Five places worth visiting Sicily Holidays in Sicily: how to get there? How to get to Sicily

Finally the long awaited vacation! You are already "on your suitcases" and it remains to decide how to get to Sicily from Moscow. And best of all - by direct flight, bypassing the loss of time waiting for transfers. There are two airlines operating non-stop flights from the capital of our country, within the seasonal schedule. Don't forget that you will definitely need a Schengen visa as you are flying to Italy. In Sicily, the airports of Palermo and Catania, as well as Trapani and Comiso are waiting for their guests. From Moscow, without transfers, you can only get to the first two air harbors.

Alitalia

From Sheremetyevo to Palermo and Catania can be reached with the help of Alitalia. A one-way ticket for a direct flight costs about 20,000 rubles, the travel time will be 4 hours and 15 minutes. The lowest flight prices are offered in October. Explore the offers of popular search engines by selecting travel dates, see all the options by month of the year, and you can save.

If you decide to buy tickets from this airline, the best solution is to buy them on the official website of Alitalia, which has a working Russian version.

Of course, a cheap flight may be more attractive to many. If you are willing to spend about 7 hours on the road, you can take a flight with a transfer in Rome. Everyone chooses for himself the best option on how to get to Sicily from Moscow: either quickly or cheaply. How much your time is worth, only you know.

S7 Airlines

Sicily is a wonderful island of excellent cuisine, sacred traditions, warm hearts and passions. It is waiting for all lovers of Italian flavor and wonderful beaches. There is another way to get to Sicily from Moscow directly - use the services of the S7 airline. The flight lasts about 4 hours.

S7 Airlines is a member of the oneworld global aviation alliance and operates modern comfortable Airbus A320 aircraft with economy and business class cabins. Catania is already the sixth Italian destination in which the air carrier operates.

Palermo

Capital of the island of Sicily. Bad fame haunts this corner of the Earth, because there is not a single person in the world who has not heard about the Sicilian mafia. And today, these fearsome representatives of the "special caste" are present and flourishing on the island, but travelers should not be afraid of them, because they "make" huge money on tourists. Feel free to come here, enjoy and admire the beaches and the purest waters of the luxurious Tyrrhenian Sea, and how to get to Sicily from Moscow by plane and inexpensively, read here.

Palermo airport

Falcone Borcellino is one of the most popular air hubs. It is located in the north of the island, 35 km from Palermo.

Direct flights to the city of Palermo from Moscow are in great demand for tickets during the summer: June and August, as well as September. The lowest demand is observed at the beginning of the year: in January, February and March. The ticket price is from 17 thousand rubles.

Catania

The famous beach resorts of the island - Taormina and Giardini Naxos - are located near Catania. This city, built next to Mount Etna, is cleaner and less noisy than Palermo. The place will definitely appeal to lovers of ancient European architecture, fans of mountain trekking, picturesque landscapes and, of course, lovers of seaside holidays. After all, it is here that the most beautiful and clean Sicilian beaches are concentrated. Italy lovers recognize Catania as one of the best Italian resorts. You have a chance to check it out!

Catania Airport - Fontanarossa

The third airport in Italy in terms of annual passenger traffic is located right at the foot of the beautiful and dangerous Etna. Do you want to witness a fascinating spectacle, because the volcano is considered active?

The length of the airport runway is 2438 meters, there are 20 gates and 6 air bridges in the terminal. Up to 6 million people pass through the terminal every year. The authorities are aiming for an indicator of 20 million tourists annually.

wind jet

Since 2011, residents of the capital have had another way to fly without transfers, we'll tell you how. It was possible to get to Sicily from Moscow directly by regular direct flights of the Wind Jet airline. They were carried out from Moscow Domodedovo to Palermo or Catania, the cost of a round trip ticket was about 15 thousand rubles. But since 2012, the company has not flown to any of the destinations.

Buy tickets to Sicily cheap

How to get to Sicily from Moscow cheap? Where and how to buy air tickets? Experienced travelers offer to compare prices in several search engines, as well as on the websites of air carriers. Among the main search engines with the lowest prices are Aviasales, Momondo, Skyscanner.

Prices can be viewed for each day of the month and compared if you already know the dates of your trip to Sicily. Then, when the tickets are found, you can check them through the agency (how relevant is the cost, what is the duration of the flight, are there transfers).

Cheaper just for free

The most desperate lover of savings will be indescribably delighted with the prices of air tickets to Sicily, if he manages to wait for the sale held by the Pobeda low-cost airline. These tickets to Cologne, Munich or Milan can be bought at ridiculous prices. Do you often meet the price of 999 rubles (one way)? Not! Most often, a ticket to Europe can be bought for 6 thousand rubles round trip, and then you can use the services of low-cost airlines, for example, Ryanair or Volotea, and get to Sicily.

