Mallorca to Menorca

Got the travel bug, but not a lot of time or money for a big, grand tour? Well, consider taking a day away from Mallorca and head to our island neighbours on beautiful Menorca!

Who Gets You There? #

There are three ferry operators travelling between Mallorca and Menorca, totalling 42 crossings a week.

• Corsica Ferries runs from Alcúdia to Mahon once a week.
• Balearia does the Alcúdia to Ciutadella routing running four times every day.
• Trasmediterranea has two routes, Palma to Mahon once a week and Alcúdia to Ciutadella 12 times a week.

Depending on where you want to leave from or go to, you have choices, though the fastest sailings are between Alcúdia and Ciutadella, so are probably the best bet if you’re short on time, meaning you can only get away for a day. This option takes 1 hour 30 Minutes if you go with Balearia, and 1 hour 45 minutes if you choose Trasmediterranea.

Balearia has morning crossings at 05h00 for early birds and a relatively civilised 09h00 for those who prefer to start their travels after dawn. The two return trips are at 14h00, and 19h00, respectively, but to make the day trip worthwhile, the 19h00 one is the only option.

Trasmediterranea has daily departures leaving at 08h00, except on Sunday when it leaves at 09h00. The late return is at 20h00 allowing a full day of play.

Of course if you have more time to spare, then you can easily mix and match the schedules to make it convenient for you, and even take the longer ferry rides emanating from Palma.

Why Take the Ferry? #

You may be thinking, “Why take the ferry when flights are so cheap?”

With the ferry, you can take your car, so exploration is possible, and for me, my husband, our daughter and our car, the total cost came in at just over €100 on Balearia, including an upgraded seat option. Trasmediterranea was a bit higher for the same upgrades and dates, costing about €170.

As residents of the Balearic Islands, we enjoy a whopping local discount on travel within Spain, so this is one reason the cost is so low. If you are not currently a resident, the price goes up to about €200 on Balearia and €400 for Trasmediterranea for the same tickets and options.

Flights for three people plus car hire would total far more than even the highest priced ferry option, with the lowest cost morning departure costing €66 per person and the late return coming in at €136 per person. Plus, you’d still need a car, and not only does that cost, it’s also a time suck as anyone who has ever stood in the endless queues at the airport knows.

So next time you need a break, book a ticket and jump on the ferry to Menorca. You’ll be glad you did!

Sources #

Trasmediterranea.es

Balearia.com

Directferries.com

Google.com

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