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La Seu, the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, above the old sea wall and the water of the Parc de la Mar under a deep blue sky.

FerrySpringSummer

Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca on the overnight ferry

Board under Montjuïc at nightfall, sleep in a cabin, and wake in the Bay of Palma with the cathedral across the water.

The short answer

The Barcelona to Palma ferry is an overnight crossing of 7 to 8 hours 30 minutes. GNV leaves at 21:30 and docks at 06:00 (04:30 from January to May 2027); Trasmed leaves at 22:30 and docks at 05:30. On 19 October 2026 a reclining seat cost from €37.16 one way on GNV and from €42.83 on Trasmed, and a two-berth inside cabin for two from €244.45 for a July 2027 crossing. Book a cabin for the night and add your car if you want to drive the island.

GNV and Trasmed sail from Barcelona to Palma six nights a week, and the night crossing is still the most civilised way onto the island: no airport, no baggage rules, your own car in the hold and a bed for the night. You sail as the city lights go down behind Montjuïc and dock before breakfast on the west side of Palma's harbour, with the Gothic cathedral standing on the old sea walls across the water. In June and July the boat comes in with the first light.

Spain

Crossing time
7 h to 8 h 30
Departs Barcelona
21:30 GNV, 22:30 Trasmed
Arrives Palma
04:30 to 06:00
Nights a week
6; GNV daily in August
Seat from
€37.16 (October 2026)
Cabin for two from
€244.45 (July 2027)

Why the night boat is the best way to arrive

The overnight ferry turns the trip into a night away: dinner on board, a cabin with its own shower, and the slow arrival that air travel took out of the Mediterranean. GNV and Trasmed both sail in the evening, so the crossing costs you no daylight at all, and the car comes with you, which on an island of mountain roads and small villages is worth more than any upgrade.

Palma has been a port for as long as it has been a city. The lighthouse at Portopí, on the harbour mouth, already appears in a document dated 12 September 1300, in a codicil to the will of King Jaime II of Mallorca, and its light has stood on the Torre de Señales since 1617. The cathedral, La Seu, was begun in the reign of the same king and built over the city walls, overlooking the sea; Gaudí reworked its interior in the early twentieth century and Miquel Barceló later lined a chapel with ceramic. From the deck of an arriving ship it stands on the far side of the harbour above the old sea wall.

The crossing is shared by three companies: GNV, the Italian line in the MSC group; Trasmed, part of Italy's Grimaldi group; and Baleària, whose fast catamaran runs to the north of the island. On 19 October 2026, GNV's and Trasmed's lowest seat fares were under €50 one way in every month from October 2026 to September 2027.

Along the way

  1. Barcelona

  2. Moll de Sant Bertran, at departure

    Leaving Barcelona under Montjuïc

    GNV and Trasmed sail from Terminal F2 on the Moll de Sant Bertran, beneath the hill of Montjuïc. On GNV's 21:30 departure in June and July, the sun sets over Barcelona as the ship leaves: 21:27 on 21 June. Go up on deck for the city's waterfront lights falling astern.

  3. the open sea, through the night

    A night at sea in your own cabin

    GNV's cabins hold up to four people for exclusive use, each with air conditioning, made-up beds and a private shower; outside cabins add a porthole. Trasmed has private cabins and pet-friendly ones. Book one and the seven or eight hours pass as a night's sleep rather than a crossing.

  4. the western headland of the Bay of Palma, on the approach

    Cap de Cala Figuera lighthouse

    The white tower with a black spiral marks the western entrance to the bay. It is 24 metres high, opened on 31 July 1860, and shows four flashes every 20 seconds: in the dark months it is the light that marks the turn into the bay.

  5. the entrance to the port, minutes before docking

    Portopí lighthouse at the harbour mouth

    A square stone tower 38 metres high, flashing twice every 15 seconds. A light here is recorded in 1300, and it has stood on the Torre de Señales since 1617, after the cannon of the new Fort of San Carlos kept shattering the glass of the lantern on the hill.

  6. across the water from the ferry berths, on the old town's sea wall

    La Seu across the harbour

    The ferries berth on the west side of the harbour, along the Moll de Ponent and the Dic de l'Oest, and the cathedral stands on the far shore, built over the city walls above the sea. In June and July, GNV's 06:00 arrival comes in the first light, with sunrise in Palma between 06:21 and 06:47.

