Exploring Sicily by train
By Britta Bohn
By Britta Bohn
The train stops with squealing brakes at the station in the small Sicilian town of Santa Flavia.
And, surprisingly, it is on time.
Surprisingly? No - punctuality is perfectly normal for trains in Sicily. Yes - and cleanliness too.
As our train map shows, on the northern coast of Sicily, the railway runs along the sea every hour on weekdays. The train network here connects many small towns with the metropolises of Palermo and Messina.
One of these small towns is Santa Flavia. It is perfect as a "base camp" for excursions by train, as the railway station is very centrally located.
Yes, the small Sicilian town of Santa Flavia is the perfect location for holidays in Sicily without a car and for expats who like to travel by train.
The train station is in the middle of the town and some particularly beautiful holiday lettings are just a few hundred metres away.
And as our train map shows, Santa Flavia is located by the sea and close to Palermo.
Sicily - All in One Place does not organise train journeys, but provides advice for holiday makers and expats who want to use trains in Sicily.
We assume no liability for the correctness, completeness and topicality of this advice.
The use of our advice is at your own risk.
On this page we give you some advice for relaxed train journeys in Sicily:
More topics:
Sicily is experiencing a railway renaissance. Old railway lines are being reactivated and existing lines are being double-tracked.
Of course, this will initially lead to inconvenience. But the good news is that the work for Palermo and the surrounding area has been completed.
One more reason why Santa Flavia is perfect for car-free holidays in Sicily and why investing in a property is particularly worthwhile.
This train map shows the connections and interesting railway stations in the Palermo area:
Trenitalia's timetable information is of course available online and in English. Its use is similar to that of other railways and is largely self-explanatory.
Largely? Were you perhaps already curious and typed the name "Santa Flavia" into the search mask? And of course it didn't work?
No wonder, because the official name of the railway station is "S. Flavia-Solunto-Porticello". And please put a full stop and a space after the "S".
As you can see, even Trenitalia's timetable information is only artificially intelligent.
To make your search easier, we have labelled the stations in our map of train connections with their official names.
At large railway stations, such as Palermo Central Station, you can still buy tickets at ticket counters. Normally, however, you have to use a ticket machine.
But don't worry, the machines speak English and are even reasonably easy to understand. There are videos on the internet showing how they work.
Please do not forget to validate your ticket before travelling.
If anything goes wrong, simply go straight to one of the conductors. They are generally very helpful and speak English.
For expats who regularly travel by train, it is easier to buy tickets via the Trenitalia app. You will need a smartphone with an Italian SIM, an account with an Italian bank and their debit card.
To prepare, create an account on the Trenitalia website. There you will be asked for:
Then install the Trenitalia APP and log in with your account.
When you buy a ticket for the first time, you pay with your bank card and must of course enter your card details. The next time you buy a ticket, you can skip this step if you wish.
Important: The ticket must be purchased at least 5 minutes before the departure of the train.
North-west Sicily is home to what is probably the most modern railway network in Sicily. It stretches from Palermo airport to Cefalù.
The municipality of Santa Flavia is located right in the centre - with a train station in the old town. And as this map on Google Maps shows, there are several holiday flats less than 500 metres away from it.
The tiny penthouse Casa Enza (photo above) stands out in particular. It not only offers a huge roof terrace, but also fibre optic internet. Casa Enza is therefore particularly suitable for use as a home office.
Casa Enza is perfect for 2 guests and offers plenty of light and sun even in Winter:
Bagheria and Santa Flavia are Sicily - All in one Place. Here you will find almost everything that makes Sicily special. You just have to know where. And this is exactly where our overview map on Google Maps helps you. Please find more information (as for instance on Photo spots) on these maps of the single districts:
Bagheria:
Santa Flavia:
More:
Getting around:
No, you don't need carrier pigeons to get news from Sicily. Today we have a Facebook group for holiday makers and another group for expats. This source of information is completely free of charge and you can of course "switch it off" at any time.