Palermo Airport to Cefalù: guide.
Updated October 2026. Cefalù lies on the Tyrrhenian coast east of Palermo: from Palermo Airport (Falcone Borsellino), at Punta Raisi, it is about 100 km, about 1 h 30 by car in normal traffic, first on the A19 and then on the A20 motorway. There is no direct bus from the airport to Cefalù, and no train without a change either: on the timetable of 21 October 2026 Trenitalia offers 20 journeys, from 05:18 to 20:26, all with one change, nearly always at Palermo Centrale, taking 1 hour 49 to 2 hours 33 minutes, on a ticket from 13.10 EUR. You can also take the Prestia e Comandè bus to Palermo Centrale station and the train to Cefalù from there. With a private transfer from La Sicilia Tour, your driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign and takes you to Cefalù with no changes, to your hotel where traffic rules allow, otherwise to the nearest point, agreed beforehand: 150 EUR by Standard Sedan for 1-3 people, 180 EUR by Standard Van for up to 8, per vehicle. Below: train, bus and transfer side by side, the old town and the way back.
Palermo Airport to Cefalù: the options
| Option | Price | Time and timetable | Where it drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train with one change in Palermo | 13.10 EUR (some journeys 15.80 EUR) | 1 hour 49 to 2 hours 33, some over 3 hours; 20 journeys from 05:18 to 20:26, 13 on Sundays (timetable of 21 October 2026) | Cefalù station |
| Trinacria Express train to Palermo | 6.80 EUR | 47 minutes to 1 hour 09; 39 journeys, one at 00:20 and then from 05:18 to 22:40 | Palermo Centrale, also stopping at Notarbartolo |
| Prestia e Comandè bus, then the train | 6.00 EUR online, 6.50 EUR on board, plus the train ticket to Cefalù | about 50 minutes to Palermo Centrale, a bus every 30 minutes from 05:05 to 01:05 | Palermo Centrale, then Cefalù station |
| La Sicilia Tour, private transfer | fixed price per vehicle: Standard Sedan 150 EUR, Standard Van for up to 8 180 EUR | about 1 h 30, no changes, at any hour | Your hotel, where traffic rules allow |
| Private driver from Palermo city centre | fixed price per vehicle: Standard Sedan 130 EUR | about 1 h 10 | Your hotel in Cefalù, where traffic rules allow |
The train: always one change
From Palermo Airport the train is the only public transport that reaches Cefalù station, but it is never direct. On the timetable of 21 October 2026 there are 20 journeys, from 05:18 to 20:26: nearly all change at Palermo Centrale, two at Termini Imerese. The trip takes from 1 hour 49 to 2 hours 33, and some journeys take over 3 hours. A ticket costs 13.10 EUR, on a few journeys 15.80 EUR. On Sundays there are 13 journeys. A change means getting off with your suitcases, finding the platform and waiting for the connection: if the first train runs late, the second may leave without you. From Cefalù station to your hotel you then carry on on foot or by another vehicle.
Palermo AirportThe bus to Palermo, then the train
If you prefer the bus, take the Prestia e Comandè line, which leaves the airport every 30 minutes from 05:05 to 01:05, every day including public holidays. It takes about 50 minutes to Palermo Centrale station and about 40 to Politeama. A ticket costs 6.00 EUR online and 6.50 EUR on board; a return is 10.00 EUR online and 11.00 EUR on board. At Palermo Centrale you then take the train to Cefalù, on a separate ticket. To Palermo there is also the Trinacria Express train: 39 journeys, 36 of them direct, taking 47 minutes to 1 hour 09, for 6.80 EUR. These options work well if you spend a few days in the city before heading to the sea; with a lot of luggage, though, it means three separate rides.
Airport → PalermoIf you land in the evening
Public transport to Cefalù stops earlier than transport into the city. On the timetable of 21 October 2026 the last train journey to Cefalù leaves the airport at 20:26. To Palermo there are trains until 22:40, plus one at 00:20, and buses until 01:05; after that there is nothing until the morning, with the first train at 05:18 and the first bus at 05:05. If your flight lands late, a private transfer is the simplest choice: the driver follows the actual landing time and waits even if your flight is delayed. Pickups from 19:30 to 7:00 carry a 50 % night supplement, already included in the price you see in the form, so the price you book is the price you pay. A late arrival does not have to mean a night in Palermo.
Palermo city centreCefalù: the cathedral and the old town
The heart of Cefalù is its Norman cathedral, part of the Arab-Norman UNESCO World Heritage Site of 2015 together with Palermo and Monreale: the listing covers the cathedral, not the whole town. Entry to the cathedral is free, from 08:30 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 18:30, with hours that may change. The visitor routes are paid: the towers route and the treasury and cloister route cost 10.00 EUR each, the full route 13.00 EUR; the Osterio Magno 2.00 EUR. The old town is a limited traffic zone, but its hours and gates are not confirmed. That is why a transfer takes you to your hotel where traffic rules allow, otherwise to the nearest point, agreed beforehand. Give your hotel address in the form and we tell you beforehand where the car will stop.
