Sicily: getting there, car hire, six towns, Etna, temples and the rules of 2026

Sicily suits you if you want to combine Greek temples and theatres, Norman churches and an active volcano in one trip. UNESCO World Heritage here includes Etna, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and Arab-Norman Palermo, among others. You need time for round trips: it is 209 km from Catania to Palermo.

Some things are new in 2026. On the southern flank of Etna, a regulation of the municipality of Belpasso has required mountain clothing and an approved helmet at high altitude since 10 August. The nature museum on the Isola Bella in Taormina has been open again since 20 June. In the Valley of the Temples, every paid ticket costs €3 more until 31 October.

Sicily suits you less in high summer if you avoid heat: in Catania/Sigonella the mean daily maximum in July and August is over 33 °C. In winter it rains a lot on the north coast; in Palermo around 100 mm or more fall per month from October to February.

Getting there and from the airport to the towns

In 2025 Sicily ranked 28th among foreign destinations from the main German airports: 824,615 passengers flew to Catania, Palermo, Trapani or Comiso. Of these, 475,782 landed in Catania and 321,547 in Palermo; to Trapani almost only passengers from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Weeze flew. Most departed from Munich, and the strongest month was July (Federal Statistical Office, year 2025; ranking, total, breakdown and months: own analysis).

Catania (CTA): Alibus, train or intercity bus

It is only 6 km from Fontanarossa airport to the centre of Catania. Volcanic activity can interrupt flight operations: on 26 September 2026, for instance, the airport closed all take-offs and landings because of Etna and then extended the closure several times. If eruption reports come in, check the flight status with your airline.

The Alibus of the municipal AMTS runs from the airport between 4:40 and 0:30 via Stazione Centrale and Via Etnea to Piazza Stesicoro. From 8:00 to 20:00 it comes every 18 minutes, otherwise mostly every 25 minutes. You buy the ticket on the bus, by cash or card, or in the “AMT Catania” app (as of September 2026).

It is about 600 m on foot to Catania Aeroporto Fontanarossa station, or you take the AMTS shuttle bus. It stops directly in front of arrivals and, according to the airport, runs from 4:30 to 22:40 every 10 minutes for €1.00. In the Trenitalia combined ticket the bus part costs €1.40; a train ticket only to the airport station does not include it (as of September 2026).

From there regional trains run to Syracuse, Taormina and Messina, among others, but according to the timetable not every hour. From Catania Centrale it usually takes around an hour and a half to Syracuse and just under an hour to Taormina-Giardini (timetable valid until 12 December 2026, journey times: own analysis).

Intercity buses run from the airport to Taormina and Piazza Armerina (Etna Trasporti), Syracuse and Noto (Interbus), Agrigento (SAIS Trasporti) and Palermo and Messina (SAIS Autolinee), among others. Official taxis are white and carry “TAXI” on the roof. With unlicensed drivers the price can be above the city's tariff, so ask the responsible staff about the fare before getting in (as of September 2026).

Palermo (PMO): shuttle bus, train or taxi

At Falcone Borsellino airport in Punta Raisi, the buses start to the right of the exit of the arrivals hall, and the station is on the lower level. To Trapani the bus takes 1 h 10 min, to Agrigento 2 h 40 min (as of September 2026).

The Prestia e Comandè shuttle bus runs all year, mostly every 30 minutes, to Stazione Centrale and takes 50 minutes. From the airport the first leaves at 5:05, the last at 1:05. Online or at the desk in the arrivals hall the ride costs €6.00, on the bus €6.50 (timetable July 2026). Until 31 October 2026 there is also a daily direct bus between Mondello and the airport.

The train with the fewest stops takes a good half hour to Palermo Notarbartolo. To Palermo Centrale it usually takes around an hour (timetable as of 19 September 2026, own analysis). Mostly two trains run per hour, on weekdays from the airport between 5:18 and 0:20. Adults pay €6.80, children from 4 to 11 years €3.50 (as of September 2026).

For the taxi, fixed prices apply between the airport and the city: €39 to Viale Michelangelo/Viale Lazio, €44 to Corso Calatafimi/Corso Vittorio Emanuele, €50 to Stazione Centrale/Brancaccio. Cheaper is taxi sharing at arrivals: €10 per person as soon as at least four passengers come together (as of September 2026).

