Walking in Sicily. Gillian Price
takes flights operated by Ryan Air (www.ryanair.com) from the UK. A 40min trip by train will see passengers in the city centre, otherwise it’s 50min by bus. Several long-distance coach lines, such as those going to Trapani and Agrigento, also stop at the airport.
Catania’s Fontanarossa airport (www.aeroporto.catania.it) takes British Airways’ flights (www.britishairways.com) and Air Malta (www.airmalta.com). Located a mere 6km to the city’s south, it has frequent shuttle buses to and from the centre and the main railway station. Coaches to more distant destinations (eg Siracusa) also call in.
By ferry
Sicily is easily reached from mainland Italy by train or car; the journey entails crossing the legendary Strait of Messina on the non-stop ferries from Villa San Giovanni to Messina. Long-distance trains from central and northern Italy use this route, and the carriages are shunted into the ship’s hold for the crossing. Drivers, on the other hand, can make their way to the well-signed port area for the car ferries.
Finally, Palermo is linked by high-speed and normal passenger ferries at various times of year with Naples, Cagliari, Civitavecchia (near Rome), Livorno and Genoa. Milazzo has year-round links to Naples, while Trapani has ferries to Cagliari and Tunisia, and Catania is accessible from both Malta and Ravenna by sea.
Petralia Sottana (Le Madonie area)
Travelling Around Sicily
An extensive network of public transport serves even the most remote angles of the island, and visitors are encouraged to make use of it. Though this may limit flexibility and be more time-consuming, it provides ideal opportunities to meet local people and, of great relevance, means one less polluting vehicle on the roads. Details of relevant public transport are provided in the ‘Access’ paragraph of each itinerary, and contact information for the companies is listed below.
By rail
Enthusiasts with time to spare will have a field day on the train lines, many single track, that snake their tortuous and scenic way through the marvellously varied country landscapes of Sicily. The nation-wide phone number for State Railways (Trenitalia) timetable information and reservations is Tel 892021, otherwise the web site is www.trenitalia.com.
In addition, a privately run ‘toy’ train circles Mount Etna: the Circumetnea starts out from Catania and climbs gradually northwest, reaching almost 1000m above sea level. It skirts the volcano base, terminating at Giarre-Riposto on the Ionian coast once more, from where it is a short journey by State Rail south back to Catania. Service is suspended on Sundays and holidays. For timetable information Tel 095-541250/1 or www.circumetnea.it.
By bus
Veritable fleets of local buses and long-distance coaches operate across Sicily. Timetables are usually posted at the main stops, while tobacconists and cafés in small towns often act as ticket offices. Try to be at the bus stop early as drivers often depart ahead of schedule!
By ferry
Sicily’s island groups, including the Egadi and Aeolians dealt with in this guide, have permanent ferry and hydrofoil links, as outlined in the relevant sections.
Cefalù and its headland (Walk 33)
BUS CONTACT DETAILS
AMAT www.amat.pa.it Palermo Tel 091-6902690.
AST www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it Catania Tel 840-000323, Marsala Tel 840-000323, Palermo Tel 091-6800030, Siracusa Tel 0931-462711 and Trapani Tel 0923-21021.
Caruso, Noto Tel 0931-894528.
Citis, Salina Tel 090-9844150.
Fratelli La Spisa, Cefalù Tel 0921-424301.
Interbus www.interbus.it Taormina Tel 0942-625301, Messina Tel 090-661714, Siracusa Tel 0931-66710
ISEA, Misterbianco (Catania) www.iseaviaggi.it Tel 095-464101.
Lumia, Agrigento Tel 0922-20414.
Prestia & Comandè www.prestiaecomande.it Palermo Tel 091-586351.
Russo, Castellamare del Golfo Tel 0924-31364.
SAIS www.saisautolinee.it Catania Tel 095-536168, Palermo Tel 091-6166028.
Salemi, Marsala www.autoservizisalemi.it Tel 0923-981120.
Sberna, S. Agata Militello Tel 0941-701029.
Urso, Lipari www.ursobus.com Tel 090-9811026.
Zappala & Torrisi www.zappala-torrisi.it CataniaTel 095-7647139.
By car
Car rental firms abound at the major airports and cities and are best booked from abroad, often as fly-drive package deals. One good road map recommended for drivers is the Touring Club Italiano (TCI) 1:200,000 ‘Sicilia’.
The following terminology can be of help in understanding timetables:
| Cambio a …/coincidenza | change at …/connection |
| Estivo/invernale | summer/winter |
| Feriale | working days (ie Monday to Saturday) |
| Festivo | holidays (ie Sundays and public holidays) |
| Giornaliero | daily |
| Lunedì a venerdì/sabato | Monday to Friday/Saturday |
| Sciopero | strike |
| Scolastico | during school term |
Sicily has a limited and unfinished autostrada (motorway) network, free of charge on many stretches. Off the motorways is a reasonable network of state roads, referred to on maps and signposting as strada statale (or SS with an identifying number), not to mention the smaller roads, strada provinciale(SP plus a number), for which the provinces are responsible. The Italian Automobile Club (ACI) breakdown service is (116.
Avoid driving through major cities such as Catania and Palermo, if possible, as traffic congestion is rife and parking an adventure to say the least. For towns in general it is advisable to park outside the old walled perimeter and venture in on foot.
Local taxis are worth using to reach out-of-the-way archaeological sites or walks. If none are around, a good bet is to ask at the main village café. People tend to be extremely helpful and go out of their way to help visitors.
Accommodation
All the walk descriptions come complete with listings for accommodation. These range from the modest hotel or albergo, to a room in a private home (known variously