How to get from Catania airport to Taormina: bus, train or private transfer.

Taormina sits 65 km from Catania Fontanarossa airport, high on a terrace above the sea. There are four real options: the direct bus, the train with a change at Catania Centrale, the metered taxi and a door-to-door private transfer. Here are times, 2026 prices and who each suits. Updated August 2026.

Catania airport → Taormina: the comparison

Option	Price	Time	Where it takes you
Etna Trasporti bus	about 9 € per person	70-90 min	Taormina bus terminal
Train (Alibus + Trenitalia)	about 10 € per person	90-120 min	Taormina-Giardini, down by the coast: then bus or taxi
Taxi rank	metered, about 90-110 €	50-65 min	Exact address
Private transfer	fixed price per vehicle	50-65 min	From the arrivals hall to the hotel door

By bus: the direct link

Etna Trasporti and Interbus link the airport with Taormina's bus terminal in 70-90 minutes for about 9 euro. There are only a few runs a day, fewer in winter; from the terminal to your hotel there are still climbs and steps with luggage.

By train: two changes and a climb

Alibus to Catania Centrale (4 euro), a regional train to Taormina-Giardini (about 5 euro), then a bus or taxi up to the town: the centre is 200 metres above the station. Lovely views, awkward with bags.

By taxi: on the meter

There is no official flat fare to Taormina: the ride is metered or negotiated, usually between 90 and 110 euro depending on time and traffic, with no booking and no name sign.

By private transfer: our home road

Luxury Chauffeur Service is based in Acireale, halfway along the route. Your chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall with a sign, the fixed per-vehicle price is locked at booking and in 50-65 minutes you are at the hotel door, in Castelmola or Mazzarò too. You pay on arrival.

See the Catania → Taormina transfer

How much is a taxi from Catania airport to Taormina?

There is no official flat fare: the ride is metered or negotiated beforehand and in 2026 runs between 90 and 110 euro depending on time and traffic. Our private transfer has a fixed per-vehicle price you see before confirming, with a welcome in the arrivals hall, an air-conditioned Mercedes and free cancellation up to 48 hours before.

Bus and train: timetables and limits

Direct buses to Taormina are few and do not cover evening flights; the train reaches Taormina-Giardini down on the coast, and from there you climb. With luggage, children or an arrival after 9 pm, a car is the only realistic option.

Why a private transfer

A private car with a local chauffeur, starting in the arrivals hall of Terminal A.

Fixed per-vehicle price, motorway included, locked at booking
Name sign in the arrivals hall, base in Acireale 20 minutes away
Flight tracked: if it is late, the time adjusts by itself
Door to door to the hotel, Castelmola, Mazzarò and Giardini Naxos included
Pay on arrival, free cancellation up to 48 hours before

Taormina starts in the arrivals hall

An hour of motorway with Etna on the left and the sea on the right. Then the hotel door.

Frequently asked questions

About 65 km along the A18: 50-65 minutes by car. The bus takes 70-90 minutes, the train with changes up to two hours.

No. You need the Alibus to Catania Centrale, then a regional train to Taormina-Giardini and finally a bus or taxi up to the town.

There is no flat fare: metered or negotiated, usually 90-110 euro. The private transfer has a fixed price confirmed in advance.

Unlikely: evening runs are few or none. The private transfer waits at any hour, with the night surcharge already in the price shown.

Yes, wherever cars are allowed: our licensed NCC car may enter the ZTL to drop you at the hotel. For hotels on pedestrian Corso Umberto we stop at the nearest entrance and help with the bags.

Yes, with pickup at your hotel and a time calculated on your flight: we suggest leaving 2 hours 30 before departure.

Book the door-to-door transfer

Enter airport and destination: the fixed price appears instantly, locked at booking.

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