Where to go from skiing. Buses in Sicily Ski map with bus routes

Good afternoon, travelers! Please give up-to-date information for the summer of 2013 on the following question. In the second half of August we will be in Sicily, in Catania. We want to visit Etna (we will not have a car, so we are considering public transport.) How best to organize a trip, how to get there and what to focus on ?! Is it worth taking a tour and how much will it cost? Thank you in advance.

Please help me get from Catania to Kiev on a budget option, I have 100 euros for everything. Is it real? Maybe there are options with transfers? I would be very grateful for your help. Date 01.06.2015 - 08.06.2015. Thank:))

Hello. Need advice from experienced. In February we arrive and fly at 15.00 to Catania (family with 5 year old child). Then two full days and the same half of the last as in the first. The goal is to take a walk, soak up the atmosphere of cities and villages, it is possible to stay in an old house overlooking Etna or flowers / vineyards, the sea .. Then walk to see the cities, chips, Etna, if appropriate at this time. Renting a car is not a question. Please advise whether the dream is real in winter, ...

I go to Sicily (Catania and Palermo) on my own. I would like to get to know the island more. Are there excursion bureaus in these cities that conduct excursions in Russian, and if so, where is it located? And are there any sightseeing double-decker buses in these cities that offer city tours using an audio guide? Many thanks!

I will write in more detail) We took tickets to Sicily. We arrive on September 4 and go straight to Giardini Naxos (the hotel has already been booked from September 4 to September 14), then we are thinking of moving to Catania and will stop there before departure (September 20). There are several questions: 1. Where from the two cities is it more convenient to travel by public transport? 2. In which area of \u200b\u200bCatania is it better to take a hotel, maybe closer to the bus or railway station? I would be glad for any recommendations!)

In mid-October we will be in Sicily for a week. Since this is already the fourth trip (we love Sicily!), There is an idea to go from there to Malta, Sardinia or the islands. What do you recommend and for how many days does it make sense to go? We love sightseeing walking and traveling by car or scooter.

There are a lot of interesting places to see near Catania. You can get them on a budget in two ways - a regional train that goes from the central station of Catania and which is a 15-minute walk from Cathedral Square - the historic center of Catania). There are no problems here, everything is as usual: you can buy a ticket at the box office, or from the machine (I even bought it from the machine without knowing Italian - everything is logical and simple there). We buy a ticket and do not forget to punch it in a special machine, which is available at every station.

By train, you can get direct to the cities of Messina, Taormina-Giardini Naxos, Achi Reale, Syracuse, Palermo, Enna and others.

The train station (Catania Centrale) in front of it is a round square Piazza Papa Giovanni, where there are many bus stops - in the photo.

With buses, the situation is more complicated - there are several bus companies operating in Sicily, which have different stops and ticket offices. In general, a rather complicated and stupid system, especially in Catania (one more important point - you cannot buy a bus ticket in advance - it is bought only on the day of departure and here difficulties arise if you have to leave early in the morning).

Let's figure it out.

As there is such a bus station in Catania (in our understanding there is no) - you need to know where the stops are.

I'll start from the railway station. So we left the station and stand with our backs to it. In front of us will be the station square. Immediately at the exit from the station on the square there will be a taxi rank (on the left) and there are also city buses. From the same stop you can go to the airport by bus.

In the distance on the left we see two high-rise buildings in the photo - we need the left one, it will have a ticket office

We go to this high-rise building - in the lower photo it is on the left.

Offices on the ground floor of high-rise buildings - there is a ticket office for buses

Ticket office for buses - but only for AST - at this ticket office you can buy a bus ticket to Mount Etna, a bus to the airport, and a bus to Achi Trezza. On the bottom photo - cash office

Where is the stop of the AST bus - we return to the round station square

at the farthest end of the square from the railway station there will be AST stops, with the exception of the bus to the airport.

On the platform there will be signs with numbers and cities - on the first one, in the photo, for example, Achi Reale is indicated (from which I left for Achi Trezzu).

On the platform nearby there is a bus to Mount Etna (pictured).

Now let's go back to those two high-rise buildings on the left side of the railway. station

They stand on viale della Liberta, which starts from the station square (in the photo, this street is near two high-rise buildings).

We walk along it for 3 minutes and in the next block there will be a long fence on the left side.

It is behind this fence that Catania's bus station (bus station) is located - you just can't think of it right away.

