Messina is in the northeast of Sicily, Italy. It is only 5 km across the Straits of Messina to the region of Calabria on the mainland.
Get in
By boat
There are at least hourly ferries to Villa San Giovanni on the mainland and also several hydrofoils each day to Reggio di Calabria.
Some days, visitors arrive by cruise ships... most frequently in the summer season. Ships often berth right downtown, within an easy walk to a popular piazza, dominated by the clock tower (pictured), and which is served by many tour buses and a hop-on/hop-off double-decked bus offering a modest overview of the waterfront portion of the city.
By train
Messina is Sicily's link to the main Italian train network. Long distance trains from Rome and Naples cross the Straits of Messina by ferry and continue on to Palermo and Catania. Regular regional trains also run to Milazzo, Cefalu, Taormina and Syracuse.
By bus
Long-distance buses stop in Messina, linking Rome and Naples to Catania and Palermo. Regular buses also run to Taormina and Milazzo (for the Aeolian Islands)
