 |
|
|
Yes, the trains go onto a ferry to cross the Straits between Villa San Giovanni on the mainland and Messina on Sicily. Courtesy Hans Roth. See route map. Watch the video... |
|
 |
|
|
The InterCityNotte (ICN) sleeper train from Milan to Sicily on board the train ferry. Courtesy of Marco Bereth, see his blog about the train here |
Rome or Naples to Sicily from €19.90
Comfortable air-conditioned InterCity trains and time-effective sleeper trains link Rome & Naples with Messina, Palermo, Catania & Siracuse on Sicily from as little as €19.90. Yes, these trains are direct to Sicily, they get ferried across the Straits of Messina on board a train ferry, one of the few places in the world where trains go onto ships, a fascinating & unique experience - Watch the video! There's even a direct sleeper train from Milan, Bologna & Florence to Sicily, an epic ride in your own private mobile bedroom.
What are the daytime trains like?
What are the sleeper trains like?
Train times southbound 2023
Train times northbound 2023
Timetable notes
* This train normally runs via Genoa, La Spezia & Pisa, but is often diverted via Bologna & Florence Campo di Marte, so check oinline.
These trains run every day, all year round. Each column in the timetable above is a train you can take. I'm not going to update these times every time they change by a few minutes, so treat them as a guide and always check exact times for your specific date of travel at www.raileurope.com or www.trenitalia.com.
Each of these trains has two separate portions, one to/from Taormina, Catania & Siracuse, and another to/from Cefalu & Palermo, splitting or joining at Messina. I've shown them in one column to save space.
Rome to Palermo is 893 km (555 miles) by train. Rome to Siracuse is 843 km (524 miles) by train.
Milan to Palermo is 1,539 km (956 miles) by train via Genoa. Milan to Siracuse is 1,489 km (925 miles).
From Florence, Bologna & Venice, take a high-speed Frecciarossa to Naples, then a day train to Sicily, or to Rome for the sleeper to Sicily.
From Cinque Terre, take a regional train to La Spezia and the sleeper to Sicily, or travel to Rome and take a day or night train to Sicily from there.
From Amalfi, take a bus to Salerno then a train to Sicily.
From Sorrento, take the local Circumvesuviana train into Naples then a train to Sicily.
How much does it cost?
-
Rome or Naples to Sicily by Intercity train...
From just €19.90 upwards in 2nd class or €29.90 upwards in 1st class if you book in advance, with a super-economy or economy fare.
Super-economy & economy vary like air fares according to demand and how far ahead you book. The base fare which you'd pay on the day is around €80 in 2nd class or €115 in 1st class. The base fare is fixed and doesn't vary.
-
Milan, Bologna, Florence, Rome or Naples to Sicily by sleeper train...
From €39.90 upwards in a 4-berth comfort couchette, €49.90 in a 3-bed sleeper, €59.90 in a 2-bed sleeper, €89.90 in a single-bed sleeper. Prices are per person per bed. Fares vary like air fares according to demand and how far ahead you book.
If you book all the berths in a compartment, you get sole occupancy. If you only book some of the beds (for example, one person in a 3-berth) you share with other passengers of the same gender in sleepers, mixed genders in couchettes (some ladies only couchette compartments are available).
How to buy tickets
-
Buy tickets at www.italiarail.com in plain English, in €, £ or $.
They're a long-established agency which connects to Trenitalia's ticketing system. They charge a €3.50 booking fee, but they will refund this after you book if you email them at seat61@italiarail.com.
A key advantage of using www.italiarail.com rather than Raileurope or Thetrainline is that on Intercity & high-speed trains Italiarail allows you to pick an exact seat from a seat map. On the seat maps, the small grey rectangles between seats are tables.
Important tip: When the search results appear, look for FILTERS, un-tick High speed and tick Direct if you want one of the direct Intercity or sleeper trains between Milan, Rome, Naples & Sicily.
It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
-
Buy tickets at www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
Like Italiarail, these connect directly to Trenitalia's ticketing system to offer the same prices, in plain English, in €, £ or $.
They key advantage of www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com is that they also connect to the British, French, Spanish, Swiss, German, Austrian & Benelux ticketing systems, enabling you to buy tickets across much of Europe together in one place. You don't get to select specific seats, but the system should normally put you all together by default.
It's ticketless, you simply print out your booking reference or show it on your phone.
-
Booking tips
Tip 1: Booking opens up to 4 months ahead, but dates after the mid-December timetable change usually only open for booking in mid-October. For the cheapest prices, book as early as possible & avoid busy trains, days & dates. There's a small booking fee.
Tip 2: Italian sleeper trains often open for booking late, after high-speed and daytime trains are already loaded and appearing. So if you're looking several months ahead and the train is missing, don't panic, just wait a bit. These trains are aimed at Italians living their everyday life and booking tickets DAYS or WEEKS ahead, not MONTHS.
