Train ferry to catania

The ferry crossing isn't at Catania; it's between Villa San Giovanni (on the mainland side) and Messina (in Sicily). It's likely that the train will split at Messina, with some cars heading south to Catania and others heading west to Palermo. According to the Trenitalia website, the fastest transit time from Messina to Catania is 74 minutes, but many trains take around 2 hours to cover than distance.

The whole train gets put on the ferry, and then the passengers get off and can spend some time on deck (which makes on wonder what the point is really). Do take your valuables with you if you leave the train though.

Check Trenitalia.com for train schedules, and train route information.

There are some IC (Intercity) trains that travel from the mainland (across the strait) to Messina, and continue onward to Catania without involving any train changes. Some journeys will require several train changes.
The number of train changes will depend on the train you choose and your departure station.

Where will you be traveling from, Rome, Naples, Salerno, or Villa San Giovanni?

Thanks for clarifying. We’ll be traveling from Rome. I was under the impression the ferry crossing was at catania.

Going from Rome to Catania takes at least a half day by train through areas that are not very scenic. I would suggest flying from Rome to Catania and not losing precious vacation time.