Sicily

You have come to the right place! I cannot answer all of your questions, but I will answer what I know, and others will add to it! 1. Yes it's safe to go there. In fact I had the best vacation of my life in Sicily. 2. There is a Ferry that goes to Messina, I don't know the details because I didn't use it. The trip to Sicily we landed in Rome and flew into Catania. 3. I don't think there are a lot of trains in Sicily, but there are busses to get you from city to city. Many people rent cars. I didn't, I used a private driver for side trips from my base. If you want info on that Private Message me and I will give you the info, if you're going to the
same area I went to. There are a number of guide books to Sicily, and Lonely Planet does a great job. Go to Barnes & Noble, or even the library first to see which one appeals to you. Trip Advisor is also another source of information. Have you previously travelled to Italy and want to try Sicily now? Agree with you that RS should address Sicily! Shame on him! Where in Sicily are you going? It is huge, not just a little island like some people think. How much time are you spending there?

I just checked out Trip Advisor, and there ARE trains, but they all seem to have a separate website. So figure out which cities you want to see, and then
go to the Sicily Forum on Trip Advisor and someone will help you. If you have interest in renting an apartment in Taormina, let me know, and I'll give you the website I used when we rented.

Robbie, Sicily is one of my favorite places. There are trains but they are mostly regional, so the Trenitalia site will only show tickets for the next week or so; enter a date in that time period instead of when you actually plan to go. Remember to validate regional tickets before you board.
There are buses as well which may be more convenient. There is a ferry, but you may prefer to fly into Palermo or Catania.

1. Yes, much safer than staying at home in the US. In spite of what you hear about the mafia, Palermo (pop. 800,000) has half the murders of San Francisco (pop. 800,000). 2. Yes 3. Yes
4. Yes, there are trains in Sicily, although many locations are better reached by bus. However, flying to either Palermo or Catania, will likely save you a bunch of time.

My husband and I just returned from 3 weeks in Italy that included a week in Sicily. Very safe! It was my favorite part of the trip and I have been to Italy a few times. We had a car so I can't help you with transportation but I saw lots of buses and I know there are trains between major regional cities. I know there is a train from Palermo to Messina. There is a train from Naples that attaches to a train ferry to get you to Sicily. We did the car ferry and it was super easy. I would find a good hotel in Palermo and let them help you with transportation after you get there. They probably could recommend a good travel agent who can give you all the details even before you leave. Do not miss Villa S. Gionanni.

Robbie, in order to get a private message you have to go to the travelers helpline, sign in, go to "my profile" and "new Messages" will appear.
Click on that. The website is "magicofsicily.com" Let me know! I'd give you email address, but this is a very public website, and I'd give it to you via private message. You're going to have a great trip!