Tip 3: If booking Rome to Sicily (or vice versa), look through the search results for a journey with 0 changes. You may see faster Rome-Sicily journeys with 1 change, that'll involve a high-speed train between Rome and Naples or Salerno, but my advice is stick with the direct trains.
Tip 4: When you book a sleeper, one ticket = one bed = one person. If you book one bed in a 3-berth, you get one bed and the other two beds are sold to other passengers of the same gender. If you book 3 beds in a 3-berth, or 2 beds in a 2-berth, you get the whole compartment and gender becomes irrelevant.
Tip 5: You are shown your seat or berth numbers before you confirm & pay. In couchettes, if the first digit is the same for all 4 passengers, for example 41, 42, 43, 44, then you're all in the same compartment, in this example compartment 4. In sleepers, if the first digit is the same and the second digits are all odd or all even, then you're together in the same compartment, for example 21, 23, 25 are together in one compartment, with 22, 24 & 26 together in the compartment next door. When sold as a double, the middle bed number isn't used, for example 21 & 25 are together in one 2-berth compartment and so are 32 & 36. See sleeper numbering plan.
-
You can also book direct with Trenitalia at www.trenitalia.com, with no booking fee. However, even when their site is switched to English, you'll need to use Italian-language place names and understand the different sleeper types in Italian. It's easier to stick with www.italiarail.com, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com.
What are the Intercity trains like?
Intercity trains (IC) have with 1st & 2nd class seats in open-plan cars, arranged 2+1 across the car width in 1st class, 2+2 across the car width in 2nd class. Both classes are comfortable and have power sockets at seats, toilets in every car and plenty of luggage space. There is no WiFi, but mobile 3G reception along most of the route. There's no catering car, so although you may get a refreshment trolley come down the train, you should bring a picnic and bottle of wine along for the ride.
What are the sleeper trains like?
The Intercity Notte (ICN) trains have sleeping-cars and 4-berth couchettes. There are no ordinary seats, or 6-berth couchettes.
1 & 2 bed Excelsior sleepers
There are Excelsior sleepers with en suite shower & toilet on the Milan-Catania-Siracuse night train and on one of the Rome-Catania-Siracuse night trains. There's just one rebuilt T3S sleeping-car on each of those trains and each sleeping-car has just 4 Excelsior sleeper compartments with shower & toilet plus 6 standard Deluxe compartments with washbasin. You won't find Excelsior sleepers to or from Palermo, or on every Italian sleeper train. If one is available, it's nice to have your own en suite toilet and shower, but don't be too surprised if no water comes out of the shower! Apart from the en suite shower & toilet, facilities & catering are the same as the regular sleepers described below. See layout of a T3S sleeping-car. Excelsior photos courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry & Niklas Hoth.
1, 2 & 3 bed Deluxe sleepers
The regular sleeping-cars are branded Deluxe. A corridor runs along one side of the car off which open 12 compartments, each of which can be sold as 3-berth (triple or tripla), 2-berth (double or doppio) or single-berth (single or singolo). There are two toilets at one end of the corridor near the attendant's compartment.
Each sleeper compartment has a washbasin and 220V power outlet, and locks securely from the inside. The beds come fully made up with clean sheets, pillow, duvet. For the daytime part of the journey, the beds fold back against the wall and a 3-seat sofa folds out to make a private sitting room (the centre seat folds back down to form a table between the two outer seats if there are only two of you). A fresh towel and simple amenities kit is provided in sleepers with soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, cotton buds, cotton pads, wet-wipe & rubbish bag. Luggage goes in your compartment with you.
Since the pandemic, Trenitalia no longer allows solo travellers to book 1 bed in shared sleeper compartments. Only entire 1, 2 or 3 bed rooms (cabina intera) can be booked in the sleeper category. So if you're solo you'll have to pay for a single if you want to use a sleeper rather than a couchette.
There is a simple room service menu, the sleeper attendant can serve you tea, coffee, beer, wine, sandwiches and even maybe a hot dish such as lasagne, but it's a good idea to take snacks and maybe a bottle of wine with you. In the morning the sleeper attendant serves you complimentary tea, coffee or juice.
4-berth Comfort couchettes
This is the economical choice, ideal for budget travellers or families. A corridor runs down one side of the car, off which open 9 lockable compartments, each with 4 berths (2 upper, 2 lower). Each berth comes with sheets, pillow and blanket, but unlike in the sleeper you arrange these yourself. The upper bunks fold back against the wall and the lower berths become seating for evening and morning use.
There are toilets and washrooms at the end of the corridor. Luggage goes in the compartment with you, on the overhead racks, under the lower berths or on the floor. There's no catering car, so take snacks and a bottle of wine with you. An attendant travels with each pair of cars.
