prebook is that you have to wait an hour or so for the next available ferry.

By Air -- Elba's airport (tel. 0565/976011; www.elbaisland-airport.it) at Campo nell'Elba, in the central part of the island, is served by flights from the Italian airports of Milan-Malpensa, Pisa, and Florence, as well as Bern and Zurich in Switzerland, and Munich and Friedrichshafen in Germany. With rare exceptions, Elba has regularly scheduled flights only between April and September. Elbafly (tel. 0565/977900; www.elbafly.it) handles the routes between Elba and Milan (three flights per week), Pisa (nine per week), and Florence (four per week). Intersky (tel. 0565/977527 in Italy; 43/5574/4880046 in Germany; www.intersky.biz) serves Zurich, Munich, and Friedrichshafen. Sky Work flies between Elba and Bern (tel. 41/319610000 in Switzerland; www.skywork-airlines.ch).

Getting Around

The best way to get around Elba is with your own car. If you haven't brought one on the ferry, you'll find dozens of rental agencies in Portoferraio. One I've used and liked is Chiappi, opposite the ferry dock at Calata Italia 1 (tel. 0565/914366; www.rentchiappi.it). Chiappi is a full-service agency that also does scooter, camper, and boat rentals, as well as sailboat charters. If you've arrived at the airport in Campo nell'Elba, you can rent a car from Elba by Car (tel. 0565/977973; www.elbabycar.it). In high season, expect to pay 50€ to 60€ per day for a compact car; prices go down by about 20% in the off-peak months. Renting a car on the mainland is usually cheaper, but then you have to pay for its ferry passage (around 40€ each way).

Elba also has a reliable bus network, run by A.T.L. (Azienda di Trasporti Livornesi; tel. 0565/915392 or 199/108081; www.atl.livorno.it) that will get you to the principal destinations, but you'll need to allow for much longer travel times between places, and, of course, you won't have as much freedom to explore every little cove and mountain road. Ticket prices depend on the distance you're traveling but usually cost between 2€ and 4€. In summer, a system of smaller buses called Elba Subito (also run by A.T.L.) links the town centers with many major beaches; this is an effort to reduce the amount of private automobile traffic clogging those beach access roads and parking lots. Elba Subito buses are recognizable by their graphics of dancing red starfish hitchhiking in bathing suits.

Visitor Information

In Portoferraio, the APT Elba (local tourist board) office is located directly opposite the ferry landing at Calata Italia 43 (tel. 0565/914671; www.isoleditoscana.it or www.aptelba.it). From April to October, they're open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 7pm; the rest of the year, the hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 2pm. In summer, seasonal branches of APT Elba are also open in Capoliveri (Piazza Matteotti; tel. 0565/967029; June 15-Sept 30: Mon-Sat 9am-noon and 7-10pm), Marina di Campo (Piazza dei Granatieri; tel. 0565/977969; July 15-Sept 4: Mon-Sat 9am-7pm), and Porto Azzurro, Via Vittorio Veneto (tel. 0565/958253; July 20-Sept 15 Mon-Sat 4-10pm). At any of these offices, you can pick up free island maps and reams of brochures on museums, cultural events, boat rentals -- you name it. Don't hesitate to ask the staff's opinions on what to see and do; they can often provide valuable season-specific advice.

The Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano (Tuscan Archipelago National Park) is also headquartered in Elba, in Portoferraio at Via Guerrzzi 1 (tel. 0565/919411; www.islepark.it or www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.arcip.toscano), and there are visitor centers in Rio nell'Elba and Marciana where you can pick up brochures and maps and arrange excursions with licensed park guides. In Marciana, there is a "Casa del Parco" at the Fortezza Pisana (tel. 0565/901030); in Rio nell'Elba, the Casa del Parco "Franco Franchini" is inside an ancient washhouse adjacent to the newer (1906) public washhouse, Località Lavatoi (tel. 0565/943399).