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General Information

Travelling and Transportation

Several airlines operate regular flights to Palermo's "Falcone e Borsellino" airport. 

The transfer time from Santa Flavia to Palermo Airport is about 60 minutes. Please note that this is an estimated transfer time and does not take into account traffic and road conditions.

There are many ways to get from Santa Flavia to Palermo Airport: by train, by public bus, by shared shuttle service or by Palermo taxi.

When using a Palermo taxi the price will be based on the distance and time (by taximeter) as well as extra costs for luggage and waiting time.

Taxi
Phone: 091 513 311 (Autoradiotaxi)
Phone: 091 225 455 (Radiotaxi Trinacria)

Train (to Palermo)
Trenitalia (Trinacria Express Train)
Station “Notarbartolo” of Palermo
Frequency: every half hour (4.45 am-12.40 pm)
One way ticket: € 5,80
Phone: 091 704 40 07

Train (to Santa Flavia)
Station of Santa Flavia-Solunto

Bus (to Palermo)
Prestia & Comandé
Frequency: every half hour (4.00 am-11.00 pm)
One way ticket: € 5,50
Phone: 091 586 351

Congress Venue

Located in Santa Flavia, a small city near Palermo, and featuring a terraced garden, and a superb panoramic view, the Domina Home Zagarella is a well suited conference venue. Prior to leave, check it out how to reach the conference location in Santa Flavia.

Address
Via Nazionale 77 Santa Flavia, 90017 PA (Palermo).

Conference hall
Fully air-conditioned, featuring the latest modern facilities and technologies, including free (wi-fi) connection to the Internet, video projection and recording and transmission, the Hotel will host all  SuNEC 2012 lectures.

The brand-new Domina Home Zagarella re-opened in 2010 after two years of total renovation. The result is charming, thanks to the special location and unique atmosphere. Exclusive services such as the 2 restaurants, and the sailing and diving Center for sea-lovers.

To complete the offer, Fitness Room, Mini Club and the Pools Area, the pumping heart of the resort, where you can enjoy a breathtaking view.

Weather in September is usually warm and sunny (30°C).  Check personally the weather situation and forecast.

Social Program (Half-day tour and social dinner)

Half-day tour (Sept 5). A guided excursion to discover the Normand city of Cefalù and the historical richness of Sicily's history at the center of Mediterranean Sea.

Social Dinner (Sept 5). A gala dinner near the nice city of Cefalù for all the participants and accompanying persons willing to take part in it.

Accommodation

Several special rates per night for accommodation (which always includes breakfast, service and VAT) in all types of rooms at the Domina Zagarella Hotel are available to the SuNEC 2012 delegates. 

In order to get the best available rate (BAR), please reserve online your room now and maximize savings. Please, notice that the closer the date of your reservation to the date of the event, the higher will be the ate.

Several rooms have been allocated for the SuNEC 2012 delegates. However, accommodation for participants is not guaranteed. Registrants should reserve their room now.

Sicily

Sicily was voted “the best destination in the world” in 2009 and second “best island” in 2010 by readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and the largest region in Italy. It’s packed with things to see and places to go, so you shouldn’t expect to “do” it all in one go.

This is especially true if we include Sicily’s delightful archipelagos, the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi Islands and the Pelagie, all definetely worth a visit.

There is always something to do, whether it be lounging on golden beaches, hiking in the mountains, visiting  ancient archaeological sites, heading to superb Mount Etna or shopping in Palermo’s fashionable boutiques.

Hopefully, this brief introduction will provide you with comprehensive information to be used as traveller's support to help you get the most out of your stay.

For a splendid and most useful Sicily online guide to all that's best about Sicily, do not hesitate to use thinksicily.com

Long neglected town centres, churches and palaces are being restored at a rate never seen before. New restaurants are opening. Classical theatre seasons are being extended and improved. Wine is improving in leaps and bounds. Roads, too, are improving.
 

