Page 358 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

GETTING AROUND

By bus City buses are run by AST ( 0931 462 711, aziendasicilianatrasporti.it)
and depart from Piazza Pancali in Ortigia. All services run on circular routes. Tickets
cost €1.20 for 120min, and €1.80 for two days, and should in theory be available at

tabacchi and newsstands displaying an AST sticker. However, thanks to internal
problems within AST, the availability of both tickets and buses may be erratic. At the
time of writing, only the buses out to the beaches are reliable. If they do start running
again, the most useful buses for getting to the Archeological Zone are #1, #3, #12; plus
#4 for the Museo Archeologico and #25 and #26 for Castello Eurialo.

By car Siracusa’s drivers are as undisciplined as any in Sicily, but nevertheless

drivers will find the city a breeze after Palermo and Catania. Parking on the street in
Ortigia is almost impossible, so leave your car at the covered Talete car park to the
east of the island. Ortigia is completely closed to traffic (except for residents) on
Sundays and on certain other occasions – a traffic signal at the foot of Corso Matteotti
indicates whether access is permitted or not. When access is not permitted, you can
either turn left and drive around the coast road to Talete (for a scenic route, and the

rare chance of picking up a free parking place), or turn right and go directly to Talete.

By taxi There are ranks in Piazza Pancali ( 0931 60 980) and at the train station (
0931 69 722).

PARKING IN SIRACUSA

As in the rest of Italy, parking in Siracusa is free for everyone on the white lines
along the Lungomare Levante between the junction with Via Maestranza, though
you’ll be lucky to find a place. For streets with blue lines, payment (€0.60/hr) is
often required; on Riva Nazario Sauro, fees are charged all day, every day, but
everywhere else in the city, you pay only Mon–Fri between 9am–1pm & 4–8pm.

There are no parking meters and no ticket machines in Ortigia; instead, parking
tickets are sold at tobacconists and newsagents, and cost €0.60 per hour.

The Talete car park is at the end of Via Trieste (look for the sign) on the
lungomare (Mon–Sat: 7.30am–2.29pm & 10pm–7.29am fixed charge of €1; 2.30–
9.59pm €0.60 per hour; Sun and hols 7.30am–9.59pm €0.60 per hour; 10pm–7.29am
fixed charge of €1. Talete is an easy walk from the centre of Ortigia, though look out
for the free shuttle-bus (navetta) which in theory leaves from outside every fifteen

minutes, dropping passengers in Piazza Pancali and Piazza Archimede.

The other car park is at the Molo San Antonio, on the mainland across the bridge
from Ortigia, daily 8am–9.59pm, €0.60 per hour; 10pm–7.59am, fixed rate of €1.