Travel to Catania

Travel to Catania

Catania is located halfway down the eastern coast of Sicily. Situated close to the famous Mount Etna, Catania is a magnificent place with a history that has been influenced by eruptions from its daunting neighbour. An impressive feature of the town is Piazza del Duomo.

Transportation to Catania

Flights from across Italy arrive at Aeroporto Fontanarossa, seven kilometres to the south of the city centre. From the airport, a taxi into the city costs around 16. By car from Messina, take the A18 south past Taormina and continue on to Catania. Coming from Palermo, follow the A19 east.

Catania is a 10-hour train ride from Rome, and there are four trains daily. You can also take a train from other cities, including: Palermo (3 hours 30 minutes), Agrigento (4 hours), Messina (2 hours) and Taormina (1 hour). Alternatively, SAIS Autolinee runs 17 buses a day from Palermo (2 hours 45 minutes) and 27 a day from Messina (1 hour 30 minutes). Most ferries from Naples arrive at Palermo, but some also go to Catania. The journey is around 11 hours by overnight ferry and 4 hours by hydrofoil.

What to see

The Piazza del Duomo, besides having a spectacular cathedral, is also home to the Fountain of the Elephant, an ancient black lava elephant bearing an Egyptian obelisk the symbol of the town. The Roman Teatro Antico is worth a visit, as is the San Agata alla Fornace, which contains the furnace where St Agatha, the city's patron saint, was martyred by the Romans.

For a breath of fresh air, you can stroll along via Crociferi. Highlights in the area include: Piazza San Francesco, where there is a church of the same name; the church of San Benedetto; and the Jesuite complex, housing the Institute of Art.

Day trips

Catania is a good base for discovering Europe's most active and highest (3,292m) volcano, Mount Etna. You can roam the slopes of Mount Etna or take the three-hour ferry ride to the lovely island of Malta. Rifugio Sapienza is a little village on the southern slope of Etna, from where you can hike up to the Torre del Filosofo (Philosophers Tower).

The port town of Messina is north of Mount Etna and has many historic gems, including the richly adorned church of Annunziata dei Catalani. To the south, Siracusa (Syracuse) is famous mostly for its classical ruins and works of art. The Archaeological Park contains a number of highlights.

Activities and leisure

Restaurants in Catania serve Sicilian specialities such as sun-dried tomatoes, fresh olives and pizza. Via Etnea, a three-kilometre long street cutting through the city, contains the best boutiques and shops. Seeing a production at Teatro Bellini is also worthwhile.

Safety issues

Visitors should remain vigilant when driving in an unfamiliar environment. Holidaymakers are also more susceptible to pickpocketing, especially at night and around bars and clubs. When visiting Catania, we strongly recommend you take out travel insurance for you and your family.