Bus from Catania to NAS Sigonella

Author Message   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 4241 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 03:34 pm:    Solo, Thanks - Sigonella Wiki Page has been updated.   Flying Solo +1 New member Username: Mmay Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2010 Posted From: 88.45.221.131 Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 01:29 pm:    Just thought I'd add that they are now selling tickets for the 427 bus on both bases. They are available at the Navy Exchange on NAS I and the NEX Mini Mart on NAS II. Hope this helps out some SPATs traveling this way.   Rob-N-sig Advanced Member Username: Robnsig Post Number: 211 Registered: 12-2008 Posted From: 88.45.221.43 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 07:22 pm:    The base shuttle from NAS 1 to NAS 2 and the housing still runs but recently the schedule was changed to a limited run. It does not run every hour any longer. If you do arrive here on NAS 2, the Mac Terminal. Stand outside at the bus stop and hold out 1 finger, not the middle if you want a ride to NAS 1. You will find it easy to get a ride from a Sailor heading that way. When you are at NAS 1 and want to head to NAS 2, hold out two fingers while you wait at the bus stop. The city bus still runs, number 427 is correct.   Uncle Bud Intermediate Member Username: Unclebud Post Number: 134 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 74.98.90.84 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 07:07 pm:    I Copied this from John D's spacea.net, You can also buy bus tickets at the NEX on NAS II. I've used this bus, got on just outside the Main Gate and went to the Train Depot on it. It takes a little over an hour and goes through many industrial and civilian housing areas. At the Train Depot you must look for bus 427, there are no lanes for this bus, I found it parked up against the curb next to the building at the exit end of the bus parking area. As of Jun 09, Catania City Bus Route #427 originates from the central station in Catania, stops at the NAS II gate and ends at Marinai (NAS II Housing) (and return). The bus costs 1 Euro and will allow people to get to the beach and the airport (via connection at central station). Each ticket is valid for 90 min after purchase on any city bus line. The times at Marinai for week days (Mon - Sat) are (as of Jun 09): 0600, 0650, 0800, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1350, 1450, 1610, 1740, 1910, 2040, 2200, 2300 The times at Marinai for Sundays and holidays are(as of Jun 09): 0600, 0730, 0900, 1030, 1200, 1330, 1450, 1730, 2030, 2300 Tickets for city buses need to be purchased before boarding and must be validated once you get on. If you do not validate the ticket, you can be fined. Tickets can be purchased at ticket booths, tobacco shops (tabacchi), or newspaper kiosks around Catania.   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 3806 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 05:43 pm:    Thanks Lou, I have a link to the #427 Schedule on the Sigonella Wiki page under "Ground Transportation." Where there is an onl;ine schedule available then I prefer to provide a link - that way the most current info is avaible as schedules can change overnight. If you think the paper copy you have works better then let me know and I'll send you an address to mail it to and I can scan and upload it to the Sigonella page.   Lou Lestochi Junior Member Username: Ljl05 Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 65.78.74.49 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 05:20 pm:    John Yes the shuttle still runs between NAS I and NAS II. It also stops at Marinai housing area bus stop where the AMT 427 bus to Catania originates on its return trip. I have a copy of the shuttle bus schedule I picked up in Sept. I would gladly post it if I could figure out how. On a side note I found that NAS II, in my opinion, has more for the SPAT than NAS I. For example the pax terminal is on NAS II along with the Gateway Inn for lodging, a shopette, some eateries and Eurocar rental in the pax terminal. NAS I does have the main exchange, the commissary, a food court and a Navy Lodge.   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 3805 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 04:23 pm:    Lou, Do you know if there is still a free shuttle between NAS I and NAS II? If so, one can get a public bus to NAS I and then shuttle over to NAS II.   Lou Lestochi New member Username: Ljl05 Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 65.78.74.49 Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 04:04 pm:    Wallace Just returned from Sigonella in Sept. The AMC terminal is at NAS II. There is also bus service from Catania to the main gate at NAS II. AMT Bus 427 (yellow bus) goes from the main bus terminal at the railroad station in Catania and terminates at the housing area nearest NAS II. There is no bus stop at the main gate, but the driver will let you off there if you ask. The bus stop at the housing area is about a mile from the main gate. I have been told that if you stand at the main gate you can flag the bus down. I haven't tried that but I have gone from the train station to the main gate. You can buy bus tickets at the shopette on base. The web site for the bus company is www.amt.ct.it It is in Italian but it may help. It has bus schedules and route maps. If you go to the site wait for the Intro to do it's thing then a screen will come up with links in the left margin. Click on Percorsi e Orari link; then click on the 427 link. This will give you a page with the departure times to a from the train station. In the upper right corner is a link that says Mappa del percorso in pdf. Click on that and it will give you a map of the route. The route winds back and forth thru an industrial area and it takes at least an hour form the train station to the