Are you preparing to visit Catania, Sicily’s Baroque city, and landing at Catania-Fontanarossa airport? Here are our transfer solutions between the airport and Catania city center!
You’ve finally booked your plane tickets and in a few weeks you’ll be in the Sicilian sun? You’re probably wondering how to get from the airport to Catania city center. You’ll have a choice of many solutions to suit all budgets for getting to the city center from the airport: bus, cab, train or private car.
Catania-Fontanarossa International Airport (CTA) is located around 7 kilometers southwest of Catania city center and is one of Sicily’s most important air hubs. It handles both domestic and international flights, with some 8 million passengers passing through every year.
The airport is sometimes subject to temporary closures due to the volcanic ash that can escape from the Etna volcano, located just a few kilometers away. There are many ways to transfer between the airport and Catania city center, and we’ve listed them here to make your stay as easy as possible.
Bus transfer
Photo Credit: Facebook – AMT Catania Spa
The Alibus(AMT) bus company runs from the airport to Catania’s central station, with 15 intermediate stops, including the « Archi Via Cardinale Dusmet » stop located between the famous « Piazza del Duomo » and Catania’s ferry port. The journey takes around 20 minutes. This is one of the most economical solutions, as the ticket costs just €4.00 and is valid for 90 minutes.
Tickets are available at the airport, at the bus stop ticket office, from authorized retailers or directly on board (payment in cash or by credit card).
Shuttles leave every 25 minutes and run between 4.40 a.m. and midnight.
Other Sicilian towns can be reached by other bus companies, notably Interbus.
Transfer from Catania-Fontanarossa airport by metro
Photo credit: Wikimedia
There is no direct metro link between Catania city center and the airport. However, you can use the city’s only metro line to get to the Giovanni XXIII station – adjacent to the central railway station – and take the Alibus bus company to transfer between the airport and Catania city center and vice versa.
Train transfer
Same scenario as the metro transfer, no direct train connection exists between the city center and Catania-Fontanarossa airport.
To reach the airport by train, you’ll need to stop at Catania’s central station and take an Alibus bus to your arrival point.
The Trenitalia railway company provides permanent connections with Catania’s central station, thanks to the transit of regional and intercity trains from Italy’s main cities.
Transfer from Catania-Fontanarossa airport by cab
Cabs are the quickest way to get to the center of Catania. Cabs run to and from the airport from all parts of the city and suburbs. At the airport, cab service is available at arrivals and terminals.
A cab transfer from the airport to Catania city center takes between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on traffic. You’ll need to pay around 20 euros to reach the city center.
Book your Catania airport cab with TaxiTender. It’s an online booking platform for reliable and affordable airport transfers. Your driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals area, with a sign bearing your name. He or she will then take you to exactly where you want to go. Cancellation is free of charge. If you’ve booked an early morning flight to Catania airport, or simply prefer to take a cab to the airport, this platform is ideal for that purpose.
Other transfer options from/to Catania-Fontanarossa airport
– Another solution for your transfer between the airport and Catania city center is to rent a car. A number of companies are present at the airport, including Sicily by Car, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and Avis. Rates depend on rental duration and vehicle model.
– Private chauffeur services are also available to take you to your destination, although prices are quite variable and higher than the above solutions.
– Finally, if you’d like to explore other towns in Sicily, there are several other bus companies. Etna Trasporti will take you to Taormina in northern Sicily in 50 minutes. You can take Sais Autolinee to Palermo in north-western Sicily.