Erice may be reached by air, by train, by car or by bus.

Arriving participants will be met - look for orange wear/announcement - at Palermo/Trapani airports and taken to Erice by car/minibus/bus free of charge, on May 29th, 2008 only.

1. BY AIR: Palermo "Punta Raisi" airport - named "Falcone & Borsellino" - and Trapani "Birgi" airport (see section iv. below) are at a distance of sixty minutes and twentyfive minutes by road respectively, from Erice. Neither airport has a left luggage office.

i. from Rome - Leonardo da Vinci Airport, (located at Fiumicino town) or from Milan, Malpensa Airport to Palermo and Trapani, several daily flights. There are flights from Milan, Linate airport, much nearer to city centre, but rarely connected to international airlines.

Milan is preferable to Rome for transit (but not for visiting); be aware NOW most flights land at Milan Malpensa. This airport is bound to city centre (metro station Cadorna, change there to reach the Rail Station) by a train in 25 minutes and to Central Rail Station by bus (cost 8 US $) in ninety minutes or by taxi (cost 110 US $) in sixty minutes.

ii. from several italian cities – Bari, Bologna, Florence, Naples, Pisa, Venice, Verona, Turin (all connected to european capitals) - to Palermo and recently to Trapani.

iii. from innumerable european cities and New York to Palermo - direct or group holiday or low cost or charter flights. Travel agencies arrange group flights even for two! An eventual (and more common) flight to Catania may be coupled with a transfer to Palermo by bus, highly preferable to train. Indeed, SAIS buses depart frequently from Catania city and stop at airport on the way to Palermo train station. In Palermo follow instruction 4. on "How to ensure a smooth arrival". Alternatively a group could hire a Transit minibus from Catania airport to Palermo airport (about two-hour drive on the free motorway).

2. BY TRAIN: from Rome to Palermo (to Trapani there is one direct train daily). It takes twelve to sixteen hours, depending on type of train; then train to Trapani ( via Milo !! ). However, regular intercity buses leave Palermo railstation to Trapani railstation and take less than two hours but at the additional price of 8 Euro. For news on these buses phone 091(Palermo)-6167919. In Trapani take an AST bus to Erice (see instruction in Local Arrangements). For a train connection Palermo Station to Airport, see point 3. in Smooth Arrival.

3. BY CAR : Petrol costs now about 1.50 Euro per liter, but you may perhaps obtain reduced price "coupons" for Italy from your automobile association.

i. Roma-Naples-Salerno toll motorway (18 to 28 Euro ), 250 km plus

Salerno-Villa San Giovanni free motorway, about 500 km plus

Villa San Giovanni-Messina car ferry, frequency 30 mins, takes 30 mins plus

Messina-Palermo 237 km (free motorway, an improvemnt since the map visible in the document "Where is Erice" was added to the web) plus
Palermo-Erice, 96 km ( free motorway to Trapani, exit Valderice) + 12 km climbing up road to Erice.

ii. The daily overnight ferry Naples-Palermo takes 10 hrs, plus Palermo-Erice (see above). Departure from both ends at about 20:00. Information by the Tirrenia Company Via Bissolati 41, Rome, tel 06 4742041 or Stazione Marittima, Molo Angioino, Naples tel 081 7201111 or Via Roma 385, Palermo ph 091-6021111 or 602 1235.

iii. The recent Catamarano ferry operated by SNAV (Via Giordano Bruno 84, tel +39 081 761 2348, fax 761 2141) is more expensive (about 50 Euro per person) but covers the distance Naples-Palermo in 4.5 hours : departures daily from Naples at 17:30, from Palermo at 9:00. Suspended in winter, it will start again next April. Phone at Palermo is 091 616 8525 or c/o travel agent Barbaro 091 333333. See also www.snav.it. Ferry from Naples to Palermo also from www.tirrenia.it or phone +39 081 8449297

iv. From Genova and Rome(summer, only) the daily ferry to Palermo takes 20 and 12 hours respectively. Information by Grandi Navi Veloci Co.(Gruppo Grimaldi), Via Fieschi 17, 16121 Genova, tel 010 589331, fax 010 55 09 225: booking solely through travel agent or in person (click also on www.gnv.it or better on www1.gnv.it/). The Palermo office is in Calata Marinai d'Italia, 90133 Palermo tel 091 58 74 04, fax 091 61 10 088.

4. BY BUS : from Rome city (piazza Tiburtina, connected by bus to Stazione Termini rail station) to Palermo (and even Trapani) city centre, Piazza Politeama, the bus takes 12 hours. Departure is at 21:30 from Rome and 18:30 from Palermo. The price for a return ticket, valid 7 days, is about 62 Euro ( one way 32 Euro) and can be purchased at the Segesta Office, Via Guido Mazzoni 32, near Piazza Tiburtina, Roma. Information can be obtained in Rome, tel 06 44245905 or in Palermo, tel 091 300556. The Segesta Company ( phone +39 091 616-7919 and 621-5250 , fax 616-9039, for information best +39 091 342525) runs buses from Belgium, Germany and Switzerland to Catania (easily bound to Palermo by SAIS buses) and back three times a week.