Ferries: traghettare su due ruote!

Un viaggio in moto, in terre lontane o vicine, raramente si “consuma” esclusivamente su strade sterrate o asfalto. 

Capita spesso, lungo il tragitto, di includere uno o più tratti in traghetto. Per risparmiare tempo prezioso o semplicemente per l’impossibilità di aggirare l’acqua via terra.
Nella stesura di un progetto motociclistico, il web viene in aiuto fornendo informazioni e costi riguardanti tutte le compagnie di ferries presenti al mondo.
La nostra Terra è per circa il 70% composta di acqua.
Gli oceani, i laghi, i fiumi rappresentano per fortuna una fitta rete di vie di comunicazioni fluviali, lacustri e marittime, che spostano merci e persone localmente e a distanze di migliaia di chilometri, collegando regioni, Paesi, Continenti differenti.
In un contesto simile appare chiaro quanto sia difficile evitare di salire con moto e bagagli sopra un traghetto… soprattutto se nel vostro itinerario avete incluso una o più isole.
Ecco perché abbiamo pensato di dedicare un dossier alle Ferries Companies. Come succede in altri settori del trasporto la parte del leone la fanno i mega portali specializzati, irraggiungibili per facilità di booking, search e confronto prezzi. Se amate il contatto “diretto” sul web trovare comunque i siti ufficiali di tutte le compagnie.
Ecco cosa abbiamo trovato.

Ferrylines.Com

Si definisce “Il più completo portale di traghetti del mondo”. Se così fosse non servirebbe nessun’altra ricerca in rete. Il portale è disponibile in otto lingue, compreso l’italiano, e nella homepage presenta queste aree di ricerca: MAP, SEARCH, OPERATORS, DESTINATION, OFFERS, SERVICE, COMPANY.
Basta compilare il “form” con il giorno e il porto di partenza, indicare se siete interessati al ritorno, il numero di passeggeri, l’età, marca e modello della moto per visualizzare le proposte delle differenti compagnie operanti sulla tratta da voi scelta. La ricerca viene qui automaticamente allargata a porti differenti (nel rispetto dei Paesi di partenza e di arrivo).
Il vero plus di questo portale è il supporto offerto dalla mappa mondiale, dimensionabile a piacere.
Per testare le funzionalità della sezione “booking” abbiamo simulato l’acquisto di un biglietto. In particolare una tratta “one way” da Frederikshavn in Danimarca a Gothenburg in Svezia. La ricerca ha visualizzato più compagnie e tariffe e messo in evidenza la svedese Stena Line per il miglior prezzo: da 24,50 a 28.50 euro per due persone e una motocicletta. Abbiamo poi simulato la prenotazione direttamente dal sito di questa compagnia (quindi senza passare dal portale) ottenendo una maggiore flessibilità ma senza differenze dal punto di vista dei costi.
Non contenti abbiamo replicato il test con un vero “classico” la tratta che dalla Spagna porta in Marocco (Algeciras –Tangeri) andata e ritorno (30/8-15/9). Il portale ha evidenziato la compagnia Trasmediterranea come la più conveniente: prezzo sempre due persone + moto è di 104 euro. Il Viaggio dura un’ora e mezza e include due poltrone.
Prenotando direttamente dal sito ufficiale della marocchina Intershipping (che appariva sul portale ma con costi maggiori) la tariffa A/R indicata per lo stesso periodo è pari a 776 dirham, circa 70 euro. (il sito al momento è soltanto in lingua francese).
Ulteriori confronti incrociati potrebbero dunque riservare sorprese.

Aferry

Risponde alla concorrenza presentandosi in homepage come “Il più grande sito di prenotazione traghetti del mondo”. Partner di circa 200 compagnie Aferry è disponibile in moltissime lingue, modificando le info ad hoc(ad esempio attraverso le destinazioni più popolari: con il francese vengono poste in evidenza Corsica, Tunisia, Algeria e Marocco; con l’italiano Sardegna, Corsica, Croazia e Grecia…
In generale il menù è assimilabile a quello del portale precedente. Non c’è la mappa ma è reso disponibile l’elenco di tutti i porti, in ordine alfabetico per nazione, dal quale partono i traghetti qui prenotabili.
Anche in questo caso il sistema mette a confronto più compagnie evidenziando i prezzi migliori.

Direct ferries

è il terzo portale analizzato. Non si discosta molto dai precedenti e punta a promuovere il suo motore di ricerca permettendo di scegliere tra 2.880 rotte e 692 porti nel mondo. Moltissime le lingue disponibili. La homepage permette la ricerca anche nel segmento dei traghetti esclusivamente merci, opzione non offerta dai due portali precedenti.

