How to get from Calabria to Sicily by car
Last updated on January 11th, 2026.
I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve made the journey by car from Calabria to Sicily.
The drive through Calabria is long and tiring but it also rewards you with sublime views on both sides.
And as someone familiar with this journey, I want to share how to get from Calabria to Sicily by car.
In this post, I'll be listing all the available options to reach Sicily by car. I'll also be offering my local opinion on which service I think is best.
One of the best places to visit in Italy, use this post to help plan your Italy trip to Sicily.
Our first time driving this route was on our road trip from Sicily to Perugia, and then from Siena to Vicenza.
The scenery offers a mix of mountainous terrain mixed in with glimpses of the sea. A perfect drive when the sun is out and the skies are blue, it's one that will keep you transfixed.
How to get from Calabria to Sicily by car
Arrive in Villa San Giovanni
Once you’ve made the long drive down the ‘boot’ part of Calabria, you eventually arrive at Villa San Giovanni.
The city in the province of Reggio Calabria overlooks the Strait of Messina. Very much a residential city, Villa San Giovanni is most famous for its port. It's also here where you’ll find the main ferry terminal to reach Messina in Sicily.
Waiting times to board the ferry at Villa San Giovanni depends on when you plan to visit Sicily. Winter and early spring in Italy is still within off-peak season and lines should be shorter. In contrast, expect to see long lines and a fair waiting time in summer.
The main ferry carriers in Sicily
There are several ferry carriers that will take you from Calabria to Sicily by car. They include:
- Caronte & Tourist
- Blu Jet lines (for passengers) Blu Ferries (for cars)
- Liberty Lines (passenger only)
To be clear, the above lines will only take you from Villa San Giovanni in Calabria to Messina in Sicily. If you want to reach Palermo by ferry (with car), Tirrenia, Grimaldi Lines or GNV offer these services.
However, these lines operate on much longer — and more expensive — routes. They include:
- Civitavecchia (Lazio) to Palermo Termini Imerese (GNV): approximately 12h 45m/€158 ($174/£136)
- Livorno (Tuscany) to Palermo (Grimaldi Lines): approximately 19h 30m/€271 ($299/£233)
- Napoli to Palermo (GNV, Tirrenia and Grimaldi Lines): approximately 11h 30m/€118 ($130/£102)
- Genoa to Palermo (GNV): approximately 20h 30m/€318 ($351/£274)
Don’t settle
From the list of ferry carriers going from Calabria to Messina in Sicily, we’ve always gone with Caronte & Tourist.
Why? I don’t have a good answer for you. Caronte & Tourist is the most popular ferry carrier and we tended to follow the crowds — and the lines.
But, we discovered another ferry carrier called Blu Jet. They offer the same route from Calabria to Messina in Sicily and for a slightly cheaper price.
Escape the crowds
The biggest advantage to choosing Blu Jet over Caronte & Tourist was that there were no lines. No line for buying your ticket and no line for boarding the ferry.
Was there a catch? No.
The two main differences between Caronte & Tourist and Blu Jet was the end destination in Messina and journey time.
Caronte & Tourist takes you to the Port of Messina while Blu Jet takes you to Tremestieri Port. Between the two, there is a journey time of around 20 minutes by car.
Map of Sicily
What is the difference?
The Port of Messina is better if you plan to visit Messina or want to drive on to Palermo. It’s also closer to reach Milazzo Port to get the ferry to reach the Aeolian Islands.
I covered this same route when discussing the different ways to get around Sicily. It’s an in-depth guide on transport options and is useful for first-time visitors.
Tremestieri Port is a good choice if you plan to visit places on the east coast of Sicily like Catania, Taormina, Syracuse or Noto. Arriving here means you get to skip the traffic in Messina and continue directly onto the highway.
For us, Tremestieri Port is also a quicker option for reaching our home in Sicily on the east coast.
Contacting Blu Jet or Blu Ferries
While I highly recommend taking Blu Jet and Blue Ferries over Caronte & Tourist, booking tickets online isn't straightforward.
For one, there's no English translation on either website so it's not user-friendly for non-Italian speakers.
Another thing that was brought to my attention is the 'send' button on the Blu Jet 'request information' (richiesta informazioni) page. Click on 'Info e Contatti' on the homepage and you'll see 3 tabs on the left hand side. The request information page is listed here under which you'll find a contact box.