CefalùFrom the port, the city and to Castelbuono
Not everyone starts at the airport. Cruise ships berth at the Palermo Cruise Terminal, in the old Stazione Marittima on the Molo Vittorio Veneto: from there to Cefalù it is about 70 km, about 1 h 15, at a fixed price of 130 EUR by Standard Sedan, with pickup at the terminal exit agreed when you book. From Palermo city centre, at the Teatro Massimo, it is about 1 h 10. Once in Cefalù, Castelbuono sits in the hills behind the town, about 30 minutes away by road, at a fixed price of 80 EUR by Standard Sedan. Each trip has its own fixed price per vehicle, which the form shows before you book.
Palermo portPrivate transfer to Cefalù
With La Sicilia Tour there are no changes between the airport and Cefalù. Put your flight number in the form and the driver follows the real landing time: you are met in arrivals with a name sign. You set off on the A19 towards Catania and then on the A20 towards Messina, along the coast: about 100 km, about 1 h 30 in normal traffic. The price is fixed per vehicle, not per person: 150 EUR by Standard Sedan and 180 EUR by Standard Van for up to 8, luggage included. You see it in the form before you book and it is locked at booking. If you book the return from Cefalù to the airport at the same time, the return trip is 10 % off.
Airport → CefalùWhat does a transfer from Palermo Airport to Cefalù cost?
From Palermo Airport to Cefalù a transfer with La Sicilia Tour costs 150 EUR by Standard Sedan, 165 EUR by Comfort Sedan, 180 EUR by Standard Van and 185 EUR by Premium Van. Sedans carry 1-3 people, the Standard Van up to 8 and the Premium Van up to 7. It is a fixed price per vehicle, shown in the form before you book and locked at booking. It covers the vehicle with its driver, fuel and, for each person, one suitcase and one hand bag; an extra suitcase is added in the form, as are child seats, on request. For pickups from 19:30 to 7:00 the 50 % night supplement is already in the price. You choose how to pay in the form, and you can cancel free of charge up to 120 hours before the transfer.
The way back to the airport, and landing in Catania
For the trip back from Cefalù to Palermo Airport, leave with time to spare: by public transport check the timetable for the day, as the outward train needs a change and at least 1 hour 49 minutes. With a transfer the driver picks you up at your hotel, or at the agreed point, at the time you choose: about 1 h 30, at 150 EUR by Standard Sedan, 10 % off if you book it together with the outward trip. If your flight lands in Catania instead, Cefalù is much further away: from Catania Airport it is about 178 km, about 2 h 20 by car, at 375 EUR by Standard Sedan. So check the airport carefully when you buy your flight: for Cefalù the nearest one is Palermo.
Cefalù with La Sicilia Tour
La Sicilia Tour is a private driver service (NCC) based in Acireale, in the province of Catania, that also works from Palermo Airport: transfers to Cefalù, Palermo, San Vito Lo Capo, Trapani and Altavilla Milicia, and day tours with a driver. Only your group travels in the vehicle, a sedan for 1-3 people or a van for up to 8, and our drivers speak English. To book less than a day ahead, or with a question, call or send a WhatsApp message to +39 392 177 4905.
- A fixed price per vehicle from the airport to Cefalù: shown in the form and locked at booking
- No change in Palermo: from arrivals to your hotel in a single trip
- The driver follows your flight and meets you in arrivals with a name sign
- You are taken to your hotel where traffic rules allow, otherwise to the nearest point, agreed beforehand
- Book online at any hour, at least 1 day ahead; free cancellation up to 120 hours before
From Punta Raisi to Cefalù, no changes
No connections at Palermo Centrale: with a driver you reach Cefalù in about 1 h 30, where traffic rules allow.
Frequently asked questions
In brief
How do I get from Palermo Airport to Cefalù by public transport?
By train, with one change at Palermo Centrale: from 13.10 EUR, taking 1 hour 49 to 2 hours 33, on the timetable of 21 October 2026. There is no direct bus from the airport to Cefalù.
How much is a private transfer from Palermo Airport to Cefalù?
150 EUR by Standard Sedan for 1-3 people and 180 EUR by Standard Van for up to 8, per vehicle, luggage included. The fixed price shows in the form before you book.
How far is Cefalù from Palermo Airport?
About 100 km, about 1 h 30 by car in normal traffic, longer at rush hour. By train, with the change, it takes at least 1 hour 49 minutes.
Book your private driver
Pick your start and your destination: the form shows a fixed price per vehicle before you book and locks it at booking.
