No airports, no flights...
UK to Malta by train to Sicily & ferry to Malta...
It's easy to reach Malta from London by
train & ferry, and
you get to see Italy on the way. This page explains
how to plan and book the journey. Just take a
mid-morning Eurostar to Paris and afternoon high-speed TGV
to Milan on day 1, and stay overnight. On day 2, take
a morning high-speed train to Rome in just 2 hours 59
minutes. Spend the afternoon exploring the Eternal
City before boarding the overnight sleeper to Siracuse in
Sicily. The Rome to Sicily sleeper train really does go direct
to Siracuse, it is shunted onto a ferry to cross
the Straits of Messina, one of the few places in Europe (or
indeed the world) where train ferries still operate, an
interesting experience in itself. Day 3, spend the
morning at leisure in Siracuse then transfer to the little
town of Pozzallo in southern Sicily for the 90-minute
evening ferry crossing to Valetta on Malta with Virtu
Ferries,
www.virtuferries.com. Virtu Ferries operate fast
catamarans from Sicily to Malta up to 6 days a week with up
to 3 sailings per day, although dates and times vary. Malta is one of the
friendliest islands in the Mediterranean or anywhere else
for that matter,
and it's a great place for a week or two's holiday, with
plenty to see and do.
London ► Malta
There are almost endless possible routes and trains between
London and Sicily for the ferry to Malta, especially if you
want to stop off in Paris, Switzerland, Florence, Rome or
Naples on the way. But here is the cheapest, quickest
and most direct rain and ferry journey from the UK to Malta.
Feel free to take an extra day or two and stop off on the
way, it makes no difference to the cost as each train is
ticketed separately in any case. You can browse more
possible routes and trains from the UK to Italy on the
London to Italy page.
Option 1: Works on most days, when there's an evening
ferry from Pozzallo...
This option works on most dates all year round, typically 5
days a week in winter and 6 days a week in summer, when
there's an evening ferry at around 19:30 or 21:00 from
Pozzallo on Sicily to Valetta on Malta. The journey
takes 2 nights, 3 days and includes an afternoon in Rome and
a day in Siracuse into the bargain!
Day 1, travel from London to
Paris by
Eurostar, leaving London
St Pancras at
09:12 on Mondays-Fridays, 09:31 on Saturdays or 09:23 on Sundays,
arriving Paris Gare du Nord at
12:47.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon (2 stops on RER line D).
Why not take an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the
famous Train
Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?
Day 1, travel from Paris to Milan by
high-speed
Paris-Italy TGV, leaving Paris Gare de
Lyon daily at 14:41 and arriving Milan Porto Garibaldi at 21:45.
It's a relaxing and
comfortable journey, passing directly from France
into Italy via Modane and the Mont Cénis
tunnel through the Alps. The TGV has 1st and 2nd
class seats plus a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks &
tray-meals.
Day 2, travel from Milan to Rome
by high-speed
Eurostar
Italia Frecciarossa. These run every hour or
better, so take any one you like, for example a
Eurostar
Italia Frecciarossa leaves Milan Centrale at
09:00 and arrives Rome Stazione Termini at 11:59. A
restaurant car is available serving affordable complete
meals, drinks and snacks, and there are power sockets for
laptops and mobiles. Spend the afternoon exploring the
Eternal City,
left luggage is available at the station.
Day 2, travel from Rome to
Sicily by overnight sleeper train, leaving Rome Stazione
Termini at 21:20 arriving Siracuse at 09:35 next morning
(day 3).
This train has 4-berth 'Comfort' couchettes and standard
sleeping-cars with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin.
What
are Italian sleeper trains like? Yes, this sleeper train really
is
direct from Rome to Sicily .
The train reaches Villa San Giovanni early next morning, and the train is shunted
on board a ship and ferried across the Straits of
Messina to reach Sicily. The crossing itself takes about 30 minutes, and you
can either remain in bed on board the train in the ferry's
hold, or get out and go up on deck for some fresh air. Travelling
on both a train and a ship at the same time is an
interesting experience! Spend most of day 3 at leisure
in Siracuse.
Day 3 late afternoon or early evening,
transfer the 40 miles from Siracuse to Pozzallo either by
irregular local train, bus or taxi. You can check
train times at
www.trenitalia.com. On dates when the ferry sails
at 19:30 there's usually a local train from Siracuse at
14:27 arriving Pozzallo at 15:36. On dates when the
ferry sails at 21:00 there's usually a local train from
Siracuse at 17:54 arriving 18:47. Alternatively, there
are regular buses from Siracuse to Pozzallo or you could use
a taxi all the way. You check in at the Virtu Ferries office in
Pozzallo town centre at least one hour before sailing time and they transfer you to the ferry a
mile or two out of the town by minibus.
