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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Reggio Calabria
Give Reggio Calabria one full day for the Riace Bronzes and the lungomare, then take the ferry to Sicily: two nights if you also want Scilla and Aspromonte.
Reggio Calabria sits on the toe of Italy, a ferry port facing Messina across the Strait. Its one unmissable sight is the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, home to the two Riace Bronzes, 5th-century BCE warrior statues pulled from the sea in 1972. The rest is a long seafront promenade, a rebuilt cathedral and a castle shell. Most travellers pass through in a day, or use it as the gateway to Sicily and to Scilla and Aspromonte to the north.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and crowded), and the peak of the Festa della Madonna in mid-September if you want quiet
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 113 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at the bar | €1–1.50 |
| Gelato brioche | €2.50–4 |
| Pizza or pasta at a casual trattoria | €8–15 |
| Museum entry (Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia) | €10 (€2 for 25 and under) |
| Aragonese Castle entry | €5 |
| Bergamotto liqueur, bottle | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- REG · Reggio Calabria Airport (Aeroporto dello Stretto)
- About 5 km south at Ravagnese; ITA Airways from Rome FCO, Milan LIN, Turin and Bergamo; buses run to the centre and portAbout 3.1 mi south at Ravagnese; ITA Airways from Rome FCO, Milan LIN, Turin and Bergamo; buses run to the centre and port
- SUF · Lamezia Terme Airport
- About 130 km north; Ryanair and EasyJet fly here, not to Reggio; onward by train or busAbout 81 mi north; Ryanair and EasyJet fly here, not to Reggio; onward by train or bus
Typical fares
- Ferry Reggio → Messina, on foot
- about €3.50 single, €6.50 return
- ATAM single bus ticket (75 min)
- €1.50
- ATAM day ticket
- €4.50
Get around
The centre is walkable: Corso Garibaldi links the main squares and the promenade runs parallel. ATAM city buses mostly converge on Piazza Garibaldi in front of Stazione Centrale; buy tickets at a newsagent or tabaccheria. Regional trains stop at local stations (Santa Caterina, Lido) that are closer to the ferry terminal than Centrale. A car helps for Aspromonte and inland villages.
See and do
Known for
- Riace Bronzes
- Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia
- Lungomare Falcomatà
- Ferry to Messina, Sicily
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Scilla | Regional train north along the coast from Reggio Calabria Centrale | About 30–40 min each way |
| Messina, Sicily | Ferry or hydrofoil across the Strait from Reggio's port | About 40 min crossing plus port time |
| Aspromonte National Park | Car via SP 7 towards Gambarie | About 1.5 h to Gambarie |
| Pentedattilo | Car, about 45 min; nearest public transport to Melito Porto Salvo or Anna, then 8–10 kmCar, about 45 min; nearest public transport to Melito Porto Salvo or Anna, then 5–6.2 mi | About 1 h by car |
Sleep
- Centro / Corso Garibaldi
- Walkable to the museum, cathedral, castle and promenade; best for a short stay without a car.
- Lungomare Falcomatà
- Seafront hotels and B&Bs; views across the Strait to Sicily, a short walk from the centre.
- Near Stazione Centrale
- Practical for early trains and buses; Piazza Garibaldi outside is the bus hub.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | SalveSAL-veh |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAH-tsee-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh KOS-tah |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel KON-toh per fah-VOH-reh |
| Where is the museum? | Dov'è il museo?doh-VEH eel moo-ZEH-oh |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Organised crime ('Ndrangheta) has a long presence in the area; it rarely touches tourists, but stick to normal city precautions at night.
- Summer heat and humidity on the seafront; carry water.
- Ferry terminals: Reggio and Villa San Giovanni are 14 km apart, and Messina has two landing points; check which one your return ferry uses.
- Some sights (Villa Genoese Zerbi, parts of the castle) open only for exhibitions or events: check before you go.
Reggio Calabria is a normal southern Italian city: petty theft and night-time nuisance are the realistic risks, not violence against visitors. Organised crime exists but does not target tourists; use standard precautions and avoid unlit side streets late at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Reggio Calabria yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Riace Bronzes
- Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia
- Lungomare Falcomatà
- Ferry to Messina, Sicily
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Reggio Calabria, revision 5264540 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5264540
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/reggio-calabria). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.