| Chris Caravella's Virtual
Tour of Ustica
Plan a Trip |
| OK, so who's ready to go to Ustica. I'm ready and I'd like to be your guide. I think it would be great to put together a package tour and have as many of us as possible make the trip together - a grand reunion at Ustica. My next opportunity will be early summer 2001. Look over the details from this page and start budgeting now. Of course, I'd also be glad to help anyone who wants to go on their own. Send me e-mail and I can arrange a warm welcome for you when you arrive. | The Flight This is the big cost item. I used Expedia, Microsoft's online travel agency. You can put in all kinds of different scenarios and they will list the best prices they can get for you. Prices can vary by 15% depending on the time of year. November through March is the off season but then the weather in Ustica is poor and many sites and services will not be available. Here are some details of my flight. The total cost was $904.51
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| Getting to Palermo from the
Airport The airport is 22 miles to the west of Palermo. The most cost effective way to get to Palermo is by bus. I'm not sure of the cost. I've been told to get there by cab is about $60. I was met by Caravellas from Partinico so I did not experience this part of the trip. |
Getting to Ustica from
Palermo This is the tricky part because the schedule will vary by time of year and weather conditions. The boat always makes the trip but the hydrofoil will not travel in bad weather. Check the Siremar website for current schedules. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to make the 35 mile trip by hydrofoil and costs $18. By conventional boat the trip takes 2 hours and 20 minutes and costs $10. I arrived at the airport in the morning and caught the hydrofoil that same day in the evening. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lodging The following tables are from Osteodes, an Usticese Travel Agency. They can be reached at: Osteodes S.R.L. Via Magazzino 5-90010 Ustica (PA) Italy Tel: 091-8449210 I beleive full board means meals are included. This is not everything available but it should give you an idea of what costs to expect. I stayed at Pensione Clelia. I had a bathroom with a tiny shower, but everything in Italy tends to be smaller than in America. The food at Trattoria Clelia was incredible. Of course, staying with family or friends is the way to go in Italy if you can arrange it. The hospitality is outstanding and you will want for nothing. |
There are many apartments and country
houses also for lease. Lots of people sort of time-share their
property in Ustica while they live in other parts of Italy. These
prices are weekly rates.
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| Hotel Grotta
Azzura V. Cristofaro Colombo 90010 Ustica (PA) Italy Tel: 844 90 48, 844 93 96, 844 95 67, or 844 95 68 Hotel Grotta Azzurra is the top of the line Hotel in Ustica. It probably is the closest to approach what most Americans are accustomed to in hotel accomodations.
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Small hotels and boarding houses are the
most economical choices.
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[Panorama] [Welcome] [Map] [Faraglioni] [Falconiera] [Culunnedda] [Baseball Field] [Santa Maria Tower] [The City] [Spalmatore] [The Grottos] [The Old Town] [The Cemetery] [The Back Dock] [Tramontana] [Pass of the Madonna] [Chapel of San Bartolicchio] [Geology of Ustica] [Plan a Trip]