Getting around: train, bus and hire car

To Cefalù the train from Palermo Centrale usually takes just under an hour (timetable until 12 December 2026, own analysis). Trenitalia also sells train and connecting bus in one ticket (as of September 2026):

• Taormina: “Taormina Link” bus from Taormina-Giardini station to the centre, bus part €2.00
• Monreale: AST bus from Piazza Giulio Cesare in Palermo, bus part €1.90
• Valley of the Temples: TUA bus from Agrigento Centrale station, bus part €1.20 (destination “Agrigento Valle dei Templi”)

Car hire: tolls, parking, ZTL

With an EU driving licence you may drive in Italy. You pay tolls on the A18 and A20, for example: since 1 January 2026 a car pays €1.80 from Taormina to Catania Nord and €9.60 from Messina Nord to Cefalù.

In Taormina, the Lumbi car park at the town entrance has 965 spaces; 24 hours cost €30 until 31 October, then €20. A shuttle bus takes you, from 6:30 at intervals of at most 15 minutes, to Piazza San Pancrazio near Porta Messina. Service ends at 0:55, on Saturdays at 1:55 (as of September 2026).

Palermo, Catania and Ortigia close off parts of their old towns as ZTL to cars without authorisation (as of September 2026):

• Palermo: Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00, Friday and Saturday also at night until 6:00, free on Sundays and public holidays. The night restriction begins at 20:00 until 31 October, and from 1 November at 23:00. If you do not live there, you need a day pass for €5, bought before entering and activated by SMS or via the “ZTL Palermo” app.
• Catania: A small area of the old town is closed around the clock, also at weekends, and cameras monitor the access roads. Hotels inside it can have your number plate enabled for at most 12 hours.
• Ortigia: Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 15:30 and 17:00 to 2:00, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 2:00. Hotels may let guests' cars in only to unload; you have to park outside, for example in the Talete car park.

Current times for Palermo are given on the ZTL page of AMAT (opens in a new tab).

Where to stay: the towns compared

Where “—” appears, the sources reviewed give no drawback.

Sights: times, prices and rules in 2026

Etna: cable car, Tour 3000 and closed zones

The valley station of the Funivia dell’Etna is Rifugio Sapienza (Nicolosi, Etna Sud) at 1,923 m, and the top station is at a height of 2,500 m. A return trip costs €54, online with “Fast Track” without queuing at the ticket desk. It is open daily from 8:30 to 16:45; at 17:15 the last cabin takes guests down to the valley, as long as weather and technology allow (as of September 2026).

Tour 3000, for €82, combines the cable car, an off-road bus (in winter a snow groomer) and a mountain or volcano guide up to the altitude the authorities allow. It takes around 2.5 hours. The operator advises against it for heart or respiratory conditions, high blood pressure and during pregnancy (as of September 2026).

On the south flank, a regulation of the municipality of Belpasso has applied since 10 August 2026. At high altitude mountain clothing and an approved helmet are mandatory, a minimum distance of 50 m applies to active lava flows, and 300 m as the crow flies to the foot of the South-East Crater. At the “Attenzione” level, the permanent danger zone may be entered only with a mountain or volcano guide, with at most ten people per guide and 300 per day.

Taormina: Teatro Antico and Isola Bella

Among the ancient theatres of Sicily only the one in Syracuse is bigger; the auditorium in Taormina measures 109 m in diameter. Its beginnings go back to the 3rd century BC; what is visible is above all the conversion the Romans carried out in the 2nd century AD. Admission costs €14, reduced €7. Luggage is forbidden, and the Goethe Path and the Antiquarium are closed (as of September 2026).

The nature museum on the Isola Bella has been open again since 20 June 2026, and admission costs €6. A cable car runs to the beach at Mazzarò every 15 minutes daily, in summer from 8:00 to 1:30, in winter until 20:00. A single costs €8, a return €15 (as of September 2026).

Syracuse: Ortigia and the Neapolis park

Ortigia is the oldest part of Syracuse. In the 8th century BC Corinthians founded the city here, and since 2005 Syracuse, together with the rock-cut necropolises of Pantalica, has been a World Heritage Site. On the island stand the cathedral, the Fonte Aretusa, the Temple of Apollo and the Castello Maniace, among others. Admission to the Neapolis Archaeological Park costs €14 according to the park administration, reduced €7. With the exhibition, the city of Syracuse gives €17 and €10 (as of September 2026).