There is an option to go to Sicily through Rome, so you can see the unforgettable capital of Italy, spending a couple of days in it. Then, from the eternal city, go to Sicily using the services of Alitalia, Vueling, Ryanair airlines, which fly both to the air harbors listed above, which are popular with Russians, and to Trapani or Comiso airports.

You can also rent a car and get to Palermo from the capital of Italy in about 13 hours (with stops will be longer).

The Rome-Palermo bus takes about 12 hours, and a ticket costs about 36 euros. On the way, you can take wonderful views - do not forget to charge your camera.

If you are not afraid of rolling, you can take the ferry from Cevitavecchia and get to Sicily by sea.

How to get to Sicily from Moscow by train

To be satisfied with the details of the journey, one must also be able to enjoy the road to the final destination.

What can I say, there are tourists who categorically do not tolerate air travel, and time costs are not important for them, the main thing is not on an airplane. Most often, people come to Sicily by train from Rome.

Love the sound of wheels? Still would! Knowing how to get to Sicily from Moscow without transfers, you can consider other route options that are more inexpensive and interesting. The train from Rome to Palermo is waiting for you. You will spend 12 hours on the way, the ticket price starts from 70 euros.

It is interesting! The train is transported on a special platform with rails, this happens at night, when passengers are sleeping. This is a very interesting and unusual adventure. From Messina, the train goes to Catania, from where you can even go to Syracuse.

Sicily can be reached by plane, train, bus and ferry. Inside the island you can travel by trains, buses and cars.

Airplane

From Moscow to Sicily can be reached by charter (as a rule, only during the summer period and on May holidays) or regular flights.

Regular flights of Aeroflot or AlItalia companies can reach Rome, Venice or Milan, from where flights of domestic airlines fly to Palermo or Catania.

There are international airports in Sicily in Palermo (Falcone and Borsellino Airport) and Catania (Vincenzo Bellini Airport).

Train

In Italy, passengers are transported by the national railway company Ferrovie dello Stato. Most of the island's railway track is standard European gauge (1,435 mm). The exception is the narrow-gauge (950 mm gauge) railway Ferrovia Circumetnea (literally - "Railway around Etna").

When traveling around the Italian mainland, it is only logical to use the railway transport to get to Sicily. Trains depart regularly from Naples and Rome to Sicily. In addition, special night trains with sleeping cars run to Sicily. They are very convenient, since most of the journey takes place at night, including loading the wagons onto the ferry for crossing the Strait of Messina, which takes about 35 minutes. The cost of the crossing is included in the price of the railway ticket.

At the moment in Sicily there is a direct rail connection between the following cities:

• Messina — Palermo
• Messina - Catania - Syracuse
• Palermo - Agrigento
• Palermo - Falcone Borsellino Airport
• Palermo (Piraineto) - Trapani
• Alcamo - Trapani
• Catania - Agrigento
• Catania - Gela
• Syracuse - Caltanissetta
• Agrigento - Caltanissetta

All information about train schedules throughout Italy (including Sicily) and ticket prices can be seen on the website www.trenitalia.com.

Tickets can be bought at the ticket offices of the stations just before the train departs. The ticket price depends on the destination, the type of train and the type of ticket. The cheapest tickets will cost without numbered seats, the most expensive (often more expensive than air tickets) will be tickets for sleeping cars.

Don't forget to punch your ticket in the special yellow punches on the platform.

Bus

For travel in Sicily, it is still worth giving preference to buses. The fact is that the railway track on the island is laid along the sea coast around the perimeter. Therefore, to get by train, for example, from Palermo to Syracuse, you will have to travel a long way along the entire coast along the route: Palermo - Messina - Catania - Syracuse, while by bus or car you can go directly, cutting off the path through the interior of the island.

By bus, you can get quickly and inexpensively to almost anywhere on the island. There are both urban and intercity buses in Sicily. Typically, city buses are painted orange, while long-distance buses are blue, white or red.

City routes throughout Sicily are served by the transport company AST. Tickets for buses are purchased at newsstands or offices of a transport company. The ticket is valid for 2 hours, it must be validated at the entrance to the bus in a special machine located at the first door next to the driver. Passengers with an expired or unvalidated ticket pay a fine of 50 euros.

The main intercity bus transportation in Sicily is carried out by the following transport companies: AST, Interbus, Etna, S.A.I.S. .

Tickets for intercity buses are purchased at newsstands, at the offices of transport companies, or directly from the bus driver. Intercity bus stations in the main cities of Sicily are usually located near the railway stations. The routes of many intercity buses also run through the airports of Catania and Palermo.

