messina
 

has anyone stayed in messina italy
we are on a cruise in sept docking in rome's port at 5am on 17th and have 5 days flying out on the 22 at 10am
My travelling companions want to visit Messina where their grandparents came from Is it a waste of time all I can read about it seems like a port to pass through
what is the best way to travel there
They have all been to rome before but I would like to spend at least a day there visiting the sistine chapel and the spanish steps as it is my very first trip overseas and probably the last any comments please

Sadly there is very little to see in Messina except the astronomical clock, and then only at noon. The city was almost totally destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1908 and bombed in wwII. What was rebuilt was more modern and not very interesting. There is an overnight ferry from Civitavecchia to Palermo then you have a long train ride to Messina or an overnight ferry from Naples through the Aeolian Islands to Milazzo then a bus to Messina. It is the least interesting part of La Bella Sicilia.

Taormina is only a short distance from Messina. You can swing by Messina on the way to Taormina.

I agree that although much of Sicily is beautiful/fascinating, Messina isn't. I would stay in Rome the whole time if you think you can separate from the others.
If you all go to Sicily I would concentrate on staying somewhere other than Messina (maybe Taormina which is close to Messina and has bus and train connections)
My 2006 Frommer's Italy says there are trains direct to Messina from Rome and that the trip takes about 8 hours. You might be able to take an overnight train which would save you some touring time, maybe buy you another day in Rome.

Best to save Sicily for a trip of it's own, because it takes 2 weeks just to begin to see all that's there.

There are also overnight ferries from Napoli to Catania (www.tttlines.it) and from Salerno to Messina (www.carontetourist.it). If you go south by train, trains cross by ferry from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, so will take you from Roma to Messina.
Messina really is very uninteresting but you can easily go on to the Eolian islands, Taormina, Siracusa and many other more interesting places.