Ferry operator
Caronte & Tourist
Profile of the strait's ferry operator: routes to Messina, fleet, QR-code boarding, vehicles, pets and tickets
- Round-the-clock shuttle service across the strait, about every 20 minutes during the day, no booking needed
- Daily Cartour ferry Salerno - Messina in nine hours, with cabins and Camping on Board
- Group based in Messina since 2003, 29 ships, 1,200 staff, around 7 million passengers a year
About Caronte & Tourist
Table of Contents
About Caronte & Tourist
Caronte & Tourist is the ferry operator of the Strait of Messina. The group was formed in 2003 from the merger of Caronte S.p.A. and Tourist Ferry Boat S.p.A., companies that had started private ferry services across the strait back in the 1960s. It is headquartered in Messina at Via Ing. Giuseppe Franza 82. Today the group operates 29 ships with 1,200 staff, carrying around 7 million passengers, 2 million cars and 700,000 commercial vehicles a year. Alongside the parent company, the group includes the Cartour brand for the Messina - Salerno line, Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori - Siremar for Sicily's small islands, and Maddalena Lines for La Maddalena - Palau in Sardinia. Since January 2019, the British infrastructure fund Basalt has held a stake in the company.
Ships
On the strait, ships include the Elio, launched in 2018 as the first LNG-powered passenger ship in the Mediterranean, the Pietro Mondello (2024) and the Telepass, all with deck passage, a bar, a children's area and a shop. The Cartour fleet sails to Salerno, including the Cartour Delta, 186 metres long, with cabins, a seating lounge, a self-service restaurant and a bar. For the islands there are ferries such as the Nerea (2023, LNG hybrid), the Laurana and Sansovino with cabins, and smaller car ferries such as the Sibilla.
Routes to Sicily
The main line is the shuttle service Villa San Giovanni - Messina: round the clock, at least every 40 minutes, about every 20 during the day, in around 20 minutes, no booking needed, with a ticket valid for the day of travel. The return direction has its own page: Messina - Villa San Giovanni. There's also the Cartour line Salerno - Messina: daily from Salerno in the early afternoon, taking nine hours, returning from Messina overnight. In Messina the two lines use different berths, the shuttle service at Rada San Francesco in the north, the Salerno ferry at Molo Norimberga in the south of the city.
Boarding, vehicles and pets
Tickets bought online, in the app or by phone carry a QR code that crew scan on boarding; tickets without a code are exchanged for a boarding pass at the port counter. On the strait, Telepass or UnipolMove lets you drive straight through without stopping at a cash desk. Cars, motorbikes, motorhomes up to nine metres, caravans, buses and bicycles travel on board; the maximum vehicle height on the strait is 4.20 metres. Gas-powered vehicles travel with the system switched off, and no one stays in the car during the crossing. Dogs and cats travel free on the strait, on a lead and with a muzzle; to Salerno they belong in the pet kennels or Pet Cabin. More in the guides Motorhome on the ferry and Taking your dog on the ferry.
Fares & booking
Tickets are available online, in the app, at the counters in Villa San Giovanni, Messina and Salerno, at PuntoLis tobacconists throughout Italy, at travel agents and by phone with customer service. On the strait a published flat fare applies per vehicle class for a single trip, same-day return and returns within three or 90 days; to Salerno, the price depends on accommodation and vehicle, with a paid flexibility option refunding the outbound and return ticket if you don't travel. The Navigo Per Te loyalty programme gives priority boarding. Current rates are in the price overview.
FAQ Caronte & Tourist
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers about Caronte & Tourist and the ferries to Messina
Which routes does Caronte & Tourist run to Sicily?+
The shuttle service Villa San Giovanni - Messina across the strait, round the clock in around 20 minutes, and the Cartour line Salerno - Messina, daily in nine hours. The ferries to the small islands run as Siremar.
Do I need to book a departure on the strait?+
No, that's not even possible: the ticket is valid for the day of travel, so you drive to the berth and take the next ferry. Caronte & Tourist guarantees at least one departure every 40 minutes, and about every 20 minutes during the day. Times are in the timetable.
How does boarding work?+
Tickets bought online, in the app or by phone carry a QR code that the crew scans; tickets without a code are exchanged for a boarding pass at the port counter. Bring ID and boarding pass, plus your vehicle registration document if driving. On the strait, Telepass or UnipolMove lets you drive straight through without stopping at a cash desk.
Does Caronte & Tourist take pets?+
Yes. On the strait it's even free; dogs must wear a muzzle and lead, and animals may not stay in the car on the vehicle deck. On the long route to Salerno, they travel in the pet kennels or, as an option, in Pet Cabin with you, up to two animals per cabin. Details at Taking your dog on the ferry.
Can I bring my motorhome?+
Yes. On the strait, motorhomes up to nine metres travel at the motorhome rate, with a maximum height of 4.20 metres; on the Salerno route there's also Camping on Board, where available. Gas-powered vehicles travel with the system switched off. Details in the guide Motorhome on the ferry.
What do tickets cost?+
On the strait a published flat fare applies per vehicle class, covering up to five people in the car price; to Salerno, the price depends on accommodation and vehicle. A fee is added at the port counter. Current rates are in the price overview.