Agrigento: Valley of the Temples

The temples stand on the territory of Akragas, which the Greeks founded as a colony in the 6th century BC; the zone has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. It is open daily from 8:30 to 20:00, last entry 19:00. Admission costs €14, €7 for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, and nothing for under-18s. Until 31 October 2026 an exhibition surcharge of €3 is added to every paid ticket (as of September 2026).

Entry is limited, so it is better to buy in advance online. The ticket is then valid all day, regardless of the booked time, as far as the crowds allow.

Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù

The Normans ruled Sicily as a kingdom from 1130 to 1194; nine buildings from this period have formed a joint World Heritage Site since 2015. They include the Royal Palace with the Cappella Palatina, Palermo Cathedral and the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù.

The Royal Palace opens daily; last entry is at 16:30 Monday to Saturday and at 12:30 on Sundays and public holidays. From Thursday to Monday it costs €19, and children up to 13 years are free when accompanied. Because of restoration work in the Cappella Palatina, changed times apply, and on individual days the royal apartments are closed, in 2026 for example on 2 and 19 October. As the seat of the Sicilian parliament, the palace can also close at short notice (as of September 2026).

The nave of the cathedral is freely accessible Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 19:00. For the roofs, crypt and treasury you pay €4 to €13, depending on scope and tariff (as of September 2026).

Monreale Cathedral has more than 6,000 m² of mosaic surface (figure from Trenitalia).

Villa Romana del Casale and the Aeolian Islands

Nowhere in the former Roman Empire, according to UNESCO, are finer mosaics preserved in their original place than in the Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina, a World Heritage Site since 1997. It is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00, last entry 18:00, and admission costs €14 (as of September 2026).

The Aeolian Islands have been a World Heritage Site since 2000. From Milazzo, 129 km from Catania, the Liberty Lines winter timetable from 1 October 2026 gives up to 14 departures to Lipari, the largest island. The first leaves at 6:30 (Mondays and Fridays only), the last at 19:15. To Stromboli it goes daily at 6:00, 7:30 and 14:00, and from Thursday to Sunday also at 14:30.

Best time to travel: climate in Sicily month by month

The values are averages for the years 1971 to 2000 from the Italian Air Force weather service, measured at Catania/Sigonella (31 m) and Palermo/Boccadifalco (117 m). A day with more than 1 mm of precipitation counts as a rain day.

In May the highs reach 23 to 25 °C with 3 to 4 rain days, and October is similarly warm but much wetter in Palermo. With around 855 mm a year, Palermo gets almost twice as much rain as Catania/Sigonella with around 447 mm (own total).

Costs

Tourist tax: up to €5 per person per night

Palermo, Taormina, Syracuse and Agrigento charge a tourist tax per person per night (as of September 2026):

• Palermo: since 1 July 2025 in hotels €3.00 (1 star) to €5.00 (5 stars), in other accommodation and short-term lets €4.00. Only non-residents have to pay, for at most four nights in a row.
• Taormina: since 1 September 2023 in hotels €1.50 to €5.00, in holiday flats €3.00, in B&Bs €2.00 to €2.50; free from the 11th night.
• Syracuse: 4% of the overnight price, at most €5 and for at most 7 nights (statute amended on 12 March 2024).
• Agrigento: €1.00 to €3.00 depending on the accommodation, in each case for the first 4 days.

Two adults therefore pay €27 for three nights in a 4-star hotel in Palermo (own calculation).

Practical information

A bus ticket for 90 minutes costs €1.40 in Palermo (AMAT) and Catania (AMTS) each, and the day ticket €3.50 each. The metro in Catania costs €1.00 per journey (as of September 2026).

Payment is in euros, and common credit cards are accepted. Tipping is voluntary; around 10% is usual for good service. Sicily has the same time as Germany. You dial 112 free of charge and without an area code, and the medical emergency service 118 also helps with emergencies in the mountains (as of September 2026).

The German Foreign Office gives the rules on entry, safety and health.

Who this is not for

• If you avoid heat and can only go in July or August: In Catania/Sigonella, 30 °C is then reached on around 27 to 28 days a month.
• If you want dry weather in winter: In December, Palermo gets on average 123.7 mm of rain on 12 days.
• If you want to drive into the old town: Palermo, Catania and Ortigia close off parts of their centres as ZTL, Catania around the clock.
• If you want to see a lot but have little time: It is 209 km from Catania to Palermo and 317 km to Trapani.
• If you are firmly planning on the Etna summit: At pre-alarm or alarm the summit zone is closed in whole or in part.