# Ferries to Sicily: two systems, not one

> Crossing the Strait on foot costs 2.50 euro and takes 20 minutes. Taking a car across costs 43.20 euro. They are different services from different quays.

URL: https://myitalia.it/plan/ferries-to-sicily
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Sicily is reached through two entirely separate ferry systems: the 20-minute Strait crossing at Messina, and the long routes into the western ports led by Palermo.

## The Strait: one authority, six ports

The Strait port system authority runs 6 ports as a single unit from Messina: Messina itself, Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Milazzo, Tremestieri and Saline. Villa San Giovanni to Messina is by far the most used sea link for reaching Sicily by car.

That single authority is why the crossing behaves like a piece of road rather than like a voyage. It is also why the passenger service and the vehicle service are counted separately, sold separately and boarded at different quays, which is the fact most trip plans get wrong.

## On foot: 2.50 euro, 20 minutes, 16 sailings

Blu Jet, part of the Italian state railway group, runs the fast craft between Messina Porto Storico and Villa San Giovanni in 20 minutes, 16 sailings a day in each direction, on the timetable in force since December 14, 2025. First departure from Messina is 5:20 am (05:20) and the last is 11:50 pm (23:50); the first from Villa San Giovanni is 5:45 am.

A single is 2.50 euro and a same-day return 4.50 euro, with an ordinary season ticket of 40 crossings in 45 days at 60 euro, a concession version at 40 euro and a student one at 10 euro. Tickets are sold at the port ticket offices, in the MooneyGo app, and together with a Trenitalia or Italo ticket.

Note two things before you rely on it. From August 10 to September 4, 2026 the operator flagged timetable changes for railway works. And the Messina to Reggio Calabria route appears in the site's menus while its timetable and fare pages returned errors on September 1, 2026, so it is not asserted here.

## With a car: 43.20 euro, around the clock

Caronte and Tourist runs the vehicle crossing from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, 24 hours a day, every day. In September 2026 a car with up to 5 passengers costs 43.20 euro one way, plus a 2.30 euro fuel supplement and a 0.60 euro emissions charge, with each extra passenger at 2.50 euro.

Returns are priced in bands: 47.20 euro same day, 53.40 euro within 3 days, 85.50 euro within 90 days. A night rate of 37.90 euro applies between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am, available from September 15 to July 15.

Those fares are declared valid for September 1 to 30, 2026 only. They move with the seasonal bands, which makes this the fastest-ageing number on the page, and the operator warns that individual sailing times are indicative rather than fixed.

## The western ports: a different journey entirely

The western Sicilian port system authority runs 7 ports, with Palermo as its main passenger call: Trapani, Termini Imerese, Porto Empedocle, Gela, Licata and Sciacca are the others. These are the overnight routes from the Tyrrhenian mainland, not a shuttle.

The specific passenger routes from Palermo to Naples, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Livorno are not listed on the authority's own page and are not verified here. Only Civitavecchia to Palermo is confirmed, and it is confirmed from the departure end rather than the arrival one.

## Choosing between them

The Strait costs 20 minutes and 43.20 euro with a car; the western ports cost a night at sea. Driving down the mainland makes the first one an interruption to a road trip. Starting from Rome or the north, without wanting the length of Calabria under your wheels, makes the second one a leg of the journey.

The crossing duration, daily frequency and passenger volumes for the car ferries are not verified on a primary source, only for the Blu Jet fast craft. That gap is real, and it is why the numbers above are all attached to the service they belong to rather than to the Strait in general.

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to cross the Strait of Messina?

On foot, 2.50 euro one way and 4.50 euro for a same-day return on the Blu Jet fast craft. With a car, 43.20 euro one way with Caronte and Tourist in September 2026, plus a 2.30 euro fuel supplement and a 0.60 euro emissions charge.

### How long does the Messina crossing take?

20 minutes on the Blu Jet fast craft between Messina Porto Storico and Villa San Giovanni, with 16 sailings a day in each direction on the timetable in force since December 14, 2025. First departure from Messina is 5:20 am, last 11:50 pm.

### Can I take a rental car across to Sicily?

Physically yes, on the Caronte and Tourist service from Villa San Giovanni, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 43.20 euro one way for a car with up to 5 passengers. Whether your rental agreement allows it is a question for the rental company, not for the ferry.

### Is there a ferry from Reggio Calabria to Messina?

The verified crossing is from Villa San Giovanni, about 14 km up the coast from Reggio. Blu Jet lists menu entries for a Messina to Reggio route, but the corresponding timetable and fare pages returned errors on September 1, 2026, so we do not state that it runs.

### Which Sicilian port do the long ferries use?

Palermo is the main passenger call of the western Sicilian port system, which also covers Trapani, Termini Imerese, Porto Empedocle, Gela, Licata and Sciacca. The Civitavecchia to Palermo route is confirmed from the mainland end.

### Is it cheaper to cross at night with a car?

A night band exists, 10:00 pm to 4:00 am, available from September 15 to July 15, at 43.20 euro reduced to 37.90 euro one way. The saving is 5.30 euro, and the operator notes that individual sailing times are indicative.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Autorita' di Sistema Portuale dello Stretto gestisce in modo unitario i porti di Messina, Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Milazzo, Tremestieri e Saline: l'attraversamento Villa San Giovanni-Messina e' il collegamento marittimo di gran lunga piu' usato per raggiungere la Sicilia in auto. | [AdSP dello Stretto](https://adspstretto.it/en/ports-of-stretto/port-of-villa-san-giovanni/) | medium | 2027-09-01 |
| La nave veloce Blu Jet (gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato) collega Messina Porto Storico e Villa San Giovanni in 20 minuti con 16 corse al giorno per senso, orario in vigore dal 14 dicembre 2025; il biglietto di sola andata costa 2,50 euro e l'andata e ritorno in giornata 4,50 euro (2026), con abbonamento ordinario da 40 corse in 45 giorni a 60 euro. | [Blu Jet S.r.l. - Gruppo FS Italiane](https://www.blujetlines.it/oraripasseggeri-villa14122025.html); [doc 2](https://www.blujetlines.it/tariffepasseggeri-villa.html); [Trenitalia](https://www.trenitalia.com/it/servizi/blu-jet.html) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Con l'auto lo Stretto si attraversa da Villa San Giovanni a Messina con Caronte & Tourist, che opera 24 ore su 24 tutti i giorni: nel settembre 2026 la corsa semplice per un'auto con fino a cinque passeggeri costa 43,20 euro, piu 2,30 euro di supplemento carburante e 0,60 euro di tassa ETS. | [Caronte & Tourist S.p.A.](https://www.carontetourist.it/it/stretto-messina/tariffe-auto); [doc 2](https://www.carontetourist.it/it/stretto-messina/orari) | medium | 2026-12-31 |
| L'Autorita' di Sistema Portuale del Mare di Sicilia Occidentale gestisce i porti di Palermo, Trapani, Termini Imerese, Porto Empedocle, Gela, Licata e Sciacca; Palermo e' il principale scalo passeggeri del sistema. | [AdSP del Mare di Sicilia Occidentale](https://www.adsppalermo.it/) | medium | 2027-09-01 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.reggio-calabria.1600.jpg
Author: Benjamin Smith. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reggio_Calabria_-_Piazza_Italia_-_2026.jpg

## Other languages

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