There is a regular bus service between Naples and Sicily. Buses run around the clock. They can follow from different cities of Italy, but their path, one way or another, runs through Naples. A bus ticket to Sicily costs much less than, for example, a ferry, and the bus spends less time on the road than the train. After all, it takes a lot of time to unhook the train cars in front of the ferry, and then couple them again. The bus just enters the ferry. During the crossing, passengers can get out and enjoy the views. The crossing lasts 15-20 minutes. The cost of the crossing is already included in the price of the bus ticket.

Ferries

The most important ports of Sicily are located in its largest cities - in Messina, Palermo, Trapani and Catania. Messina is in a special position in this series, because only 5 kilometers separates it from the coast of mainland Italy. Messina has a regular ferry service to the mainland: ferries leave almost every half hour.

Auto

If you intend to travel around Sicily by car, you need to learn some information. Sicily has both paid and free roads. Paid ones are usually shorter and more convenient. The price depends on the length of the path. The speed limit on motorways is 130 km/h, on main roads (Strada Statale, SS#) – 110 km/h, on other highways outside cities – 90 km/h, in built-up areas – up to 50 km/h.

The permitted blood alcohol content of a driver is 0.8 ppm. Fines for driving under the influence of alcohol are very high, up to and including imprisonment. The use of a traffic signal is prohibited in places marked "Zona di silenzio". Parking in the wrong place threatens to evacuate the car to a penalty area.

Sicily is not just a part of Italy and not just an island, it is a whole world where everyone will find something special, unique and unrepeatable for themselves. Someone goes to Sicily to look at the active volcano Etna, someone is attracted by the artifacts of ancient civilizations, others are attracted by the beautiful Sicilian beaches and picturesque views. However, we will not dwell on the topic of local beauties and attractions for a long time. This article has a different purpose and is written in order to clarify a number of organizational issues regarding independent travel. How to organize a trip to Sicily on your own? Where to begin? What to look for when planning a trip? We will try to answer these and other important questions further.

How to get to Sicily on your own

The fastest way to get to Sicily, as you might guess, is air transport . Fortunately, you can fly from Russia with Alitalia flights (to Catania or Palermo - directly or with a transfer) and S7 Airlines (to Catania). In addition, there are many flights of other airlines that also fly from Russia to Sicily with connections in different European cities. Alternatively, you can fly from Russia to any of the major cities in Italy (say, to Milan or Rome) and from there go to Sicily, thus combining a trip to this wonderful island with visiting other regions of Italy. At the same time, in addition to the already mentioned airports of Catania (Catania) and Palermo (Palermo), it is worth paying attention to Trapani (Trapani) and Comiso (Comiso), where, in addition to all other airlines, Ryanair flies. By the way, you can search for air tickets to Sicily (and not only), and find additional information about air traffic between Russia and Italy in the article “To Italy by plane”.

To continue the topic, you can also refer to our travel itineraries in Sicily. Here, the transport issue is considered from a different point of view: the emphasis is on how to move directly in Sicily and which corners of the island are worth visiting, that is, where exactly to go in Sicily.

How and where to book a hotel in Sicily

There is absolutely nothing complicated in booking a hotel in Sicily, as in most countries of the world. There are plenty of corresponding services for searching and booking hotels. As a starting point, it makes sense to use the "Hotels in Sicily" section, where you can find and compare the prices of many booking sites. Generally speaking, it is not so important on which website to book a hotel. The main thing is to decide on the place where you would like to stay and the budget for accommodation. From this point of view, we recommend that you pay attention to these articles on areas and hotels in various cities of Sicily.

visa issue

Of course, in order to visit Sicily, you must obtain a Schengen visa. In fact, having a hotel reservation and round-trip tickets is one of the conditions for obtaining a visa to Italy. The visa issue has been considered in detail - there is no point in repeating it, since Sicily is no different from the rest of Italy in this regard.

In conclusion, we note once again that Sicily is multifaceted and therefore a variety of combinations of beach, cultural, educational, medical, extreme and other types of tourism are possible here. Ultimately, you will have to decide and choose on your own, but we hope that the above considerations will be useful to you in this.

How to get to Sicily: by plane, train, bus or car. Current prices, useful tips, all the nuances and details of the route to Sicily from the "Subtleties of Tourism".

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There are two ways to get to Sicily: by air and by sea.

By plane

The cheapest way to fly from Moscow to Catania is with Aegean Airlines, on the road 25 hours 45 minutes with a change in Athens. Alitalia will help save time, offering flights lasting 6 hours and 25 minutes with a connection in Rome.

Aeroflot, Rossiya, Vueling and other carriers fly from St. Petersburg to Sicily. The cheapest flights are at Alitalia, a change in Milan, travel time is 11 hours 50 minutes, the fastest are at Swiss, connecting in Zurich). It is cheaper to fly to Catania with Aegean Airlines, you will have to spend 26 hours on the road, making a transfer in Athens), and faster - with Aeroflot (6 hours, connecting in Rome).

