By car along the beaches of Sicily. Traveling along the roads of Sicily. Useful tips. Sicily - what to see by car
If you decide to visit and see Sicily, then you cannot do without road transport. Not all railways connect interesting places and cities, and trains run quite rarely. The most convenient way is to rent a car and drive around the island. However, traveling by car in Sicily has many important features.
Rental.You should start by choosing a rental office; there are a lot of reviews on the Internet about problems with this action. Southern Italians are very cunning and love other people's money, most likely they will try to make money on you - include different options in the price, add scratches and the like. All Italian companies are guilty of this because they are not satisfied with your measly 100 euros for renting a car. However, large international companies They also turn out to be not very honest. I personally was deceived by Budget/Avis for 325 euros (in Italy this is one office). Despite the paid rental, after returning the car they added all sorts of items to me - a different class of car, administrative fees, gasoline, etc., etc. I am still trying to return the money, the company office itself refuses to communicate with me. And the administrative fees for any services there are simply astronomical.
When you receive the car, do not forget to check its condition; during an additional inspection, we found about 10 scratches, dents, etc., you can be sure that after you return the car, they will pin them on you. Therefore, check carefully what you sign and do not refuse additional insurance - a third-party company or rental office, in order to drive safely, especially since in Sicily all the cars are heavily scratched and dented, if you don’t scratch, they will scratch you.
Roads. The roads in Sicily are bad. They say that their condition is supported by the Sicilian mafia, which benefits from this. Poor condition is expressed in constant holes in the road, repairs of certain areas, lack of osphalt in certain places, etc. You can drive, but there are few places where you can drive with a breeze. It’s especially fun on highways, where you can drive at 130, and the locals drive at under two hundred. There are a lot of testing areas for suspension - holes, potholes, unevenness. Relatively good tracks between Pozzalo and Catania, the route from Catania to Palermo, from Catania to Messina, Messina-Palermo and Palermo-Trapani, that is, the north of the island, south of the middle (Catania-Palermo Routes) everything is much worse. The estimated speed there according to the navigator is 50-70 km per hour. You drive off the road and anything can happen next. It is especially difficult at night - the roads are not illuminated at all, there are not reflectors everywhere, many tunnels are not illuminated, without high beam headlights visibility is 10 meters ahead, I am silent about the axial markings, signs and restrictions, they like to forget about them here.
There are in Sicily and toll road sections. There are two of them and in terms of the quality of the canvas they are no better than the free ones. The first is the Catania - Messina route. There are basically only tunnels, the length of the section is about 150 km. The section from Catania to Taormina (middle) costs 2 euros, from Taormina to Messina - another 2 euros. But for travel on the highway from Messina to Palermo (185 km before connecting with the Catania-Palermo highway) you will have to pay 10 euros and 10 cents. I advise you to make a short detour and drive along the toll road Catania-Palermo, it will even be better.
They are easy to use. When approaching a toll area where access corridors are located, try to choose the far left passages, and not those where only Telepass is indicated - an automatic payment system that only locals have. In your case, you need a drive-through, where you drive up, press a button (or the machine issues it itself) and get a ticket. At the entrance to the highway, such buttons should be in all openings. But when leaving the toll section of the road, you choose passages where money or a cashier are drawn. That is, there is a living person sitting in the booth, you give the ticket, the cost is displayed for you and you pay. It seems that in addition to cashiers, there are also machines that accept credit cards, but if you enter a passage where only the Telepass system cannot be paid, then expect a fine. In general, nothing complicated; before moving in, there is always time and space to think about where exactly you want to go. I prefer to deal with a living person. The first time I entered the toll road, I didn’t take a ticket...however, when paying, I said where I was coming from and paid 2 euros without any ticket.
When entering a toll highway, make sure that you don’t need anything - there are only emergency phones, there are no cafes, gas stations, workshops or anything else, just the road and more pockets.
Orientation. In general, the island is small, there are not many roads, there are mostly signs. You can drive without navigation and maps, but it’s better to make a couple of printouts, follow the geolocation or use a navigator, at least it will tell you the shortest route. However, in all three cases you will still have to get lost. And if you go to a small town, the ruins ancient city and something like that, then the route must be laid out in advance; there are signs for small objects only a couple of kilometers away.
