Page 45 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

schemes do also have single-country Italy rail passes, but given the relative cheapness

of local train tickets, and the restricted service in some parts of Sicily, buying one of
these probably won’t save you any money either.

By bus

Almost anywhere you want to go will have some kind of regional bus (autobus or
pullman) service, usually quicker than the train (especially between the major towns
and cities), but generally more expensive.

Between them, four main companies – SAIS Trasporti ( saistrasporti.it), SAIS
Autolinee ( saisautolinee.it), AST ( aziendasicilianatrasporti.it) and Interbus (
interbus.it) – cover most of the island. Other companies stick to local routes. Many
routes are linked to school/market requirements, which can mean a frighteningly early
start, last departures in the early afternoon, and occasionally no services during school
holidays, while nearly everywhere services are drastically reduced, or nonexistent, on
Sundays.

The local bus station (autostazione) is often in a central piazza, or outside the train
station, though in some towns different bus companies have different bus terminals.
Timetables are available on the companies’ websites, and also from company offices
and bus stations. You usually buy tickets on the bus, and increasingly online,
something worth doing for a longer route, such as Messina to Rome, for which tickets
often sell out. On most routes, it’s possible to flag a bus down if you want a ride. If

you want to get off, ask “posso scendere ?”; “the next stop” is “la prossima fermata”.

City buses usually charge a flat fare of €1–€1.80, and the tickets are often valid for
ninety minutes, allowing you to change services for free within that time. Invariably,
you need a ticket before you get on. Buy them in tabacchi, or from the kiosks and
vendors at bus stops, and then validate them in the machine in the bus. Checks are

frequently made by inspectors who block both exits as they get on, though if you don’t
have a ticket you’ll usually get off with an earful of Sicilian and be made to buy one;
some inspectors might hold out for the spot fine. Several cities, including Agrigento
and Palermo, now allow passengers to buy tickets on board at a slightly higher price.

STAMP IT

All stations have yellow validating machines in which passengers must stamp their
ticket before embarking on their journey. Look out for them as you come onto the
platform: if you fail to validate your ticket you’ll be given a hefty on-the-spot fine.
Note that if your ticket is booked for a specific train, validation is not necessary –

but if in doubt, ask.