Day 3 evening, sail from Pozzallo to
Valetta on Malta with
Virtu Ferries. The ferry departure time from Pozzallo varies
between 19:30 and 21:00, arriving Valetta between 21:00 and
22:30, check sailing dates and times at
www.virtuferries.com. The ferry has economy class
and club class plus a cafe. The crossing takes just 90
minutes, you sail into the wonderful Valetta harbour and
arrive at the Valetta ferry terminal which is walking
distance from Valetta city centre.
Option 2: For days when there's a morning ferry from
Pozzallo...
This option is almost a day faster than option 1, taking 2
nights and 2 days, but only
works on certain dates when there's a morning ferry from
Pozzallo around 09:15, and you don't get the leisure time in
Rome or Siracuse. So first check ferry times for the
date you want to arrive in Malta at
www.virtuferries.com.
Day 1, travel from London to
Paris by
Eurostar, leaving London
St Pancras at
09:12 on Mondays-Fridays, 09:31 on Saturdays or 09:23 on Sundays,
arriving Paris Gare du Nord at
12:47.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the Gare de Lyon (2 stops on RER line D).
Why not take an earlier Eurostar and have lunch at the
famous Train
Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon?
Day 1, travel from Paris to Milan by
high-speed
Paris-Italy TGV, leaving Paris Gare de
Lyon daily at 14:41 and arriving Milan Porto Garibaldi at 21:45.
It's a relaxing and
comfortable journey, passing directly from France
into Italy via Chambéry, Modane and the Mont Cénis
tunnel through the Alps. The TGV has 1st and 2nd
class seats plus a cafe-bar serving drinks, snacks &
tray-meals.
Day 2, travel from Milan to Naples
by high-speed
Eurostar
Italia Frecciarossa, leaving Milan Centrale at
07:20 and arriving Naples Centrale at 12:10. A
restaurant car is available serving affordable complete
meals, drinks and snacks, and there are power sockets for
laptops and mobiles.
Day 2, travel from Naples to
Sicily by air-conditioned InterCity train, leaving Naples
centrale at 13:55 arriving in Siracuse at 22:30. Yes, all this InterCity train really
is
direct from Naples to Sicily (in fact, it starts in Rome).
The train reaches Villa San Giovanni at 18:05, and to reach
Messina on Sicily, the whole
train is shunted
on board a ship and ferried across the Straits of
Messina. The crossing takes about 30 minutes, and you
can either remain on board the train in the ferry's
hold, or get out and go up on deck for some fresh air. Travelling
on both a train and a ship at the same time is an
interesting experience! The
train has a refreshment trolley, but feel free to take your
own picnic and bottle of wine for the journey.
Day 3 early morning, transfer the
40 miles from Siracuse to Pozzallo, either by irregular
local train, bus or taxi. You can check train times at
www.trenitalia.com, but unfortunately there usually
isn't a train or bus early enough, so you may have to take a
taxi to Pozzallo. You check in at the Virtu Ferries
office in Pozzallo town centre at least one hour before
sailing time and they transfer you to the ferry a
mile or two out of the town by minibus.
Day 3 morning, sail from Pozzallo
in Sicily to Valetta on Malta with Virtu Ferries. On
dates when there's a morning ferry, it usually sails from
Pozzallo at 09:15 and arrives in Valetta at 10:45, check sailing dates and
times at
www.virtuferries.com. The ferry has economy class
and club class plus a cafe. The crossing takes just 90
minutes, and you arrive at the Valetta ferry terminal,
walking distance from Valetta city centre.
Paris to Milan by high-speed TGV...
Second class seating on
a
Paris-Milan TGV.
The afternoon TGV
to Milan at Paris Gare de Lyon...
Designer interiors...
From December 2011, the Paris-Turin-Milan TGV
trains will feature chic interiors by designer Christian Lacroix. All seats have power
sockets for laptops & mobiles. In first class,
you'll be offered a 3-course tray meal with wine served
at your seat, although this is extra, not included in
the fare. The bar car sells
Paris metro tickets, which can save time on your
return.
The TGV crosses
rural France at up to 186 mph...
...then slows right down
through the Alpine foothills.
Milan to
Rome by high-speed 'Frecciarossa'...
