Agrigento is on the southern coast of Sicily, roughly in the middle, just off Sicily`s southern coastal route, the SS115, which if you are driving the classic ring around Sicily, you can follow from Castelvetrano near Selinute or from Siracusa.

If you are not driving, the best way to get there is by bus. (Unless you`re coming from Palermo, in which case the train is faster.)

The closest airport is in Palermo, 79 miles to the north.

Cuffaro (www.cuffaro.info) runs four buses per day from Palermo; the trip takes 2 hours and costs around €8.10 one-way. A few buses also run to/from Gela and Trapani via Mazara del Vallo, Marsala in 2h 20 min (Salvatore Lumia Bus) and Castelvetrano (for Selinunte).

Agrigento`s main bus station is on Piazzale Fratelli Rosselli, just above Piazzale A. Moro and Piazza V. Emanuele.

There are frequent trains that connect Agrigento to other cities in the region like Palermo and other smaller towns; however, getting to the city from the eastern coast can be a little difficult by train since the journey takes several hours.

The train trip from Palermo takes about 2 hours and costs around €8.10 one-way; there are 11 trains daily. From Syracuse, you must first take one of four daily trains to Catania; the 6-hour trip costs between €12 and €30 one-way. Three trains a day make the trip from Ragusa to Agrigento, at a cost of about €10.50 one-way. You will have to change trains at Gela and then at Canicattì. Depending on the train, the trip can last from 5 to 9 hours.

The Agrigento Centrale train station (www.trenitalia.com) is on Piazza Marconi, just down the steps from Agrigento`s central Piazzale A. Moro on the southeast corner of the old town.

There are daily boats and hydrofoils in summer (fewer boats and no hydrofoils in winter) from Agrigento`s port 1.8 miles away - Porto Empedocle to the islands of Lampedusa and Linosa. There are frequent local buses from Porto Empedocle into Agrigento.

The current city of Agrigento perched on top of a hill overlooking the Valley of Temples (site of the ancient city) to the Mediterranean Sea beyond.

The main temples are about 2 miles down from the train station, which is just south of and below the tree-shaded main square, Piazzale A. Moro. (The bus station is just north of and above that main square.)

Agrigento is served by a network of orange TUA buses. A ticket costs around €1 and is valid for 1 1/2 hours. Bus no. 2 or 2/ runs to the beach at San Leone. Bus nos. 1 and 2 make frequent runs to the Valley of the Temples, and bus no. 11 goes to Casa di Pirandello.

Frequent city buses run from the main bus station and also outside the train station, stopping at the Archeological Museum and slightly further downhill, the main entrance of the Valle dei Templi. Buses 1, 2 and 3 all head down to the temples but you must buy your ticket before boarding from the bar inside the station (€1.10 for the 5 - 10 minute ride) and validate it once on board the bus. You could also walk, but it can get very hot in the summer.

City buses 1, 1/, 2, 2/, 3, and 3/ all run from the center of Agrigento down to the Valle dei Templi. A taxi will cost about €15. Otherwise, it`s a dull half-hour walk with little to no shade from the brutal Sicilian sun.

The town center and its medieval streets can easily be reached on foot from the train station. Via Atenea, the main street in the historic town center, is closed to traffic from 9 am to 8 pm making it a great place to stroll the shops and cafes.

To get to the Valley of the Temples from the Agrigento/bus train station: You can walk from the city down to the temples, but it will be a dull half-hour walk with little to no shade from the brutal Sicilian sun.

Parking can be hard to come by in Agrigento. There`s metered parking at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and on the streets around Piazzale Aldo Moro, although you should plan to arrive early to find a space.

The Valley of the Temples has two ticket offices: one near the Temple of Juno and another one near the Gate V. Both have car parking areas nearby. Beware that parking cars along access roads is not allowed. Traffic police patrolling the area would not hesitate to issue a ticket.

For a taxi service in Agrigento, call tel. 0922-21899 or 0922-26670.

