Page 40 - The Rough Guide of Sicily
P. 40

fares (up to thirty days in advance), buses cost far more than the average low-cost

           flight.

           Car and ferry


           Driving to Sicily from the UK, using the standard cross-Channel services or
           Eurotunnel (  eurotunnel.com) through the Channel Tunnel, takes at least two full
           days. From the France/Italy border, it’s possible, with a bit of luck, to reach the Straits
           of Messina in a long day if you keep on the autostradas. While not a cheap option

           (factoring in the cross-Channel trip, tolls, overnight stops and meals), it is a good way
           of seeing something of France and Italy on the way.

             The shortest crossing from the Italian mainland, over the Straits of Messina, is from
           Villa San Giovanni by ferry; or, fifteen minutes further south – at the end of the
           motorway – by hydrofoil or fast ferry from Reggio di Calabria.

             To cut the driving time in Italy, you could use one of the earlier ferry or hydrofoil

           crossings from the Italian mainland to Sicily, from Genoa (to Palermo, 20hr),
           Salerno (to Palermo, 12hr, or Messina, 8hr), Civitavecchia (near Rome, to Palermo,
           12hr and Termini Imerese, 13hr) or Naples (to Palermo 11hr, or Aeolian Islands from
           10 hours by ferry (year-round), 4–6hr by hydrofoil in summer). Non-drivers could
           even combine a cheap flight (say Ryanair to Genoa) with one of these ferry crossings.

           You can also approach Sicily by travelling via Corsica or Sardinia, though obviously
           this is a somewhat complicated route involving two lengthy crossings – it’s not
           recommended for a short trip to Sicily. The Genoa, Salerno and Naples crossing
           schedules are seasonal, and with several different operators, but there are daily
           sailings in summer and at least two or three per week throughout the year. The best

           places to check schedules and fares, and book tickets, are the exhaustive websites
            directferries.co.uk and   viamare.com, which contain details about every Italian ferry
           service.

           Airlines, agents and operators



           AIRLINES

           Air Canada   aircanada.com

           Alitalia   alitalia.com


           British Airways   ba.com

           Delta   delta.com

           easyJet   easyjet.com
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