  7. leaving Palma at 10:30, Palma to Barcelona

    The bay by daylight on the day boat back

    GNV's return sails at 10:30 and reaches Barcelona at 17:45, Monday to Friday until July 2027 and daily in August 2027. This is the crossing on which you see everything you slept through on the way out: the cathedral and the old town astern, Portopí and Cala Figuera in full sun, and the open sea to the Catalan coast.

  8. Palma de Mallorca

Where to stand

For the arrival, be on the open deck at the bow 20 minutes before docking, and look across the harbour as the ship comes in past Portopí: the old town and the cathedral line the shore beyond the marinas. On GNV only Premium, Deluxe and pet-friendly cabins and suites can be kept until 15 minutes before docking, so set an alarm rather than waiting for the call. Leaving Palma on the 10:30 day boat, stand aft: the cathedral stays in view behind the ship as she clears the harbour.

Ways to do it

When to go

Tickets, seats and cabins

How much is the ferry from Barcelona to Mallorca, and is a cabin worth it?

Fares change with the date and with demand, so the prices here are the lowest each line showed on 19 October 2026. A seat means a numbered reclining seat in a lounge: the cheapest way across. A cabin is the reason to take this boat: GNV's two-berth inside cabin for two adults cost from €244.45 one way for July 2027 and €271 for November 2026, with its own shower, and it replaces a night's hotel. Trasmed applies the state discounts for Balearic residents and large families automatically when you book.

GNV seat, one adult
from €37.16 (October 2026), €26 (January 2027), €49.46 (June to August 2027)
GNV two-berth inside cabin, two adults
from €271 (November 2026), €244.45 (July 2027)
GNV two adults in seats with a car
from €92.80 (November 2026), €118.52 (July 2027)
Trasmed lowest fare
€42.83 (October 2026), €39.71 (December 2026), €49.46 (June to September 2027)
Fares read
19 October 2026, one way

The ports at each end

Where does the Barcelona to Palma ferry leave from?

In Barcelona, GNV and Trasmed use Terminal F2 on the Moll de Sant Bertran, at the foot of Montjuïc and about 800 metres on foot from Drassanes metro station on line L3. Baleària's Balearic terminal is F1 on the Moll Adossat, at the outer end of the port, where you need a taxi or your car. GNV asks passengers on its Balearic sailings to report two hours before departure and closes check-in 30 minutes before; Trasmed asks drivers to arrive at least 60 minutes before. In Palma the ferries berth on the west side of the harbour, along the Moll de Ponent and the Dic de l'Oest; GNV's terminal is at Avinguda de Gabriel Roca 44D, the seafront road into the city centre.

Barcelona, GNV and Trasmed
Terminal F2, Moll de Sant Bertran
Barcelona, Baleària
Terminal F1, Moll Adossat
Palma, GNV
Av. de Gabriel Roca 44D
Check-in
GNV 2 hours before, closes 30 minutes before; Trasmed with a car at least 60 minutes before
Identity
passport or EU national identity card for every passenger

Taking the car, the bags and the dog

Can you take a car on the Barcelona to Mallorca ferry?

Yes, on all three lines, and it is cheaper than most people expect: on GNV a car under 4.99 m long added about €18 to €20 to two adults' seat fares for November 2026 and July 2027 sailings. Only the driver drives on board; passengers walk on. The car decks are closed during the crossing, so take what you need for the night up with you. A hire car needs the hire firm's permission to go on a ferry, and some firms never give it, so check the rental terms before you book. There is no luggage limit in the airline sense: Trasmed asks only that a foot passenger carries everything aboard alone and in one trip, and a car can be packed to the roof. Dogs and cats travel too: Trasmed has pet cabins, kennels with video monitoring, and allows pets of up to 8 kg with their carrier in the seating areas; GNV has pet-friendly cabins.

Car under 4.99 m, GNV
about €18 to €20 extra for November 2026 and July 2027
Car decks
closed during the crossing
Hire cars
only with the hire firm's permission
Foot passengers' bags
whatever you can carry aboard in one trip (Trasmed)
Pets
pet cabins on GNV and Trasmed; Trasmed allows up to 8 kg with carrier in the seating areas

Timetables and the weather

Do ferries from Barcelona to Palma get cancelled?

