Hi all,

I just about have my travel plans in place for next fall (2020). We are going from Los Angeles to Aix-en-Provence, staying for several weeks, then going to Sircacusa for four nights, then back to Los Angeles.

Does anyone have any tips from getting to and from Siracusa?

I see that Ryan Air has two nonstop flights from Marseille:
On Wednesdays that departs Marseille at 9:00 a.m. and arrives Catania at 11:00 a.m.
On Sundays that departs Marseille at 5:50 p.m. and arrives Catania at 7:45 p.m.
From there, I am stuck. I see bus service from the airport and train service from I'm not sure where. I'm assuming getting to Siracusa from Catania on a Sunday night would be more difficult than a Wednesday afternoon.

Departing Siracusa, do you recommend going back to Catania then flying to Rome, then to LAX? Also, is the general consensus to give ourselves an extra day in Rome before our trans-Atlantic flight in case we have trouble going from Catania to Rome?

Thank you!

Here are the options Rome2Rio shows in case you haven't looked here, though it shows no trains:

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Catania...Siracusa-Italy

Yes, I saw Rome2Rio. Thank you!

There has to be a better way... I can see on Google Maps that Trenitalia runs trains and forth between Stazione Catania Centrale and Siracusa all day. Can anyone confirm the best way from the Catania airport to our AirBnB in Ortygia? Are there taxis from the airport to Catania Centrale?

AMT Alibus Service every 20 minutes from 5.00 am to midnight, from the Airport to the City Centre and the Train Station – metropolitan bus fare applies.

http://www.aeroporto.catania.it/aero...-di-trasporto/

From what I can tell, rome2rio isn't showing the train connection between Catania and Siracusa / Ortigia if you set the starting point as Catania Airport, but it shows the train from Catania to Siracusa / Ortigia. If you want the train (I'm sure the bus would be perfectly comfortable, if the times work), I think you'll have to work with separate attempts at rome2rio -- and do be sure to click through to the underlying links, as the main webpage is not sensitive to seasonal variation in schedules.

As for your departure, you have two basic options, IMO:

• Book straight through from Catania to your home airport, putting all legs on the same ticket. You'll almost certainly have to change planes somewhere, but you'll have more options than if you force a routing through Rome, and if it's all on the same ticket, then if a flight problem prevents you from catching your later leg(s), it's up to the airline to get you onward -- rather than being up to you to find new arrangements.
• OR book separately and make sure you are in the city for your departure the night before (or at least long enough ahead that you don't have to worry).

To my way of thinking the bus is the better way. Taking a bus instead of a train seems a small price to pay to eliminate an unnecessary leg of the journey to Siracusa from Catania airport rather than the town. The journey to town & wait for a train seems unnecessary to me and will likely cost several times what a direct bus will cost, a bus or taxi fare + train fare. I, too, prefer trains but when a bus gets me there faster, cheaper & simpler, it's no contest.

The airport bus is the best option from Catania airport to Siracusa if you want to do public transportation, but you could also get a private transfer. Your hotel in Siracusa may have a service they recommend.

It is not so easy to get from Catania to LA in the same day. It is not impossible, check out Alitalia (with a stop in Rome, but you have to get to the airport really early) or Lufthansa (requiring two stops, also getting up really early.) However is much, much, MUCH easier to fly to Rome on a late morning or early afternoon flight on Alitalia, spend the night and fly back to LA the next morning.* I would book on Alitalia for the return home too if you can, they have a direct flight from Rome to LA. This way you are also covered if Etna blows and ash slows things at Catania airport. (Rare, but it happens.) If you are going to France first you can go Air France/Delta as they are partners with Alitalia.

*I hate getting up in the middle of the night. Maybe you don't have this personality trait.

I used a car service, Sicily Life, to get from the Catania airport to our first stop, Taormina, for a trip in 2010, It was SICILY for our special trip. You could check with the Sicily TripAdvisor forum to see what companies are recommended currently.

Actually, the bus from Catania airport to Siracusa runs at least every hr bwetween 8.40 and 18.40, followed by a last bus at 20.40.
75 min journey, Fare: 6 EUR/pax.
If you miss the 20.40 bus, you may take a taxi to Catania Centrale and board there the 21.40 train which arrives at Siracuasa at 22.50. Fare: 11 EUR/pax