A small budget can open up so much more in travel
A small budget can open up so much more in travel
Travel on European islands like Sicily, Mallorca and Crete can be tricky and very expensive as the public transport network can be pretty basic. Taxis have a captive audience and so you can often pay eye-watering fares.
I recently had to travel from an estate in Sicily, La Foresteria Planeta, near the pleasant town of Menfi, to Palermo airport. The taxi fare was €120. Even the taxi from the estate to Menfi, where I could get a bus to the airport, was €40 for a four-mile journey - equalling €10 per mile.
My only other option was to walk to Menfi. However, this budget option ended up being a blessing in disguise. I left soon after 7am for the walk, which ended up being a highlight of my time in this area.
For most of the way it consisted of walking past beautiful rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards, while basking in a gentle October sun. At the attractive town I walked though a food market offering wonderful local produce, including delicious breads and cheeses, and the biggest olives known to man.
Nearly every house I passed before reaching the town - and there were only about 20 of them - had dogs and every single one barked ferociously at me as I walked past. This possibly woke up the whole neighbourhood, and it was clear from the dogs’ reaction - and some curious gazes from people driving by - that absolutely no-one walks around here.
I’d received the same reaction at my hotel. I tried to explain the idea of a walk through such beautiful countryside was actually very appealing and healthy. But I think they thought I was mad.
Information about local buses was atrocious, and even the hotel struggled to find up-to-date timetables. Internet searches generally advised that there were no buses available and telephone helplines were only in Italian. However, the excellent website Rome2Rio found some, and the two buses I took departed exactly on time.
I took a €2.70 bus from Menfi to the nearby delightful town of Castelvetrano, and strolled around its historic centre, discovering 15th and 16th century churches, a 10-metre high baroque fountain and more. The 65-minute bus ride from here to the airport cost €8.40, and so the whole trip had cost €11.10, as opposed to the €120 I was quoted for a taxi.
It all took five hours rather than 90 minutes by car, but I felt completely immersed in the locality and had taken a lovely rural walk and discovered two little-known towns peppered with attractive architecture and inviting little cafes.
We are so conditioned to take taxis or use a hire car while on holiday, but a walk can so often be the best way.
