Ferry from Sicily
Messina - Villa San Giovanni
Your last day in Sicily: when to set off in Messina, how to reach the pier and what comes next in Villa San Giovanni
- Departure from Rada San Francesco, signposted from the Messina Boccetta motorway exit
- About every 20 minutes by day, every 40 to 80 in the evening, last sailing before midnight at 23:20
- Return half of the ticket valid within three or 90 days, night fare from 22:00
What to know about the crossing back
Table of Contents
Getting there and the terminal
The Caronte & Tourist pier in Messina is Rada San Francesco on the Viale della Libertà, north of the city centre. Coming off the A20 from Palermo or the A18 from Catania and Taormina, take the Messina Boccetta exit, continue straight to the waterfront and follow the operator's signs for Villa San Giovanni. If you do not have a ticket yet, stop at the vehicle ticket office on the pier; everyone else drives straight into the boarding lanes.
Without a car, ATM Messina tram line 28 takes you from Messina Centrale station along Via Garibaldi and the Viale della Libertà to the Museo terminus; Rada San Francesco lies on that stretch. The foot-passenger ticket office is on the pier.
Check-in and departure
Nothing is reserved and a particular sailing cannot be booked: you drive up when you are ready. By day a ferry leaves about every 20 minutes between 06:00 and 18:00, in the evening every 40 to 80 minutes, the last one before midnight at 23:20; at night the service keeps going around the clock. If you are running late after a long last day on the island, allow for the thinner evening interval.
As you board, the crew scans the QR code on your ticket. The return leg of a return ticket is a separate document with its own code; depending on the option it is valid on the same day, within three days or within 90 days, and never tied to a time. A standard ticket can be used until 02:00 the following day, the night ticket only between 22:00 and 04:00.
On board
Twenty minutes of deck passage, lounge or open deck, a bar with coffee and snacks. The vehicle deck is closed during the crossing, so take up with you what you need for the drive on. The view back over Messina, with the Madonna della Lettera at the harbour entrance, is the last Sicilian moment of the trip.
Vehicles, bikes and pets
The same rules apply as on the way over: up to five people in the car fare, motorhomes up to nine metres at the motorhome fare, trailers of six metres or more as a car, dogs and cats free of charge with muzzle and lead. The details on gas systems, vehicle height and animals on board are on the outbound page Villa San Giovanni - Messina, dimensions and gas cylinders under Motorhome on the ferry, papers under Pets on the ferry.
Arrival and onward travel
In Villa San Giovanni you roll off the ship onto the A2 Salerno - Reggio Calabria heading north; the slip road is at the port, and the motorway takes you on to Salerno, Naples and Rome. If you are heading south, to Reggio Calabria or the Ionian coast, take the A2 the few kilometres in the other direction.
Foot passengers walk to Villa San Giovanni station by the port; it sits on the main Tyrrhenian line, with long-distance and regional trains heading north. The operator's foot-passenger ticket office and info point is in the embarkation area at Villa San Giovanni, in case you want to buy the ticket for your next crossing straight away.
Tickets and fares
The Strait has a published fixed fare per vehicle class, the same in both directions; the rates are in the price overview. If you bought a return ticket on the way over, you only need the second document in Messina. A single is sold online, in the app, at the ticket office on the pier, in PuntoLis tobacconists and via Telepass or UnipolMove.
The night fare, sold from 15 September to 15 July, is cheaper than the standard fare but only valid for sailings between 22:00 and 04:00. An unused return half can be submitted for a refund until 31 January of the following year; nothing can be changed, and foot-passenger tickets are non-refundable.
Messina - Villa San Giovanni
From Sicily back to Calabria
The crossing back to the mainland is the most relaxed leg of a Sicily trip once you know two things: where the pier is in Messina, and that you do not have to book a sailing. Caronte & Tourist leaves from Rada San Francesco in the north of the city, about every 20 minutes by day and less often in the evening. You turn up when you are ready and take the next ferry.
Over in Villa San Giovanni you are on the A2 heading north 20 minutes later; if you travel without a car, you walk to the station by the port. The outbound crossing, with the piers, life on board and the vehicle rules, has its own page: Villa San Giovanni - Messina.
- Crossing
- approx. 20 min
- Pier
- Rada San Francesco
- Last sailing
- 23:20, then every 40-80 min at night
- From price
- €2
Next departures from Messina
FAQ Messina - Villa San Giovanni
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers on the crossing back from Messina to Villa San Giovanni
Where does the ferry leave from in Messina?+
From Rada San Francesco on the Viale della Libertà, north of the city centre. By car, take the Messina Boccetta motorway exit, continue straight to the waterfront and follow the Caronte & Tourist signs for Villa San Giovanni. The vehicle and foot-passenger ticket offices are at the pier.
How do I get from the railway station to the pier without a car?+
By ATM Messina tram line 28: it runs from Messina Centrale station along Via Garibaldi and the Viale della Libertà to the Museo terminus, and Rada San Francesco lies on that stretch. Foot passengers buy their ticket at the office on the pier.
Until what time is there an evening ferry to Villa San Giovanni?+
The last sailing before midnight is at 23:20; after that the ferry keeps running through the night every 40 to 80 minutes, the service is around the clock. Between 18:00 and 24:00 the interval is longer than during the day. The times for your travel date are in the timetable.
Is the return half of my ticket valid on any day?+
Within its validity, yes: the same-day return, the return within three days and the return within 90 days are not tied to a time, you take the next ferry. The return is a separate document with its own QR code, so keep it ready when boarding. What the options cost is in the price overview.
Is the night fare worth it for the journey home?+
If you are leaving late anyway. The night ticket is only valid for sailings between 22:00 and 04:00 and is sold from 15 September to 15 July; it is cheaper than the standard fare but tied to that window. If you reach the pier earlier, you wait or pay the standard fare.
What comes next in Villa San Giovanni?+
By car straight onto the A2 towards Salerno and Naples, the slip road is at the port. Without a car, walk to Villa San Giovanni station by the port, where long-distance and regional trains run up the Tyrrhenian coast. Motorhome, trailer and pets: Motorhome on the ferry and Pets on the ferry.