Getting To Sicily

Sicily is a long way from almost everywhere in Europe, but there are several fairly easy ways to get here. International fliers should know that there are very few direct flights to Sicily from outside of Italy. Most visitors fly into Rome, Milan or Naples then catch a connecting flight to Palermo. The train also runs directly to Sicily by way of a short ferry crossing and once you are inside Italy, you can take a bus from most major cities right to Palermo. Sicily is well connected to the mainland by boat and ferry, which depart from several Italian cities. On the ferry, you can bring your car along, so it is totally feasible to drive straight to Sicily from anywhere in Europe.

By car

Car ferries depart for Sicily from a handful of towns along the Italian coast every day. You can drive your car onto a ferry at Livorno, Genoa, Naples and Calabria, the latter being the fastest and most popular crossing. You can reach all of these cities from northern Europe by using the European motorway network. Once inside Italy, use a local map of your city of departure to find the location of the port.

By rail

One of the most convenient ways to reach Sicily is by train. Connections can be made from every part of Europe to reach Reggio di Calabria, at the southern end of Italy. As the train arrives at the port of Villa San Giovanni in Calabria, it will roll onto a massive barge for the 1-hour crossing into eastern Sicily. Passengers will not even leave their seats during the short voyage across the Strait of Messina. Once on the island, the train will roll back on to a track and continue to the main station in Palermo. From Rome to Palermo takes around 12 hours and from Naples to Palermo takes 10 hours.  

By bus

There is no direct bus service from outside of Italy to Sicily. Most travellers will first take a bus to Rome then buy a separate ticket to Sicily. Eurolines is the largest bus carrier and runs buses from London to Rome on Wednesdays and Fridays; the trip takes a grueling 33 hours. Once in Rome, you can book a ticket directly to Palmero at Segesta, in Piazza della Republica. The 12-hour service to Palermo leaves twice a day from Rome’s Piazza Tiburtina. The same bus also stops in Syracuse.  

By air

As there are few direct flights into Sicily from outside Italy, international travellers usually fly into Rome or Milan first and then catch a connecting flight. The island has two airports, with most visitors flying into Palermo’s Aeroporto Falcone and Borsellino, which is 31kms west of the city. The eastern airport is the Aeroporto Fontanarossa, which is seven kilometres south of Catania. Almost all flights into Sicily are handled by Alitalia. They run 17 flights a day from Rome to Palermo; 13 from Milan; six from Bologna; and one from Turin. If you are already in southern Italy, Naples is the best city to depart from. The high season for flights into Sicily runs from June through to September. This is the most busy and expensive time to fly, so book your ticket well in advance if you plan to visit during the summer.   

By ferry

Sicily is very well linked to mainland Italy by sea, with both ferries and hydrofoils departing from several cities along the coast. The most popular water crossing is from Villa San Giovanni in Calabria to Messina, in eastern Sicily. Ferries frequently depart from this port, quickly covering the 12kms across the Strait of Messina. If you are not driving a car, you can also take the faster option of the hydrofoil.

If you are in Naples, SNAV (tel: +39 81 425 500) operates hydrofoils every day to Sicily; the trip takes 5 hours. Traghetti Lines (tel: +39 50 754 492) runs a car-carrying ferry which takes 11 hours to reach Palermo. From northern Italy, you can sail from Genoa to Palermo every day from early July until mid-September and Monday through Saturday during the rest of the year. Grandi Navi Vedloci (tel: +39 10 589 331) runs this ferry service, which takes 20 hours to reach Sicily. The port of Livorno also operates a ferry three times a week. All boat crossings are dependent upon the weather, so call ahead to check times and conditions.  

Sicily airports

Sicily has two airports on the island, one in Palermo and one in Catania. Most visitors fly into Palmero International Airport, also known as Falcone Borsellino, which is located 31kms west of the city. Its single terminal handles many flights each day from all the major Italian cities via Rome, Milan or Naples. During the high season in the summer, flights increase and there are even a handful of direct charter flights from New York, London and Paris, but in general, you must fly from Italy to reach Sicily. Palermo’s airport has ATMs and a bank, which can handle currency exchange, situated on the ground floor of the terminal. The airport information desk is located in the main entrance hall (tel: +39 91 702 0127).

Sicily’s second, and smaller, airport is called Aeroporto Fontanarossa, located about five kilometres south of Catania on the eastern coast of the island. Its single terminal mainly handles flights from Italy, which increase in numbers dramatically in the summer high season. Most flights into Catania’s airport originate in either Rome or Milan. There are ATMs, currency exchange offices and a bank inside the terminal. The airport information desk is located in the Arrivals Hall (tel: +39 95 723 9111).

Sicily airport transportation

Visitors arriving at Palermo’s airport have several transportation options. A regular shuttle train runs between the airport and the central train station in Palermo every six minutes between 05:40 and 23:40. The train ride takes about 55 minutes and is very affordable. You can also take bus number 29, operated by Prestia e Comande bus company, which operates a bus service to the central train station several times during the day, but not after midnight. The cost is the same as the train and takes just as long. It is also easy to reach Palermo by car. The city centre and the airport are connected by the A29/E90 motorway. The drive should take around 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Taxis are also ready and waiting outside the Arrivals Hall, but the cost is very expensive compared to the bus or train.

From Catania’s airport, the best transportation choice is the bus. Alibus runs buses every 20 minutes from the airport from 05:00 until 24:00, stopping at Piazza Stesicoro in the city centre and then on to the train station. The 25-minute trip is very affordable. There is no train service directly from Catania’s airport, but you can grab a taxi, which wait outside the terminal. There are several car hire companies in the airport and the drive into town is simple, but it’s advisable to book your car online ahead of time to save time and money.