Palermo to Cefalù train

Trains from Palermo to Cefalù

Due to the short distance between them, trains from Palermo to Cefalù all take less than an hour. They run about 40min to 1h apart during peak times and between 1_2h apart at off_peak times. Trains are available throughout the day, beginning in the early morning and ending in the mid_evening. None of these trips make stops on the way, so you won’t have to change trains when travelling to Cefalù from Palermo.

Palermo to Cefalù Train Time: Daily Departures

There are just over 15 trains from Palermo to Cefalù each day, Monday through Sunday, giving roughly 100 to choose from every week. They run in a concertina pattern, with the smallest intervals between trains during rush hours. The first leaves at around 05:10, with the last one of the day departing at roughly 21:35. To avoid too long a wait at the station, arrive about 15min before your train departs – the Palermo train station isn’t too busy compared to many others.

How long is the journey by train from Palermo to Cefalù?

Trains from Palermo to Cefalù all take under an hour to make the trip. The quickest of them will get you to Cefalù in about 42min. These are available at various intervals during the day. Other trips take 48min, 51min and 55min. The longest you can expect to spend on a train trip from Palermo to Cefalù is around 1h 02min. As you can easily see, these are very small margins, so if you count on the journey taking about an hour, you’ll be pretty spot on, no matter which train you choose.

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Abbaye d'Abbeville. Source: Shutterstock

What are the departure and arrival stations for trains from Palermo to Cefalù?

Departure train station: It’s pretty simple to travel by trains to Cefalù from Palermo, as all of them leave from a single departure point, Palermo Centrale Station. It has step_free access and further wheelchair accessibility, and left luggage service. There are a few fast_food outlets and cafés, and a news stand. You can also use the passenger lounge free of charge. This is the main railway station in the Palermo, and you can get there from the city centre on a local Trenitalia RE train in about 18min. Otherwise, there are AMAT Palermo buses that take around 26min on the No. 102 and 124 lines.

Arrival train station: All incoming trains from Palermo end up at Cefalù Railway Station. It has a few basic amenities but is quite a small station, so there aren’t wheelchair facilities or limited mobility assistance. There is a paid luggage storage facility in the small ticket office, but otherwise, it consists mainly of the platform itself. Unfortunately, there isn’t any public transport from the station to the centre of this small Sicilian town, so you’ll either have to hire a car or taxi, which will take about 1min, or just walk the 14min distance.

Which train companies travel from Palermo to Cefalù?

Trenitalia runs all the trains from Palermo to Cefalù, using its Intercity, Regionale and Regionale Veloce services. There’s not much to choose between these different train services when it comes to speed – they’re all high_speed models that will get you to Cefalù in under an hour. They don’t make any stops or changes on the way and run at staggered intervals throughout the day. The train service begins at about 05:00 and runs all day at intervals that range from about 40min to 2h. Given that they all take roughly the same amount of time, the only decision you need to make on which of these services to use is what time of the day you want to travel. This will determine the type of Trenitalia train you’ll board – and there is no disadvantage to simply travelling whenever you want during the Palermo Centrale Station’s operating hours.

Trenitalia trains from Palermo to Cefalù

The Trenitalia trains that run from Palermo to Cefalù are the fastest available on this route, which is good news, given that they’re the only ones available. These are all high_speed trains that travel directly to your destination, so you won’t waste any time at intervening stops or by having to change trains on the way. There are about 15 available each day, and they take between about 40min and around 1h 10min. You can choose between three of Trenitalia’s train services: Regionale Veloce, Regionale and Intercity.

Train Palermo to Cefalù: Services on Board

Trenitalia’s short_distance high_speed trains are focused on commuter efficiency, so they’re comfortable but don’t waste effort (or your ticket money) on unnecessary extras. Each train has a bar carriage where you can get snacks and drinks, and you the trip will seem to take no time at all once you’ve logged in to the Trenitalia FRECCE online entertainment platform through your laptop or mobile device. The Wi_Fi connection for this is free, and you can watch movies, series or the latest news. There is no luggage limit, but to be on the safe side, don’t bring more than two hold luggage items or suitcases, plus a bag or rucksack that you take on board with you. You can also bring a pet with you, as long as its small enough to fit into the regulation_sized container. You can also bring a foldable bicycle, or disassemble it and take it with you in bike bag. Limited mobility assistance is also available during your trip.

Night trains Palermo

Given how little time trains take to travel from Palermo to Celafu, there aren’t any night trains, as such. There is a train that leaves during the mid_evening, however, so if you prefer to travel after dark you can catch this one. It departs from Palermo Station at about 21:35, and takes about 50min to make the journey.

Travelling by train: Sustainable journey

Trenitalia, like the other high_speed train services in Italy, has implemented a thorough long_term sustainability policy. Part of this is that all trains are constructed with at least 20% recycled materials, in order to reduce carbon footprint averaged out over many trips. Calculated this way, Trenitalia’s trains use up to 30% less energy on the trip from Palermo to Cefalù. Its engines also have kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), which converts braking energy into electrical energy, feeding 15% of the energy the train uses back to the grid.

How to find cheap train tickets from Palermo to Cefalù?

The easiest way to quickly find cheaper tickets is to scan the Omio live timetables for train trips that take the longest or that require changes on the way. These often come with a lower ticket cost. You can also wait until the last minute to buy your tickets – that way you’ll be able to benefit from tickets put on sale quite shortly before the train leaves, which are often discounted. You can also book far in advance of your trip, to take advantage of early_bird offers that the train operators often offer to entice passengers to start filling their trains well ahead of their departure dates.

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Abbaye d'Abbeville. Source: Shutterstock

To Cefalù by train—travel tips

The most prominent and popular tourist landmark in Cefalù its cathedral, which is a fascinating example of hybrid Sicilian architecture. It was consecrated way back in 1267 but took so long to build that it contains a veritable history of the architectural epochs in the region. It contains Sicilian, Latin, Greek, and Arab influences, with Byzantine columns and 16th_century Renaissance sculptures. This town in northern Sicily is also a beach resort, and to enjoy it at its best, rent yourself a lido at Lungomare Giuseppe Giardina, the longest beach in the town. At one end you’ll find Porta Pescara, the best place from which to watch the sun setting over the sea. To see more of the archaeological and artistic history of the area, visit Museo Mandralisca, housing collections of art and artefacts from excavations in the region. These are made from materials including ceramics, bronze work, marble, and Murano glass. We have more ideas for you in our online travel magazine, The Window Seat.

• Piazza del Duomo
• Tempio di Diana
• La Rocca
• Lavatoio (a Medieval laundry)
• Santo Stefano (The Church of Purgatory)
• Chiesa di Marta SS della Catena