Tips for Catania mini-bus and coach tourism

Useful tips for Catania bus groups with ‘what to see’ and ‘what to do’ items and  ‘bus- friendly’ or must see tourist sites in Catania. Check our list of attractions before planning your bus tour with a stop or departure in Catania. Let us know if your favourite attraction or ‘bus-stop’ is not there and you think we should add it to our list of Catania highlights.

What to see during your Catania group tour in a rented coach bus and minibus with driver?

If you have rented a bus to visit Catania and its surroundings, it will surely be to make a visit to the famous Etna. And you are absolutely right, because your group really must see it. Aside from the path to the Etna, here we will also propose a few places and attractions to visit, without forgetting to be equipped with plenty of water and a hat in the warmer months.

The Etna Park:

This park can be visited by different trails that surround the volcano, and you can also see it through the different mouths that have been opened as a result of the eruptions. The view from the top of the volcano is impressive.

It is qualified as the best "attraction" of Sicily, for its views, landscapes and the route itself, which is a great experience. There are several routes in bus and depending on the physical strength of your group you can climb to the top of the volcano take the on gondola/cable-car or practice some trekking.

Sicily - Mt Etna, Volcano Visitors

Sicily - Mt Etna, Volcano Visitors credit: Gareth Williams CC BY 2.0

You are going to take many pictures, so you must not forget to take your camera with the charged battery! Within the Etna Park, you can miss the Vobe Valley, or the path of the Gelo, in which a glacier is formed.

Communicate to your group that the temperature you have when you board the bus will not be the same as the temperature that you will have when descend on top of Mount Etna. We recommend not going with flip-flops, but with something warmer.

After visiting the Etna Parc

The Cathedral Square:

This is the centre of the city at all levels, and it is a square surrounded by beautiful baroque buildings, in addition to the Cathedral, of course, and a central column with the elephant (l" elephantine), symbol of Catania.

Piazza Duomo - Catania

Piazza Duomo - Catania credit: Roberto Zingales CC BY-ND 2.0

Etnea Street in Catania:

Strolling along this main road you can see a very nice villa, Villa Bellini, a park with very well kept gardens, and the ruins of the ancient city, which you can visit for free.

By the entrance to the Villa Bellini, Catania

By the entrance to the Villa Bellini, Catania credit: Gerry Labrijn CC BY-SA 2.0

Seaside neighbourhood of San Giovanni:

This fishermen"s neighbourhood retains all its old flavour, with the moored coloured boats and some of the best restaurants in seafood cuisine in the city. You can see it at night too, as it is when you will most appreciate the fresh air and you can enjoy a dinner contemplating the night lighting. We recommend the restaurant.

Fish market of Catania:

Every day, at the core of the city, the fish market is mounted, and it is one of the oldest and most folkloric of the island. If you want to breathe the most popular and authentic Catania (and never better said, because the odour is strong enough) you must not forget a stroll around this market, which will open you appetite.

Fish Market in Catania

Fish Market in Catania credit: Mattia Boero CC BY-ND 2.0

Eating in Catania:

After a visit to the fish market you will be willing to try it, logically. The cuisine of Catania is one of the richest in the country, and it can offer you many dishes, from the most traditional and caloric to faster but equally delicious food. In any case, you cannot miss sitting on a terrace, in Piazza del Duomo or facing the sea, and tasting the typical Sicilian granita, i.e. a fine almond-flavoured sorbet, accompanied by a brioche. After this snack, you will need to seat for a while digesting!

Bars and restaurants on the Piazza Duomo

Bars and restaurants on the Piazza Duomo credit: Gerry Labrijn CC BY-SA 2.0

With a rented bus or coach to the beaches of Catania

Unless you"ve chosen the winter to make your visit to Sicily, you will want to enjoy a (sun) bath on some of its beaches. If you and your group know that you are going to enjoy a long day on the beach, then agree with the company of rental minibuses that it will only be 2 transfers and that the bus driver can either join you or drive back to Catania in order to pick you up at the end of the day.

Aci Trezza Beach:

15 kilometres away of the city you will discover this beach of crystal clear water and fine sand, in front of the Islands Cyclops (where the mythological inhabitants are supposed to have only one eye). For many, this is the most beautiful beach of Catania, along with the cliffs that surround it and the quality of its water. Check with the minibus company where they can drop you of and how far you’ll have to walk to reach the bus.

Foce Simeto Beach:

10 minutes south of Catania is the natural space of the Oasis of Simeto, and within this Park the beach is long and quiet, without many services but ideal to relax, never better said, it’s an oasis.

Around by minibus or by foot in Catania?   

Catania, as the rest of Sicily, has a great climate to enjoy the outdoors but it can be hot-hot-hot in the three summer months. In addition, it is not exactly a small town and has many things to explore. That is why we recommend that the driver of the rental bus will drive you, chilled and comfortable, from one place to another, from beach to beach or monument to monument. Have a walk but make sure that the bus is near so that you can chill before you faint due to the summer heat.

City tours in Catania

Catania offers much for visitors, as we have already mentioned, and most of the year it enjoys warm temperatures. Therefore, the rental bus with air conditioning can be one of the best ways to enjoy the view along the promenade. Another thing not to be missed is the good food that you can enjoy in the city, both in terms of savoury dishes and sweets. You can rent a bus in Catania for tours in the city or in Sicily region.

cannoli siciliani

cannoli siciliani credit: Stefano Mortellaro CC BY 2.0

Tourism in the city of Catania

Catania is the second city of the island of Sicily after Palermo, is a beautiful city located at the foot of Mount Etna. It is one of the world"s largest active volcanoes and attracts much tourism. For that special situation, Catania was destroyed seven times by eruptions and earthquakes caused by the volcano, so it is a city accustomed to living aware of the mood swings of mighty Etna. Your Catania bus or coach drivers can tell you all about the eruptions of 2012 and 2008 - 2009 in detail.

