Transport

The SPARCS/EMU meeting is being held in INAF-Osservatorio di Catania which is located in the north part of Catania,
inside the main University Campus.

From the airport:

• To arrive from the airport to the Observatory  It is better to call the radio-taxi  service +39 095.330966 asking for a fix rate to the "Città Universitaria - Via Santa Sofia"  (about 24 Euros)..
• If you want to go to the city center you can also use the  Bus 457 (alibus) the ticket cost is 1 Euro. It runs every half hour (up to 24:00).

To get to the Workshop venue at the Observatory

• To arrive at the INAF-Observatory, please use the bus BRT1 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152722933285704.1073741825.120561240703&type=1
• see MAP HERE
• The bus run every 7 minutes (cost 1 Euro). You need to buy the ticket before you get onto the bus - ask your hotel reception for the nearest place that sells them (often a nearby place selling cigarettes). Also ask your hotel reception to direct you to the nearest bus stop.
• You can take it at the city center (Piazza Stesicoro or Via Etnea) and stop at "Policlinico" Via Santa Sofia 78 Stop 1841.  This is the second stop after the bus turns into Via Santa Sofia. The Observatory is a 5 min walk from there.
• You get off the  BRT1 bus at the Policlinico bus stop (the name of the huge hospital complex on campus). Cross the road (with care; vehicles are doing about 100) and enter the main gate; keep left up the hill towards the huge building, and turn right at the large number 3, where hidden down the long list of many institutions is the Osservatorio. Continue straight  along this road, through the big gates and just keep walking.
• You should be able to see the observatory dome - just follow that!

Hotels

Because of the BRT1,  you can choose an Hotel along or very close to Via Etna, the main street of Catania.

There is a very wide range of Hotel:
Grazia suggests either:

 S. Max (about 50 euro/night) http://www.sanmaxhotel.it/new/

or

Una Hotel  (about 100 euro/night) http://www.unahotels.it/en/promozioni_una_hotels.htm?id_offerta=171