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Trenitalia · Every night, both ways

Train to SicilyRome to Sicily, the train that takes a ship

The last place in Europe where a passenger train goes to sea.

The Intercity Notte leaves Rome after dinner, runs down past Naples and the Calabrian coast, and in the small hours at Villa San Giovanni is divided and shunted onto a train ferry.

You can sleep through the Strait of Messina, or go up on deck for the dawn.

PausedRoma TerminiDepart 20:14
Portion to SiracusaRoma TerminiLatinaFormia-GaetaNapoli CentraleSalernoVilla San GiovanniMilazzoCefalùTermini ImeresePalermo Centrale
Next: Latina
Nights on board0 night13h 10m to Palermo
Route length, as drawn0 kmMeasured along our mapped line through every waypoint.
Scheduled stops shown0 stopsEvery night, both ways
Timetable

Every stop, both ways

Every night, both ways.

Times from the operator’s published timetable; track works can change them, and booked passengers are told of changes.

Rome → Naples → (ferry) → Messina → Palermo

ICN 1955 · Daily

Arr.Dep.Station
—20:14Roma Termini
20:4320:44Latina
21:1621:17Formia-Gaeta
22:2322:33Napoli Centrale
23:1323:15Salerno
02:5003:40Villa San Giovanni ⛴next day
05:1505:55Messina Centrale
06:1506:17Milazzo
06:2206:24Barcellona P.G.
06:3606:38Patti
06:5607:09Capo d’Orlando
07:2307:25Sant’Agata di Militello
—07:48Santo Stefano di Camastra
08:1908:21Cefalù
08:3808:51Termini Imerese
09:24—Palermo Centrale

Palermo → Messina → (ferry) → Naples → Rome

ICN 1954 · Daily

Arr.Dep.Station
—17:12Palermo Centrale
17:5017:55Termini Imerese
18:2518:27Cefalù
18:5118:53Santo Stefano di Camastra
19:1219:14Sant’Agata di Militello
19:2619:28Capo d’Orlando
19:4919:51Patti
20:0320:05Barcellona P.G.
20:1020:12Milazzo
20:4020:55Messina Centrale ⛴
22:2022:50Villa San Giovanni
23:4823:51Lamezia Terme
04:3304:35Formia-Gaetanext day
05:1305:15Latina
05:56—Roma Termini

Source: nachtzug.net, Rome → Palermo and Palermo → Rome (updated June 2026) ↗

Rooms and fares

Choose your berth

From a reclining seat to a suite with its own shower.

Pick a class to see what you get and what it costs.

Relax sleeper, triple

A private room for three with made-up beds, washbasin, towel and amenity kit, and breakfast.

From €49.90 per person

Lowest advance fares per person per bed, as published by seat61 for 2026.

Fares vary with demand; booking opens up to four months ahead.

There are no en suite sleepers on the Sicily trains since 2025. The Man in Seat 61, Rome & Naples to Sicily by train (2026) ↗

When to go

Pick the right month

Daylight decides what you see from the window.

Hover a month for the verdict.

Best months Runs Not running

Runs every night of the year.

From May to September it is light, or nearly so, as the ferry docks in Messina at about five, and the north coast of Sicily is in sunshine from Milazzo to Palermo.

From the window

What you’ll see

01

The train ferry

Europe’s only regular passenger trains to go to sea, shunted on at Villa San Giovanni and off at Messina.

02

Dawn on the Strait

Go up on deck as the ferry sails past the gilded Madonna della Lettera into Messina harbour.

03

Sicily’s north coast

Breakfast along the Tyrrhenian shore through Cefalù to Palermo.

04

Two Sicilies, one train

The train divides at Messina: one portion for Palermo, the other for Taormina, Catania and Siracusa.

Questions

Intercity Notte Rome–Sicily, answered

train to sicilyrome to sicily trainrome to palermo trainsleeper train to sicilytrain ferry to sicilyintercity notte rome palermo

Yes.

At Villa San Giovanni the train is divided into sections and shunted onto the rail deck of a ferry, which crosses the Strait of Messina.

It is the only place in Europe where passenger trains still go onto ferries. seat61 ↗

ICN 1955 leaves Roma Termini at 20:14 and reaches Palermo Centrale at 09:24.

Northbound, ICN 1954 leaves Palermo at 17:12 and arrives in Rome at 05:56. Timetable ↗

Yes.

The crossing is in the small hours southbound; most passengers sleep through it, but you can go up on deck.

Yes.

Each train has two portions that split or join at Messina: one serves Cefalù and Palermo, the other Taormina, Catania and Siracusa. seat61 ↗

From €39.90 per person in a 4-berth couchette, €49.90 in a triple sleeper, €59.90 in a double and €84.90 for a single, on the cheapest advance fares. seat61 ↗

Yes.

The Intercity Notte from Milan is Italy’s longest sleeper journey, also crossing the Strait by ferry. Night train map →

Stop-offs

Every stop, and why you might get off

Sources

Times are from the operator’s published timetable and can change.

The animation runs to the scheduled pace between stops; intermediate points are drawn to follow the line, not to show timings.

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