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TRANSPORTATION

 

We recently discovered that it is easy for us to drive to the Catania. So if you want to fly into Catania that would be good also. However, if the tickets are more expensive, we don't mind going to Palermo.

Direstions to Montedoro:

http://sicilia.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/cl/montedoro/trasporti/trasporti.html

Directions to Montedoro from Palermo Airport:
1. As you leave the airport, you will see signs for the Autostrade- or highway, A. Follow the signs and get on A 29.
2. Stay on A 29 into Palermo. As you reach the city, the road becomes a regular street with some intersections. Keep going straight. When you see the big Holiday Inn, you will be at a large traffic circle. Go around the circle and continue straight, but keep to the left lane so you can exit left back on to the continuation of the Autostrade.
3. Stay on A29 and as you leave Palermo city, watch for the sign for A19 and exit for Caltanisetta.
4. Continue on toward Caltanisetta. After approx. 1/2 hour, watch for a sign for the exit to Caltanisetta on route SS 640. The exit ramp off A19 merges onto SS640.
5. Set you mileage marker now, or note the mileage.
Continue on SS640 past Caltanisetta and continue on SS640 following the signs to Agrigento.
6. You will be taking an exit to Seradifalco, but you will pass at least three signs for different exits to Seradifalco before you reach the best one, at Kilometer 33.8 from your exit off A19.
7. Exit for Seradifalco on route SS 122. At the end of the ramp, turn left (north) and follow SS122 to Seradifalco. Watch for signs to Montedoro and follow those signs around Seradifalco and on to Montedoro. Note: if a sign indicates Montedoro with an up arrow at a traffic circle, it means you drive around the circle and take the road coming off the circle that is approximately in the same direction as you were driving.
8. The road into Montedoro is about 5 km long and very winding from Seradifalco. When you finally enter the town, you will see a major fork in the road just by the second gas station. Continue on the left fork several blocks following the sign toward the Hotel Scania. Turn left and procede toward Hotel Scania. Pass the hotel and you come to the main Piazza. Go around the traffic circle (with center monument) and continue straight as you were going for two more blocks where the street now starts going steeply uphill.
9. This is Via Vittorio Emanuele. Turn left on Vittorio Emanuele and go about 4 small blocks. Our street, Viccolo Laura is narrow and goes uphill on the right. Our door is the first one on the right at the corner building as you start up the hill. Push the lower buzzer button by the door and Buon Giorgno!

Here is a map of Sicily. To see where Montedoro is located click on the Caltanissetta region. It will be west and slightly south of the city of Caltanissetta.

http://maps.sicilian.net/

 

Airlines:

Start shopping around, the sooner the better especially if you are flying during a peak season. You can maybe get good rates by taking advantage of some special to any city in Europe and then making a connection to either Rome (Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino airport)or Palermo (Punta Raisi airport)on a cheaper airline. We were told that there are some new start up companies like Jet Blue in Europe that have inexpensive flight between cities in Europe. Be sure to check what airport they fly out of. They are:

www.ryanair.com i.e. flies between England and Palermo for $30
www.volare-airlines.com
www.easyjet.com
www.alpieagles.com

For us it would be best if you fly into Palermo airport because we are only an hour from that airport and we may be able to pick you up if you are not planning to do sight seeing on your own. Otherswise, it may be a good idea to rent a car in Palermo. If you plan to visit other cities or countries first you have many options for how to get to us. You can fly (see list of airlines above) you can drive( see rental car info below), you can take a train (from Rome) or you can take a ferry from Naples. To get to Naples from Rome you will either need to take a car or a train. I heard that there is a good bus system, but I haven't ever used it. I have done all of the above and they each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Driving: be ready to be aggressive! People in Italy (or I should say men because you don't see many women on the highway) drive very fast. If you can hold your own and aren't intimidated by honking and lights flickering behind you then driving can be fun. You get to see some out of the way places along the way and can make your own schedule.Driving from Rome to Montedoro will take about 10 hours or more. If you are not on a tight time frame, it would be a good way to see Southern Italy.

YOU WILL DEFINITELY NEED AN INTERNATIONAL LICENCE. these are easy to obtain at any AAA.

  • Car Rentals:
    Shop around. I found the best rates at Hertz. Be careful to find out whether or not the company you choose has mandatory insurance attached to the total cost/estimate. Italy doesn’t require insurance, but some car rental companies do. For example Thrifty requires insurance and includes that cost in their estimate. Other companies don’t require insurance, but the per day insurance rates are higher. For example Budget doesn’t require insurance but their per day insurance cost is $5.00 higher than Thrifty per day. So be sure to have them break down the cost. All companies seem to have mandatory theft coverage in Italy. Here are the charges for Italy that all companies will charge:
    • Rental cost
    • Taxes 20%
    • Airport Service Charge 14%
    • Theft coverage
    • Optional with some companies: Lost damage waiverI checked with my personal car insurance policy and they insure me for car rentals in the U.S. but not in other countries. You could check with yours. Also check with your credit card company, they often have coverage for everything but personal liability and medical cost.

     

Train: If you have the time and want a real cultural experience then the train is the way to go. You will be in a car with many Italians who will be very curious about you and if you can figure out how to communicate you can get into a great political discussion. If not, observing cultural behaviors and practices is facinating. The train goes on a ferry to Sicily which is fun to experience. The train will take you right to Palermo. You can maybe rent a car when you get to Palermo, if you choose this option. I understand that it is cheaper to buy a pass before you leavee the states. They sell passes by the week.. You can either go on the web (Eurail) or go to a travel agent to purchase a ticket.

Ferry: We discovered a great way to travel between Sicily and Italy! If you have a car that you may have rented in Rome or some other city, you can get the ferry to Palermo in either Rome or Naple. The ferry leaves twice a day. I think one is in the morning and the other is in the evening at about 8:00pm and arrives in Palermo 12 hours later (around 8:00am). There are restaurants on the ferry and sleeping rooms. It is almost like getting a hotel overnight and not having to drive all the way through the south. This will save time and you will get a good night sleep. It can be a little expensive 417Euro for a round trip ticket which included our cabin (50 Euro per person/night and the cost of the car (70 Euro/each way). These are all estimates and prices may have increased. It is cheaper to purchase your ticket ahead of time on their website. It is all in Italian and be careful because what seems like a reservation may not be. I think you are required to send in some kind of deposit ahead of time.I also think you can purchase your ticket through a travel agent. Here is the contact information: www.tirrenia.it, telephone: 199 123 199

Bus: It is best to buy a guide or look this info up on the web.