Passengers can enjoy onboard entertainment and great food on the 18-hour journey.

21:37, Sat, Nov 30, 2024 | UPDATED: 21:37, Sat, Nov 30, 2024

The sleeper train will take people back home to Sicily

The sleeper train will take people back home to Sicily (Image: PA)

Italians will be able to travel between the mainland and Sicily to the south with ease after a new rail service has been opened.

The Sicilia Express is a new one-off service being unveiled to help Sicilians travel back home for Christmas.

Sicily's regional president Renato Schifani said the sleeper train will help "workers or students...who wish to reach their loved ones to spend the Christmas holidays together."

The train will depart from Turin in the north of Italy on December 21, and travel to Sicily, south of Italy overnight.

Many Sicilians leave the island to seek better work opportunities in Italy - and even further afield.

The train will depart from Turin

The train will depart from Turin (Image: Getty)

The Sicilia Express website adds: "The experience on board the train will be enriched by the presence of well-known personalities who will narrate the journey to Sicily."

The experience onboard with be luxurious with two dining cars serving Sicilian cuisine.

There will also be "masterclasses, artistic performances and the participation of influencers and well-known personalities from the Sicilian scene."

A basic ticket costs €29.90 (£24.83). People in these seats will be sat upright.

A sleeper compartment will set travelers back €129.90 (£107.87).

Many Sicilians live and work in mainland Italy

Many Sicilians live and work in mainland Italy (Image: Getty)

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Tickets for the FS Treni Turistici go on sale on December 3.

The cost represents great value when compared to internal flight prices.

An Italian newspaper found return flights from Bergamo, near Milan, to Catania in Sicily cost €716 (£594).

Earlier this year, FS Treni Turistici unveiled new tourist trains on several routes.

They take passengers from Rome to Puglia, Milan to the French Riviera, Milan to the coast of Tuscany, and Rome to Assisi and Alba.