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How to travel by train from London to Sicily, Italy

Travel flight-free by train from London to Sicily with just one overnight stop en route by travelling on Eurostar from London St Pancras via Paris, Milan (overnight) and Naples then down to Sicily, or take the train to Milan and catch the sleeper service to Sicily. 

The toe of Italy's boot, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Home to the volcanic Mount Etna and a huge range of beautiful landscapes and cultural sights, from temples, ampitheatres and cathedrals.


The coastal village of Scopello, northwest Sicily. Photo: Wix Media
The coastal village of Scopello, northwest Sicily. Photo: Wix Media

Flight-free travel by train from London to Sicily:

Journey Time: approx 48 hours

Changes: Option 1: 3; Option 2: 2

Transfer: There are two options:

Option 1: Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon then train to Milan (stay overnight) and take train to Naples the following day where you change to the train to Sicily

Option 2: Paris Gare du Nord to stay overnight in Paris then following morning take the train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Milan to catch sleeper from Milan to Sicily

Sample timetable: Option 1: Depart London 9.31am, arrive Paris Gare du Nord at 12.47, then take train from Gare de Lyon at 2.43pm, arriving Milan Porto Garibaldi at 9.49pm. The next day take the 8.30am train from Milan Centrale, arriving Naples Centrale at 1.10pm then change trains to catch the 1.45pm to Palermo arriving 11.05pm

Option 2: Depart London 4.31pm, arrive Paris 7.56pm, overnight in Paris then the following day take the 06.46 train from Gare de Lyon arriving Milan at 1.49pm (there are laters trains to Milan but they require a change of train, e.g. the 07.22 requires changing in Basel and arrives in Milan at 3.55pm). Then board the sleeper from Milan which departs from Milano Centrale at 7.40pm and arrives in at Palermo Centrale at 4.55pm the following day.

Frequency of Departures: 23/day

Carbon emissions: 18.51kg (flight would be 243.9kg)*

Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available.

How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation

If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries.

On Board Eurostar

For ticket types (Standard, Plus and Premier) and information on what it's like on board, see our Guide to Eurostar

What's the journey like?

Option 1: You have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a quarter to get the connection). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris. At Gare de Lyon, you board a TGV high speed train to 'Milan Porta Garibaldi' station in Milan. The departing train to Naples Centrale the following day departs from Milan Centrale (about 30 minute walk away) so choose to stay overnight next to either of those stations. In Naples, you then change trains in the same station (Naples Centrale) to take the high speed train all the way to Sicily.


Option 2: On arriving in Paris at Gare du Nord, you will stay overnight in Paris then the following morning make your way to Gare de Lyon where you board a TGV high speed train to 'Milan Porta Garibaldi' station in Milan. The departing sleeper train to Sicily the following day departs from Milan Centrale (about 30 minute walk away - or you could take a taxi) and arrives late afternoon the following day.

Miss your connection?

Don’t panic. Railteam’s ‘Hop on the Next Available Train’ service means that if you have missed your connection because of a delay on the preceding leg of your journey, you’ll automatically be put on the next available high-speed train. NB Remember to get your ticket stamped by your Train Manager.

Stopover in Paris 🏠

If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the two railway stations (ie the station you arrive at on the Eurostar in Paris – Gare du Nord, and the station that you depart from Paris – Gare de Lyon).


Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉

Grand Hotel de Paris and Hôtel Kabanel are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare du Nord


Hotels close to Gare de Lyon 🚉

citizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is one of 5 citizenM hotels in Paris that aim to provide 'affordable luxury' in central city locations. Billed as 'hybrid hotels', they're as much about places to work as they are to sleep, with the idea that you can meet local people in a smart, cozy environment. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Gare de Lyon


Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚

Mob Hotel is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer).


Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️

If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel (2-star) | Hôtel Malar (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees) | Hôtel Du Printemps, about a mile from Gare de Lyon.

Stopover in Lyon, Turin or Milan

Whether you take route one via Paris or route two via Lille, you will overnight in either Lyon or Turin (or Milan) where there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the railway stations, see below:

Hotels near Lyon Part Dieu | Hotels near Turin Porta Susa | Hotels near Milan Porta Garibaldi | Hotels near Milan Centrale

Stopover in Naples 🏠

If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Naples while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near Naples Centrale railway station.


Hotels close to Naples Centrale station 🚉

Royal Rooms B&B is 100 yds from the station, while the eco-certified B&B Hotel Napoli is about 350 yds. For more hotels near the station, see Hotels near Naples Centrale Railwy Station


Eco-certified hotels in Naples ✔️

If you're looking for other sustainable green hotels in Naples, then these two have been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Eurostars Hotel Excelsior and Exe Majestic.

On arrival in Sicily

Benvenuti in Sicilia! If you’re arriving on the train from Naples you'll arrive at Palermo Central Station close to where many of the ferries arrive.

Map of hotels near Palermo railway station, Sicily

(yellow marker is the railway station)


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* Data for carbon emissions

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