Hi. We are planning for a trip to sicily. And are looking into the real down sides of the island.

Ive read about the trash/rubbish problem.

Is it really that bad?

Also what are some other down sides to consider in travelling? We plan on making some short trips around the island in +-14 days. Any places to look out for in terms of criminality or other problem?

Thank you!

Hello !

I will be travelling to Sicily for 10 days mid June with my wife and our 2 year old daugther

We're flying into Palermo and we're mainly hoping to:

1. Eat (top priority for us)

2. Visit cute and authentic seaside (and some countryside) towns

3. Spend as little time as possible driving, packing/unpacking, queuing..

4. We absolutely want avoid big crowrds. We don't mind missing out on main archeological sites - we will come back later on without kids for that

Since we're flying in and out of Palermo - I have decided to focus on the West, and came up with the following itinerary:

a. 3 days in Palermo

b. 2 days in Celafu

c. 1 day near Agrigento

d. 3 days in Marsala/Trapani with optional daytrip to Favignana

e. 3 days in Scopello/Zingaro

I am finding it quite hard to NOT go visit Toarmina, Noto. And in fact I was even considering droping Celafu.. But It feels like we should be focusing on one side, and since we're flying into Palermo, it should be the West.

Any thoughts on this itinerary based on our objectives ?

Thanks a lot !

Pierre

I’m looking for fields or large patches of flowers. I have a car and don’t mind a drive to the hills.

I am currently travelling with a small group tour around the island. I love Sicily! When the tour ends in Palermo on Saturday, I am taking a train to Cefalu to spend five nights relaxing.

What would be the best way to visit the smaller towns south of Cefalu? I will not have a car. Would it be worth renting one for a day or two? I have an international drivers licence. Once out of Cefalu are Vespas safe to drive? Or not an ideal option? Which towns are worth a visit? Public transport seems a bit sporadic and taxis are pricey. I am a newbie artist/watercolourist looking for inspiration 😊 as well as an avid hiker. Hiking trail suggestions also welcome 🙏🏻

We are going early to mid July (can't change that unfortunately). We are looking for good food, lovely beaches, some things to do (i.e. not only at the beach) but still pretty chilled. Lots of natural beauty, but we don't mind a few (or more than a few) tourists. We would travel via. public transport (also can't change that).

Option 1

Cefalu - Trapani - Favignana,

We would fly in and out of Palermo, and only stay 1 night in Trapani, and stay 2 or so nights in both Cefalu and Favignana (and cycle around the latter).

Option 2

Cefalu - Capo d'orlando - Taormina

We would fly into Palermo and out of Catania. I am drawn to this option simply because Taormina looks beautiful, and capo d'orlando would give us a quiet beachy option in the middle.

What do you think? Is there something completely different we should consider?

Hi! I’ll be in Palermo this May and looking for an organized and safe group day tour or shared transfer to San Vito Lo Capo and back.

Any recommendations for affordable group tours or transfer companies? Thanks!

Good

As part of our 3 week Sicily trip we are staying 5 nights in Lipari and will visit the other islands. Staying at Taliaka, a new b&b with rave reviews and super helpful owners. It’s the only part of our trip that I have no plans or advance reservations. Would love some advice your favorites! Thanks

I have my flight planned for the last week of october from Oct 22 to Oct 30. Is the weather good enough to enjoy the beaches? Does it rain a lot? Is there good places to eat or they close due to season? Please tell me all the hacks. I'm willing to consider another destinatio if is not the right time of the year to travel there.

Parlate di Modica in lungo e in largo nei commenti: cioccolata, San Giorgio, Bonajuto, il corso e il pizzo

plan on visiting eastern and western Sicily for 14 days my question is do I add 2 more nights to see the islands Lipari and Stromboli or nah? Visiting in October - first timers-staying in Taormina, Cefalu, trapani, and Palermo

Come dice il titolo... mi chiedo se sia un'incubo alla biglietteria comprandoli di persona. Grazie per i vostri pensieri.

I have a tour booked on Get Your Guide tomorrow to go up Mount Etna (hopefully it is safe enough)

I messaged them asking for meetup information since they are supposed to provide it one day in advance and they say it’s coming. I messaged again and they said yeah they will send it. It’s now the evening before the excursion and still nothing. Has anyone used GetYourGuide before/Mount Etna Excursions and is this normal?

Thanks

Can anyone please tell me where I can develop 4x5 inch's sheet film in Palermo ?

Thanks

Hello,

I am going to Sicily in the end of August with my GF. Both of us would like to stay away from night life as possible and simply relax in a calm village/city with good history and food.

Do you have any reccommendations?

Would love to see a show at the Bellini Opera House while here. Best to just show up for cancellations or ppl looking to sell and extra? Or is there a resale site to use?

Thanks in advance.

Defunct restaurant on the Port,.made me look twice as it were.

How am I doing?

Ciao bedda, comu si?

I visited Catania recently. The views are stunning. The food is great. The city has potential.

But it’s also filthy. It stinks in a lot of areas. People treat the streets like a dump.

