Ferries from mainland Italy
Ferries to Sicily from the Italian mainland run regularly with a variety of providers including the companies
GNV
and Tirrenia, Genoa, Livorno and Civitavecchia in the northern half of Italy, run boats to Palermo and the
north
coast whilst further south, Naples and Salerno link the mainland with Trapani, the north coast, Messina and
Catania. Further south still, Reggio Calabria, right in the toe of Italy’s boot, runs a service to make the
short hop across the channel to Messina.
Major airports and airlines
There are currently four airports in operation on Sicily, connecting the island with the Italian mainland as
well
as the rest of the world. The largest are Palermo Punta Raisi in the north and Catania Fontanarossa in the
east,
both of which are well served by budget and flag carrier airlines. Smaller Trapani Vincenzo Florio serves
the
west of the island, and relatively newcomer Comiso takes care of the south; these two airports have more of a focus on
flights to Sicily from the continent. Palermo airport is situated around 30 kilometres (about 19 miles) to the west of the
capital whilst Catania airport is 4-5 kilometres (about 3 miles) south of this east coast city. Trapani airport can be found
nestled midway between Trapani and Marsala – around 16 kilometres (about 10 miles) from each. Comiso is 14-15 kilometres (about 9 miles) from
the
baroque town of Ragusa. Key airlines to Sicily include: Easyjet, Ryanair and Norwegian. Book flights early
with
to enjoy great airfares and direct flights from every European
country. To search for airlines connecting your city with Sicily and their fares for the dates you are interested in, you can also have a look at the website Skyscanner
Getting around in Sicily
Sometimes one Sicilian destination just isn’t enough. Read on for a brief guide to public transport in
Sicily.
Buses in Sicily
If you are hoping to explore Sicily by bus then rest assured there are plenty of bus and coach companies to
choose from. Two of the big names are Interbus and AST – they have routes that run all
over the island.
Train services in Sicily
Travelling to Sicily by train makes for a great way to enjoy the scenery in comfort and at a very affordable
price. There is an efficient network linking the key cities and destinations of interest. However, the
high-speed vehicles of the Italian mainland are not in operation here – as a result, expect journey times to
take longer. More in-depth train information and timetables can be found at Trenitalia.
Car rental in Sicily
For a holiday with a little more freedom, many travellers hire a car to explore Sicily. Motorways and roads
are
vastly improved from past conditions, but be aware that signposting can be frustratingly sparse so ensure
you
tackle the roads armed with a map. Additionally, be aware that drivers in the big cities can be fast and a
little unnerving at times for those that aren’t used to the driving habit – keep a cool head, the chaos is
mostly controlled. For great rates, we recommend Rentalcars.com
for your car hire needs.
Getting to the minor islands of Sicily
The beautiful minor islands of Sicily are popular tourist attractions and consequently, are easy to reach
from
various points on Sicily’s coastline. Both hydrofoils (passengers only) and ferries run regularly throughout
the
year – booking is not necessary out of peak season but in the summer months, we advise to buy tickets in
advance
for peace of mind. To catch a hydrofoil to the Aeolian Islands, head to Milazzo where the journey will take
between 45 minutes and 3 hours, dependent on the island. Hydrofoils also run from Palermo and Messina
(journey
times roughly 2.5 to 5 hours and 2.5 to 3 hours respectively) throughout the peak summer months. It is also
possible to catch a hydrofoil to this Aeolians from mainland Italy. The journey takes 2 to 5 hours and runs
all
year round from Reggio Calabria, or 4.5 to 6.5 hours from Naples during the summer months. For passengers
with
cars, the Aeolian Islands ferry runs from Milazzo in Sicily and Naples in Italy. To catch a hydrofoil to the
Egadian Islands, crossings run throughout the day from Trapani and Marsala. The Egadian Island ferry route
runs
from Trapani. Ferries and hydrofoils to the minor Sicilian islands, including Ustica, Pantelleria, Lampedusa
and
Linosa, are available through Siremar and Ustica Lines. For additional travel information for Sicily,
contact us
for further assistance or explore our travel guide section.
The Sicily4u team wishes you a pleasant journey!