These Eurostar Italia
ETR500 'Frecciarossa' trains travel at up to 250 km/h
(155 mph) on the new Italian high-speed network...
On the Milan-Florence-Rome-Naples route there's a restaurant car. A 3-course lunch costs
32
euros, a half bottle of wine 9 euros, credit cards
accepted.
First class on a Frecciarossa. All seats have power sockets for
laptops & mobiles.
Second class on a Eurostar Italia 'Frecciarossa' train. All seats have power
sockets for laptops & mobiles.
Rome to
Siracuse by sleeper train...
A 'Comfort' couchette car. A good, economical
choice.
A 4-berth 'Comfort' couchette
compartment in daytime mode.
1, 2 & 3 bed sleepers are also available...
...and
Pozzallo to Malta by ferry...
Virtu Rapid Ferries' fast catamaran, 'San Gwann',
seen at Pozzallo.
They now operate a newer and larger craft to link
Malta with Sicily...
Malta ►
London
Option 1: For days when
there's an early morning ferry from Malta...
You'll find an early morning
ferry from Valetta to Pozzallo on most dates, typically at
05:00 or 06:45 or 07:00 up to 5 days a week in winter, 6
days a week in summer. Check ferry times for your
travel date at
www.virtuferries.com. The following itinerary
works with this morning ferry, and gives you a day at
leisure in Siracuse and a day at leisure in Rome.
Day 1 morning, sail with Virtu
Ferries from Valetta on Malta to Pozzallo on Sicily.
the ferry departure time from
Valetta to Pozzallo varies between 05:00 & 07:00, check
sailing dates & times at
www.virtuferries.com. Valetta ferry terminal is
walking distance from Valetta city centre, there is a 1-hour check-in
time for foot passengers. The ferry has economy class
and club class plus a cafe. You sail out of Valetta's
wonderful harbour into the Mediterranean and the crossing to
Sicily takes just 90 minutes.
Day 1, late morning, take a taxi
from the ferry terminal to Pozzallo town centre and transfer
the 40 miles from Pozzallo to Siracuse by irregular local
train or bus. There's usually a train from Pozzallo at
11:25 arriving Siracuse at 13:25, but check train times for
your date of travel at
www.trenitalia.com. Alternatively, you can take a taxi all the way to
Siracuse. Spend the rest of the day at leisure in Siracuse.
Day 1, travel
from Sicily to Rome by sleeper train,
leaving Siracuse daily at 19:10 and arriving Rome Stazione
Termini at 07:10 next morning (day 2). This train
has 4-berth 'Comfort' couchettes and sleeping-cars with
1, 2 & 3 bed compartments with washbasin. The
train is ferried from Sicily to the mainland on a train
ferry, an interesting experience!
What are Italian sleeper trains like?
Day 2,
spend the day at leisure in Rome,
left luggage is available at the station, then catch
an afternoon or evening high-speed
Eurostar
Italia Frecciarossa from Rome to Milan. These
trains run every hour or better, for example there's one leaving
Rome Stazione Termini at 18:00
and arriving Milan Centrale at 20:59. A restaurant car
is available serving affordable meals, drinks and snacks,
and there are power sockets for laptops and mobiles.
Day 3, travel
from Milan to Paris by
high-speed
TGV. On Mondays-Fridays leave Milan Centrale
at 11:10 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 19:07. On
Saturdays & Sundays leave Milan Porto Garibaldi at 10:12 and arrive Paris Gare de Lyon at
17:19. There is a café-bar serving drinks,
snacks and light meals, and it's a scenic journey
through the Alps via the Mont Cénis tunnel, Modane and
Chambéry.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the
Gare du Nord (2 stops on RER line D).
Day 3, travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar.
On Mondays-Friday leave Paris Gare du Nord at 21:13
arriving London St Pancras at 22:36. On Saturdays
& Sundays leave Paris Gare du Nord
at 19:13, arriving London St Pancras at 20:36.
Alternatively, if you
don't mind an early start from Milan you can reach
London four hours earlier. Day 3, travel
from Milan or Turin to Paris by
high-speed
TGV, leaving Milan Porto Garibaldi daily at 06:07 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at
13:23. There is a café-bar serving drinks,
snacks and light meals.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the
Gare du Nord (2 stops on RER line D. Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord
daily at 15:13, arriving London St Pancras at 16:39.
Option 2: For days when
there's an afternoon ferry from Malta...
On some dates, especially in
summer, you'll find an afternoon ferry from Malta to
Pozzallo, usually sailing from Valetta at around 16:30.
