Travel

Flight

Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport

NEWS! NEWS! Delta recently announced direct flights between JFK and Catania! We HIGHLY recommend purchasing flights early, as prices will likely increase closer to the summer. A number of other international carriers fly here with layovers in Europe. Catania airport is the closest to Trecastagni, about 30 minutes by car. The alternative airport, if you're tripping around Sicily, is Palermo on the western side of the island, around 3 hours from Trecastagni by car.

Rental Car

Sicily by Car Autonoleggio Aeroporto di Catania

Sicily by Car is the most affordable (and local!) car rental company; it's office is right outside the airport and easily findable via the signs. Reserve early, as prices will increase closer to August. A car rental is suggested, if it's within your budget, and is a fun way to see the island. Other well-known car rental companies also operate out of Catania airport. If renting a car, pay close attention to the engine-type: manuals are very popular in Sicily. If you know how to manage, they are also very fun with all the hills :). Automatics are also available.

Travel Note

About Cars & Public Transit

You can get to Trecastagni without a car, but it takes some finagling. Direct busses run from downtown Catania to Trecastagni, but not from the airport. There are multiple options to get from the airport to downtown: bus, train, and taxi. The bus from Catania to Trecastagni takes 55 minutes and runs every three hours. Keep in mind that Sicily does NOT have a robust public transit system, besides Catania and part of the eastern coastline. In some areas taxis are harder to come by. UBER does work in Sicily, especially in Catania. We've also seen it in other places, including closer to Trecastagni, but it's not popular and prices were very steep. We presume an UBER driver will be happy to take you to Trecastagni, but be prepared for hefty prices. Returning from Trecastagni to Catania is likely also possible via UBER, but again, note that prices and wait times are likely high. We can help coordinate arrivals if you chose to abstain from a car rental. <3

Train

Italia Rail

Trains run direct from Catania Airport. The station is a 15-minute walk from the airport, or a shuttle, which costs 1 Euro. You can take the train to Acireale. From there, it will be a 25-minute car ride to Trecastagni. But again, taxis may be hard to come by. Train is a great way to access other parts of the eastern Sicilian coast. If traveling around, we highly recommend a day (or two!) trip to Siracusa, in the south, accessible by train.

Hotel

Antico Borgo Petralia

We have blocked off rooms from August 14-19 at this lovely guesthouse, with amazing staff, delicious food, a beautiful view of the sea and Etna, AND a pool! Transportation will be provided from here to the ceremony. Reservations and payment must be done through Rikki or Francine. Please message one of us to coordinate! Rooms are limited, so we'll be booking on a first-pay-first-serve basis. Some notes about the guest house: -If you're flying solo and feel comfortable sharing a room with other(s), let us know and we'll arrange! It'll be fun to meet some familiar(ish) strangers, and it's very cost savvy (e.g., triple room would be under 100 Euros/night, if shared) :) -Rikki and Stephan are happy to provide some insight if you've found other accommodation, but we really love this guest house. Overview of costs for rooms (calculated in USD for 5 nights (14-19 August)): -All prices include breakfast each morning Double Room (2 ppl) 892 Triple Room (3 ppl) 1102

Hotel

Airport Hotel

If you have an early morning departure (likely), we suggest you grab a place to stay near the airport for the night before. There is an official "International Airport Hotel," but unfortunately at this moment it doesn't seem open for bookings (hopefully they're remodeling....) Suggested booking.com places can be found by clicking "View."

Travel Note

Cell Phone Info

Mainly for US-based guests: -Italian E-SIMs (data only) can be purchased using the app Airalo -WhatsApp is a great app for free messaging and calling amongst WhatsApp users; you can use your US/international number (for those who don't use it, you should! :)) -Your US carrier will likely provide an international service if you want to keep using your phone as normal. This is around $10/day for Verizon.