- For flight lovers
- For budget travelers
- For lovers of comfort
Palermo and Catania are two pearls of the Italian island of Sicily, two historic cities with palaces, temples, fountains, observation platforms and splendid beaches. The main attraction of Catania, however, are not architectural complexes, but the famous Etna volcano, at the foot of which this resort is located. Tourists who decide to spend their holidays in Palermo must go to Catania for at least a day. In principle, you can stay in this city for two or three days.
How to get from Palermo to Catania by plane, train, bus, what type of transport to prefer, how much such a trip will cost - we will tell you about this.
For flight lovers
It is worth going to Catania by land transport in order to admire the opening landscapes of Sicily from the window of a car, bus or train. But there is another option to get to the fashionable Sicilian resort - to fly by plane. Departure is from Palermo International Airport, which is located 35 km northwest of the city, in Punto Raisi. It is named after Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two incorruptible Italian judges killed by the mafia in 1992.
In Catania, planes are received by the sixth largest airport in Italy - Catania-Fontanarossa. There are no direct flights between Palermo and Catania. Tourists who prefer to travel to Mount Etna by air can only be content with flights with one connection at Rome's Fiumicino airport. In the high season, there are about three daily flights to Catania, in the low season - only one. The duration of the transplant is also different. There is one flight which, together with the waiting time in Rome, takes only 2 hours and 30 minutes. The maximum connection time in Rome is 9 hours 25 minutes. Experienced travelers do not spend this period at the airport, but go for a walk around Rome.
The cost of a flight to Catania via Rome ranges from $ 111 to $ 153. Such flights are offered by the carrier "Vueling Airlines".
Palermo Airport can be reached by Prestia and Comandè buses, which do not have a specific number. The final destination (Palermo Airport) is indicated on their windshield, so it is unrealistic to get confused and miss the desired transport. Buses to Falcone-Borsellino Airport stop at the train station and at the port.
From Catania airport to the city's central railway station, there is a bus number 457. You can also take a taxi to the selected hotel.
For budget travelers
Excellent routes to Catania are offered by the bus companies SAIS Autolinee, Eurolines, Baltour and Buscenter. The most popular carrier is SAIS Autolinee. It offers about 17 flights a day connecting Palermo to Catania. This number will be much less on weekends, so when planning your trip to Catania, you should be prepared for a lack of free seats. In such cases, it is advisable to purchase bus tickets in advance. It can be done:
- on the website of the carrier company;
- at the ticket office at the bus station in Piazza Cairoli, opposite Palermo train station;
- directly at the SAIS Autolinee office, which is located at Via Oreto, 385. Buses also stop here.
The bus fare varies from 15 to 50 euros. On the way, tourists spend about 3-4 hours. The first bus leaves Palermo at 4:30 am and the last at 6:30 pm.
In the city of Palermo, the bus makes several more stops where you can join travelers to Catania. The stops are called Via Archimede and Polizzi Generosa. They can be easily reached by public transport, which works well during the day. It will be difficult to reach these stops at night.
Buses arrive at Catania bus station. Which is also located opposite the railway - via Archimede. From here, city buses carry new arrivals to various parts of the city and beyond. The Palermo-Catania road also leads to two airports: military and civilian.
For lovers of comfort
The Italian railway company Trenitalia provides rail links between Palermo and Catania. There are about 10 trains departing from Palermo to Catania every day, on average every 2 hours. Seven trains run directly to Catania, three trains make one connection (from 8 to 21 minutes) at the central railway station of Messina (Messina Centrale). The first train leaves Palermo at approximately 5:30 am, the last at around 7:30 pm.
The duration of the trip by direct train is 3 hours. If you buy a ticket for the rail transport going through Messina, the road to Catania takes 4 hours and 50 minutes.
For travel by rail, you will have to pay at least 13, 50 euros. There are also more expensive tickets (16-33 euros). Tickets can be purchased right before the train departs at the train station ticket offices or from vending machines installed at the train station, which accept both cash and cards. Also, a travel document can be ordered in advance on the Trenitalia website. Before boarding the train, the ticket must be validated in a special device right on the platform. The fact is that the ticket is sold with an open date. The machine on the platform just sets the date of the trip. If a tourist, through ignorance or forgetfulness, does not validate his ticket, then the controllers who check travel documents right on the train have the right to issue a fine to the unlucky passenger.
All trains leave from Palermo Centrale Central Station. It is located in the city center, on the Piazza Giulio Cesare. City buses run to it. An alternative to them could be the metro, which consists of only two lines with several stops. The Royal Palace of Orleans and Grand Central Station are stops in the city center. A metro ticket costs € 1.20 and is valid for 90 minutes.
In Catania, buses from Palermo arrive at the central train station. In addition to her, there are two more stations in the city: Acquicella and Ognina. All three train stations in Catania are connected by bus services.
