Elba

By ferry

It's recommended to go by ferry and take your car, as it is a must to explore the entire island. The ships start from Piombino.
The ferry operator Toremar is usually a lot cheaper than Moby. You can compare and book ferry tickets to Elba direcly on line.

Mass transit does exist, but only to/from Portoferraio (short-distance and long-distance) and to/from Marina di Campo (short-distance only).
Buses run a fairly comprehensive route, so you can reach the main towns and villages around the island. It is also quite cheap.
Hitchhiking is possible, as there are many who take their cars by ferry when visiting the island.
You can also rent cars, scooters, and boats at RENT CHIAPPI in the marina of Portoferraio. Price for a FIAT Panda is between €37 and €45 per day, all included.

Napoleon was banished to the island and both of his homes (summer & winter) are available to tour. You can hike, bicycle, swim, or walk around the plaza at night with the locals. It is incredibly beautiful, with small towns (for example Portoferraio, Capoliveri, Porto Azzurro, Marciana Alta, Marciana Marina, Marina di Campo, Rio Marina, and Rio nell'Elba) set on hilltops and castles. There are flowers galore and the interior of the island is full of old, little viewed churches.

• Little Mine

  phone: +39 0565 920961
  address: Via Provinciale Est

• Sapere Archeological Museum

  phone: +39 056595033
  address: Mola

• Fetovaia, a great beach that you can reach by bus.

Napoleon's homes, bike, go to any one of 10 -12 beaches, drink some local wine, hike, visit as many old castles and churches as you can. Takes about 3 days to see the island and that still leaves many areas untouched. In summer, Elba becomes a day-tripper's nightmare with people from the mainland.

• Marelinosub

  phone: +39 333 380 57 51
  address: Madonna delle Grazie
  The small familiar dive school, offers you some of the best dive sites in the Mediterranean Sea. Marelinosub is managed by a Swiss dive instructor, how offers different SCUBA courses.

• Hiking trip on the island of ElbaGoing hiking on Elba means following thousands of years of its inhabitants history, from prehistoric caves to ancient stone villages, finding Etruscan furnaces and forts, visiting antique granite quarries where Romans “worked” columns. You could relive the Saracen raids, visiting battlefields, defensive forts and destroyed villages that have never been rebuilt. Walking on Elba means you’ll discover and get to know all this and more thanks to the enormous concentration of sites that this small and great island offers. What is more, the Island of Elba’s hiking routes offer a variety of itineraries for views, vegetation and level of difficulty, ranging from paths hidden in Mediterranean vegetation, to hiking itineraries through woods and routes in the mountains. All the trips are guided and include transport to the departure points and technical assistance.

Sopping isn't what you might expect but the island is for experiencing local ambiance, including some local wines. Local limoncino (lemon liqueur) is also worth tasting.

• There are some shops in Portoferraio (the island's capital) but a very good place for shopping, relaxing and walking in the evenings is Marciana Marina. There are nice shops there where you can get designer sunglasses, Ralph Lauren clothes etc. It's like a more preppy version of St. Tropez.

Seafood is fresh, and the bread is what you were dreaming about. Get the Italian version of steak and try the bread and tomato salad.

Some local wines, and the local water tastes great.

Elba is a touristic island and there are lot of accommodations available, from cheap camp-grounds to luxury resorts.
There is a fair number of camp-grounds all over the island but you can easily reach some of them by bus. Aquaviva or Viticcio are less than 30mn away from Portoferrario.

• Hotel La Scogliera

  phone: +39 0565 968424, +39 0565 935205
  address: Località Morcone, 57031 Capoliveri

• Hotel La Primula

  phone: +39 0565 99010
  address: Viale Cerboni 1 - Marciana Marina

• Hotel Residence Villa Giulia

  phone: +39 0565 940167
  address: Lido di Capoliveri - 57036 Porto Azzurro
  Between towns of Capoliveri and Porto Azzurro, 3-star hotel with a pool and restaurant.

• Hotel Ilio

  phone: +39 0565 90 80 18
  The Boutique Hotel Ilio was founded in 1959. It set up the Elbatuttanatura project in 1989, becoming the first "all-natural" hotel on Elba.

• Relais delle Picchiaie

• You can usually sleep on the beaches, but beware of the occasional strong winds.

• Hotel & Resort Sant'Anna del Volterraio

  phone: +39 0565 961236
  address: Localita' Bagnaia, 57037 Portoferraio LI
  This resort is located on the Elba Island, 400 meters from the Bagnaia beach. Rooms and apartments are surrounded by a botanical garden set in the uncontaminated nature. The hotel features 2 swimming pools, sauna, private parking, a restaurant and kids club.