- Sleeper trains
- Stops
- Messina
Messina Centrale by sleeper train
Sicily's first stop after the ferry, with the noon astronomical clock show and easy trains to Taormina.
Reasons to get off here
- The cathedral bell tower's astronomical clock comes to life at noon, a show of about 12 minutes
- The Norman cathedral, rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and wartime bombing
- Fontana di Orione, Montorsoli's 16th-century fountain beside the cathedral
- Regional Museum with works by Antonello da Messina and Caravaggio
- Messina Marittima (rail ferry quay), about 300 m from the station
- Messina Porto (fast boats to the mainland), about 400 m
- Regional trains to Taormina-Giardini: roughly 45 to 60 minutes
- Blujet fast boats to Villa San Giovanni (20 minutes) and Reggio Calabria (30 minutes)
When the night train calls
| Train | Direction | Arrives | Leaves | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercity Notte Rome–Sicily · ICN 1955 | Rome → Naples → (ferry) → Messina → Palermo | 05:15 | 05:55 | Daily |
| Intercity Notte Rome–Sicily · ICN 1954 | Palermo → Messina → (ferry) → Naples → Rome | 20:40 | 20:55 | Daily |
Local times from each operator’s published timetable; see each route page for sources.
Check your date before travelling.
Villa San Giovanni
Mainly a crossing point: the train is shunted onto the ferry to Sicily here.
Little reason to alight unless switching to a fast boat.
Stop-off guide →Next stop · Intercity Notte Rome–SicilyMilazzo
The main gateway to the Aeolian Islands, with a vast clifftop castle worth a night before the boat.
Stop-off guide →Messina Centrale, answered
Intercity Notte Rome–Sicily.
Times in both directions are below.
ICN 1955 (Rome–Naples–(ferry)–Messina–Palermo): arrives 05:15, leaves 05:55; ICN 1954 (Palermo–Messina–(ferry)–Naples–Rome): arrives 20:40, leaves 20:55.
Times are local and can change for engineering works.
Sicily's first stop after the ferry, with the noon astronomical clock show and easy trains to Taormina.
We would allow: a few hours.
Usually only by booking two separate journeys: most sleeper fares are for one train on one date, and you cannot get off and rejoin the same ticket the next night.
Check the fare rules with the operator when you book.