Road to Segesta
Driving Rules. I didn’t see any traffic police on the roads. There are cameras, they are of two types - they hang over the road and can be seen from afar, and there are several that are aimed at you from the opposite lane. Whether they work or not, I don't know. The locals rush around regardless of any restrictions, but in some places they crawl like turtles. The speed in the city is 50, on regular roads 90, on the highway 130. But due to poor coverage there are a lot of restrictions, up to 30 km per hour. If you follow all of them, you will not get anywhere. Otherwise, everything is clear; the road here is not overloaded with signs.
Behavior on the road. The locals don’t follow driving rules at all - they drive as they please, don’t turn on the turn signals, they can blind you with high beams, overtake you, creep up, change lanes as they want, don’t look at you before turning, get into something. It’s especially bad here with priorities; on many roads there are none - it’s not clear who should give way to whom. They won't let you through. Whoever climbed onto the road first is right. On the highway it’s not so scary, but in the city it’s difficult, be very careful. Especially watch out for mopeds, they drive as they please and in any light (motorists don’t always look either), they can get out from any direction.
Along the route. There are almost no gas stations along the roads here; they are mostly located at exits or in populated areas. Be careful and monitor the fuel level. Cafes and shops are also rare, unless you are driving through the city (obviously not a highway). Also, on the road you will hardly find a tire fitting or service... I broke a tire in Sicily and drove for 4 days with a temporary one, I found a tire fitting only in Messina in the city center, there are none on the road and this is very strange.
Machine with temporary wheel
Safety. At every corner you will be warned that you cannot leave anything in the car - be it a hat or an empty bag - as there is a high probability that they will break into the car. There are streets and areas where the probability of robbery is almost 100%. In a rental office, for example, I saw a list of such streets. Local residents also advise not to leave anything. If you park, choose crowded and well-lit places.
Refills. There are quite a lot of gas stations, but they are usually in populated areas or at the entrance; there are almost none on highways - it is simply inconvenient for owners to go there, given that most are private. There are rumors that even here you can be deceived, underfilled, shortchanged... especially near the airport where cars are rented out. I don't think I've encountered it. You can refuel with diesel and gasoline 95, diesel can be of two categories, premium diesel costs the same as gasoline. Interesting feature Italian gas stations, here you can refuel yourself. Not everywhere there are employees, and in the evenings and on weekends there is definitely no one there. So, you refuel yourself. Drive up to the desired column where self-service is indicated, find a machine nearby, insert a card or bills there - 5/10/20/50, then click on the column number and then only(!) go insert the hose with the required fuel. It is important not to confuse the order here! If you insert the hose first and then pay, the machine will eat your money and issue a receipt. The check is payable to bearer on the column, if there is an employee, you give it to him, you get the money, if there is no one... well, you understand. I knew about this, but at the last gas station I was distracted and pressed the wrong button, and then took the gun. The machine issued a check for 20 euros and I could no longer get money at this gas station. They helped at the hotel, where the owner took the check and gave the money. Well, we agreed, but it was the only chance.
There are also cases that as soon as you leave the machine, they drive up to it, make a cancellation, take the check and leave. Otherwise, everything is simple, after you insert the hose and press the pawl, fuel will flow exactly to the amount entered. If you press the receipt button immediately after payment, then after refueling you will be given a receipt for the cost of gasoline. You can also fill up at a person’s place if you have one, but usually in this case a liter costs from 12 to 25 cents more, which is from 10 to 40% of the total cost. But this is not available everywhere and it is better to do everything yourself, so no one will deceive you. But I don’t know how to make a full tank, paying for it yourself... if you have a place for 5 liters, and you paid for 10, then either your fuel will start pouring out, or you will be given a receipt with the unused amount, depending on how the tank will fill up. Be careful when returning your car in the evening or on weekends, it will be difficult to find a gas station with a gas station attendant. In such a situation, I had to be smart - collect 5 euro bills and refuel so that in front of the car delivery office I would see a full tank. Perhaps you can pay with a credit card more selectively, but it’s difficult to determine how many liters you need to get a full tank on your own.