Dai portali ai siti ufficiali delle compagnie

Un elenco lunghissimo, che comprende flotte capaci di toccare nazioni e Continenti, realtà operanti su tratte specifiche, come gli specialisti delle isole greche greeka.com e go-ferry.com… per arrivare a micro compagnie che traghettano veicoli e persone da una sponda all’altra di un lago.
Per trovare facilmente il ferry che state cercando arriva in aiuto Wikipedia.
In una singola pagina questa straordinaria “Free Encyclopedia” mette a disposizione centinaia di link che puntano ad altrettante compagnie. Non essendo nato ad uso esclusivo di chi viaggia con un veicolo, questo spazio include anche le tratte limitate al solo trasporto di persone. Di seguito trovate il contenuto sotto forma di elenco; dal web la pagina di Wikipedia si raggiunge digitando semplicemente “list of ferry operators”.
AFRICA
• Algerie Ferries/ENTMV (Algeria – Spain, France)
• CNAN – (Algeria – Spain, France)
• Comarit (Morocco – Spain, France, Italy)
• Comanav (Morocco – Spain, France)
• Cotunav (Tunisia – France)
• El Salam Maritime – (Egypt – Saudi Arabia)
ASIA
• Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (Visayas, Mindanao, Luzon, Batangas, Philippines)
• Jomalia Shipping Corporation (Philippines, Camotes island, Cebu)
• Montenegro Shipping Lines (Visayas, Mindanao, Luzon, Philippines)
• Roble Shipping INC (Visayas, Leyte)
• Weesam Express (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• Cokaliong Shipping Lines (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• Trans-Asia Shipping Lines (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• Lite Shipping (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• George and Peter Shipping Lines (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• Aleson Shipping Lines (Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines, Sandakan)
• 2GO Travel (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Philippines)
• The SupperCat Fast Ferry Corporation (Visayas, Mindanao, Luzon, Philippines)
• Moreta Shiiping Lines(Philippines)
• Ocean Fast Ferry Corporation Ocean Jet(PHILIPPINES)
• StarLite Ferries Inc(Philippines, Luzon, Visayas)
• BatamFast Ferry (Singapore, Batam, Bintan)
• Berlian Ferries (Singapore, Batam)
• Bintan Resort Ferries (Singapore, Bintan)
• Cebu Ferries (Cebu, Philippines)
• Cruise Ferries
• Horizon Fast Ferry (Singapore, Batam, Port of Merak)
• IndoFalcon Shipping (Singapore, Batam, Port of Merak)
• PT. ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Jakarta, Indonesia
• Majestic Fast Ferry (Singapore, Batam, Tanjung Pinang)
• Mozaic Ferry (Singapore, Bintan)
• Negros Navigation (Manila, Philippines)
• Pacific Ferry (Singapore, Batam, Port of Merak)
• Penang Ferry Service (George Town, Penang, Malaysia)
• PT Dharma Lautan Utama (Surabaya, Indonesia)
• Sindo Ferry (Singapore, Batam, Bintan)
• SSTH Ocean Arrow
• Star Ferry (Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong)
• SuperFerry (Manila, Philippines)
Vedere anche la lista delle compagnie di ferry giapponesi a questo link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ferry_operators_in_Japan
EUROPA
• Acciona Trasmediterránea (mainland Spain to Balearics, Canary Islands, Algeria and Morocco)
• Adria Ferries (it) (Italy to Albania)
• Aegean Speed Lines (Greece)
• AG Ems (nl) (Wadden Sea, both between the Netherlands and in Germany)
• Ålandstrafiken (mainland Finland to Åland Islands)
• Algérie Ferries (Algeria to Spain and France)
• Alstrafikken (da) (Denmark domestic)
• Amey plc (Windermere Ferry)
• Ånedinlinjen (Sweden to Åland Islands)
• ANEK Lines (Italy to Greece)
• Argyll and Bute Council (Firth of Lorne and Loch Linnhe)
• Atlanticoline (Azores Islands in Portugal)[1]
• Baleària (mainland Spain to Balearics and Morocco)
• Blue Line International (Italy to Croatia)
• Blue Star Ferries (Greece, Aegean Islands)
• Bluvia (Italy)
• Bodrum Express Lines (Greece to Turkey)
• BornholmerFærgen (to Denmark, Germany and Sweden)
• Bournemouth – Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company (Sandbanks Ferry, Poole Harbour)
• Bristol Ferry Boats (in Bristol Harbour)
