Unless you are flying into Sicily the only way to get there is by boat. Since Sicily is an island, visitors arrive at various points but the shortest ferry crossing point is at the narrow Strait of Messina. The ferry crossing here is one of the most unusual in the world as ferries accommodate various modes of transportation.
Crossing the Strait of Messina on a Train, Car or on Foot
Ferries depart the mainland from Villa San Giovanni in the region of Reggio Calabria and cross into Sicily at Messina. The unique thing about this ferry crossing is that there are also train ferries departing from the main train station. The trains actually are driven onto a long ferry which has railway tracks inside.
The Strait of Messina connects the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Ionian Sea in southern Italy. Although the Strait of Messina is only two miles wide at is narrowest point, the distance from Villa San Giovanni to Messina is closer to five miles. The ferry crossing for cars takes approximately 20 minutes. It was nice to get out of the car and feel the breeze blowing as I was able to see Messina from the perspective of the water. Similar to other ferries this one has a food and beverage service onboard where passengers can have coffee and pastries as well as other snacks during the short ride.
History
The ferries between the mainland and Sicily began operating in 1886 when the railway arrived in this region of Italy. The company operating the ferries today is called Bluvia and a fleet of 12 ferries transports passengers and cars from the mainland to Sicily in both directions. The fleet makes a total of 150 trips each day.
Four of the ferries are designated for the transport of trains and there are three high speed ferries for transporting passengers to the airport in Reggio-Calabria.
The oldest train ferry is over 40 years old and the newest is 24 years old. Of the car ferries the newest is 13 years old. Cost for the crossing is approximately 28-30 euros per car one way, depending on the number of passengers.
Bridge Proposals
For years Italy has had discussions about building a bridge over the Strait of Messina and since nothing ever happens fast in Italy, the idea still is just an idea. Recently however serious plans have been decided to build the world’s largest single span suspension bridge at a cost of over 6 billion dollars. Construction was supposed to have started this December and nobody is surprised that the bridge is still just an idea, particularly in today’s unstable economic climate.