main gate at NASII. The 90 degree turn on the western edge of the map is the location of the main gate at NASII. Hope this helps   Danny Hamilton Senior Member Username: Dannyhamilton Post Number: 532 Registered: 03-2004 Posted From: 68.225.115.15 Posted on Saturday, January 09, 2010 - 02:44 am:    Wallace, I don't think the Sicilian busses are "numbered". I think they go by names of their destinations. From my files: Getting between Sigonella and Catania, especially riding the bus between Sigonella and Catania: Here are some helpful tidbits if you need to get from the Catania airport or train station to the Sigonella NAS. If you arrive in Italy at the Sigonella NAS and want to get to Catania, just use your noggin and do some of these steps in reverse. Using the buses both orange and blue: From the Catania Airport: If you arrive at the Catania airport, the local orange bus AMT has route 457 that departs about every 20 minutes from 0500 to 2330 and runs between the airport (aeroporto) and the main train station (stazione), which is also the main bus stop for the blue (coach) buses. This route costs 0.80euros. The AMT website is at http://www.amt.ct.it/percorsi_e_orari.htm then scroll to 457 and click on the weekday (feriale) or weekend/holiday (festivo) for the latest schedules. From the main train station in Catania: At the main train station (Piazza Giovanni XXIII Stazione Centrale), which is also the main bus stop for the blue (coach) buses, you could catch a blue coach to "Sigonella NAS I". You get on the bus that has "RAMACCA" or "MINEO" on its scrolling destination sign. The two companies that go between the train station and Sigonella NAS I are either Etna/Interbus (fermata 13 near the Etna/Interbus building) or AST (fermata 14 nearer to the train station on an island in the middle of the AST parking lot). Both cost almost 2euros per person one way (andatta). These blue buses stop at the fermata just outside the gate at NAS I. Between NAS I and NAS II, just use the free shuttle (a white bus). Remember four additional items. First, the AST fermata 14 can have as many as 22 buses stopped there at the same time!! Next, at the Piazza Giovanni XXIII Stazione Centrale, the Etna/Interbus bus stops (fermatas) are not the same as the AST bus stops (fermatas). Next, in Italy, even if you are standing at a bus stop, it is very important to hold two fingers out from your side to get the bus driver to stop for you!! Finally, the blue buses do not run on Sundays in Italy. Etna/Interbus http://www.etnatrasporti.it/ http://www.interbus.it/interbushtm/ Find CATANIA in the scroll down under partenze (departure) and find RAMACCA in the scroll down under arrivo (arrival) then hit either VAI or Ricerca AST http://www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it/orari.htm http://www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it/ORARIOinvCT05.htm routes 134 @ 1030 hours, 132 @ 1200 hours, and 133 @ 1800 hours AST sells a carnet of multiple tickets and passes for a discount. When travelling from the Sigonella NAS to Catania, you can purchase the tickets on the blue (coach) buses. Using the free MWR shuttle between Sigonella NAS II and Catania: This MWR shuttle is a different shuttle from the shuttle that operates daily between NAS I and NAS II. From NAS II on Friday and Saturday evenings, MWR operates a free shuttle between Sigonella NAS II and Catania. The shuttle is a 10 person white van. The dropoff/pickup in Catania is near the portal that is south of the monument with the small black elephant. The shuttle is operated for the young sailors to get between NAS II and town. If space is available, you might be able to use this free shuttle. The first shuttle departs from NAS II for Catania around 1900 and arrives in Catania about a half hour later. The last shuttle departs from Catania for NAS II around midnight. Be sure to check with the MWR office for the current schedule for this shuttle. The shuttle might stop at NAS I, but you need to go to NAS II to inform him that you'd like to be picked up at the gate of NAS I. I don't have the driver's cell phone number, but he is a USN retiree that lives near the base and has lived in Italy most of the last 35 years. He is very helpful for assistence with Italian phrases, local customs, and where to go and what there is to do such as which beaches to go to during the summer. When I was in Catania and needed to find where the shuttle had parked, I just looked for some people that looked like American sailors and then as a group looked for the shuttle van. If the driver knows that you will be returning from Catania to NAS II, he always waits to make sure he is taking everyone that he is expecting. When I used this shuttle, I would let the active duty sailors have head of line privileges to get on the shuttle if there wasn't enough seats available for me to ride, too. I could always just catch a later shuttle.   Bill Mc Carthy Intermediate Member Username: Billmacnypd Post Number: 80 Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 71.252.94.16 Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 11:11 pm:    Wallace: I would be interested in hearing about your trip to Malta from Sigonella and return. Plan to go to Sig in Spring. Will you post a trip report? Feel free to e-mail me if you have information to share & do not plan to post. Thanks   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 3758 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 03:52 am:    Wallace, Check the spacea.net Sigonella Page for some schedule info (under Ground Transportation).   Wallace W. Hight Member Username: Whight Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2003 Posted From: 64.30.102.233 Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - 03:45 am:    Does anyone know the bus number to take from Catania to NAS Sigonella? Also if it connects at the time of the Ferry arrival in the evening from Malta?