We reach the first crossroads along the fence and turn left

There is also a fence here, but there is already a passage for passengers and buses (pictured)

We go inside - this is the bus station - from here we leave on all other buses to cities such as Enna, Taormina, Syracuse, Palermo and others. The cities and timetables are indicated on the platform number.

But again the problem - there are no ticket offices at the bus station. They may not be able to land without a ticket In Taormina - it was early in the morning - the driver sold me a ticket on the bus and the ticket office was still closed, since it was Sunday. And on the Sais bus, this no longer works and only at the box office. There are no toilets at this station either.

Transport links on the island of Sicily are quite well developed. You can use both train and bus. One has only to take into account that the bus service is more developed, but to get to some beautiful places, you will need a car at all. How to rent a car in Sicily in more detail.

Internal rail service

As mentioned earlier, buses in Sicily are more in demand, however, railways have their own popularity. In some cases, it takes a little longer, since the railway runs along the coast and connects mainly large cities, such as Messina. However, smaller cities are also connected by rail. These trains are very tiny and perhaps they can be attributed to the local attractions. Today by train you can go to, Messina, Ragusa, Agrigento.

More detailed information about the railway communication on the island can be found on the website www.trenitalia.com , see the schedule there and buy tickets. Step by step instructions on how to buy train tickets are described. Tickets can also be bought at the ticket office at the station, just before the train leaves, or at special machines. Having chosen the language (no Russian), be guided by the inscriptions. In general, this procedure is not complicated. But if difficulties do arise, you can always ask for help. The local people are very friendly and ready to help. The cost of the ticket depends on the distance and type of train. Learn more about the types of trains. Before the trip, you must validate your ticket in special yellow booths located on the platforms.

The state railways own the subway. Palermo is the only city on the island that has a metro. Although this is not quite a metro, but more like our trains. The first metro line was opened in May 1990, at that time there were only 6 stations. Today Palermo has 3 lines and 24 stations. One of which connects the city with the airport. You can buy metro tickets at the box office at each stop.

Domestic bus service

Buses in Sicily provide an opportunity to quickly and inexpensively get to almost any settlement. You can get around the city by city buses. They are usually orange and numbered. To travel to another city, there are intercity buses - usually blue, white or red. These buses do not have numbers. The board shows the route. The bus itself has the carrier's inscription. Therefore, knowing this information, it will be easy to navigate at the station. Bus stops are usually grouped by carrier.

Urban routes in Sicily are operated by AST. Bus stops are usually unremarkable, just indicated by a sign Fermata (stop). Nearby, as a rule, there is a sign with the schedule of this route. Tickets are purchased at newsagents or in the Tabaccheria, or at the offices of transport companies.

At the bus stop, you need to slow down the bus by raising your hand, otherwise it will simply pass by. Doors for entry and exit are most often marked with appropriate signs. Before entering the bus, the ticket must be validated in a special machine located at the first door next to the driver. From that time on, the ticket is valid for two hours or less / more (indicated on the ticket). Passengers with unpickled or expired tickets can face a fine of € 50 or more. To get off the bus, you must press a special button that will give a signal to the driver.

By car around the island

If you intend to get around Sicily by car, you need to familiarize yourself a little with some basic rules. This is described in detail. It is better to think over the route in advance, because if you mistakenly enter the motorway, you will not be able to leave immediately, you will have to go to the nearest exit. Special resources will help you to create a route, for example, these: https://www.viamichelin.it , https://www.tuttocitta.it ... Websites in Italian and English. On the latter, you can immediately track traffic jams and generally assess the traffic situation.

Catania is not such a small city, especially considering that it is located on the island of Sicily with an area of \u200b\u200b134 by 113 km, but at the same time public transport is very well developed here, which is represented by city buses, metro and electric trains. You will learn how to understand this transport variety and how much the fare is from our article.

Fares in Catania

Catania metro and bus fares for 2019 are as follows:

• 1-ride ticket valid 90 minutes: € 1
• 1-way commuter ticket: € 4
• 1-day pass (Biglietto giornaliero): € 2.5
• Ticket for 120 minutes (Biglietti Integrati a Tempo): € 1.2 euros. This ticket is valid for all types of transport: metro, commuter trains and buses of the AMT company.
• 1-month pass: € 35

For the ticket to be valid, it must be validated at the entrance to the transport in a special validator.

Catania's official public transport website

The transport company serving the city of Catania is called AMT (Azienda Municipale Trasporti). Like any decent company, it has an official website. The site contains all the necessary information that interests people using public transport: current routes and stops, fare, data on repairs and ticket sales points. Only the site has a few drawbacks: poor navigation and Italian language. There is not even a translation of it into English.