Hosting the SuNEC meeting will contribute to this renaissance process. Hopefully, attendees will enjoy an high-level scientific meeeting and will leave the island after a pleasant experience willing to continue visiting Sicily or returning soon.

Santa Flavia and Palermo

Santa Flavia (known as Solunto until 1880) is a town in the province of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy.

The town is situated between the Gulf of Palermo and the town and hot springs known as Termini Imerese, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, 15 km east of Palermo. Inside the town are the remains of the ancient city of Soluntum.

The town, due to its location on the coast is known for its different types of freshfish. The hamlet of Porticello, the largest in the Santa Flavia area, is a typical fishing village with vividly painted homes and a port with different coloured stalls loaded with fish and seafood.

The hamlet of Porticello, the largest in the Santa Flavia area, is a typical fishing village with vividly painted homes and a port with different coloured stalls loaded with fish and seafood.

Thanks to the clean, clear water of the coves and inlets and the easily accessible fish market, the number of high quality restaurants in the area has been on the rise in recent years. 

Palermo is a 2,700 years old city with about 600,000 inhabitants. Entirely built in front of the sea, it has gone through Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Norman, German, Spanish, French and Italian domination which resulted in a unique mix of cultures well reflected by the magnificent cultural heritage of the city.

Testifying to this are the different urban strata that have changed the face of the city over the centuries. The city's name derives from the Greek and means "all port", to indicate the width of the approach and the importance of this trading post. In fact, Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians, probably in the eighth century BC. Fortified and surrounded by defensive walls, in the fifth century BC it became the most important Carthaginian stronghold on the island.

After the Roman conquest, the barbarian invasions and Byzantine domination, then under the Arabs, who arrived in 831, Palermo became the capital of the autonomous emirate of Sicily and one of the busiest emporia of the Mediterranean. In the successive Norman period, the work of Byzantine, Arab and Latin craftsmen again transformed the architectural and urban fabric of the centre and the whole province, as the beautiful Palatine chapel and the Monreale cathedral testify. Finally, between the sixteenth and seventeenth century a new period of reconstruction occurred, that enriched the churches, palaces and monuments.

«The essential charms of this mysterious and intoxicating city -- has written Ariel Forman in The New York Times -- thankfully remain intact.

«The current face of this modern metropolis of the South is that of a mighty and mysterious city, enclosed in the labyrinth of Arabian lanes, in the magnificence of palaces and sanctuaries, in art treasures, in the charm of natural scenery, and in the unchanging values of ancient craft and food tradition».

Language

The official language of the conference will be English. No simultaneous translation will be provided.

Passport and Visas

All non-residents of the EU are required to have a valid passport.

Participants should check regarding visa requirements for travel to Italy. Applications should be made to the nearest Italian Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible. Citizens of member states of the European Union and the USA do not need visas.

Insurance and Liability

Participants are advised to arrange whatever insurance they consider necessary. No responsibility can be assumed by the Congress for personal accidents, sickness, theft, or property damage suffered by the participants.

Electricity

The electrical current is 220 volts, 50 Hz.

Banking

Bank hours are Monday - Friday 8:30 - 13:30 and 15:45 - 16:30. Bank are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Currency

Since the beginning of 2002 the EURO is the official currency in Italy. 1 Euro = 100 Cents. 
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Cents; 1, 2 Euros 
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 Euros

The Euro is usually abbreviated as EUR. The symbol of the Euro is €.

Money can be changed at the airport, at banks, exchange bureaus, and larger hotels.

For a cash advance, credit cards and Maestro-cards can be used at cash dispensers (Bancomat) which are available all over the city.

Shopping

Typical shopping hours are Monday to Saturday 9:00 - 13:00 and 16:30 - 20:00. Apart from some tobacconists and small supermarkets at petrol stations and at the main railway stations, shops are closed on Sundays. Luxury shops with an elegant clientele can be found in city downtown (via Libertà, via Ruggiero Settimo and via Maqueda).

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