Unfortunately, it appears that the 'send' (invia) button on the contact form doesn't work when you try to send a message.
There are, however, the following email addresses and telephone numbers should you need to contact Blu Jet or Blu Ferries. I'm not sure whether the respondent will speak English so bear this in mind before calling.
Email addresses
Telephone
- (+39) 3409848540 for the office in Villa San Giovanni
- (+39) 3423255869 for the office in Messina
- (+39) 090774409 for the ticket office in Messina Marittima
How long is the ferry ride from Calabria to Sicily?
From Villa San Giovanni in Calabria, the ferry ride to Messina Port in Sicily takes around 20 minutes. It takes a little longer to reach Tremestieri Port, around 25 to 30 minutes.
How much is the ferry ride from Calabria to Sicily?
From my research, online prices from Calabria to Sicily mostly remain the same throughout the year. Below are some examples of the cost of ferry tickets:
One-way ticket (car, 2 adults)
Villa San Giovanni to Messina Port: €34.65 ($38/£30)
Roundtrip (car, 2 adults)
Villa San Giovanni to Messina Port and back: €69.30 ($76.4/£60) (the price is the same if traveling with 2 adults and 2 kids)
It's worth noting that there may also be a handling fee of when you book online. I saw one of €8 ($9/£7) and this is applied twice for a roundtrip ticket. I don’t remember this being applicable if you buy directly from the ticket office but I'm not 100% sure.
Is it better to buy ferry tickets in advance?
From our experience there are several pros and cons to buying your Calabria to Sicily ferry tickets in advance online.
✅ The pros are:
- you save time by having to buy a ticket at the office
- it may be cheaper online than at the ticket office (Blu Ferries offers a 5% discount online)
- it’s more convenient
❌ The cons are:
- you may incur a fee if you want to change/cancel the date you want to travel
- you may choose another carrier at the last minute
- less flexibility
Where are the ferry ticket offices in Calabria and Messina?
These are the ticket offices where you can buy your ferry ticket to get to and from Calabria to Sicily:
Caronte & Tourist
Messina: Rada San Francesco, Imbarco traghetti 3
Villa San Giovanni, Calabria: Terminal ticketing, Viale Umberto Zanotti Bianco
Blu Jet
Villa San Giovanni, Calabria: 2, E45, Villa San Giovanni
Reggio Calabria: Banchina Margottini
Messina: Via Luigi Rizzo
My recommendation
Speaking from personal experience, it’s not a bad idea to book your ferry tickets from Calabria to Sicily in advance. It's a wise move, especially in summer when you’ll be waiting alongside other eager holidaying Italians.
For us, taking Blu Jet ferries from Calabria to Sicily was a positive experience. The only downside was that there was no clear signage directing towards the ticket office at Villa San Giovanni.
Instead, we were informed about Blu Jet by a port worker directing the traffic. He pointed towards the Blu Jet ferry and told us that there was no line and that it was cheaper. He wasn't wrong.
We paid slightly less for our ticket (€33/$36/£28) than Caronte & Tourist and had a very relaxing and quiet ride. There were less passengers on deck, no long lines for the bathroom and it was a much more organized trip.
It's why I’d recommend Blu Jet as the best ferry service to get from Calabria to Sicily by car. This is based on my opinion and experience of using the service.
What are your thoughts on this post detailing of how to get from Calabria to Sicily by car? Was it helpful, did I miss anything out? Let me know in the comments below.
*Prices correct at the time of publishing
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.
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Hello,
When I check Blue Jet I only see passenger ferry service. I tried to request information but when I hit send nothing happens. Is blujetlimes.it correct? Do they provide a car ferry service?
Hi Joe, Blujet services both commercial and public vehicles, this is what we took when traveling to Sicily. It doesn't seem to be publicised on the website, I'm not sure why. We paid for our ticket on arrival at the ticket office. A worker guiding the flow of traffic advised us to go with Blujet. You're right, the contact button doesn't work. Try emailing them instead? Under the contatti (contacts) tab there are some email addresses there.