How to get from the airport to the city

There are buses, trains and taxis from Falcone Borsellino Airport to Palermo. Bus routes run from 5:00 to 0:15 every half an hour, the ticket price is 6.30 EUR, the journey to the center takes about an hour. A trip on the Trinacria Express train will cost 5.80 EUR, the final station is the railway station (website in English). There is a taxi rank at the entrance to the terminal, you can get to Palermo for 35-45 EUR. Prices on the page are for August 2018.

Buses and taxis run to Catania from Fontanarossa Airport. Route No. 475 takes you to the center in 20 minutes (traffic interval - 25 minutes, working hours - 5:00 - 0:00), ticket price - 4 EUR. The average cost of a taxi ride is 35 EUR.

Sicily is the largest Italian island in terms of area and an extremely popular tourist destination for those who like to combine a measured beach holiday and acquaintance with history. This time we decided to cover the transport issue and find out how to get to Sicily from Moscow and from different European cities.

You can read details about Sicily airports. We wrote about the best resorts in Sicily for relaxation. A vacation in Sicily can also be diversified with profitable shopping in.

How to get to Sicily from Naples

Airplane

AlItalia, EasyJet, Volotea airlines regularly fly from Naples to Catania. The cost of a round-trip ticket in April will be from 4.5 to 12 thousand rubles, the travel time will be from 1 to 1.5 hours.

It will be a little cheaper and faster to fly from Naples to Palermo - from 4 to 10 thousand rubles for a flight at exactly 1 hour.

Planes fly to both cities either early in the morning or late in the evening, so if you wish, you can fly to Sicily for just a day, if time is running out.

Ferry

You can also take a ferry from Naples to the city.

Ferry service to Catania is carried out by TTTLines, on the website of which you need to buy a ticket. Ferries run once a day, sail at night, travel time is 12 hours. On Mon-Wed and Sat depart at 20:30, on other days - at 23:45.

Prices start from 54€ for a cabin for 4 people (children under 4 years old - free of charge, 4-11 years old - 50% discount), the maximum price for a single cabin is 118€.

Ferries of the companies GNV and Tirrenia sail in Palermo. Both swim once a day every day, the ferry of the first departs at 20:15, the second at 20:00, the journey time is 10.5 hours.

The cost for a place in a regular 4-bed cabin is 49-52 €, cabins with amenities will cost up to 125 €.

Bus

The city of Messina is closest to the mainland of the country, and it is through it that many bus routes pass.

Buses from Naples go to Messina. They depart every day at 21:30, travel time - 6.5-7 hours, ticket price - 34 €.

And since Messina is connected to both Palermo and Catania by convenient bus and train connections, you can easily continue your journey through Sicily.

How to get to Sicily from Milan

Since Milan is too far from Sicily (1.3 thousand km), the only way to get to the island is by plane.

The cheapest round-trip ticket for a plane Milan - Catania will cost 37 € (EasyJet, travel time - 2 hours), Milan - Palermo - 46 € (RyanAir, travel time - 1 hour 45 minutes) In both cities, planes from the airport Milan Malpensa fly every day.

But it is worth mentioning that finding such a price for suitable dates is a great success. And it is worth considering that both of these airlines are low-cost airlines. If you want a little more comfort, like AlItalia, then you will have to pay about 80 € for a ticket.

How to get to Sicily from Rome

Airplane

The cheapest flights to Palermo from Rome are carried out by the Ryanair low-cost airline, a round-trip ticket is 40 €, travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. Planes usually leave early in the morning or late in the evening, at the end of the working day.

Flights in the middle of the day usually cost more (50-60€).

Getting to Catania Fontnarossa Airport from Rome will be a little more expensive - from 49 € for a direct Ryanair flight. Travel time is 1.5 hours, most of the flights are in the morning or closer to the night, but there are also flights in the middle of the day.

Ferry

Unlike the same Naples, Rome does not have its own port. The nearest port, which is used as the main port in Rome, is in the city of Civitavecchia, an hour by train from the main station of Roma Termini.

Ferries sail from this Roman port only to Palermo and Termini Imerese, 40 km from Palermo.

In both directions, ferries sail for 15 hours. The minimum cost of a place in a cabin on a ferry in Palermo will be 51 €, in Termini Imerese - 57 €.

Tickets can be booked on the GNV website.

Bus

From Rome to Sicily, the following bus routes operate:

• Rome - Catania, 3 times a day (in the evening), travel time - 9.5-10.5 hours, cost - 42 €;
• Rome - Palermo, 4 times a day (in the evening), travel time - 12-14 hours, cost - 36 €.

In both cases, the carrier company is the Italian Buscenter, you can buy tickets.