Let's Go For a Ride! How to Take a Train Across the Strait of Messina

February 19, 2010 at 4:25 PM | by JetSetCD | Comment (1)

If you're planning on taking a trip to Italy and haven't yet experienced the unique event of crossing the Strait of Messina by train, you must add it to your bucket list. We've done it six times, and each time we discover something new between the boot of Italy and the island of Messina. For one, when you take a train, your train is loaded into the belly of a ferry to make the crossing, and you're free to wander the ship and sightsee during those 35 minutes of open water.

Doing this is very easy, can be very cheap, and will yield you some of the best photographs and stories of your trip. That is, unless you sleep through the whole thing, it's that seamless a transportation transition! The video above is filmed from the front of a train car as it goes into the ferry of the "Ferrovie dello Stato"—or Italian railway—and then sits on the tracks inside for the crossing.

The Guide to Taking the Train across the Strait of Messina, after the jump

How to reach it: It's really quite simple. Hop on a train that's between a town on Italy's mainland and a town in Sicily. We favor the Rome—Siracusa InterCity train, but there are also long night trains that come down from Venice and short trains from as near as Reggio di Calabria.

Where it goes: It depends which train you're on, but the key points for looking out the window to observe the Strait of Messina crossing will be when your train reaches the toe of Italy at Villa San Giovanni. Here, it will enter the belly of a ferry through the bow of the boat, and you'll glide onto tracks inside of the ferry. You'll then pull up to the docks in Messina in Sicily, where your train will glide out of the ferry and continue on its merry way to the Messina station and points beyond.

How much does it cost? There's the expensive long train like the 19-hour night train from Venice to Palermo that begins at 87.70 Euros per person, or something as cheap as the several Euros needed to go from Villa San Giovanni to Messina Centrale—a trip of 35 minutes. To go from Rome to Siracusa on our favorite route however, the price begins at 44 Euros per person.

Who rides it? On the longer routes like from Venice down, or even from Rome, you'll find mainly tourists and business travelers. The trains are comfortable and with little compartments that you share. You'll make friends quickly, or if you're lucky, you'll be able to lie flat across the seats that slide down. Locals will ride the train as well, especially to visit family.

Why is it so special? The idea of building a bridge across the Strait of Messina is one that's been batted around forever, but really nothing beats these ferries. The experience of being on a train inside of a ferry, crossing this geographic landmark, is so cool and a must-do during your lifetime. The boats themselves are like mini, no-frills cruise ships. You can leave your train during the passage across the Strait and go upstairs to the decks for sightseeing, a bite to eat at the cafeteria (we recommend the hot arancini), or just to have a walk and stretch after a long train ride. One early morning in January during a crossing, we even walked out onto the blustery bow. Try it; you'll love it.

Jaunted

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