Tourist information offices are located on Piazza Marconi by the train station and in the town center on Piazzale Aldo Moro. There is also tourist information near the parking lot at the Valley of the Temples archaeological park.

Agrigento (and Sicily in general) is a safe place to visit. Nevertheless, you should always take precautions when traveling, ie., keep your passport in your hotel safe if you can, don`t carry a great deal of cash, be vigilant about your own safety and beware of pickpockets. It is always recommended to avoid walking alone at night and in remote areas. Use the same street smarts that you would use in any large city worldwide.

Drivers should be cautious about accepting help from anyone other than a uniformed police officer, Carabiniere, Finanziere (finance and revenue police, who often do random roadside checks on major roadways), or Municipal police.

- There is little shade available, Sunscreen and water is a must. There are a couple cafes, but everything they sell is extremely overpriced.

- Give yourself ample time to visit the Valley, it will can take around 5 – 6 hours (easily) to see everything.

- If you plan to visit the Kolybethra (Greek for swimming pool), a sophisticated system of underground aqueducts that provided ancient Akragas with water recently transformed into a beautiful garden, it is definitely worth it, but beware that it requires a separate fee, and would take about an hour or longer to explore.

- To avoid waiting in ticket lines, come to the Valley mid-day.

- The Valley of the Temples has two ticket offices: one near the Temple of June and another one near the Gate V. Both have car parking areas nearby.

- There is a pedestrian bridge behind the Temple of Hercules that connects East and West areas of the Valley.

- If you get tired of walking, there is a shuttle that runs between Temples of Juno and Hercules that costs around €3.

- From July 15th – 18th there are evening and night tours of illuminated temples.

Hours: Mon - Sun, 8:30 am - 7:00 pm (8:30 am - 7:00 pm). From July 15th to September 18th there are evening and night tours of illuminated temples.

The currency used in Agrigento (and the rest of Italy) is the euro (€), US dollars are not accepted. We suggest to exchange some money before the trip and have some euros on you since the rate will be a lot higher on the spot and no currency other than euro is accepted.

It is also useful to remind your bank and credit card company that you will be travelling to make sure your cards will work while in Italy. We recommend you record all your credit card numbers, as well as the phone numbers to call if your cards are lost or stolen.

Under the euro system, there are seven notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. Notes are the same for all countries. There are eight coins: 1 and 2 euros, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.

Rates fluctuate, so before departing consult a currency exchange website such as www.xe.com to check up-to-the-minute rates.

For more information about tipping visit: Tipping in Italy

The best time to visit Agrigento would be between April to June and mid-September to October when the weather is comfortable and the crowd isn`t very dense. In fact, the best time to visit to enjoy the beaches would be mid-September to October, as the water isn`t too cold.

Winter: December to February is winter in Agrigento, with the temperature ranging between 50° F to 55° F.

Spring: The spring season is from March to May and the maximum and minimum temperature during this time is 70° F and 50° F.

Summer: June to August is summer in Agrigento. The temperature ranges from 68° F to 84° degrees F. August being the hottest month of the year makes it the most unfavourable time to visit. July to September are the peak visiting times. For this reason, expect dense crowds.

Autumn: September to November is autumn when the maximum and minimum temperatures are 79° F and 50° F.

The almond blossom festival or as it is known, Festa Del Mandorlo is held every year towards the end of February and is a great time to visit Agrigento. The city is very lively at this time of the year with several events and festivities held during the festival, quite an enjoyable way to witness the culture of the city.

The official language spoken in Agrigento is Italian. If you don`t speak Italian we suggest learning at least a few Italian words and phrases before you arrive. This will come in handy in more remote parts of Sicily. In Agrigento, there aren`t many people who speak English, but enough of the folks in airports, hotels and restaurants understand it well enough to make basic transactions go smoothly. Even if you do speak Italian, you might not understand everything the Sicilians are saying to each other, since they may be speaking the local dialect (actually a distinct language), but they all speak Italian. We suggest you get a good English-Italian and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.