Catania Buses

As you understand, AMT is engaged in bus service and passenger transportation. Buses in Catania are represented by a variety of brands and years, most often you will see buses of white and orange color. Bus routes cover the entire city and suburbs and are the most common form of public transport. In total, there are 54 bus routes and 1399 bus stops in Catania.

Metro Catania is not very big and consists of only 1 line and 11 stations. Today it is the southernmost city in Italy with a subway. The metro was opened in 1999. FCE M.88 trains run on the metro route.

To travel, you need a ticket, which at the entrance must be validated in a special yellow punch, after which you need to enter through the turnstile.

Trains on the metro run at intervals of 10 minutes until 15:00 and 15 minutes until 21:24 when the metro stops working. On Saturdays, the subway has been extended until midnight.

You may also find the Catania metro map useful if you decide to live somewhere closer to a station or need to get to Borgo or Nezima stations.

Catania Central Train Station

The central or main train station of Catania (Stazione Catania Centrale) is an important transport hub, because it is from here that trains to other cities of Sicily and suburban trains leave. Trains are a more comfortable way to get to cities: Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse, Messina, Naples, etc. Train tickets can be purchased in advance with discounts on the Italian Railways website, at ticket offices at the station or in special machines. I am spreading a map of the railways of Sicily so that you can visualize the location of cities and resorts in relation to Catania.

In addition, at the train station in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII there are several bus stops, from where direct intercity buses depart to the cities of Sicily and Italy: Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan. Transportation is carried out by both regional bus companies and the well-known European company Flixbus.

Also at the train station in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII there are bus stops, from where direct intercity buses depart to different parts of Sicily and Italy: Rome, Naples, Florence, Milan. The transportation is carried out by the well-known European company Flixbus.

Circumetnea Train

Ferrovia Circumetnea (railway around Mount Etna) is a narrow gauge railway with 30 stations in Sicily with a length of 111 km. It connects the seaside towns of Catania and Riposto through the towns of Paterno, Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo located at the foot of Mount Etna.

Catania airport

Taxi in Catania

Taxis in Catania, as in all of Italy, are quite expensive. You will recognize a taxi by its white color and checkered roof. Currently, the following taxi fares apply in Catania: € 5.00 - landing; € 1.45 - cost of 1 km; 0.3 € / minute for idle traffic. In addition, there are extra payments that are added to the amount: € 1 for each piece of baggage; € 6 for travel to / from the airport. Therefore, for travel from the airport to the center of Catania, you will pay a minimum of € 20 if the driver does not take you in circles.

During the tourist season and at late hours, taxis are periodically lacking, and sometimes drivers refuse to turn on the meter and want to carry people at a negotiated high rate. Therefore, if you need to be guaranteed to be at the airport or at some resort at a certain time, I advise you to order a taxi transfer in advance from a reliable company. A fixed price and a guarantee of good service awaits you.

Car rental in Catania

Even ordinary tourists, for the sake of ease of movement, try to rent a car while traveling in order to see the maximum during their rest. If you want to choose a car of a certain class or cheaper, I advise you to choose a car in advance on the website, which compares prices from all major companies with offices in Sicily: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt.

Before the trip, I advise you to draw up a detailed travel itinerary, book a hotel with parking and estimate costs.

Independent tourists have long fallen in love with such a travel format as travel by car and are trying to rent a car at the airport in order to save money on transfers. Therefore, all popular car rental companies are represented at Catania airport: Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt. You can compare rental prices from all rental companies and book a car on the popular Rentalcars website.

It is better to book a car in Catania in advance, because there really is not enough cars in the season, especially among the inexpensive options.

Public transport in Catania is represented by one metro line with six stations and more than 50 bus routes. The metro operates from 7:00 to 20:45 (work may be extended on holidays).

Fare

The cost of a ticket for public transport in Catania is 1 EUR for the bus and 0.8 EUR for the metro. For 2.5 EUR you can buy a full day pass. Tickets are sold at newsagents, bus stops and underground passages.

Transport in Catania also includes rail and intercity bus services. Intercity buses are blue, local buses are orange.

If you board the train, do not forget to "activate" your ticket before entering the carriage. For this purpose, there are special orange composters on the platforms.

Popular in Catania and taxis. The cost of boarding a taxi is 5 EUR, 1 km of the way - 1 EUR. There are surcharges for service at night (from 10 pm to 7 am), for a trip to the airport and others.