Parking. Parking is difficult in Italy and Sicily; here on every street you either can park or you can’t. If possible, it is usually paid. The streets are narrow, there is little space, and there are already too many local cars. During the season it is very bad here, at other times it is easier. Follow the signs; if there is a parking sign on the street, then the conditions and cost are indicated below it. Usually there are restrictions on time and days of the week, for example, free on weekends. But there are parking lots only for residents. Paid places are usually marked with blue paint, white ones are free. Yellow - for disabled people. If you have paid parking, then look for a parking meter where you pay for the required number of hours. On average, parking costs from 60 cents to 1 euro per hour. Then place the check under the windshield so that the inspector can see it.
However, there are usually a lot of parking lots around and free shopping centers, shops, in squares, along ordinary streets and avenues. During the day there are definitely no problems with a temporary stop, in the evening you have to look, try to choose hotels with private parking. If you are not sure whether this is paid parking or not, look under the glass of the neighboring parked cars, there is a ticket - paid, no - free.
Sometimes in free parking lots you can only park for a couple of hours; there is a special icon under the sign that matches the cardboard clock under your glass (available on all rental cars). On the clock under the glass you set your arrival time and return, accordingly, no later than the required time (after 2 hours, for example) or simply change the time as you pass by.
You can stop for half an hour or an hour under prohibitory signs without problems, and that’s what the locals do, but, of course, you can’t leave your car here for a day. However, I did not see parking attendants or tow trucks in Sicily.
Yes, and when choosing a rental car, it’s better not to take a Hummer - it will be much more difficult to park it. Choose better Italian small cars.
I remind you once again that you can’t leave anything in the car, I actually left a suitcase, but I did it during the day and in decent places, it just didn’t fit in the trunk anymore.
In large cities, free parking lots are staffed by assistants, Italians or migrants, who provide incomprehensible services...usually the service consists of waving his hand at you, like it’s free here, come in...that’s it. They will not guard the car, monitor it, help it leave or anything else; in my case, the car drove out and pretty much hit another car, this one stood nearby and did not react at all. They want money for services... they say that one euro is enough, but I heard them ask for 5. I rarely parked in such parking lots and did not give money. It’s generally unpleasant, you drive by, and some idiot waves at you. And when you leave, he runs to you, shakes your money, and shows with all his appearance that he needs to be paid. True, they maintain parking lots all the time and should not harm the car in case of non-payment, but I haven’t really seen anyone pay.
In the distance there are two Africans, they hold this parking lot on the Palermo seafront
Zone ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato). This is a headache for Italy and a lot of nerves and a bad mood. In Italy and Sicily, cities enforce their transport space by prohibiting non-residents from entering certain parts of the city. You approach the center - “bang”, there is a sign and a camera ahead. Somewhere there is no such zone, somewhere there is only a zone near the cathedral, and somewhere half the city is in it. Stop by and get a fine from 40 to 120 euros. Maps of this zone are available on the Internet only at big cities and not for everything. Under the signs there are usually travel conditions; sometimes a non-resident can enter early in the morning or late in the evening, but usually it is better not to deal with this and go around the city center so that the navigator does not speak. Sometimes, if you live in the center in a large hotel, then the administration can send a paper to the police and they won’t take a fine, but not everyone wants to do this and not all hotels have the right to do this, it’s better not to get involved, I think.
Sometimes I considered the option of hiding the rear license plates with a piece of paper or a rag when entering, the same thing when leaving, but this is an extreme case, they will catch you... beware! I myself have not seen such fraud.
There is a slight relaxation with the zone out of season, as local residents say, in winter, and I went in January, the system does not work... in the end I entered the zone once. They say on the Internet that often the entrance to the zone is on a narrow street, from where you then cannot lead and you can only drive forward, I have not encountered this. The signs are obvious, often warning and mostly in the very center.
