Lipari, Panarea och Stromboli Excursion

Look I'm no expert but only my experience... hidden fees on arrival.. squeezed into a boat moved from one island to the next like cash cattle . A extra cost of a added 20 euro tour that I couldn't tell you what or even when it started as the boat just went round in a circle ... information during the tour if there was any at all was awful. Oh and six hours on the ocean listening to people get drunk. Complete rubbish I was board stiff I wish I had just gone to stromboli at night and back... Save your euros people it's all about getting your money in your pocket into there's and I get they have to make money but at least smile when your taking it while your looking at my partner like meat making her want to cover up in the heat....

We booked Tripodi Navigazione’s full-day excursion to through GetYourGuide. We drove for over two hours to Tropea early in the morning specifically for this trip of €75/pp and paid €20 for a full day of parking. We departed Tropea at 07:45. At around 08:30, we were informed that there was a technical problem with the engine and that the boat had to return to Tropea. We were explicitly told that another boat would be waiting for us at the port so that the excursion could continue. When we arrived back in Tropea, however, there was no replacement boat at all. The excursion was simply cancelled and we were promised a refund. Fortunately, because we booked through GetYourGuide, the price of the excursion itself was refunded. One week later, however, we are still waiting for the refund of the port tax. We also lost the €20 we paid for parking. When we explained at the desk that we had also spent more than two hours driving there specifically for this excursion and now had to drive back , the response – although polite – essentially came down to: that is your problem. A technical failure can happen. That is not the reason for this one-star review. What is unacceptable to us is the way Tripodi handled the situation: telling passengers at sea that a replacement boat would be waiting when apparently there was none, then offering no proper alternative and leaving customers to absorb all the additional costs and wasted time. What further damaged our confidence was that local people later told us that similar problems with Tripodi had allegedly happened before. Obviously, we cannot personally verify those accounts, but after our own experience, hearing this was hardly reassuring. We had really been looking forward to visiting the islands and especially Stromboli. Instead, we ended up with a very early start, more than two hours of driving, €20 in parking costs, a boat trip that was aborted shortly after departure, and ultimately no excursion at all. Again, an engine can break down. What defines a company is how it handles the problem afterwards. And that is exactly where Tripodi seriously failed. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend Tripodi Navigazione.

I must say it was a wasted day, at an excessive cost, poorly planned excursion, about six hours spent on the boat without managing to see anything of the islands; there were supposed to be three islands to visit, but only once on board were we told that we couldn't get off at Lipari.

We did a tour of Lipari, Panarea, and Stromboli; it was truly stunning, wonderful places, and I wanted to compliment the guide on the ship, the lady was truly professional and engaged us in a fabulous way; you can tell she does it with passion and transmitted all the enthusiasm for these wonderful lands.

Punctual, precise, well-organized. Onboard staff helpful and prepared. Bar available and affordable prices, a guide who explained the entire geological and mythological history of the islands and did not hold back at all. Enchanting islands. Amazing experience!

+2

Family trip with many old and new friends... fortunately. Boat too crowded for the heat and the speed at which it was being maneuvered. On the way there, from Tropea to Lipari, we all felt sick because of the heat and the overcrowding inside. Only thanks to Travelgum and the advice of kind passengers were we able to avoid vomiting. Near the island of Lipari, no one could pee before getting off because the onboard staff had already closed the bathrooms and had no intention of getting a fine from the islanders, even though the captain was asking for them to be opened while he was handing out the tickets he had sold us shortly before for a bus excursion. In Lipari, we ran to the first place in the port, where we were greeted by an employee with this phrase: "not even migrants arrive like this" 😅. We rushed to reach the excursion bus that they had sold us on board... the driver was halfway between a Formula 1 driver and a horn musician 😤😱. We saw very little of what we had been sold on board the ship and rushed back to the boarding area. At full speed, they made us disembark in Panarea and after exactly one hour back on board, where they were leaving late passengers behind 😱. Once we arrived in Stromboli, we all went toward the sea or again to satisfy some need. The boat was hot inside because some windows were poorly installed and could not be opened, and they were dirty, making it impossible to see the Sciara "by night" for which we had paid. Outside, the boat was too crowded to see Stromboli "puffing/erupting," noisy, and shaky during the voyage. The onboard staff was more focused on selling anything, shifting blame onto someone else, and covering up the captain's misdeeds than on assisting or advising passengers in difficulty. The captain, renamed by other unfortunate passengers Captain "Schettino," spent 90% of the time explaining what we would see, making fun of the passengers who were getting wet, mocking the islanders or those who made complaints, selling (the excursion and lottery tickets), and acting like an "Anglo-Calabrian" showgirl. Tripodi - Eolie ends 2 to 4 for the Eolie. According to others who traveled on the same days with Comerci or Salvadori, the tune is the same... Every man for himself 🫣

The boat was overloaded, so noisy that it was impossible to hear the 'guide's' instructions. Staff was inattentive, not very courteous.

Great tour. A full day trip. Excellent ship. Next time in Calabria will try again.

A truly well-organized tour despite there being so much to see. Excellent boat, excellent crew for their availability, courtesy, and professionalism. In short, it was truly a wonderful experience, highly recommended, thanks also, and especially, to the guide and the historical and geographical insights from Mrs. Angelo, who told us about these marvelous islands in a way that deeply engaged my wife and me, managing to create an unexpected empathy that made the over 12 hours of the excursion fly by, despite the scorching heat. Thank you all. Mauro & Paola

Very cultural tour, with a highly prepared speaker; we were lucky to see the fiery eruption of Stromboli... perhaps an extra dip would have made it a perfect 10.