• Brittany Ferries (UK to France, Spain and Ireland)
• Brownsea Island Ferries Ltd (Poole Harbour)
• Caledonian MacBrayne (Scotland)
• Caremar (Italy)
• Celtic Link Ferries (Ireland – France; Portsmouth-Cherbourg)
• Color Line (Norway to Denmark, Germany and Sweden)
• Compagnie Corsaire (St. Malo – Jersey, Channel Islands)
• Condor Ferries (Channel Islands, UK)
• Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries (Italy and France to Corsica and Sardinia)
• Cromarty Ferry Company (Scotland)
• Destination Gotland (Swedish mainland to Gotland)
• DFDS Seaways (Baltic Sea, North Sea, Channel)[2]
• Dodekanisos Seaways (Greece)
• Eckerö Line (Baltic Sea)
• Eckerölinjen (Sweden to Aland Islands)
• Eimskip Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
• EneRmaR (Italy)
• Erturk Lines (Turkey to Greece)
• Exe to Sea Cruises (Exmouth to Starcross Ferry)
• Finnlines (Northern Europe)
• Fjärdvägen (Finland domestic)
• Fjord Line (Denmark to Norway)
• Fjord1 Nordvestlandske (Norway)
• Fosen Trafikklag (Norway)
• Francis Spencer (Hammerton’s Ferry across the River Thames)
• Fred. Olsen Express (Balearics)
• FRS Iberia S.L. (Spain to Morocco)
• Golden Star Ferries (Greece domestic)
• Gosport Ferry Company Ltd (Gosport to Portsmouth)
• Grandi Navi Veloci (Italy – Med)
• Grimaldi Lines (Italy – Med)
• Hellenic Seaways (Greece)
• HH-Ferries (Sweden – Denmark)
• Highland Regional Council (Corran Ferry – Loch Linnhe)
• Hovertravel (Hovercraft from UK mainland to Isle of Wight)
• Hurtigruten (Norway domestic)
• İdo (Turkey domestic)
• Inter Shipping (Spain to Morocco)
• Ionian Ferries (Greece)
• Irish Ferries (Irish Sea, Celtic Sea)
• Iscomar (Balearics)
• Isle of Man Steam Packet (Isle of Man, Irish Sea)
• Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company (Scotland)
• Isle of Wight Council (Cowes Floating Bridge)
• Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (English mainland to Isles of Scilly)
• Jadrolinija (Croatia domestic, Croatia to Italy)
• King Harry Steam Ferry Company Ltd (River Fal)
• La Meridionale (France – Corsica & Sardinia)
• Lake Koman Ferry (Northern Albania)
• Lane Sea Lines (Greece domestic)
• Langelandsfaergen (Domestic Denmark)
• Laziomar (Italy)
• LD Lines (England/France – Spain)
• Linda Line (Estonia – Finland)
• Manche Iles Express (France – Channel Islands)[3]
• Maregiglio (Italy)
• Meander Travel (Turkey to Greece; ferry from Kusadasi to Samos, Patmos/Greece)[4]
• Medmar (Italy)
• Merseytravel (Mersey Ferry)
• Minoan Lines (Italy to Greece)
• Moby Lines (Italy and the Mediterranean)
• Montenegro Lines (Italy to Montenegro)
• Namsos Trafikkselskap (Norway)
• Naviera Armas Mainland Spain including Huelva to Canary Islands, Spain to Morocco
• Nel Lines (Greece)
• NorthLink Ferries (Orkney and Shetland, Scotland)
• NORLED
• Number Seven Boat Trips (in Bristol Harbour)
• Orkney Ferries (Orkney, Scotland)
• PB Management (Bulgaria to (Georgia) South Asia way and (Russia) North Asia way
• P&O Ferries (United Kingdom to France; Netherlands, Belgium and Spain)
• P&O Irish Sea (Irish sea)
• Pentland Ferries (Orkney, Scotland)
• Polferries (the Baltic Sea)
• Rapska Plovidba (Island of Rab to mainland, Croatia)
• Red Funnel (Isle of Wight to mainland England.)
• Rederij Doeksen (Netherlands domestic)
• Royal Borough of Greenwich (Woolwich Ferry across the River Thames)
• Saaremaa Shipping Company (Estonia to Saaremaa and Hiiumaa)
• Samsofaergen (Domestic Denmark)
• Saremar (Italy)
• Scandlines (Baltic Sea)
• Shetland Islands Council (internal Shetland islands)
• Silja Line (Finland to Sweden)
• Siremar (Italy)
• Smyril Line (North Sea & the North Atlantic)
• SNAV (Italy and the Mediterranean)
• SNCM (France and the Mediterranean)
• Split Tours (Croatia)
• Stena Line (North Sea, Irish Sea, Baltic Sea)
• Stena Sealine (Black Sea)
• Strandfaraskip Landsins (within the Faroe Islands)
• Superfast Ferries (Athens; Adriatic)
• Tallink (the Baltic Sea)
• Teign Ferry Ltd (Teignmouth to Shaldon, across the Teign Estuary)
• TESO (Den Helder to Texel, Netherlands)
• Thames Clippers (services on the River Thames including Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe Ferry)