If a highway passes through the city, even if it passes the cathedral, then it’s not a problem, there will be no zones there. However, it is better not to be tempted and not to go to the very center, leave the car on the outskirts of the town or within the center. Yes, you will have to walk, but it’s calmer.
Non-locals are not allowed to come in from 10 to 7
In Sicily, in the main cities with the zone, the situation is as follows. In Catania, ZTL is only around the cathedral and on a couple of neighboring streets. It's difficult to get into. In Taormina the whole city is in a zone; I don’t know how to get to the city on the mountain without a car. Well, you can’t drag your suitcase a couple of kilometers up. This is where I stopped, although I spent a lot of time figuring things out, walking, etc., there are no alternative routes (I didn’t find one). In Messina there are no problems on the main streets. In Palermo, there is a zone only in the old town, park immediately after entering the center - 2 km around the cathedral, but the busiest streets do not contain restrictions, only small streets, entrances to houses. In Montreal, you won't be able to drive into the center. In Ragusa you have to leave the car on the ring road around the Old (lower) town, but everything is obvious there. From Syracuse, drive safely to the island of Ortiga, where Old city, only the very center of the island is closed, the main roads with many free parking areas are free to travel. In the end, if you are careful, there should be no problems.
I hope this one is mine detailed story will help you visit Sicily without any problems and travel around everything you need.
On In fact, there is nothing particularly scary about traveling by car in Sicily. If you have not yet decided whether to take a car or not, read. We also recommend directly when renting and how to choose a car rental in Sicily to avoid bad surprises.
And if the iron horse has already been booked and you can’t wait to travel around Sicily by car, then here are a few points that will give you an idea of the local driving style:
1
When do you drive through a red traffic light?
The prohibitory red light of a traffic light can be different. What does it mean? Of course, according to the rules, you should always wait until the red light goes out and move after. But in Sicily you can see not only drivers running red lights, but also honking at you from behind when you stop at a red light. This often happens at so-called pedestrian traffic lights: when a pedestrian on a busy street presses a button and the light turns green specifically for him, then the driver, seeing that this pedestrian has already crossed the road and there are no other people on the way, will often move off without waiting a couple of minutes until will switch to green. Naturally, this applies only to pedestrian traffic lights and in no case to intersections.
2
Parking
General rule like this: on blue lines parking is paid, on white ones it is free, and on yellow ones it is impossible (for disabled people and special groups). But each city will have its own rules. For example, the white lines in the center of Giardini Naxos are for residents only. When parking on lines, you should always look nearby for a sign about parking rules and understand it. The cost of an error, as well as being late, if you park on the blue toll lines, is on average 40 euros.
3
Parking Mafia
Sometimes you may come across strange-looking, toothless guys waving their hands at you in front of the car, as if to help you with
parking lot. They will expect small money (1 euro) for their “services”. It’s better to avoid meeting with them or pay if you still leave the car “under their supervision,” otherwise you may find the car scratched or with a broken tire.
4
Cars are sometimes stolen in Sicily
This happens sometimes and more often in certain areas of the city. Since you, as a tourist, will not be able to immediately understand whether this is such an area or not, it is better to look for a closed parking lot or at least a central square/street (not streets and gateways). Ask your hotel or the owners of the apartment or house you are renting where it is best to leave your car. IN big cities It makes sense to have closed 24-hour paid parking lots (in the center of Catania, for example, there are 3 of these). Most often, Fiats, Smarts and motorcycles are stolen. The general rule is this: on blue lines parking is paid, on white lines it is free, and on yellow lines it is not possible (for disabled people and special groups). But each city will have its own rules. For example, the white lines in the center of Giardini Naxos are for residents only. When parking on lines, you should always look nearby for a sign about parking rules and understand it. The cost of an error, as well as being late, if you park on the blue toll lines, is on average 40 euros.
5
Freeways
The motorways in Sicily are good, the Catania-Palermo road is close to ideal and is even free along its entire length. If you want to save money on a toll road and take a secondary road, banish this thought: most often you will use more gasoline and waste a lot of time. All other things being equal, always take the motorway. The most expensive section of the motorway in Sicily is Messina – Palermo (along north coast), but you definitely shouldn’t look for “goat paths” here either.