The following itinerary works with this ferry, and is the
fastest option, although you don't get any time in Siracuse
or Rome unless you take an extra day or two.
Day 1 afternoon, sail
with Virtu Ferries from Valetta on Malta to Pozzallo on
Sicily. On many dates you'll find a 16:30 ferry from
Malta arriving Pozzallo 18:00, but check sailing dates and times at
www.virtuferries.com. Valetta ferry terminal is
walking distance from Valetta city centre, there is a 1-hour check-in
time for foot passengers. The ferry has economy class
and club class plus a cafe. You sail out of Valetta's
wonderful harbour into the Mediterranean and the crossing to
Sicily takes just 90 minutes.
Day 1 evening, take a taxi from
the ferry terminal to Pozzallo town centre and transfer the
40 miles from Pozzallo to Siracuse by irregular local train
or bus. You can check train times at
www.trenitalia.com, but there's usually a train at 19:37
arriving Siracuse at 20:45. Alternatively, you can
take a taxi all the way to Siracuse.
Day 2, travel
from Sicily to Naples by air-conditioned InterCity train,
leaving Siracuse daily at 07:33 and arriving Naples Centrale at 16:00.
There's a refreshment trolley on board, but feel free to
take your own picnic and beer or wine.
Day 2, travel
from Naples to Milan by high-speed
Eurostar
Italia Frecciarossa, leaving Naples Centrale at 17:50
and arriving Milan Centrale at 22:40. A restaurant car
is available serving affordable meals, drinks and snacks,
and there are power sockets for laptops and mobiles.
Day 3, travel
from Milan to Paris by
high-speed
TGV. On Mondays-Fridays leave Milan Centrale
at 11:10 arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 19:07. On
Saturdays & Sundays leave Milan Porto Garibaldi at 10:12 and arrive Paris Gare de Lyon at
17:19. There is a café-bar serving drinks,
snacks and light meals, and it's a scenic journey
through the Alps via the Mont Cénis tunnel, Modane and
Chambéry.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the
Gare du Nord (2 stops on RER line D).
Day 3, travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar.
On Mondays-Friday leave Paris Gare du Nord at 21:13
arriving London St Pancras at 22:36. On Saturdays
& Sundays leave Paris Gare du Nord
at 19:13, arriving London St Pancras at 20:36.
Alternatively, if you
don't mind an early start from Milan you can reach
London four hours earlier. Day 3, travel
from Milan or Turin to Paris by
high-speed
TGV, leaving Milan Porto Garibaldi daily at 06:07 and arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at
13:23. There is a café-bar serving drinks,
snacks and light meals.
Cross
Paris by metro or taxi to the
Gare du Nord (2 stops on RER line D. Travel
from Paris to London by
Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord
daily at 15:13, arriving London St Pancras at 16:39.
How much does
it cost?
Each train is
ticketed separately, so you just need to add up the fare for
each leg of the journey.
London to
Paris by Eurostar starts at £39 one-way, £69 return.
Book early for the cheapest fares as fares rise as
departure approaches.
Paris to
Milan by TGV train starts at just £23 each way in 2nd
class, £42 in 1st class. Book early for the
cheapest fares.
If you use
option 1, Milan to
Rome by high-speed Frecciarossa train costs 91 euros
full-price, 'Mini' fares start at 49 euros. Rome to
Siracuse by sleeper train costs 80 euros full price in a
Comfort couchette, 129 euros full-price in a 2-bed
sleeper.
If you use
option 2, Milan to Naples by Frecciarossa costs 100
euros full price, from 49 euros 'Mini' with no refunds,
no changes. Naples to Siracuse by InterCity train
costs 51 euros full price, from 29 euros 'Mini' fare
with no refunds, no changes.
Siracuse to
Pozzallo by local train costs 5 euros. Taxi fare
not known.
Pozzallo to Malta by ferry costs 50 euros one-way or 86
euros return.
You can check the ferry fare at
www.virtuferries.com.
Children under 4 go free,
children over 4 but under 14 go for 39 euro one-way or
60 euros return.
Travelling in more luxurious 'Club class' costs an
extra 15 euro each way (10 euros for children).
How to buy
tickets online...
You can book this trip online,
which is the cheapest way to arrange tickets as you don't
pay any booking fees and can see all the cheap fares if they
are available. It involves 3 separate
websites, so before jumping in, sketch out your
itinerary, listing the date & time for each separate
train you wish to book to avoid mistakes. Naturally,
it's a good idea to do a
dry run on all 3 sites to check availability and prices
before booking for real.
