Transport on Sicily

One of the most important factors for any tourist region is its transport infrastructure. On Sicily this infrastructure is far from being perfect, as many people admit. It concerns hiring a car, driving cars by the Sicilians themselves and regular delays of public transport. Punctuality is not a national characteristic of the Italians and even those 15 minutes of delay which can be considered normal in Europe, can be prolonged till half an hour.

There are two main airports on the isle. They are Filippo Eredia in Catania and Falcone-Borsellino in Palermo. You can also hire a car at the airports. Most of the buses and coaches travel from the airports to the coastal resorts. The airport in Trapani is too small to be an important terminal to meet a lot of tourists. The airport of Trapani is mostly used by small Italian charter companies.

The buses and coaches leave the airports of Catania and Palermo every 30 minutes and take passengers to the centre of the city. The cost of the ticket is 5 Euros. You may use taxi as well but be careful, because a taxi-driver can ask 3 times more money than the real price is.

Buses and coaches on Sicily are the simplest kinds of transport that can take you practically to any resort of the isle. There are two kinds of routes on the isle: local and interurban. Buses and coaches are used there. Buses are usually of orange color and coaches are usually blue. The coach station is situated near the railway station in Catania. In Palermo the bus station is situated behind the railway station in Via Balsamo.

You can buy tickets for a train or a bus at the sellers at the railway station. You can also buy tickets at the newsagent’s. Pay attention to the following rule: before getting on a train you should punch you ticket in special punches of orange color which are situated on the platforms. Coach tickets can be punched by the drivers. Bus tickets are valid for two hours as a rule since the moment of their purchase. They should surely be punched in orange punches which are installed in buses in front of the entrance.

Be careful: if your ticket has run out (each ticket on Sicily has its term of validity) there is a great risk for you to be fined by the ticket-collectors. They do not speak English mostly and the fine is 50 Euros.

Ferry-boats on Sicily connect it with other parts of the country through the port of Messina. Using ferry-boats you may travel by car without any problems not only along the isle but along Italy as well. Moreover, the project of building a bridge in Messina, which will connect the isle and the continental Italy, has been actively discussed on Sicily for the last years. The bridge is planned to be the longest in the world. The cost of its building is going to be about 4 billion Euros.