• Tirrenia di Navigazione (Italy)
• Transmaçor (Azores Islands in Portugal)
• Transtejo & Soflusa (Lisbon in Portugal)
• Toremar (Italy)
• Torghatten Trafikkselskap (Norway)
• TS Laevad (Estonia)
• TT-Line (Germany and Poland to Sweden)
• UKR Ferry (Black Sea)
• Unity Line (Świnoujście to Ystad and Świnoujście to Trelleborg)
• Ustica Line (Italy Islands)
• Venezia Lines (Italy to Croatia and Slovenia)
• Ventouris Ferries (Italy to Greece)
• Ventrafiken (Sweden domestic, Island of Ven to mainland)
• Viking Line (the Baltic Sea)
• Virtu Ferries (Sicily to Malta)
• Wagenborg (Wadden Sea ferries in the Netherlands)
• Wasa Line (Sweden to Finland)
• Waxholmsbolaget (Stockholm, Sweden)
• Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd (Firth of Clyde)
• Wightlink (Isle of Wight to mainland England)[5]
• Wyker Dampfschiffahrts-Reederei (WDR) (Northfrisian Islands)
• Yesil Marmaris Lines (Turkey to Greece – Ferries Between Marmaris-Rhodes, Bodrum-Rhodes and Bodrum-Kos)[6]
• Zegluga Gdańska (Gdańsk Bay)
• Zürichsee-Fähre Horgen-Meilen (Lake Zurich, Switzerland)
NORD AMERICA
• Alaska Marine Highway System (ports across Alaska as well as Prince Rupert, British Columbia and Bellingham, Washington)
• Anderson Ferry (Cincinnati, Ohio) (goes across the Ohio River to allow Ohio residents quick access to Kentucky and vice versa)
• Arctic Umiaq Line (coastal ferry along the western coast of Greenland)
• Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (operates one ferry across Bull Shoals Lake)
• Augusta Ferry (service between Higginsport, Ohio and Augusta, Kentucky)
• Baja Ferries (Baja California Sur – Sinaloa, Mexico)
• Bay Ferries (eastern Canada and US, Caribbean Sea)
• BC Ferries (British Columbia, Canada)
• BillyBey Ferry Company (Weehawken, New Jersey)
• Black Ball Transport (Olympic Peninsula to Vancouver Island)
• Block Island Ferry (Point Judith to Block Island, Rhode Island)
• Block Island Express (New London, Connecticut to Block Island, Rhode Island)
• Blue and Gold Fleet (connects San Francisco with Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, Oakland, Alameda, and Vallejo) (San Francisco, California)
• Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry (Bridgeport, Connecticut to Port Jefferson, New York)
• Clackamas County, Oregon (Canby Ferry)
• Cape May-Lewes Ferry (service between Cape May County, New Jersey and Lewes, Delaware across the Delaware Bay)
• Casco Bay Lines (service between Portland, Maine and the Islands of Casco Bay)
• Cave-In-Rock Ferry (service between Cave-In-Rock, Illinois and rural Crittenden County, Kentucky)
• Chester-Hadlyme ferry (seasonal ferry operating on the Connecticut River)
• Cross Sound Ferry (New London, Connecticut to Orient, New York) ]better source needed]
• Delaware State Parks runs ferry services to Pea Patch Island State Park from Lewes, Delaware and Fort Mott (New Jersey)
• Diskoline (domestic passenger-only ferries in the Disko Bay area in Greenland; summer services only due to sea ice in winter)
• Ferry Santa Rosalia (Baja California Sur – Sonora, Mexico)
• Fire Island Ferries (service between Bay Shore, New York and Fire Island, New York across the Great South Bay)
• Fishers Island Ferry District (Fishers Island, New York to New London, Connecticut)
• Fraser River Marine Transportation Ltd. (British Columbia, Canada)
• Golden Gate Transit (ferries in the San Francisco Bay Area)
• Governors Island Alliance (New York City)
• Harris County, Texas (operates a ferry across Buffalo Bayou near the San Jacinto Monument)
• Hatton Ferry (James River, Virginia)
• HMS Ferries (connects the north and south ends of Florida State Road A1A, Jacksonville)
• Hornblower Cruises (San Francisco)
• Inter-Island Ferry Authority (five Southeast Alaskan communities)
• Jacksonville Water Taxi (Jacksonville, Florida)
• Jet Express (U.S. Lake Erie Islands)[13]
• Kelleys Island Ferry (Lake Erie to Kelleys Island, Ohio)
• Lake Champlain Transportation Company (on Lake Champlain in the United States)
• Lake Express (on Lake Michigan)
• Lake Michigan Carferry (operates the SS Badger)
• Liberty Water Taxi (Jersey City, New Jersey)
• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD)
• Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Crescent City Connection Division
• Marine Atlantic (Atlantic Canada)
• MBTA boat (Boston)
• Metro Transit (public transit routes in Halifax, Nova Scotia)
• Miller Boat Line (U.S. Lake Erie Islands)
• Millersburg Ferry (Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, between Millerburg and Liverpool, Pennsylvania)
• New York Water Taxi (New York City)
• North Carolina Ferry System (operates eight ferry routes)
• Northumberland Ferries (eastern Canada)
• NY Waterway (Weehawken, New Jersey)
• Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited, Tobermory, Ontario
• Oxford-Bellevue Ferry (Talbot County, Maryland)[17]
• Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
• Plymouth-to-Provincetown Express Ferry (Plymouth, Massachusetts and Provincetown, Massachusetts)
• RiverLink Ferry (between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey across the Delaware River)
• Rocky Hill-Glastonbury ferry (seasonal ferry operating on the Connecticut River)
• Sistersville Ferry (crosses the Ohio River between Sistersville, West Virginia and the unincorporated community of Fly, Ohio)
• Société des traversiers du Québec (Quebec, Canada)
• Staten Island Ferry (New York City)
• The Steamship Authority (Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts)
• Texas Department of Transportation (operates two ferries, one at Galveston, Texas and the other at Port Aransas, Texas)
• Thimble Islands Ferry Service (Branford, Connecticut to Thimble Islands, Branford, Connecticut)
• Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division (operate three Toronto Island ferries)
• Toronto Port Authority (operate one island airport ferry)
• Washington State Ferries (northwest US)
• Valley View Ferry (connects Jessamine County and Lexington, Kentucky to Madison County via SR 169 at the Kentucky River.
• VDOT provides free car ferry services in Southern Virginia. Woodland Ferry, cable ferry located in
western Sussex County, Delaware, spanning the Nanticoke River at Woodland, Delaware, west of the city
of Seaford
In addition, a private operator runs a ferry across the Current River in Missouri, at Akers Ferry crossing in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
OCEANIA
• 360 Discovery Cruises (Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel ferry service)
• Australian National Lines (formerly Tasmania to main-land Australia)
• Bass & Flinders Cruises
• Bluebridge (connects North Island and South Island in New Zealand)
• Captain Cook Cruises, Australia
• Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia
• Central Coast Ferries
• Church Point Ferry
• Cronulla & National Park Ferry Cruises
• Fullers Ferries (Waitemata Harbour and inner Hauraki Gulf ferry service)
• Gold Coast Ferries
• Harbour City Ferries
• Hawkesbury River Ferries
• Interisland Line (connects North Island and South Island in New Zealand)
• Kangaroo Island SeaLink (mainland South Australia to Kangaroo Island)
• Kiwi Coast Cruises (Tauranga to Mt Maunganui ferry service)
• Matakana Ferry 2000 (Omokoroa to Matakana Island ferry service)
• Matilda Cruises
• Newcastle Transport
• New South Wales Roads & Maritime Services (various inland crossings)
• Peninsula Searoad Transport (crossing Port Phillip)
• Reubens Water Taxi (Kawau Island and outer Hauraki Gulf ferry service)
• SeaLink Travel Group (Great Barrier Island ferry service)
• Searoad Ferries (Ro/Ro ferries across Bass Strait)
• Stewart Island Experience (Bluff to Stewart Island ferry service)
• Sydney Fast Ferries
• Sydney Ferries (Sydney, Australia)
• Toll Domestic Forwarding
• Transdev Brisbane Ferries
• TT-Line (ferries connecting Tasmania to Victoria)
SUD AMERICA
• Conferry (connects Isla Margarita to mainland Venezuela)
• Ferries that connect Colonia, Uruguay and Montevideo, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina: Buquebus,
La Cacciola, Colonia Express, Ferrylineas.
Chile: Naviera Austral, Navimag, Transbordadora Austral Broom S.A., Transbordadores Cruz del Sur,
Transmarchilay
Brazil: Barcas S.A.