The quickest way to get to Sicily from most European countries is by plane. For travel to the east of the island, choose Catania Airport (CTA) in particular; for the north and west, choose Palermo Airport (PMO).

If you want to travel the length and breadth of Sicily, it is often worth flying into Catania and out of Palermo, or vice versa. This saves you having to travel all the way back across the island.

From mainland Italy, you can also travel by direct train, long-distance coach or car. Sicily is not connected to the mainland by a bridge or tunnel, so all these options cross the Strait of Messina by ferry.

• Find the cheapest flights to Sicily
• Find out where to stay in Sicily
• Compare car hire prices in Sicily

Which mode of transport to choose

Mode of transport	When we recommend it	Approximate price
Plane	For most journeys from abroad	80–250 eur s for a return flight from Europe
Direct train	If you’re travelling from mainland Italy and don’t want to fly	2 5–180 eur one way
Long-distance coach	The cheapest way to travel from mainland Italy	15–100 eur ne way
Your own car	Longer journey, travelling with family or with lots of luggage	fuel and tolls + 40–45 eur for the crossing

The cheapest deals are usually limited. Expect higher prices during the summer holidays, at Easter and at Christmas.

Flying to Sicily

There are four airports on the main island with regular passenger services. Most flights go to Catania and Palermo. Choose the smaller airports at Trapani and Comiso mainly if they are close to your destination.

Which airport to choose in Sicily

Airport	Best for	What you need to know
Catania (CTA)	Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina, Syracuse and the south-east	The widest range of flights and direct coach services to many cities
Palermo (PMO)	Palermo, Cefalù, Castellammare del Golfo, San Vito Lo Capo and the west of the island	A wide range of low-cost flights across Europe
Trapani (TPS)	Trapani, Erice, Marsala, San Vito Lo Capo and the Aegadian Islands	A small airport with fewer routes, but an excellent location for western Sicily
Comiso (CIY)	Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and Marina di Ragusa	Fewest flights, mainly to mainland Italy

Trapani Airport is situated about 20 km from Trapani, but more than 100 km from Palermo. You should therefore only choose it for a visit to Palermo if the flight is significantly cheaper or if you wish to travel on to western Sicily.

The islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria also have their own airports. However, these do not serve as gateways to the main island.

How much do flights to Sicily cost?

Return flights from European cities are typically available for 80 eur – 250 eur.

Outside the peak season, basic fares with low-cost airlines can fall below 50 eur. During the summer holidays and public holidays, on the other hand, you will often pay 150 eur – 350 eur or even more.

Domestic flights from other Italian cities usually cost 20 eur – 80 eur one way. With low-cost airlines, always compare the final price, including luggage and seat selection.

• Outside the peak season, we recommend booking 1 to 3 months before your trip.
• For July, August and public holiday periods, look for flights 3 to 6 months in advance.
• Always compare Catania and Palermo airports. Only then should you also check Trapani and Comiso.
• Compare flight prices to Catania and Palermo – skyscanner.com

When travelling from another part of the world, search for Catania or Palermo as your final destination on a single ticket.

If you buy two separate tickets with a stopover in, for example, Rome or Milan, the airlines are not responsible for missed connections. It is safer to allow plenty of time or book a night’s stay in the stopover city.

Arrival in Catania and departure from Palermo

For a round-trip journey, it is advantageous to use different airports. Catania and Palermo are over 200 km apart, and the return journey to the same airport by car or bus takes around 2.5 to 3 hours.

When using a flight search engine, select a multi-city itinerary. At the same time, compare the price of car hire with a different drop-off location. Some car hire companies charge a one-way fee, but the time saved is often worth it.

• Compare cars at Catania Airport
• Compare car hire at Palermo Airport

We describe the insurance terms, deposit requirements and the process for returning a car to a different airport in the section on car hire in Sicily.

Transport from the airport

The Alibus runs from Catania Airport to the city centre. The journey takes about 30 minutes and costs 4 eur. There is also a railway station and a long-distance coach terminal near the airport, with services to Taormina, Syracuse, Ragusa, Palermo and Messina.

From Palermo Airport, there is a bus to the city centre 6 eur and a train 6,80 eur. Depending on the service chosen and your destination, the journey takes between 35 and 75 minutes.

Public transport from Trapani and Comiso airports is less frequent. Always check the connections available after your arrival before buying a ticket, particularly in the evening and on Sundays or public holidays.

You can find detailed information in the separate guides:

• transport from Catania Airport
• transport from Palermo Airport
• transport from Trapani Airport
• transport from Comiso Airport

If you arrive very late, you should also factor in the cost of a taxi. A taxi from Catania Airport to the city centre costs around 25–30 eur, whilst from Palermo Airport, depending on your destination in the city, it costs 39–50 eur.

If you’re taking a cheap night flight, it’s worth comparing the savings on your flight ticket with the cost of a taxi or accommodation near the airport.

• View current accommodation prices in Sicily

By train to Sicily without changing trains

There are direct day and night trains to Sicily from mainland Italy. The entire train boards a rail ferry at Villa San Giovanni and, after crossing the Strait of Messina, continues along Sicilian tracks.

There’s no need to change trains, and the ferry crossing is included in the price of the train ticket.

Daytime Intercity trains mainly depart from Rome and Naples.

Intercity Notte night trains also continue to Sicily from Milan, Bologna, Florence and other towns along the route.

In Sicily, trains split into two main routes:

• the north coast: Messina – Milazzo – Cefalù – Palermo
• the east coast: Messina – Taormina-Giardini – Catania – Syracuse

You will need to change trains to reach the towns of Trapani, Agrigento, Ragusa or Modica.

