Best way to visit Villa Romana del Casale - no car

I didn't take any tours while in Sicily; I just found my away around mostly by public transportation. I was 63 at the time but with no mobility issues. I suspect you'll find that any non-private tours to the Villa Romana del Casale originate in Taormina rather than Catania, so you'd have to start your day by traveling to Taormina. It might make for an annoyingly early start.

I was staying in Catania when I went to Villa Romana del Casale. I took a bus the entire way to Piazza Armerina, but I believe the bus goes through Enna, which also has train service, so in theory one could do a train+bus combo. I don't think that would save time, though. I am a slow starter in the morning, so I missed the bus from Piazza Armerina that would have taken me to, or at least very near, the villa. Researching that bus schedule ahead of time would be critical. Pay attention to day of the week (probably need to avoid Sunday) and don't attempt this on a holiday.

I ended up taking a taxi from Piazza Armerina to the villa. I believe I arranged for the driver to return to pick me up, perhaps 90 minutes later. I have found that in that sort of situation, taxi drivers often suggest returning a bit earlier than I would like; you don't know how much time you're going to want at the site, but you certainly don't want to have to rush away after you've paid a taxi to get there. So unless my time is very short, I often tell them I want 30 minutes more than they suggest. Do not expect a Sicilian taxi driver to speak English (though you might get really lucky). I don't remember what I paid the driver, but I'm very thrifty, so it can't have been exorbitant--maybe about 20 euros (in 2015)??

Based on my experience, I'd plan to use public transportation but be prepared to pay for a taxi from Piazza Armerina to the villa and back. With two of you, the per-head cost will not be bad.

I think spending the night in Piazza Armerina would be nice. It looked like an attractive town, and It's always good to get away from the coast when you can. The nearby towns of Enna and Caltagirone are interesting; you might conceivably have time to see one of them. Also, staying in P.A. would make it easier to catch the public bus to the villa; at the very least, information about the schedule should be readily available locally. Just be sure you have the telephone number of a local taxi company in case you need to use that means to get back to town.

I have no idea how frequently the bus service runs, but I am sure the answer is "not very". I paid attention to the road as I was being driven to the villa, wondering whether I would be able to walk back. The answer was "No". It was a bit too far, it was rural so no sidewalks (and often no shoulder) and I think a bit curvy and hilly. It didn't look like a safe road for a pedestrian to walk along.

We spent the night in Piazza Armerina (yes, it's a nice town) and ended up walking out to the villa the next day because of some bus difficulty (can't remember exactly what it was). The bus actually passed us while we were walking but waving our arms didn't get them to stop! I think it was about a 3-mile walk. When we were ready to go back to town, we found out we'd had incorrect bus information and it was too late to get a bus back. One of the souvenir stand owners' brother-in-law (or something) was headed back in his car and took us. Thank goodness, because while it had been hot when we walked out there, it was boiling by the time we left. Bus information is often difficult to access in Italy (and doubly difficult in Sicily), though in the years since our trip more companies have their schedules on the internet. If at all possible, try to find out where to buy bus tickets and where to catch the bus (both ends) the day prior to your proposed bus trip. Hopefully the tourist office can help with that. Or, yes, take a taxi - sometimes it just isn't worth the hassle!

Thank you very much for the very detailed responses. Both were very helpful to us in deciding what to do. We have decided to stay in Piazza Armerina for the Saturday night to be able to be at the Villa Romana del Casale early in the morning. It looks like buses into Catania from Piazza Armerina are not bad, even on a Sunday, but the back and forth on the same day, getting us there at the busiest time of day didn't seem like the best idea. It looks like there may be public transport from Piazza Armerina. We will be staying at a B&B there, so I am sure we will be able to get good information when we arrive, and we found accommodation relatively close to the bus station in Piazza Armerina, so that should help on the travel day. Still not sure best combination of train/bus from Ragusa, but I expect we can figure that out from Ragusa as well. It does look like there are options that would get us there. Thanks again for the input.

Dorothy,

I spent a couple of nights at B&B Dimora del Conte in Piazza Armerina. The family who runs this nice b&b are very friendly and helpful.

Filippo, the father, picked me up at the bus stop when I arrived. The following morning, I was planning to take the bus to Villa Romana del Casale, but Giuseppe (the son) offered to drive me instead.

BTW, you can take an ETNA Transporti bus (blue bus) from Ragusa to Piazza Armerina with a change in Catania. You can check bus schedules at
Interbus.it.

Do keep in mind that there are only 2 buses traveling from Piazza Armerina to Catania on Sundays (07:45 and 16:45)

When is your trip?

Have a wonderful trip!

We leave Canada in mid-April and return in mid-May - will be in Piazza Armerina right at the end of our stay. Thanks very much for the recommendation re: place to stay, also the note about bus schedule!