6
Traffic rules in Sicily
Of course, there are rules, and passing the driving test is no easier than ours. It’s even harder, since there are practically no cronyism and “paid” rights. But you will have the feeling that half of the drivers did not even open their books. Also, you are unlikely to find, for example, a sign for the main road. Use the rules you know and use common sense.
7
The most important!
Driving in Sicily is different from what you are used to, but anything is possible! To minimize the risk of unpleasant consequences, follow two basic rules: obey the speed limit and be predictable, and the Sicilians will adapt to you!
Experienced tourists are often interested in how best to organize their own trip to Sicily. In the best way There will be a car rental, which will be useful for active trips to various ancient cities and beach resorts.
Features of independent travel in Sicily by car
Initially, you need to choose a car to rent. To have a successful trip to Sicily, it is advisable to contact a reliable company, carefully study the official data and determine the potential benefits. Local and even international companies are trying to take care of themselves and think about the potential benefits, so you need to carefully study the terms of the contract, evaluate the prices of the services offered, and inspect the rented vehicle.
It will be especially important to thoroughly check the condition of the machine. Otherwise, they may try to pin scratches and dents on someone who did not take care of their additional safety.
Traveling around Sicily by car
It is recommended that you agree to additional insurance through a third party company. This is due to the fact that local residents are still not accustomed to following driving rules and can drive as they please. It will be especially difficult to drive a car in a city where there are traffic jams and the number of Vehicle is off scale.
Advice! Sicily is a relatively small island in Italy, so you can navigate around the best route. In addition, pointers help in most cases. If you are planning a trip to a small town or even a village, you need to plan your route in advance in the navigation system and use local maps.
Only taking into account similar features, in Sicily independent travel will be successful.
Excursion walks
Route around Sicily by car
The main task is proper planning tourist route. If you plan to actively travel around Sicily by car, you need to resolve numerous issues.
- It is recommended to decide in advance about overnight stops and visits to outlets, small settlements and real resorts. In this case, you can focus on exploring the entire island in one trip (a circular route will be made) or divide the entire program into 2 parts (western and eastern). If you plan to split the program, you can carefully study Sicily and get the right impression of the resort island.
- Be sure to choose hotels for an overnight stay. It is advisable to contact hotel complexes, where you can park your car. It is not advisable to park your car in city centers. You can stop with a car on the outskirts of Italian cities and even in villages, since in such conditions the parking issue will be easier to resolve.
- A navigator and a road map of the region often become travel companions. Navigators do not always allow you to navigate Italian cities with numerous confusing streets. Availability only road map region will make traveling easier.
When planning to visit Sicily, it is important to plan the route by car correctly. The answer to this question will depend on proper travel planning, taking into account time, financial capabilities and personal wishes.
Important! The most obvious option is to start your upcoming trip from Palermo or Catania. Both Sicilian cities are the largest, so you can easily get to almost any point of interest from them. In the future, you can stay in the most interesting and important cities for 1-2 days, since most local resorts are of particular interest to tourists.
From Palermo and Catania you can travel day trips around the surrounding area. This will allow you to visit many places in the region, including:
- Syracuse;
- Taormina;
- Noto Valley;
- Etna;
- Segesta.
If you don’t get attached to one place, there will be a lot of route options. You can create a circular route or go deeper into Sicily. The most important thing is to clearly understand what you need to focus on for an active trip around the Italian island.
Sicily - what to see by car
In Sicily, you can drive your own car and, of course, focus only on your personal wishes regarding your upcoming vacation. In addition, many Sicilian cities and resorts surprise with their architectural appearance and ideal conditions for staying on sandy beaches.
Sicilian roads
Palermo
Palermo is the capital of Sicily. The first acquaintance will take about 2 days. Here you can see ancient architecture, visit luxurious beaches and try delicious Italian cuisine. In Palermo, it is advisable to book accommodation in the center, avoiding the outskirts, as safety depends on this.
Cathedral Palermo is considered an important landmark of the city. If you wish, you can pay attention to other attractions, including the Norman (Royal) Palace, which was formerly occupied by kings.
