Driving from Puglia to Sicily?

Check with your car-rental agency to be sure it allows its cars to be taken on the ferry. I think that is sometimes prohibited.

I've taken that ferry crossing, but it was part of the rail journey down from Rome.

Haven't done this specific route, but we have driven from Venice to Messina and gone on the ferry --- this was in 2001. Have also driven from Bari to Naples, and that was fine, too. Just a few weeks ago, we drove from Rome to Lecce because the train we wanted to take to Lecce was full --- that was about 6 hours Google driving time and more like 8 hours actual driving time. Google says your route, Bari to Messina, would be 5.5 hours, so sounds doable to me! Looks like a nice highway with rest stops. I hope someone who has actually done your route can answer you.

I say "we," but it's my husband who drives. Loves driving in Italy, including on squiggly mountain roads and in medieval towns. The highways are easy. Have you driven in Italy before and know the road signs?

Yes, the ferry is very reliable. Departure every 20' for a 20' journey between Villa San Giovanni and Messina.
https://carontetourist.it/en/caronte/schedule-strait-messina-passengers

You may check reviews here https://maps.app.goo.gl/wzphWoUK9YaaaXuz9

My husband does the driving in Italy, too. He loves it, although we really should include some euros for speeding tickets in our trip budget as we almost always get one in the mail after returning home! We are generally familiar with the road signs but were stumped by one on our last driving trip so there is more for us to learn.

Two years ago my husband and I spent a month in Italy - we drove from Tuscany to Villa San Giovanni (through central Italy, not the coasts, a route I highly recommend for scenery and generally non- or less-touristed areas) and then took the car on the ferry to Sicily for two weeks . We didn't have any issues with our car rental, but it didn't occur to us to ask and there was no disclosure by the rental company. It's a very short ferry trip to Messina.

I'd suggest either staying the night before your ferry in Villa San Giovanni, or arriving a couple of hours early, as it's a bit confusing to find the terminal. And one of the few times we got lost was in Messina, trying to get from the terminal back to the dorrect highway.

I'd suggest either staying the night before your ferry in Villa San Giovanni, or arriving a couple of hours early, as it's a bit confusing to find the terminal.

Really? Nothing more easy. You just take the exit (=Uscita) Villa San Giovanni/Porto https://maps.app.goo.gl/LR34is7ko9zk1cHt9 and automatically arrive at the signs pointing to the embarcation point https://maps.app.goo.gl/Wbkyje37jU2Je2Gf8

To clarify: yes, really. Villa San GIovanni is a major terminal and there is a lot of signage. We stayed in the city for two nights so didn't approach it from the highway, but through neighborhoods - that's probably why it was a little tricky. Just our experience.

@Gayle did it last year in early May.

From our rented Trulli just outside Martina Franca. Two leased Citroens. We were on holiday and had heaps of time to enjoy the drive across to the ferry port.

Accessing the loading dock was well signed in Italian together with workers in hi-vis to help. The ferry ride was enjoyable. We grabbed a drink and sat outside as the strait was crossed taking in the vista.

Simple to drive through Messina and to our agriturismo south of Catania.

Returning was a little tricky as a motor cyclist had been knocked down in the main street of Messina.

To ease any anxiety may be worth your time to do a search on YouTube for visual experiences of others using the ferry. Both ways.

Regards Ron