Arriving on Etna by car, train or bus: getting to the highest active volcano in Europe

The highest and largest active volcano in Europe. Enclosed in the homonymous protected natural area where the flora and fauna typical of the area proliferate. An authentic natural spectacle not to be missed during a vacation in Catania. We are talking about Etna: how to get to and discover one of the most beautiful places in Sicily?

First of all, you must book your trip on one of the many ferries to Sicily that bring hundreds of people to Catania every day.

Once you have landed in Catania, you can choose between three solutions: use your own means of transport (as long as you have taken it on the ferry), the bus service and the train (Circumetnea).

Get on Etna

By car

There are several roads that allow you to arrive on Etna by car or motorbike. The main ones are these:

• Strada provinciale 92 Nicolosi-Rifugio Sapienza;
• Strada provinciale 92 Zafferana Etnea-Rifugio Sapienza;
• Mareneve Zafferana Etnea-Rifugio Citelli-Linguaglossa;
• Strada statale 120 Linguaglossa-Randazzo;
• Strada statale 284 Randazzo-Adrano.

By train

To get to Etna by train, you need to take the Circumetnea: this is a railway line that starts from the station of Catania and goes up to Riposto (both outward and backward); in practice, it goes around the entire volcano.

For more information on timetables and tickets, the official site to visit is Circumetnea.it.

By bus

If you don’t have your own means of transport, you can use the bus service: these depart from the central station of Catania, from Piazza Giovanni XXIII to be exact.

• Towards Etna. Every day at 8:15 am the only bus that goes to Etna leaves with an expected arrival at 10:15.
• From Etna. The bus back from Etna leaves at 16:30 with arrival in Nicolosi at 17:30 and in Catania at 18:30.

For more information, visit the official website of the Sicilian transport company, Astsicilia.it.

Cableway

The cableway is located on the southern slope of the volcano. The valley station is Rifugio Sapienza, while the arrival station, at the top, is about 2,500 meters asl. Rifugio Sapienza, as previously seen, can be reached by driving along the provincial road 92.

The Etna cableway is open:

• Every day from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm in the summer period (from April to November);
• Every day from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm in the winter period (from December to March).

The cable car, among other things, is a fundamental means of locomotion for all those who want to ski on Etna.

The official site is Funiviaetna.com.

Clothing

Clothing varies according to the period of the year. In winter and, in general, in the coldest months, windproof jackets, waterproof boots and gloves are essential. Also provide equipment for specific activities, such as snowshoes or harnesses.

In the hottest months (second half of spring, summer, first half of autumn), in addition to hiking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, hat and pants are strictly inevitable.

What see

And once you get to the top, your visit can really begin. Now, therefore, you need to know what to see on Etna: some of the six places you shouldn’t miss are Montagnola and Monti Silvestri.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/alexbravewolf