In the future, you need to decide what to do on the island of Sicily.
Cefalu
A charming city in Italy, which is famous for its many attractions:
- The Cathedral, decorated with picturesque mosaics;
- the Mandraliska Museum, famous for its valuable collection of paintings;
- natural attractions: La Rocca rock, National Park Madoni.
On a note! It should be noted that Cefalu beach is considered one of the best in Sicily.
Taormina
When planning to travel on your own, you should definitely visit Taormina. The resort is located 210 kilometers from Cefalu, so the trip will take about 2.5 hours. Many people think of the resort as pretentious and expensive, but you can actually experience a different side to this city. You can stay here for a couple of days, but you need to leave your car outside the historical center.
Taormina is famous for its ancient theater, which was built before our era and still hosts important cultural events. The ancient Corvaggio Palace, where the Museum of Art of Sicily operates, deserves attention. It is not surprising that the city attracts many tourists.
Syracuse
Syracuse is old City Sicily. You can stay here for 2-3 days. In the ancient city you can see the Old Town and various attractions, enjoy beach holiday. Most attractions are located in the historical center.
Syracuse is an ancient city in Sicily
Parking in Sicily
Planning to give up public transport When moving between cities, you need to know how to drive around Sicily by car. One of the significant issues is city parking.
There are different types of parking:
- large parking lots on several floors, but the space will be expensive;
- regular parking areas, which are cheaper, but sometimes there are not enough spaces;
- multi-colored parking spaces in cities: white ones are free (there are almost always no spaces); blue paid (fully employed during working hours); yellow ones are private (they cannot be occupied).
When wondering how to get to the island of Sicily cheaply, you need to take into account the specifics of paying for parking. On organized places payment is always made to the person in the booth. With blue parking spaces, payment can be made to a "caretaker" or at a machine, sometimes requiring special coupons.
Parking in Sicily
When planning active skiing in Sicily, you need to consider the following tips:
- Many Russians are afraid toll roads. In fact, there are practically no toll roads in Sicily, so the cost will be minimal. In addition, the system works according to the usual scheme: entry is organized through a checkpoint, and you need to use a ticket from a machine. After driving along the toll highway, you need to go through a checkpoint and pay in cash or by bank card. The main difference between the tracks is their ideal condition.
- If you are interested in how to travel to the island of Sicily on your own, it is advisable to plan refueling in weekdays and for a day. Professional services can only be used at specified times. At night and on weekends, gas stations operate only in self-service mode. In addition, you won’t be able to transfer to a bus, because the route requires travel only in a rented car.
- Beginners will find it difficult to operate the car. The situation on the roads is often chaotic. It is important to prepare for constant maneuvers.
If you are attracted to the island of Sicily, then what to see while traveling by car needs to be determined in advance, taking into account your personal wishes. Only in this case the trip will be successful.
Travel preparation
We heard so many rave reviews about Sicily from friends who had been there that we soon began to rave about the trip ourselves.
When we finally decided to go, friendly advice and Guide Verte Michelin “Sicile” (possibly it was translated into Russian) helped us decide on the route. In general, I am a long-time fan of Mishlyanovsky guides; they have never failed with the choice of routes and restaurants on numerous trips.
The auxiliary guide was Routard. This was the first close acquaintance with this guide, and I was pleased with him - choosing a route with him is of course less convenient and the restaurants are not always the best, but in Ruthard you can find where to eat delicious ice cream (checked!) and it is written in a very lively language (with This is where Michelian’s guide is a little slow) - the rutard is easy to read and gives good introductory information about the new place.
So, the route was chosen like this: Taormina (+ Volcano Etna) - Palermo (+ Monreale) - Castellammare del Golfo (+ Segesta + Erice) - Agrigento (Valley of the Temples) - Ragusa Noto - Siracusa.
