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Book a cabin on the ferry, and bring your own food/drinks (they are horribly overpriced on the ferry). The cabin is useful if you are doing an overnight journey (the one I did was from Naples to Palermo) and trust me, it is very very hard to keep possession of a couch or patch of floor in the lounge area (though have to say people were very friendly and chatty most of the night).

If you are taking the bigger ferry, the cinema is a good place to go sleep and the lifejackets make good pillows.

Which port are you going from?

You have various options! Drive... well it'll take between 8 and 10 hours. The road south of Salerno to Reggio Calabria is pretty horrible, and at the moment is full of contraflows. The weather near Potenza/Cosenza this time of year is pretty foggy and unpleasant too. The ferry will cost at least 38 euro one way, but they go virtually every 10 minutes and take 40 mins to cross the straits.

Ferry from Naples, you have two options. To Palermo... this time of year they will be largely empty, fares are ridiculously low and you can get a cabin for about 30 euro. The ferries to Palermo tend to be more modern. Or Naples to Catania, takes the same amount of time, but is much more of a car ferry than a passenger ferry with cars, if you get my meaning. TTT lines goes to Catania.
All ferries leave Naples about 9 pm and get in at 6 or 7am.

[QUOTE=macavell@iinet.net.au]I am planning to drive from Rome (Fiumicino) to the ferry to Sicily. Do you have any smart tips to make the journey as pleasant as possible. Have been to Italy several time but never to Sicily.
ciao
barry[/QUOTE]

Hi
Try the site Grande Nave Veloci. You can book your ferry from there. Take plenty of food with you and book a cabin. Pretty hair raising stuff driving in Italy!! We do it every year, but this year taking the plane.