Sicily travel by train suggestions

For some destinations a bus might be more convenient.

Bus is generally the way to go in Sicily. There’s not much in the way of train service, and the infrastructure can be pretty old.

Palermo is an easy day trip from Cefalu. We went to Cefalu from Palermo by train when we visited Sicily last year.

Cefalu-Palermo-Cefalu is very easy by train.
Just walk up and buy your tickets when you feel like going.
Have a look at the Trenitalia website.
As there is often long drawn out train track work in Sicily , sometimes bus is easier especially going right across the island.

I travelled by train in Sicily Messina to Oliveri, Oliveri to Cefalù, Cefalù to Palermo, Palermo to Mazara del Vallo, Mazara del Vallo to Castelvetrano. I did not buy any tickets in advance, but right when travelling. Stations in small towns are sometimes not manned and have ticket machines. That also means fewer people available to ask for help or info but Taormina and Siracusa are popular destinations so there should be lots of people around. Don't forget to validate your ticket on the platform. Some trains were bigger, some had just two or three cars. Some had AC, some did not. Not a single one that I rode had an electronic board in the car announcing the current or next stop, nor did I hear any announcements being made. I had checked the train itinerary online and watched for the names of the towns at the station platforms as we passed through them so that I would know when my stop was coming. But platforms usually had marquees. Fares were cheap. We did not make any mistakes so it is doable. We did not encounter any delays in schedule nor work on the tracks. We also took busses: from Catania to Taormina, from Taormina to Messina, from Mazara del Vallo to Agrigento and from Siracusa to Catania airport. In addition we used two different private drivers for some routes and daytrips. This was a 22 day trip around Sicily. The Toarmina bus station was chaotic and very crowded. The bus in Siracusa picked us up in front of a park and tickets were bought at a nearby tobacco shop. Not much signage and that stop was the most difficult for us to find.

You can travel by train or bus from Cefalu to your desired weekend destinations. Also easy to get into Palermo from there. Check to see what is faster and cheaper and more convenient for your desired days.

I assume you are aware that both of those destinations are included on the tour?

For what it's worth...we'll be visiting Sicily next April. Flying into Catania from Rome, transfer up to Taormina. Staying 3 nights, maybe taking an Etna tour, but mostly just knocking around the Corso Umberto. But then we'll be taking the 930AM train from the Taormina/Giardini Naxos Trenitalia station, and it will traverse up to Messina. Then the train car itself loads onto a ferry--the last train/ferry left in Europe--and it's a 20 minute ride over the Strait of Messina to the Villa San Giovanni port in Calabria. And then we'll be off to Salerno, then Florence and Rome for the balance of our 16-day trip.

I'm very excited about this!

Hi Friends,

We are aware that th Rick Steves tour will go to Taormina and Siracusa, but since they are only there for a day or two, we are hoping to spend more time in those towns.
I checked the train schedule from Cefalu to Siracusa and the shortest trip is 5 hours, I'm asuming the bus will be even longer.
We are curently rethinking our trip. Thank you for your help

As you are currently rethinking your trip, I might suggest that you stay in Siracusa. You could train to Taormina, Noto and ( I think) Ragusa. You can bus to Palermo in about 3 hours ( faster than a train).
If you do decide to stay in Cefalu, then I agree with others to look at the buses, as they are often faster, and they are efficient. My guess is that a bus to Siracusa from Cefalu is shorter than the train, due to having to change trains at Messina. The tracks tend to run along the edge of the island while the buses, just take the roads.

Hi Maruchi. I am Sicilian and unfortunately although it is getting better the train system in not up to par to Northern regions. While you can get the train to most cities, they are not direct and usually involve taking a bus after the train. Plus, you will be staying in Cefalu, which although gorgeous makes it even more difficult because it's not a big city like Palermo.

Have you considered maybe focusing on exploring that side of the island? If so, these are great places to see:
- Trapani
- Enna
- Mazara del Vallo
- Marsala

Independently of which one you choose, you are going to love the food. If you need some inspiration, I have written a food about the best Sicilian foods for every season. It includes popular food as well as lesser known local dishes.
https://italywithanitalian.com/sicilian-foods/

Have a great time Maruchi.

Hi Alessia,

Thank you for the great blog on italian food, will review in depth! Looks like buses out of Palermo are the way to go if I want to go to Siracusa. Our interest there is the archeological museum. There are several bus companies in Sicily, our hotel in Palermo recommended Interbus, let me know if you think of others. A private car could also be an option if we can make it in 3 hours. Thanks!