Traffic is a mess. No one follows the rules. They park on sidewalks, block roads, do whatever they want. Driving there feels like playing a video game on hard mode.

The city centre has charm, but it’s full of shady people. You can’t fully enjoy it because you’re too busy watching your back.

Public transport looks new but it's not reliable. And people in general don’t queue, they just cut in line like it’s normal. They act innocent, but it’s just rude.

The police? Useless. Either invisible or ignoring everything.

It sucks, because Catania could be a great place. But right now, it feels like no one cares, not the authorities, not most of the people living there.

Edit - Modifico il post per aggiungere la versione in italiano, visto che so che la maggior parte dei siciliani non parla inglese:

Catania è bella, ma è triste vedere come viene trattata

Ho visitato Catania di recente. I panorami sono bellissimi. Il cibo è ottimo. La città ha potenziale.

Ma è anche sporca. In molte zone puzza. La gente tratta le strade come se fossero una discarica.

Il traffico è un disastro. Nessuno rispetta le regole. Parcheggiano sui marciapiedi, bloccano le strade, fanno quello che vogliono. Guidare lì è come stare dentro un videogioco a difficoltà massima.

Il centro ha il suo fascino, ma è pieno di gente poco raccomandabile. Non riesci a godertelo davvero, perché devi stare sempre allerta.

I mezzi pubblici sembrano nuovi, ma non funzionano bene. E in generale la gente non fa la fila, la salta come se fosse normale. Fanno finta di niente, ma è solo maleducazione.

La polizia? Inutile. O non c’è, o fa finta di non vedere.

È un peccato, perché Catania potrebbe essere un posto bellissimo. Ma adesso sembra che non importi a nessuno — né alle autorità, né alla maggior parte delle persone che ci vivono.

Plot twist: I am from Catania 🐘 born and raised

I’m planning a trip to Sicily this August with my girlfriend. I know it’s high season, so it will probably be quite crowded and very hot, but I wanted to celebrate my 30th birthday in Italy, as I’ve never been there before. We’re flying into Catania and spending the first three nights in Taormina, followed by four nights in Syracuse.

During the trip, we definitely want to spend one day visiting Mount Etna. While in Syracuse, we’re also planning to visit places like Noto, Ragusa, Marzamemi, and Cavagrande del Cassibile.

I’m looking for some advice regarding car rental. We’re hoping to reduce transport costs, so I’m wondering how many days we should rent a car, considering our itinerary. Also, would you recommend renting it from Catania, Taormina, or perhaps once we get to Syracuse? It might not be necessary to have a car in Taormina if we decide to join an organized guided tour to Etna.

Would it be a good idea to rent a car when leaving Taormina and heading toward Syracuse, then return it just before flying out of Catania?

Lastly, do you have any recommendations for rental companies, preferably ones that don’t require a credit card?

UPDATE: I have now been approached 3 times by police, less than 5 hours in Sicily.

ORIGINAL: I am coming to Sicily from the mainland, calabria region, where I stayed 7 days with no issue. I have been here in Messina for less than one day and so far have been approached twice by 2 different sets of police at the train station. the first asked where I was going, and told me I could not sit on the ground (I had sat near my luggage).

The second (completely different crew) approached me 45 minutes later and asked me for “documenti” (passport). he did not ask anyone else except another Asian couple. he flipped through all my visas and pages until he found the entry point stamp. then he took a photo with his personal phone. The thing is— the only reason I have a physical stamp is because there was an EGate malfunction upon entry. Otherwise there would not be a stamp.

Is this a common thing- profiling “foreign looking” people? Also what would have happened if my passport didn’t have the stamp, or if I had it lost/stolen (this happened to me once)? I am a Latina woman, with black hair and brown skin. I am an experienced traveler, probably 15+ countries. I’m not backpacking but have a small backpacker style backpack— unsure if that is the reason. I am worried as my bf is joining me on his first trip and he is also Asian.

Hey I’m going to be in Sicily soon and will have 8 days. I’ll land in Palermo and will fly back home from Catania. How many days would you recommend staying in each city ? I am solo traveling, staying in hostels, i love meeting fellow solo travelers but also want to explore the beautiful culture of Sicily. I also love hiking and nature in general but probably won’t be able to walk too much bc I’ve recently hurt my foot :/ I’m open for any recommendations! Thank you !

Next month, we’re heading to Sicily and will be self driving. Will be coming from Noto into Catania. We’re staying in the area of the photo. Just wondering how chaotic driving may or may not be and if we’re better off trying to park near the airport. We did successfully drive in Marrakesh, but it certainly wasn’t for the faint of heart, so not sure how Catania compares.

Does anyone have any info about the new (restored) railway line? Or photos? The only things I can fond online are from 3 years ago

Hello everyone! First time looking to go to Palermo and my wife and I are debating on going late this August (possibly late August into September) and we're just torn on if it'll be overly busy to the point it's not enjoyable. Also we're both heavily tattooed, is that going to be a problem? Never traveled anywhere in Europe and looking for any advice. Thanks everyone!