In couchettes, berths are sold individually, so one person = one ticket = one bed. A solo traveller who books one ticket gets one berth in a shared couchette compartment. Usually these are mixed gender (Promiscuo), but women travelling alone can choose a ladies-only compartment (Donna). If you book 4 people you'll get a whole compartment (cabina intera) to yourselves. There's also a fare for 3 people to have sole occupancy of a 4-berth compartment (a more basic but more spacious option than a 3-bed sleeper, arguably a better choice if your journey involves a significant daytime element). See a trip report video.
Route map
Green = scenic routes Red = high-speed line Map extract by kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. I recommend buying this map for your European travels with shipping worldwide at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu. |
Travel tips
-
Should you go InterCity or sleeper?
The sleeper is time-effective, taking little more time out of your schedule than 4 daytime hours of getting to an airport, checking in, going through all that airport security, the flight, then having to get into the city from the airport. The sleeper is a fun experience and saves a hotel bill. Depending what time sleeper you take and the time of year, you can experience the train ferry and see the great scenery between Messina & Palermo or Messina & Siracuse, even using the sleeper.
On the other hand, the day trains are cheaper and take you south from Rome & Naples along the coast to the very 'toe' of Italy before going onto the train ferry to Sicily. Bring a good book, a picnic and a bottle of Chianti, and you'll have a blast.
-
1st or 2nd class?
On the Intercity trains, 2nd class is absolutely fine for most travellers, there's no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. But see what prices you get because with dynamic pricing 1st class often costs only a little more. 1st class means more leg and elbow room and usually a quieter environment. 1st class also gets you solo seats and tables-for-two on one side of the aisle, as seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width rather than 2+2 as in 2nd class - in fact it's the solo seats and face-to-face tables-for-two which make first class my own choice if I'm going solo or with Mrs 61.
-
Luggage
You can pretty much take any luggage you like, nobody cares how much it weighs or what size it is. You take it with you onto the train and put it on the luggage rack, there's plenty of luggage space in both classes. On the intercity trains, the racks above your seat take anything up to backpack-size, the racks at the end of each car will take large suitcases. More information about luggage on European trains.
-
Power sockets & WiFi
There's no WiFi, but 3G reception will work much of the way. Intercity trains now have power sockets at seats in both classes, the sleeping-cars have a 220V outlet in the compartment, although this may go dead when the locomotive is changed, or on board the ferry.
-
Boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure. See Rome Termini station information. See Naples station information. See Milan Centrale station information.
-
Which side for the best scenery?
The coastal scenery is on the right hand side going south from Rome, left hand side going north from Sicily, although you cannot specify which side you sit as the reservation system doesn't know which way round the car will be. If going to Catania or Siracuse, the sea views with be on the left when going south, with views of Mt Etna to the right.
-
Food & drink, the most important tip!
Take a picnic and bottle of wine or some beer. This is the most important tip, as none of these trains have a restaurant or buffet car, though you'll find coffee & snacks available from vending machines in one car of the Intercity trains with payment by contactless bank card. In sleeping-cars, a morning cup of tea or coffee and snack is included and the attendant can supply limited drinks & snacks from a room service menu, but again, I recommend taking a picnic and bottle of wine.
-
On board the ferry between Villa San Giovanni & Messina
The ferry crossing between Villa San Giovanni & Messina takes 20 minutes, although shunting the train onto and off the ferry takes longer. On daytime crossings you'll be asked to get off the train whilst it is on board the ferry and go up into the ferry's passenger accommodation, perhaps getting a coffee or sandwich from the cafeteria and going on deck for some sea air and the views. You can leave your luggage on the train, but should obviously take your valuables. On a sleeper train on a night-time crossing you can normally remain in bed on board the train whilst it is on the ferry, you do not have to get off and use the ferry passenger accommodation unless you want to.
-
Do they run on time?
These trains can indeed run on time, surprisingly - but they can also run late, sometimes an hour or two. Don't stress, this is southern Italy where an hour or two doesn't matter. Just bear this in mind when arranging connections.
-
The alternative: Direct ferries between Naples & Palermo
You can sail from Naples to Palermo by comfortable overnight ferry, with a or shared cabin with en suite shower & toilet, and there are restaurants and bars for an enjoyable evening on board. Ferries typically sail every day at around 20:00 and arrive around 06:30 in both directions. See www.tirrenia.it & www.snav.it for times, dates, fares & online booking.
Traveller's reports
Traveller Andrew Clayton reports: "We took the daytime InterCity train from Naples to Siracuse, having first loaded up with essential supplies (water, bread, cheese, wine etc.) as there is no catering on the train. Rather than buy at Naples Centrale where there's only limited food shopping, we went out of the station and found nearby shops that sold all we needed – at much lower prices. There was attractive scenery - sea and mountains - almost all the way to Villa San Giovanni where the train is loaded onto the ferry to Sicily in two sections. We were in the last coach and discovered that, if you went to the end, you could look through a glass door to see the coaches go onto the ferry and be tied down. It is safe to leave large luggage on the train during the crossing when most people go up on deck."
Video: The train ferry to Sicily