Hello. Although the intent of this email is not comments, I've enjoyed reading your site and I do not know what email to use to reach you. Your blog has many good tips! However, I am not tech savvy. I am trying to book a ferry with my car on Blue Jet from Villa S. Giovanni to Tremestieri Port because we will be driving to Taormina from the port. I do not see that BlueJet goes to Tremestieri Port on their site. Also, is Bluferries the same line??? Did you take the other line you mentioned, Caronte to Tremestirei? I also tried to email them BluJet and it would not submit when I clicked on the "submit" . I'm afraid to book and then find out it's the wrong one when I arrive at the port. Thank you for any advice you can give.
Rosanne Igneri
Hi Rosanne, thank you for your comment. I replied to you by email 🙂
So glad to come across your site and useful information Lisa.
We will be taking our rental car from Sicily to Riggio Calabria in February and plan on exploring that area before slowly driving up to Rome before returning home to Sacramento, California
Your insights has given me confidence that we are making a good decision to keep our rental from start to finish
In Italy .
Thank you !
Ron & Cindi McKeowm
Hi Ron, I am so happy to help! I know you will have a great time here, yes keep your rental 😀
I've never seen a place like this before! I appreciate you sharing your photos with us. It feels like I am there too.
My pleasure
The picturesque landscapes, charming towns, and historical sites along the way make it a must-do travel experience. T
Thank you
Thanks for describing the trip from Calabria to Sicily with car. Blu Jet seems like the better of the 2 indeed.
It is definitely our choice!
I always wonder about driving in Europe. We have not been anywhere in Europe but want to attempt a road trip. These are great tips!
Thank you! I hope you consider doing a road trip here one day 🙂
For our first visit to Sicily we are taking the train. So cool to visit an island by train. But one day we would look to do the trip by car. So it was great to read your tips for getting to Sicily by car. Good to know there are some ferries that take cars and to remember that the timing varies by season and that different lines have different end points. We booked all of our ferry rides in Sicily in advance. But did already have to pay for a change. But still glad we know we can travel when we need to.
That's great Linda! We never had a problem with the trains in Sicily. You will probably need to take a taxi to some places that are a bit of a distance from the station
Having a car is really important when I go on holiday - thank you so much for the price break downs of the different ferries - it feels like you did all the work for me when it comes to planning!
I'm happy to help! They are approximate prices as of course they can change 🙂
We have never been to Sicily. It's always been a place we have admired but never visited. We must try.
I hope you consider visiting one day 🙂
We might take your recommendation to take the Ferry. I think it`s great way from Calabria to Sicily.
It is the only way!
Ah, seeing these beautiful pictures of Bella Italia makes me want to pack my bag right away! I can't wait for the Biennale to come to have an 'excuse' to go to Venice for the hundreds time 😉
This post is certainly super-helpful for those who are driving, but I am not. I'm taking trains in Italy and I'm loving it. Never had problems with trenitalia as opposed to Germany. I still don't understand why Italians are saying 'puntuale come un treno tedesco' - and they are not referring to a person that's always late which they should. Howsoever, isn't it crazy how right now also in Sicily? When I go back, I'll go in September or October when the killer heat is over 🙂
Yes it's really hot right now. We are having some fires, not like in Greece, but it's very worrying. I like that you like the trains here. I also never had an issue honestly, not yet anyway!
This is such a beautiful city wow! Take me to Italy now...I've been a few years ago and loved it!!!
That's great to read
I love road trips with a gorgeous view. This looks like an amazing place to visit, I'd love to take this trip someday.
I hope so too
Wow, what an adventure! 🚗💨 I can imagine the drive from Calabria to Sicily must be both challenging and incredibly rewarding with those breathtaking views. It's always exciting to explore new routes during road trips, and your experiences from Sicily to Perugia and Siena to Vicenza sound like unforgettable journeys.
Thanks Sue. It's a journey we do all the time and the views never disappoint
Should be an awesome trip going to Sicily by car! This is very helpful!
Glad to read it
Thank you, this is such a great guide on how to get to Sicily by car. I have never been before but it is a trip that I would love to do.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Visit us one day, you will not regret it!
This is definitely a great post for those considering travelling by car, it also gives you the chance to take in scenery and stop for breaks
Thank you. I hope it helps others traveling to Sicily by car
That’s a very informative and helpful post. Travelling by car is so fun can stop by anywhere, take pictures and enjoy the views. I would love to visit Calabria to Sicily by car someday.
Thank you, I hope you visit one day soon