Crossing times are given to the pilot boarding at the destination, and GNV states that times can vary with the weather; it notifies passengers by email or text message when a sailing changes. Leave a margin before anything fixed on the morning you arrive, and keep the operator's contact details with your booking.

Worth knowing before you go

Where to stay at either end

The ferry docks a short taxi ride from Palma's old town, where Es Princep and Can Cera are among our ten Mallorca hotels; with the car aboard you can be in Deià, Sóller or Fornalutx in the mountains by breakfast.

The journey in pictures

La Seu across the harbour, rising over the old town of Palma behind a Grimaldi Trasmed ferry at its berth.
Portopí lighthouse at the harbour mouth in Palma at dusk, its lights reflected in the still water.
GNV ferries moored at the Moll de Sant Bertran in the port of Barcelona, below the green slope of Montjuïc in evening light.
The GNV ferry Fantastic at its berth in the port of Barcelona, seen from above on Montjuïc.
The Grimaldi Trasmed ferry Ciudad de Barcelona moored in the port of Barcelona.

Questions people ask

Good questions about Barcelona to Palma by night

How long is the ferry from Barcelona to Mallorca?

The overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma takes 7 hours on Trasmed (22:30 to 05:30) and 8 hours 30 minutes on GNV (21:30 to 06:00), on their 2026 and 2027 timetables; from January to May 2027 GNV docks at 04:30, after 7 hours. Baleària's fast catamaran to Alcúdia, on Mallorca's north coast, takes 3 hours 30 minutes direct; Palma is then about 50 minutes away by road.

Is there a day ferry from Barcelona to Palma?

Not from Barcelona to Palma: GNV and Trasmed both sail in the evening and arrive early the next morning. For a daytime crossing, Baleària's fast ferry runs to Alcúdia in 3 hours 30 minutes. In the other direction there is a day boat: GNV leaves Palma at 10:30 and reaches Barcelona at 17:45, Monday to Friday from November 2026 to July 2027 and daily in August 2027.

How much is the ferry from Barcelona to Mallorca with a car?

On GNV, two adults in reclining seats with a car under 4.99 metres paid from €92.80 one way for November 2026 and from €118.52 for July 2027, read on 19 October 2026. The car added only about €18 to €20 to the passengers' fares. Add a cabin and the total for two with a car started at €264.05 in July 2027.

Is the overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma worth it?

Yes, if you take a cabin or a car. You lose no daylight, you save a night's hotel, there are no luggage limits, and you have your own car on the island. A two-berth inside cabin for two cost from €244.45 on GNV for July 2027, with its own shower. A seat, from €37.16, is the cheapest way across, but expect a short night: the boats dock between 04:30 and 06:00.

Can you see Palma Cathedral from the ferry?

Yes. The ferries berth on the west side of Palma's harbour and the cathedral stands on the old sea walls across the water. Whether you see it in daylight depends on the month: GNV's 06:00 arrival comes in the first light in June and July, but most of the year you dock in the dark. On the 10:30 day boat back to Barcelona you see the cathedral and the bay in full light.

Which port does the Barcelona to Palma ferry leave from?

GNV and Trasmed leave from Terminal F2 on the Moll de Sant Bertran, about 800 metres on foot from Drassanes metro station on line L3. Baleària's Balearic terminal is F1 on the Moll Adossat, at the outer end of the port, which you reach by taxi or car. GNV asks you to report two hours before departure and closes check-in 30 minutes before; Trasmed asks drivers to arrive at least an hour before.

Which is the fastest ferry from Barcelona to Mallorca?

Baleària's Margarita Salas, a catamaran that runs Barcelona to Alcúdia and Ciutadella all year at 35 knots, takes 3 hours 30 minutes on a direct sailing; on some days it calls at Ciutadella first. It goes to Alcúdia, not Palma. To Palma, the quickest crossing is Trasmed's 7-hour night sailing, or GNV's in the months it docks at 04:30.

Barcelona to Palma by night

Board under Montjuïc at nightfall, sleep in a cabin, and wake in the Bay of Palma with the cathedral across the water.

Barcelona → Palma de Mallorca

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Image credits: Tobias Lindman from Stockholm, Sweden (CC BY 2.0) · Kritzolina (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Michele Kerstholt (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Anthony Levrot (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jordiferrer (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Barcelona → Palma de Mallorca

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