How to get to Messina

How long it takes to get to Messina by car. All drive times are relative to Messina and represent the total time the drive takes. (So from Taormina to Messina is about 30 min., from Catania to Messina is 1 hr. total) (Map courtesy of Google Maps)

Arriving in Messina by train, car, ferry, and bus

Messina is in the very northeast corner of Sicily, just across the Straits of Messina from Villa San Giovanni near Reggio Calabria—the city at the tip of mainland Italy's "toe."

Most overnight trains from mainland cities to Sicily actually board a ferry to make the crossing while you sleep. (Well, actually it's hard to keep sleeping as they shuttle back and forth, uncoupling a few cars at a time, then backing out to switch over to a neighboring track and come back aboard to uncouple a few more cars, repeating that move over and over again and all under the lights of the train yard and the ship.)

• Messina is 237km (142 miles) east of Palermo
• Messina is 52km (32 miles) noth of Taormina
• Messina is 97km (60 miles) north of Catania
• Messina is 165km (102 miles) east of Cefalù
• Messina is 469km (281 miles) south of Naples
• Messina is 683km (410 miles) southeast of Rome

» Jump down to the sections on Ferries to Messina or to Messina city layout and transport hubs (ferry docks, train station, and bus depot)

• How to get to Messina by Train: There are 5 trains daily from Rome (8–9 hr.) that pass through Naples (6 hr.). Within Sicily there are 12–15 trains daily from Palermo (3–4.5 hr.); 14–16 trains daily from Cefalù (2.5–3.5 hr.); and hourly trains from Taormina (35–65 min.).
• How to get to Messina by Bus: There are 12 runs (5 on Sunday) from Taormina (60–105 min.); hourly from Catania (90 min.); and 6 runs (3 on Sunday) from Palermo (3 hr. 15 min). There's also an 8pm bus from Rome that arrives at 4:30am.
  
• How to get to Messina by Car: Take the A20/SS113 east from Palermo, Cefalù, or Milazzo; the A18 north from Taormina. From the mainland, take the A3 south toward Reggio di Calabria, and get off at Villa San Giovanni for the car ferries across the strait (see above).
• How to get between MESSINA and the Catania airport: SAIS AUTOLINEE (tel. +39 095 536168 or toll free in Italy 800-211-020, www.saisautolinee.it).
  
  

How to get to Messina by ferry

You can get to Messina on the short hop across the Straits of Messina from one of two ports in Calabria, or on a longer ferry ride from Salerno, just south of Naples.

From Calabria

Ferries into Messina leave from one of two ports on the Calabria side—on the tip of the "toe" of Italy's famously boot-like profile: Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria. Which to take?

• If you're on foot or in a hurry, the port at Villa San Giovanni has more frequent departures of car ferries (though they are three times as expensive), and its hydrofoils for foot passengers are faster and cheaper than at Reggio.
• If you have a car and are on a budget, drive a bit farther down the coast to Reggio Calabria where the car ferry costs 1/3 as much (though departures are less frequent) than at Villa San Giovanni.

Hydrofoils

and car ferries from Villa San Giovanni

The "Imbarchi per la Sicilia" signs on the highways try to shunt you to the more northerly of the two embarkations points, the port of Villa San Giovanni.

• Ferries (www.carontetourist.it) take 20 min. and can carry cars. There are departures every 40 minutes, 24 hours a day. It costs €37 for a car and up to three passengers (€1 each additional person).
• Hydrofoils (www.usticalines.it) can only carry foot passengers; no vehicles. The trip takes 15–20 min., with departures roughly twice an hour. Tickets are €2.50.

Hydrofoils and car ferries from Reggio Calabria

About 14km farther south down the coast from Villa San Giovanni is the city of Reggio Calabira, with cheap car ferries leaving from its port.

• Car ferries (www.meridianolines.net) only take 25 min., leave about every two hours on weekdays (four early morning runs Saturdays, two nighttime runs Sundays) and can carry passengers (€1.50) and cars (€10).
• Hydrofoils (www.usticalines.it) take 30 min., leave roughly twice an hour, but can only carry foot passengers; no vehicles. They cost €3.50.
  

Overnight ferries from Salerno (near Naples)

The overnight ferry to Messina from Salerno, just south of Naples, (tel. +39-089-258-2528 in Salerno, www.carontetourist.it) takes 9 hours and cost €20 per person (that's for a chair; cabins cost from €67 single, €88 double), plus €43 for a car, and another €11 in taxes and fees.

These ferries leave Salerno's Molo Ponente dock at 2am (arriving in Messina at 1:30pm) every Tuesday through Saturday—though they increase to daily runs July 9–Sept. 9 (though not on Sundays Aug 20–Sept 2).

Messina city layout

TK

Messina ferry docks

There are several ferry docks in and around Messina.

Most ferries land in the protected harbor at the center of town, either at the Messina Marittima/Bluvia dock at the eastern end of Via Luigi Rizzo (which is the southern continuation of Via Vittorio Emanuele II), or just a bit north of there at the "Molo Norimberga" docks on Via San Ranieri (Zona Falcata).

Some car ferries arrive at a dock on the "Rada San Francesco di Paola I." docks on northern edge of town at Viale della Libertà 24–31

Messina train station

Messina's stazione centrale train station is on Piazza della Repubblica, handily just two blocks south of the main harbor and ferry docks (off Via Giuseppe La Farina/Via Campo delle Vettovaglie).

Messina bus depot

Messina's bus depot is by the train station, on the south side of Piazza della Repubblica just a few blocks south of the main harbor and ferry docks (off Via Giuseppe La Farina/Via Campo delle Vettovaglie.

The SAIS bus offices (tel. 090-771-914) are at Piazza della Repubblica no. 6 and no. 46.

Tips & links

Share this page

Search ReidsItaly.com