How the train-on-ferry service works

At Villa San Giovanni, the train is split into shorter sections and the individual carriages are driven onto the ferry’s lower deck. Passengers remain in their carriages and do not need to worry about their luggage.

During the approximately 30-minute crossing, you can get off the train and go out onto the deck. Upon arrival in Messina, the carriages are reconnected and the train continues to Palermo or Syracuse.

When booking, therefore, please specify your final destination straight away, for example Palermo Centrale, Catania Centrale or Siracusa. You do not need to buy a separate ticket for the ferry.

Train fares and journey times

Approximate prices for one-way tickets:

• Naples–Catania: 25–70 eur; journey time 7 to 9 hours
• Rome–Catania or Palermo: 45–90 eur, journey time 10 to 14 hours
• Night train Rome–Sicily: couchette usually 50–110 eur, sleeper 70–130 eur
• Milan–Palermo or Syracuse: usually 90–180 eur, journey time 19 to 22 hours

The night train is considerably slower than a flight, but saves you one night in a hotel and arrives right in the city centre. For the entire overnight journey, we recommend at least a couchette. A sleeper carriage offers more privacy and, in some categories, also has its own washbasin or toilet.

Buy your tickets directly on the Trenitalia.com website. Resellers may add booking fees.

For daytime trains, it is usually sufficient to book a few days to a few weeks in advance. Purchase couchette and sleeper berths once your travel dates are confirmed, ideally at least 2 to 6 weeks before departure. In summer and during public holidays, the best berths may sell out earlier.

Interrail and Eurail tickets are valid on Intercity trains, but seat, couchette or sleeper reservations are compulsory and must be paid for separately.

By coach to Sicily

Direct long-distance buses connect Sicily with Calabria, Naples, Rome and cities in northern Italy. The bus boards the ferry at Villa San Giovanni and continues its journey after the crossing. There is no need to change buses, and the ferry crossing is included in the ticket price.

We recommend searching via FlixBus first. It offers its own routes as well as some services operated by partner carriers. The price for these joint services is usually similar to buying directly from the carrier, but searching and payment via FlixBus are much clearer.

If you cannot find a suitable connection, also compare:

• Itabus
• MarinoBus
• Autoservizi Salemi
• SAIS Autolinee

Approximate prices and journey times for the fastest services:

• Naples–Catania: 20–60 eur, 7 to 9 hours
• Naples–Palermo: 35–70 eur, 10 to 12 hours
• Rome–Catania: 20–70 eur, 10 to 12 hours
• Rome–Palermo: 25–80 eur, 13 to 15 hours
• Northern Italy–Sicily: 40–100 eur, 18 to 22 hours

The lowest fares, around 15–20 eur, are only available on selected departures. The more common fare from Rome or Naples is 35–75 eur.

We recommend buying your ticket online as soon as you know your travel dates. Outside the peak season, booking a few days to two weeks in advance is usually sufficient. For summer weekends and public holidays, book earlier. Buses are only permitted to carry a limited number of passengers, and if they are fully booked, you cannot travel standing up.

Before travelling, check the exact boarding point stated on your ticket. There are several long-distance coach terminals, particularly in Rome, Catania and Palermo.

We describe connections between individual Sicilian towns in detail in the chapter on transport in Sicily.

Travelling to Sicily by car

Travelling by car makes the most sense for longer stays, when travelling in a group, or if you’re carrying a lot of luggage, bicycles or other equipment.

From mainland Italy, take the motorways towards Salerno and then continue on the A2 to the port of Villa San Giovanni. The section of the A2 between Salerno and Villa San Giovanni is toll-free. You will only pay motorway tolls on the stretch before Salerno.

Without any long stops, the journey to Villa San Giovanni takes:

• from Rome about 8 hours
• from Milan: about 13 to 14 hours

Allow for breaks, traffic jams and waiting for the ferry. Longer queues may form outside the port during summer weekends.

In addition to the cost of fuel and motorway tolls, allow for around 40–45 eur s for a one-way crossing of the Strait of Messina in a standard car. The price usually includes up to 5 passengers.

Before setting off on a long journey from central or northern Europe, compare the total costs with the price of a flight and car hire directly in Sicily. A small car for a week costs around 150–650 eur depending on the season and will save you several days’ driving.

• Compare car hire in Catania
• Compare car hire in Palermo

If you wish to travel to Sicily in a car hired on the mainland, be sure to read the hire company’s terms and conditions first. Some companies restrict ferry travel or do not allow the car to be returned on the island. For a standard holiday, it is therefore easier to hire a car only after you arrive.

By ferry to Sicily

There are short ferry crossings to Sicily via the Strait of Messina, as well as long-distance ferries from mainland Italy, Sardinia, Malta and Tunisia. Long-distance overnight crossings can serve as a substitute for a night in a hotel, whilst the short crossing from Villa San Giovanni does not need to be booked several months in advance.

You can find all routes, prices, operators and booking recommendations in the separate section ‘Ferries to Sicily’.

How to get around on arrival

You can easily explore the main cities and much of the coastline without a car. Routes such as Palermo–Cefalù–Messina and Messina–Taormina–Catania–Syracuse work particularly well.

A hire car is worth it for trips to Mount Etna, the Madonie Mountains, more secluded beaches, smaller towns and when travelling around south-eastern Sicily.

Before booking transport, therefore, decide which part of the island you’d like to stay in:

• where to stay in Sicily
• how to travel around Sicily
• car hire in Sicily
• what to see in Sicily

For a shorter stay, choose either the east or west of the island. For a trip of a week or longer, it makes the most sense to stay in several different places and fly into Catania, then fly out from Palermo – or vice versa.