Quick answer. Withdraw at Catania rather than hoping to later. Fontanarossa is Sicily's busiest airport, and its arrivals area has fewer bank machines than a visitor fresh from Rome or Milan expects, with exchange counters and independent units competing for attention. Look for a UniCredit, Intesa Sanpaolo or BNL machine and choose euros on the screen. Italy's Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner is BNL, and a BNL machine avoids the flat non-network withdrawal fee. BoA's 3 percent international conversion charge still applies and is never waived. Two things make cash on hand worth more here than elsewhere in Italy. The Alibus into the city and the coaches to Taormina and Siracusa are often paid on board, and Mount Etna periodically suspends flights with volcanic ash, which can leave you arranging a hotel or a coach across the island at short notice.
Where to get euro at CTA
The cost gap at CTA is between a bank machine now and an independent one later, in a Taormina side street or a resort lobby. Here is what each route costs to get €100 in your hand, at roughly €1 = $1.10.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank ATM at CTA with a no-FX-fee card | Arrivals hall | Network rate, modest or no machine fee | ~$110-111 |
| Bank ATM in central Catania | Via Etnea, Piazza Duomo | Network rate, modest or no machine fee | ~$110-111 |
| BNL ATM with a BoA debit card | Arrivals and the city | Network rate + BoA 3% (no flat non-network fee) | ~$113 |
| Independent machine in a resort or side street | Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Catania old town | Own surcharge + DCC margin | ~$118-122 |
| Exchange counter in arrivals | Arrivals hall | 8-15% off the mid-market rate | ~$119-126 |
Bank machines at Catania (CTA), and why Sicily rewards withdrawing early
Catania Fontanarossa sits on the southern edge of the city, a short drive from the centre, and handles more passengers than any other airport in Sicily, including most summer arrivals for the east coast, Taormina and the Etna villages. The terminal is busy and the choice of bank machines is thinner than that traffic suggests. You will find exchange counters and independent machines alongside the bank ATMs; use the bank ones, meaning UniCredit, Intesa Sanpaolo or BNL, over a Euronet unit, and turn down any offer to convert into your home currency. The case for withdrawing here is Sicily itself. It is the most cash-leaning part of Italy that most visitors see: Catania's fish market, the arancini and granita counters, the Circumetnea railway round the volcano and plenty of family trattorias all prefer notes, and the hill towns have few machines. Our Catania money guide covers the city, and the Italy money guide covers the national ATM picture.
Arrivals hall
ITA Airways, Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz, Volotea, Aeroitalia and seasonal European services
Machines are in the arrivals hall past baggage reclaim, near the exchange counter and the car-hire desks. Choose a bank-branded ATM, decline conversion into dollars or pounds, and take out enough for the first few days. The Etna villages and the hill towns inland have far fewer machines than the coast.
Departures
Check-in, security and gates in the same complex
More machines landside before security. A flight within the EU brings no duty-free saving. If an ash advisory is delaying departures, keep some euros back: a disrupted evening at CTA can mean a taxi to a hotel or a coach to another airport organised in a hurry.
The bus bays outside arrivals
Alibus to the city centre and station; regional coaches to Taormina, Siracusa, Ragusa and Agrigento
The Alibus runs from outside the terminal to Catania Centrale station and the centre. The regional coach companies serving Taormina, Siracusa and the south-east have their own stops and ticket desks here; some sell tickets on board, and paying the driver in cash is normal. Check the timetable before you fly, because the last coaches of the evening can leave before a late arrival clears baggage reclaim.
Do you actually need cash at Catania (CTA)?
More than at most Italian airports. Here is what works on a card between the terminal and central Catania, and what may not:
Alibus to the centre and Catania Centrale (a few euros): Tickets from the kiosk or on board; carry coins in case the card option is not working.
Coach to Taormina or Siracusa (under ten euros): Buy at the operator's desk or on board, and check the evening timetable, which thins out early.
Taxi to central Catania (roughly €25-35): Confirm the fare or the meter before you set off, and ask whether the driver takes cards, because not every car has a working reader.
Hire car (varies, plus a large deposit hold): The practical choice for Etna, the Val di Noto and the interior; the deposit goes on a credit card, so leave room on it.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Catania (CTA) to Catania?
Not strictly, but it helps. The Alibus and the coaches to Taormina and Siracusa often take cash on board, and not every Catania taxi has a working card reader. Once you are in the city you will want notes for the fish market, the street-food counters and the Circumetnea railway, so a bank withdrawal on arrival is a sensible first stop.
Can I order euro before flying?
Worth considering for Sicily. CEI Currency Exchange ships euros to a US address in 2-5 days, and landing with notes means an Etna disruption, a late arrival or a thin choice of machines does not leave you choosing between an exchange counter and an independent ATM. Order small denominations for the markets and bars.
What happens if Etna closes Catania Airport?
Ash from Mount Etna periodically forces Catania to suspend or limit flights, sometimes for a few hours and occasionally for longer. Airlines may delay, cancel or divert flights to Palermo or Comiso, and passengers can end up on a coach across the island late at night. Check your airline's app on the day, keep some euros in cash for food and transport while it is sorted out, and remember that under EU rules an airline still owes care such as meals and accommodation during a long disruption even when an eruption means no compensation is due.