The PLATO Science in Italy Meeting is held in Catania (Sicily - Italy) at the INAF Astrophysical Observatory of Catania.
INAF - Astrophysical Observatory of Catania | INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania
Via S.Sofia 78, 95123
Catania, ITALY
LINKS: Position on Google Maps | INAF Astrophysical Observatory website
Meeting’s venue
The meeting will take place in the “Aula Ovest”, located on the ground floor of the OACT-Observatory.
Eduroam Wi-Fi will be available on site.
For users with no access to Eduroam a second Wi-Fi network will be available with SSID "PLATO Science in Italy" and no password. After connecting to the Wi-Fi, users will be redirected to a web portal where standard terms and conditions needs to be accepted before continuing.
How to reach the venue
The INAF Astrophysical Observatory of Catania can be reached from the city center by taxi and public transport, such as Metro Shuttle form the Milo Metro Station and BRT1 Bus.
If you plan to park inside the Observatory area, please contact us by email (Isabella, Daniela S.).
From Catania Airport
Catania “Vincenzo Bellini” International Airport (called also Fontanarossa Airport) is close to the city center (<15 min by car in no traffic condition).
Connection airport downtown can be done by taxi or bus.
LINKS: Airport Website | Position of the Fontanarossa Airport on Google Maps | Airport Parking Map
- BY TAXI (recommended)
You can take a taxi at the normal taxi queue exit from the arrival.
However, we recommend you to call Radio-taxi (+39 095 330966), which is available h 24/24.
Call for radiotaxi when you are ready to leave the baggage claim area.
The taxi picks you up in few minutes at the airport on the Departure level (1st floor): after leaving the baggage claim area, go left and take the escalator (or the lift) to the 1str floor. Then exit on the right and wait for your taxi.
The fare to the center is about €22-24 (ask for the fare when you call). The airport to/from Observatory rate is about €26.
- BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT (ALIBUS)
The AMT “Alibus” Bus Service leave every 25 minutes from 4:40 am to midnight, from the Airport to the city center.
Bus ticket (€4) can be purchased: at the Airport; from authorized AMT retailers and AMT vending machines; on the bus; online with the UpMobile App. Remember to stamp the ticket upon getting on the bus.
At the Fontanarossa Airport we suggest you use the bus stop located outside the Terminal A at the Arrival level (ground floor), as reported on the Airport Parking Map.
If you need to go directly to the meeting’s venue, stop at Central Train Station (Piazza Papa Giovanni XXII), take the metro till the “Milo” station + the free metro shuttle to the “Cittadella"; alternatively, stop in Via Etnea/Piazza Stesicoro and take the rapid bus BRT1 to the “Cittadella”.
About routes and prices of the public transport for connecting the city center to the meeting’s venue, see the following section.
LINKS: Alibus timetable and route – Price €4
From the city center to INAF-OACT (and vice versa)
INAF Astrophysical Observatory of Catania is close to downtown but up on a hill inside the “Policlinico Gaspare Rodolico” General Hospital area and near the “Cittadella” University campus of Catania.
By taxi/car
- Radio-taxi (+39 095 330966)
Taxis are available h 24/24.
This service is highly recommended when you chose an accommodation far from the metro/bus stops or far from the city center.
All taxi by law accept credit card, but it is better to inform the driver you want pay by credit card during the early part of the travel, so they switch on the device on time.
Cars and taxi can access the venue by the entrance in Via S. Sofia n. 84.
In case you reach the meeting by car and need to park inside the venue, please write to us in the "Special requests" field in the Registration Form.
By public transport
From city center you can reach the venue by public transport, such as Metro and BRT1 Bus. From the entrance of Policlinico, whose address is Via S. Sofia n.78, the Observatory gathers for a 8-minute walk (see the path in the picture above).
However, if you prefer to use taxi, you can tell the driver to leave you inside the Observatory parking area.
- By Metro + Metro Shuttle
The closest metro stop to the Observatory is the “Milo” one, from where you can reach the venue by a free Metro Shuttle service, stopping at the “Policlinico” bus stop (note that, once in Milo, it is possible to take either the metro shuttle or the BRT1, depending on which arrives first).
The metro trains have a frequency of one train every 10 minutes until 15:00; then the frequency will be one train every 15 minutes.
The shuttles have frequency of a bus every 10 minutes.
Metro Timetable – Price €1,00 (90 minutes) | Metro Shuttle Timetable | Map of the Metro and Shuttles route (in red: the metro route; in yellow: shuttle route) - BRT1 BUS
The rapid bus BRT1 connects downtown to the entrance of the Hospital area. Be careful that there are two different bus stops to use depending on if you are coming to the Observatory (“Policlinico”, close to the main entrance of the hospital) or going back downtown ("Cittadella Est", which can be reach by walking through the university campus).
Buy a ticket also for the return trip. There are no places where to buy a ticket close to the Observatory, however you can directly buy your tickets using the AMTS Catania mobile application.
BRT1 Timetable - €1.00 (90 minutes)
