Trapani

Trapani is a medium-sized city near the North-West corner of Sicily, Italy.

Getting there

By train

Frequent trains run from Palermo, with a few stopping at Segesta. Local trains also run to Marsala, Mazara del Vallo and Castelvetrano (for the ruins of Selinunte).

By bus

Frequent buses run from Palermo. Less frequently they go to Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, Castelvetrano (for the ruins of Selinunte), Sciacca, Agrigento and Segesta.

By Boat

Trapani is the port for frequent boats and hydrofoils to Egadi Islands. Nightly boats (and hydrofoils in summer) also run to Pantelleria, with weekly (or so) ones to Tunis. See SIREMAR and Ustica Lines

By plane

Trapani has a small airport (TPS). The airport is served by Ryanair, Meridiana and Air One. Meridiana fly to the island of Pantelleria, Air One (Lufthansa) to Rome. Ryanair operate low cost routes direct to Trapani from Malta, Italy, France, Brussels, Holland, Germany, Austria, Poland, the UK, Eire, Spain, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Four Ryanair B737-800s are based in Trapani, meaning delays are shorter than average due to aircraft being based on site.

As of May 2010 the following routes were served by Ryanair. Trapani [TPS] to/from: Bari [BRI] - Bologna [BLQ] - Brindisi [BDS] - Cagliari [CAG] - Genova [GOA] - Milan (Bergamo) [BGY] - Pisa [PSA] - Rome (Ciampino) [CIA] - Turin [TRN] - Trieste [TRS] - Venice (Treviso) [TSF] - Paris (Beauvais) [BVA] - Brussels (Charleroi) [CRL] - Eindhoven [EIN] - Maastricht [MST] - Luqa [MLA] - Bremen (Summer) [BRE] - Düsseldorf (Weeze) [NRN] - Frankfurt-Hahn [HHN] - Karlsruhe-Baden [FKB] - Memmingen (Munich West) [FMM] - Bratislava (Vienna) [BTS] - Krakow [KRK] London Stansted [STN] - London Luton [LTN] - Liverpool [LPL] - Dublin [DUB] - Girona (Barcelona) [GRO] - Ibiza [IBZ] - Madrid [MAD] - Valencia [VLC] - Billund [BLL] - Sandefjord (Oslo/Torp) [TRF] - Gothenburg City [GSE] - Stockholm [NYO]

Traveling around

Trapani is small enough to walk around. Buses pass the ferry port and the adjacent bus station and railway station are on the edge of the city centre.

See

• The magnificent Basilica-Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata (also called Madonna di Tràpani) originally built in 1315-1332 and rebuilt in 1760. It houses a marble statue of the Madonna of Tràpani, which might be the work of Nino Pisano

• The Baroque Palazzo della Giudecca 'or Casa Ciambra

• The Fontana del Tritone (Triton's Fountain)

• The Baroque Palazzo della Giudecca or Casa Ciambra

• The Cathedral (1635)

• The fine buildings on the main Corso Vittorio Emanuele

• Enjoy the bustle of the port. See the Italians shouting and gesticulating as they load the large ferries to Tunis

The city is renowned for its Easter procession, I Misteri, when the town's guilds parade a groups of sculpted 17th century and 18th century religious statues through the streets in a procession lasting for 16 hours on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Things to do

• Scuola Virgilio , Via Garibaldi, 91100 Trapani, Italian Language School: year-round Italian language classes, summer intensive group courses, Italian/Sicilian cookery lessons, excursions.

Eat

• Calvino, Via N.Nasi, +39 0923 21464. Excellent pizza - you'll have to come early or book ahead if you want to eat in. The locals flock here for take-aways.

• Da Salvator Via N.Nasi. Fairly good, cheap food.

Sleep

• Maccotta, Via del Argentieri (+39) 0923 23348. Attractive, clean and surprisingly cheap.

• Crystal Hotel, Piazza Umberto I, 91100, Tel. + 39 0923 20000, Fax: + 39 0923 25555. The hotel is a modern design and is in the city centre, next to the central station on the main road.

• Appartamenti Torri sul Mare , +3909231941513, Via Silva, 3

• casaKalos , Largo San Domenico, 8, 91100 Trapani, Superb brand new apartments in the heart of Trapani historical town. Sandy beach 150m. Ideal for relaxing beach holiday and a perfect headquarter for excursions in the wonderful surroundings.

• Case Colomba , +390923852729, 183 Toselli street, trapani, Case Colomba - Buseto Palizzolo The house, which dates from the end of the nineteenth, is a old rustic style situated near Trapani.The geographical location makes it an ideal starting point for daytrips to numerous places. Italy Ecolabel Award 2006 for environment.

• Novecento B&B , +393406264834, Via Conte A. Pepoli, 80, a clean B&B in a traditional house, bikes and wi-fi connection freely available.

• Relais Angimbé Segesta – Viale le Colombo, 175 - Cap: 91013, Calatafimi-Segesta (TP), Italy. . Telephone +39 0924 530120 • Fax +39 0924 530112. The Relais Angimbé is an elegant and relaxing four star hotel located on northern coast of Sicily, 41 km away from Trapani and 76 from Palermo, with its own restaurant and wine tavern, and 15 bedrooms and suites. Also available a large conference centre. Double standard 89 euros, Superior 109.

• Villa Anna, 250m from the sea , +44 7980 575998, Lido di Marausa, Trapani 10km, Trapani Airport 5km, A delightfull privately owned 4 bedroom villa within 250m of the sea in Lido di Marausa, Trapani, sleeps 2 - 10 people.

• I Colori del Vento B&B , +39 347 250 46 30, Viale Regina Elena 62, Trapani - centre, Romantic B&B with an amazing seaview in the historic centre of Trapani.

• Erice is well worth a visit. Regular buses go to this nearby precipitous hilltop town, but the best way to get there is by the new cable-car. Wander around and soak in the atmosphere.

• The Egadi islands (Favignana, Levanzo e Marettimo) are very close and well worth a visit, with their wonderful beaches and bays.

• San Vito Lo Capo is a wonderful beach 40 km from Trapani, with white sand and crystal blue sea.

• Visit the Greek temple, theatre and ruins at Segesta on a day trip, or en-route to Palermo.

• The beaches of Scopello are not to be missed (featured at the end of the movie Ocean's Twelve).

• The long sandy beaches of Trapani and lido di Marausa are within 1k and 10km of the town. There is a salt museum in Nubia on the way to Marausa, detailing the history of the salt pans in the area, and Trapani's important position on the 'Salt Road'.