Catania, at the foot of Mount Etna, perfectly combines landscapes of great beauty with a very rich cultural and historical heritage, in addition to offering its visitors a delicious gastronomy. Thus, the number of tourists that the city attracts every year is not surprising, and it also has a good network of road transport that allows you to easily visit the province.

Mount Etna

Mount Etna credit: Alessandro Rossi CC BY-ND 2.0

Tours in the city of Catania

You can rent a bus in Catania to go from a tourist attraction to another, and also to relax a little from the relentless sun that is felt on the island in the summer months. Once you have done the tour by minibus to Mount Etna from Catania you cannot miss the Cathedral or Duomo, impressive as so many others in the Italian cities, or the convent of the Benedictines. In addition, if you want something different, you can stroll along the slopes of Mount Etna, or visit the market of fish in the Cathedral Square.

Sant

Sant"Agata Cathedral Catania-Sicilia-Italy credit: gnuckx CC BY 2.0

Finally, night life in Catania is one of the liveliest in the South of Italy. The historic centre of the city is the place where you can spend a fresher night and have more fun, since there you can choose from many types of restaurants, clubs, or bars.

Tours in Sicily

When we think of Sicily we all remember the mobsters from the film The Godfather, because all the Corleone family comes from the island. We associate it with a stony place where many orange trees grow and where drug lords return to rest some time and forget about their crimes. Obviously, the Italian island is much more than that.

The region of Sicily is the largest of all forming Italy, and it enjoys a special status. With its five million inhabitants, it is the island with the highest population density, after the small Malta. Its tourist importance is very large, so mucho so, that when the young aristocrats of the nineteenth century made his European tour - the Grand Tour – they used to finish it on the island. Ah, do not forget that its inhabitants, besides Italian, speak Sicilian, so do not panic if you do not understand at all!

 Taormina, Sicilia - Italia

Taormina, Sicilia - Italia credit: Eduardo M. CC BY 2.0

For your tour with private transport in a rented bus or coach with driver around Sicily for your holiday, we recommend that you organize yourselves as soon as possible, and that you plan your itinerary as much as possible to avoid the unexpected. It is the best way to maximize the time that you will have. In your tour with private transportation in a car with driver in Sicily you may include visits of all kinds, including a trip to a wonderful Greek temple like the Concordia in Agrigento, beaches considered among the best in the world like the rabbits one in Lampedusa, or an impeccably preserved Roman villa such as the Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina.

PIAZZA_ARMERINA

PIAZZA_ARMERINA credit: Vincenzo Fileccia CC BY-SA 2.0

Tours around Sicily and its islands 

If your family or your group have already visited the capital of the island but you still have time to continue your journey, here we suggest a number of ideas to organize some tours or excursions around Sicily. What is certain is that if you are traveling through this place, you should like the beach and the sea, plus ancient history.

Minibus route to the volcano Etna

The Etna and its frequent eruptions make the landscape worth a visit, no doubt, and to climb its 2,800 meters, it is compulsory to do it in a comfortable minibus.

Etna Volcano Paroxysmal Eruption Jan 12 2011

Etna Volcano Paroxysmal Eruption Jan 12 2011 credit: gnuckx CC BY 2.0

Visit to the Temple of Concord

One of the nicest features of Sicily is that it combines amazing beaches and great weather with an impressive cultural and historical heritage. Therefore, if you like such visits, you will be happy visiting the Temple of Concord, in Agrigento, undoubtedly one of the jewels of Sicily that you should not miss at all. Dating from 430 BC, approximately, it is not known to whom it was dedicated, but by its date and state of optimal preservation, it is one of the most important sacred buildings of the Greek world.

 Temple of concord, Agrigento

Temple of concord, Agrigento credit: Sarah Murray CC BY-SA 2.0

Rabbits beach (Spiaggia dei conigli)

 Isola dei Conigli a Lampedusa

Isola dei Conigli a Lampedusa credit: Lucio Sassi CC BY-SA 2.0

Clearly, you cannot be in Sicily without a swim in one of the amazing beaches that border it. Also, if you go to this place in summer, you will be quite thankful for it! Among all the bays that you can choose from, one of the most valued by everyone who visits Sicily is undoubtedly the Beach of Rabbits (Spiaggia dei Conigli) in Lampedusa, an island belonging to the archipelago of the Pelagie Islands. Obviously, for this refreshing visit you will have to park your bus or minibus and take the boat in the summer months which makes frequent trips to Lampedusa.

Tell your driver to take you away from the island capital, Palermo, to the small town of Piazza Armerina, at about three hour drive along the A19 motorway. There you can visit a Roman villa of great importance, both for its size and its state of preservation, as for its famous mosaics, perfectly preserved by a timely flood that covered them with a layer of mud. The villa dates back to the early fourth century, and judging by its majesty and wealth it had to belong to a wealthy patrician. In any case, the contemplation of the mosaics is well worth the visit.

Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana del Casale credit: Andrew Malone CC BY 2.0
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More about Catania

Would you like to organize a bus tour to see all these beautiful highlights? Request quotes and compare the different bus and coach hire companies:

Bus tours in Catania
Coach hire in Catania