Sicily International Airports: how to get there

Foreign tourists can take a sea voyage to Sicily, but usually they prefer a faster way - air. In which of the international airports of Sicily is it worth looking for tickets to spend your holidays as interesting as possible? Let's get it right.

General information

In total, there are 5 airports in Sicily: three on the main island, and two on the nearest ones - Lampedusa and Pantelleria. Considering that direct international flights Moscow-Sicily are a rarity and the bulk of tourists fly to Sicily with a change in Rome, Venice or Milan, information about all Sicily airports will be useful.

Each airport has two names: official and commercial (commerciale). On tickets you can find both one and the other.

We recommend reading:

how to get to Sicily by direct flight
How to get from Milan airports
Fiumicino Airport in Rome
Ciampino Airport in Rome

Fontanarossa Airport in Catania

CTA code. The flow of passengers is up to 8 million people per year. Second in Italy for annual passenger traffic, third in southern Italy (Mezzogiorno). The Catania-Rome flight is the most demanded domestically and the fourth most popular in Europe.

Story

Fontanarossa Airport (Aeroporto di Catania-Fontanarossa) was opened for civilian passengers in May 1924. Actively worked in the 40s (during the war). In May 1947, the first international flight took place from a company that today is known as Alitalia.

Then it was abandoned, however, passenger flow, since the 60s, was constantly increasing. In the 80s, due to its promise, the airport was reconstructed. In 2007, a new terminal was built 150 km from the old one (it stopped working on the evening of May 7, 2007), named after the talented geophysicist and member of the polar expeditions, Philippe Eredia. The new one was named after the 19th-century composer Vincenzo Bellini, also a native of Catania.

Flights

In addition to domestic flights, it serves international flights. Flights through the airport are organized by 45 airlines, ranging in size (from Austrian Airlines Austrian to Italian Meridiana), in size (from Maltese Air Malta, serving one direction to EasyJet, which is familiar in all major European cities). Direct flights from Moscow only during the tourist season (end of April - mid-September).

Find a flight to Sicily using the form below

Features

The airport is sometimes subject to operational restrictions and temporary closure due to volcanic ash clouds, making it difficult to control cars in the air.
Airport capacity is designed for 8 million passengers. In November 2016, the passenger turnover amounted to 7.3 million passengers.

Buses

From the airport to the city (stop on Piazza Giovanni XXIII / John XXIII Square, at the railway station) - bus "Alibus", No. 457, runs from 5:00 to 24:00, the traffic interval is 20 minutes. Schedulehere. Tickets at the box office at the old terminal.
You can only get to Etna by A.S.T. They also run to Rauguza. The inscription A.S.T is also worth looking for if you are interested in excursions and the way to the ferry and catamaran (to Malta) pier in Pozzallo.
Intercity buses to nearby and distant (Rome) cities. Take a seat on John XXIII Square. Find out the schedule and order here.
Interbus buses to Syracuse and Taormina run from Piazza Armerina.

Taxi and car rental

You can take the car on the spot, at the old and new terminals, but there is a risk of hiring a taxi driver who is dishonest, who, for the sake of wrapping the meter, will choose a roundabout. Ordering online (here) eliminates such risks, because the cost of the trip is calculated immediately.

We recommend auto.italy4.me service (filter plus reservation) for ordering a car for rent

What to do in Catania

Those who were attracted by the volcano Etna (on the bus and a half hours from the city) and architectural monuments. A photo of Etna from a landing airplane is a classic. There is a convenient route from the airport to Taormina, the historical and cultural center of an elite resort, which does not interfere with ancient architecture to have the best beaches in all of Sicily and developed tourist architecture.

You will find it useful: how to choose a hotel in Taormina

Near Taormina, a half-hour drive away is the place of Savoka (here in 1971 the film "The Godfather" was shot). Syracuse (Siracusa), one of the first settlements of the Hellenes, is an hour away by train or bus. The cities of Ragusa, Modica, located in the Val di Noto Valley (Italian: Val di Noto) and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, are about two hours from Catania.

Contacts and useful links

Address: 95121 Catania
Airport Phone: + 39-095-723-91-11
Official site: www.aeroporto.catania.it

Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport

The code is PMO. Second in terms of passenger turnover (almost 5 million passengers a year) in the administrative region of Sicily. Located in its northern part. It serves flights of most major European aviation companies, and many low cost airlines such as Windjet or Fly. It is a focal point for airlines such as Alitalia, Ryanair, Volotea.

History and title

Named after two judges - Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two judges who were killed by order of the mafia in 1992. The funeral was broadcast on television, they were visited by thousands of people. In memory of them you can see the memorial created by the sculptor Tommaso Geraci to the right of one of the main entrances to the departure lounge. Until 1992, the airport bore the name of the locality in which it is located - Punta Raisi.

Transport

The airport is 35 km from the capital and closes at night, but communication with Palermo is very well established, you can choose:

Bus: from a stop at the railway station, every half hour from 6:30 to 0:00, price - 6 €
Trinacria Express train: runs every hour, the price is about 6 €
Taxi: Will cost approximately 30 €. Ordering an online transfer is here or here.
Car rent.

What to see in Palermo

Tourists attracted by Palermo or the World Heritage City of 128 km. from Palermo - Agrigento. Or those who are going to relax in any resorts in the northern part of Sicily: Terrasini (Terrasini), Mondello (Mondello), Cefalù (Cefalù).