Step 1, check
sailing times and dates for the
ferry online at
www.virtuferries.com and book the ferry ticket online. Why start with the ferry?
Well, it only runs on certain days and sailing times vary,
so it makes sense to start by checking ferry sailings,
finding a suitable sailing on a specific date and then
working backwards to book the trains as these run daily.
Step 2, book
Eurostar from London to Paris and back. UK residents
can do this online at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
or anyone from any country can book this at
www.eurostar.com
with self-print tickets.
Step 3, book
the TGV from Paris to Milan and back. UK residents can
stay on
www.raileurope.co.uk
after booking from London to Paris, simply click 'continue
shopping' and book Paris to Milan. Anyone from any
country can book the Paris-Milan TGV at
www.tgv-europe.com.
Step 4, book
all your Italian trains (Milan to Rome and Rome to Siracuse
in option 1, Milan to Naples, Naples to Siracuse in option
2) online at
www.trenitalia.com. Tickets can be collected at
the station in
Italy, or for Frecciarossa and InterCity trains it's
'ticketless', you simply quote your booking reference on
board. Pick a 'Mini' fare to save money, no refunds, no changes,
otherwise 'Base' fare is full-price and flexible. Note
that a 2-bed sleeper is confusingly listed as 'Double seat
compartment'! Siracuse is only recognised as 'Siracusa'
even in the English version.
Advice on using the
Trenitalia website. Tickets for the
Siracuse-Pozzallo local train can be bought at the station
when you get to Siracuse.
How to buy
tickets by phone...
If booking
online sounds a bit complicated, you can book by
phone with two phone calls.
It's probably
best to start with the ferry
journey. First, visit the
www.virtuferries.com to check on sailing times, days of
the week, and dates. Then call
Viamare
Travel on 020 8343 5810 to book.
Then book the rail journey
from London to Sicily. You
can book through a number of UK agencies, such as Rail
Europe on 0844 848 5 848, Ffestiniog
Travel on 01766 772050.
Click
here for a list of agencies.
Other ferries
to Malta...
Although the suggested route
above uses
Virtu Ferries from Sicily, Grimaldi Ferries (www.grimaldi-lines.com)
offer a good weekly cruise ferry from Genoa,
Civitavecchia (near Rome) and Catania (Sicily) to Valetta in
Malta. You can find information on train travel from
the UK to Genoa to connect with this ship on the
Italy page. If you have any feedback on
this or other ferries to Malta, please
email me.
Palace Square, Valetta. Brits will find many features familiar!
Victoria Gate,
Valetta.
Malta's famous George Cross in
Valetta's town museum, awarded to the whole island an
its people during world war 2.
Valetta street scene. Afficionados
of the film 'Malta Story' may well recognise this corner
from one of the scenes, it hasn't changed much!
Buses link Valetta with towns and
villages all over Malta. The Valetta bus station is
immediately outside the city’s main gate, and it has both ticket
machines and a ticket office. International bus
operator Arriva took over bus lines in Malta from 3 July
2011, and the traditional routes numbers have all been changed.
Malta's traditional orange buses (many of them very old!) are
sadly now being phased out and replaced by Arriva's modern buses in its own blue-and-cream
colours. The website for Malta bus information is now
www.arriva.com.mt. Fares are cheap, usually 1.30 euros
for a ticket valid for 2 hours on any bus or series of buses,
and buses run at least every half hour throughout the day on
most routes. You can buy tickets giving you unlimited bus
travel all over Malta for 1 day (1.50 euros), or 7 days (6.50
euros). There's a bus map at
www.maltabusroutes.com.
As the buses used to be: Brightly-painted Maltese buses at Valetta bus
station, just outside the city's main gate. Most of these
wonderful old Maltese buses have now been replaced by
characterless modern buses in the standard Arriva blue.
Valetta to Gozo by bus & ferry...
Take Arriva bus number 11 from Valetta bus station to Cirkewwa ferry
terminal, for the ferry to Gozo. Bus 11 runs every 30 minutes
throughout the day, journey time 1 hour 15 minutes, fare 1.30 euros,
see
www.arriva.com.mt. The Gozo Channel ferry (www.gozochannel.com)
links Cirkewwa on Malta with Mgarr on Gozo every 45 minutes
throughout the day, crossing time 25 minutes. The fare is
4.65 euros
each way, children aged from 3 to 12, 1.15 euros. Grey-painted Gozo buses link Mgarr with all main
points on Gozo.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
