Agrigento Transportation

No matter where you are approaching Agrigento from, the best way to go there is by train. The train system is very well organized and efficient. This generally applies to all over Europe. No airport in or Around Agrigento so you have to fly to Palermo and take the Bus or train from Palermo to Agrigento.

To approach the smaller islands from Agrigento you have to take the ferry. This leaves once a day in the morning and returns in the evening. The sailing from Agrigento to Lampedusa is about eight hours and the ship stops at Linosa on the way. We spent an entire weekend in Linosa. Talking about heat. You can also fly from Palermo to Lampedusa. There is a small airport at Lampedusa but not in Linosa. Pantelleria is another small island and they also have a small airport.

Again, it's Sicily here! My plane arrived in time to the airport of Catania, but my luggage arrived 40 (!!!) minutes later, their excuse was "we are sorry, we are having small technical problems.." I wonder was that problem a fact that people carrying bags from the plane decided to do a break for a smoke or for a snack...who knows...but else, how would you explain that 10 luggages from the same plane arrived in time, other luggages 30 minutes later (same plane, guys!), and of course only after other 2 planes landed, so there was even more chaos in the parking of the airport.
On the other hand, I had no problems with Palermo airport, and the same Catania when leaving from SIcily months ago. Anyway, life of the rythm is different here, transportation is not very well organised, so just...relax and take it easy! :)

As I've mentioned before, it's very difficult to mark a line between legal and illegal things in Sicily. Driving in Agrigento is CHAOTIC. Seems that people are not relaxed at all, and living close to the street you'll be "blessed" with moments of silence , which means, to hear ONLY cars for the WHOLE 5 minutes, at the best! otherwise there are always people pushing the signals.
Parking in busy blaces is even more chaotic. Speed limits mean nothing if there's no police around. Traffic lights mean little. Like in the movie under the Tuscan sun when one man said "green means go, yellow means you still can go, red RECCOMENDATION not to go" :) but it's really only a reccomendation.
Forget passing the streets expecting that cars will stop.
And one more thing - some particular places are very high and closer to the sea with more curves. Right hand rule means litte too.

Streets around Agrigento are quite wide, very high (it seems that you are on the bridge rather than on the street), in some places more narrow and very curved. Many people use scooters or motos to get around as this is the fastest way to get around the cars.
Different from other parts of Italy, Emilia-Romagna for example, almost nobody uses bicycles, as the lanscape is really not flat.

The best way to pass the time on a train ride through Italy is to get to "know" the locals. Granted most people just want to be left alone and read their paper or whatever, but sometimes, as in the case of these school kids and a school mom on a class field trip to an agritourismo, we had a wonderful time together.

It is easy to get around central Agrigento by foot but you might want to take the bus to the temples or further on to San Leone for a swim. This is a piece of cake with these yellow buses - you just have to buy the ticket in the kiosk / ticket booth and then negotiate your way to this amusingly anarchistic bus parking in the piazza outside the Central station :-))) When we were there, the bus to San Leone via the temples was no 2.

Getting to Agrigento can be a bit of a trek which is probably why it is overlooked by many individual travellers, not in a Temple valley coach party. It is far from impossible though. Train from Palermo is maybe the easiest option but there are also several trains a day from Catania, via Enna. This takes a bit more than 3 hours but is a pleasant and scenic journey as long as you bring plenty of water in summer.

There are also coaches from both the above. Catania coach station (near the railway station) is where you find coaches from SAIS (see link below), doing the run in 2 hrs 50. Sitting in the top front seats of a double decker speeding across the long and high motorway bridges can be an...eh...experience...but you get there. The coach is also what the local youth use a lot whilst the trains seem more full of railway staff :-)

Air companies
In Agrigento there are no airports, the nearest one is the "Falcone - Borsellino" airport in Palermo - Punta Raisi, 175 Km. far from Agrigento.
From there you can reach daily all the main italian and international cities.

Sea lines
The nearest ports are in Porto Empedocle (5 Km.) and in Palermo (140 Km.).

Highways
Agrigento is crossed by the highway 115 connecting Trapani to Siracusa, by the highway 122 connecting Agrigento to Caltanissetta, by the highway 118 connecting Bolognetta (Pa) to Agrigento, by the highway 189 connecting Agrigento to crossroad of Manganaro (Lercara Friddi - Pa) and by the highway 640 connecting Agrigento to Caltanissetta.

Motorways
In the province of Agrigento there are no motorway lines.
The nearest one is the motorway A19 connecting Palermo to Catania. It is a freeway and has two lanes plus an emergency lane in both directions.

Railways
(Railway station of interest: Agrigento Centrale. Distance from the town: 0 Km)