Address and useful links

Address: 90045 Punta Raisi - Cinisi - Palermo.
Airport Phone: + 39-091-702-01-11
Official site: www.palermo-airport.com

Vincenzo Florio Airport in Trapani

The code is TPS. The third in terms of traffic. Passenger traffic - 400 thousand civil passengers per year. It is classified as military (has a favorable strategic position), open to civilian air traffic. One terminal and one runway.

History and title

The official name is Aeroporto di Trapani-Birgi, after the name of the nearby Birgi River. This is a common name. The military airport bears the name of Livio Bassi, a pilot hero of the Second World War, civilian - Vincenzo Florio, a versatile entrepreneur who has implemented many local initiatives (among them - the revival of Marsala wine).

As a civilian airport began to operate in the early 60s, the first flights were carried out by Alitalia in Palermo, Tunisia and Pantelleria. In the 90s, it was idle, carrying out only flights to the island of Pantelleria, but since 2003 new routes have been created to the largest airports in Italy (Linate, Fiumicino, Marco Polo, Malpensa).

Since 2006, the international Irish airline Ryanair began working with the airport, routes to Paris, Oslo, Dublin, Frankfurt and others began to operate. In May 2010, the company began serving flights to Genoa, Karlsruhe, Ibiza, Liverpool and many others.

Features

It can sometimes be closed to civilians, as it was in 2011 in connection with the civil war in Libya.

Transport

From Trapani to the airport - 15 km.

Taxi - 40 €. It is better to order on-line, Italian taxi drivers generally like to drive gullible tourists for the sake of wrapping up the meter, and Sicilian ones in particular.
The AST bus runs from 5.30 to 23.30. Interval of movement from 14 to 40 minutes. You can see the schedule here here (transfer).
Railway. Travel from 5 to 10 €, to almost all the cities of the island (Pozzalo, Syracuse, Palermo, etc.). Schedule and tickets here.
Car. You can make a route for driving here.

What to see in Trapani

Those who are interested in the architectural monuments of which Trapani and the neighboring city of Erice are rich, the legendary saltworks, beaches: from Trapani not far to San Vito Lo Capo, the best resort in this area.

In Trapani, our friend Mario lives in the villas of which we stop several times a year.

Contacts and useful links

Address: 91020 Birgi, Trapani
Phone: + 39-09-23-610-111
Official website: www.aeroportotrapani.com

Lampedusa Airport

The code is LMP. Loaded mainly in the tourist season.

The island of Lampedusa (Lampedusa) is a small (20.2 sq. Km.) Island of 205 km. from Sicily. For a long time it was the refuge of the Barbarian pirates (closer to the African mainland than 113 km to Sicily). Geographically, the Pelagic archipelago, of which Lampedusa is the main island, belongs to Africa, but by administrative affiliation it is part of Sicily (province of Agrigento)

Flights

The airport serves:

seasonal local flights: to Catania, Palermo (Alitalia airline),
domestic flights: to Bergamo (Il Caravaggio International Airport, serving Milan and Bergamo, the fifth largest traffic in the country), Turin (Turin Airport), Venice (Marco Polo), Verona (Villafranca Airport). As well as flights to Linate and Malpensa airports in Milan, Fiumicino in Rome.
Airlines: Alitalia, Blu-express, Meridiana, Volotea, Vueling.

Features

Few secluded islands have an international airport and a developed tourist infrastructure. Lampedusa favorably looks on their background.
When planning a trip, it should be borne in mind that, due to its location, the island has become a transit point for the flow of emigrants from Africa. The last major influx (32 thousand people, despite the fact that the population of the island is about 6 thousand people) - in 2013.

How to get, contacts

You can move around the island on:

Cars. Car rental in Lampedusa - here.
Scooters, ATVs.
Bicycles.
Buses.

From Rome to Lampedusa - 1.5 hours by plane.

What to do in Lampedusa

It is worth flying to Lampedusa for those who want to visit the only city of the same name on the island with its ancient architecture, enjoy diving, ecotourism, like a relaxing beach holiday, beautiful nature, yachting, prefer a mild subtropical climate without sudden changes in temperature.

Contacts and useful links

Address: Contrada Cala Francese, 92010 Lampedusa ELinosa Agrigento.
Phone: +39-092-297-07-31
Official site: www.aeroportodilampedusa.com

Pantelleria Airport

PNL code. Passenger traffic - about 150 thousand people. It is military, but open to civilian passenger flights. Located in the northwest of the island of Pantelleria (Pantelleria), in the eponymous municipality. Serves only domestic flights.

History and title

The commercial name is Cap. Pil. Italo D'Amico. The Italian pilot Italo D'Amico distinguished himself during the Second World War and was awarded a gold medal. The airport was built in the mid-30s, although at that time it was a hangar cut into a rock. In 1943, it was almost completely destroyed, later rebuilt, in August 2012 a new passenger terminal was commissioned.

How to get there

From the central part of Pantelleria to the airport - 5 km.
Taxi - tel. 338-611-68-25
Buses run from 8.35 to 17.25
A car for trips around the island should be chosen compact and maneuverable, the only highway on the island is quite narrow and lies among difficult terrain.
Search for a car (from six car suppliers): here
From Pantelleria to Trapani there is a ferry.

Why fly to Pantelleria

Those interested in flying to Pantelleria are: diving, sea vacations, fishing, wine and rural tourism, trekking tours, Montagna Grande park, archeology, thermal springs of Lake Specchio di Venere, local cuisine and color.

Contacts and useful links