A little about choosing the time to travel: all guides advise avoiding July and August, I can add to this that already in the second half of June it was HOT. Therefore, it’s probably better to go in general in May. We planned to relax according to our favorite formula - the beach in the morning and evening (until it was crazy hot), in the afternoon - look at the beauty. But this formula works well if there are mountains or the sea nearby (in Sicily there were places where it was not hot during the day - Etna, Erice, and quite tolerable in the Zingara nature reserve because the sea is nearby), and on flat terrain, especially in cities, it is hot everywhere during the day. The narrow streets (if there are any) still help a little. So it’s best to avoid the hottest months so as not to ruin your trip.
And a little about the route: Ours turned out to be quite dense and rich. We visited everywhere we planned (and even more) and were satisfied, but it was still sometimes tiring (especially difficult for those who drive a car - in Sicily this is a rather nerve-wracking activity). So if in doubt, it is better not to try to be on time everywhere, especially since you can painlessly shorten the route if you avoid “repetitions”. Well, for example, the ruins of Greek theaters are the same everywhere, and the same goes for Greek temples. The biggest difference is the area where they are located. The Greeks had no equal in choosing a place, as well as in the art of hewing huge columns, so their landscapes are also works of art. If we take our route, then it seems to me, if desired, we could sacrifice the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento in favor of Segesta (where the temple and theater (especially) are framed in a fabulous beautiful landscape). Ragusa is a nice town, but if time is tight, it’s better to spend it on Noto.. (We ourselves actually cut down only on the Greek theater in Syracuse, we watched everything else as we had planned). In general, look at your strengths.
A little about driving: In Sicily, driving a car is extreme sport(at least it was for me). On the road, cars, mopeds and pedestrians move as they please, road signals (especially speed limits) are completely ignored (as are solid medians). There is very little information - street names are often not visible. Therefore, I strongly advise you to take a GPS Navigator and, before moving to a new place, enter the parking coordinates into it (which it is advisable to first localize on Google Maps). Don’t just type “city center” into your navigator - this is often not what you need and not the right place to park! If there is a parking lot on the plan in the guide, then it is better to localize it again in Google Maps and enter the verified coordinates into the navigator - this will help minimize driving in cities where the traffic is absolutely crazy (and there are often errors in guides).
And more about the car: When moving between hotels, there are often some intermediate stops, interesting places, and it can be very difficult to follow the golden rule “don’t leave anything in the car.” Those. If you manage to never leave anything in the car, that’s great; if not, then you should at least try to follow the rule “don’t leave anything in the car that can be seen through the window.” As a rule, two full-sized suitcases do not fit into the trunk of inexpensive rental cars, so it is better to take one suitcase and one soft bag that can be packed into the trunk together with the suitcase.
Selection of hotels and car rental:
I booked all hotels through http://www.booking.com/. The site is excellent, I use it often and am very pleased. The principle of choice was the following - the most inexpensive of the hotels with good rating and reviews + convenient location (I always looked on the map where it was located). The result was good - of the six hotels I liked some more, some less (I will say a few words when I talk about the point of the visit), but there were no problems or special disappointments associated with any hotel.
Most inexpensive option for car rental was found at http://www.ebookers.fr/ (http://www.ebookers.com/). I honestly looked at others, but it wasn’t cheaper, and besides, the company was well-known - Hertz (which really disappointed me with the wildest mess on the day we rented the car - we probably spent two hours on this, and besides, in this madhouse they told me They sold the option “if you buy gasoline from us, you return the empty tank.” I don’t think I lost a lot of money on this, but it’s still a clear scam in favor of the rental company, don’t be fooled).
Below is our preliminary travel plan (the time in the “plan” column is the time it takes to move from one city to another), a list of hotels and their prices to give a rough idea of the budget (there are no restaurants on the list (our bill for two was approximately 40-50 euros) and tickets to museums, etc.)
(the flight was on the route Paris - Catania - Paris)
In the next issues there will be a little useful information and impressions of the places we visited:
Taormina and surroundings
Palermo (+ Monreale)
Castellammare del Golfo (+ Zingare Nature Reserve+ Segesta+ Erice)
Agrigento (+ Valley of the Temples + "Turkish Rock")
Ragusa, Noto
Syracuse
Enjoy your trip to this incredibly beautiful and very hospitable country!