The easiest way to get to southern Italy is by air or by car.
The main airports of entry to the region are:
Bari: Located in the north of Puglia, Bari-Palese airport caters for national and international flights and is a good point of departure for visiting the region. Bari is the third largest city in southern Italy after Palermo and Naples and has a number of Baroque treasures waiting to be discovered in its historic centre.
Brindisi: Also located in Puglia, further south, Brindisi airport welcomes national flights from some European cities during the high season.
Naples: Naples has a well-connected international airport, which is an ideal starting point for travelling around southern Italy or to Rome.
Sicily: Sicily has 4 international and 2 national airports. The main airports are Palermo and Catania. The airports of Trapani and Comiso are smaller and mainly served by low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet. The islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria are served by national airlines and connected to Trapani, Palermo, Catania, Milan and Rome.
Sardinia: Sardinia has 3 airports: Olbia Costa Smeralda airport, Alghero Fertilia airport and Cagliari Elmas airport, located on the north-east, north-west and south coast, respectively.
Southern Italy has a pleasant year-round climate, with generally mild to very mild winters (except in Basilicata, which has a cooler season) and hot, dry summers with temperatures in excess of 30°C.
Italy can be visited all year round, but spring is definitely a good time to visit the south of the country, with its mild temperatures and gardens in bloom. However, the best time to visit southern Italy is in September or October: the temperatures are always pleasant and there are fewer tourists.
Whether religious or not, Italian festivals are numerous throughout the year, with Carnival and Easter week being the most popular.
Carnival: The traditional pre-Lent festival of Carnival takes place in every town and village in Italy on Shrove Tuesday in February, 40 days before the start of Easter week. Street performances, dances, songs and gastronomic celebrations are organised to mark this occasion.
International Women's Day: The Festa della Donna, in March, is a celebration of Women's Day: men give yellow mimosa flowers to their mothers, wives or other family members. Concerts and local events are held throughout the city and most restaurants offer special Festa della Donna menus.
Feast of San Giuseppe: Also known as Father's Day, this March festival celebrates Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary, with bonfires and historical re-enactments depicting scenes from the saint's life.
Easter: Easter week in Italy falls in late March or early April with a series of solemn processions, traditions and rituals followed by a joyful celebration on Easter Sunday.
U Fistinu Santa Rosalia: Santa Rosalia's birthday is one of the biggest celebrations in Sicily: it takes place in July in all districts of Palermo, the island's capital. Numerous concerts are organised for this occasion as well as a great procession led by a float.