Sicily

[laimeduck]

I started a thread last February regarding a potential trip to Sicily. I am just updating what has happened.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Ferries-to-Sicily-Straits-of-Messina/48670/

 

Lots of info on that previous thread, thanks to everyone.

 

We did not in fact drive down to Sicily, instead we spent a month in a campervan in New Zealand and 2 months around Europe taking in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, France & Italy - down to Rome. 2 most enjoyable trips.

 

However last week we took advantage of a £48 return air fare to Catania, hired a car and did some exploring around the South and East of Sicily for 3 days to see if it was worth driving all the way down through Italy.

 

Fantastic sights and great history in Ragusa and Syracuse, lovely people, good food and wine, BUT..... the place is a tip! Rubbish and graffiti everywhere in the main streets, on the highways and in the villages.

 

Brian mentioned that the driving standards were "Old School Italian". What driving standards?! Blind overtaking, speeding, tailgating, and abandoning rather than parking. We saw a couple of cars with no dents, but not many more! Other than the motorways and a few major roads, we found stone wall lined narrow lanes with mad drivers and loads of cars without wing mirrors - they were all on the roadside!

 

I'm guessing that the Sicilians have to pay to have their rubbish removed - we saw a whole bank of wheelie bins that were all locked to stop people putting their rubbish in. - So they don't bother, just chuck it out of the car window, and fly tip everywhere. In the streets people just dropped their wrappers or whatever while standing there.

 

Such a shame as it is a lovely Island with lovely people, but we won't be taking our Benimar down there I'm afraid!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mickt]

Met a couple last October who were on there way ho me from Sicily they said the same nice place but rubbish

everywhere and bad driving

.

[alan k]

Once you get below Rome, the amount of rubbish everywhere especially plastic seems to be grow mile by mile as you head south. You do get accustomed to it, but it spoils a lovely country.

 

Its even a shock crossing from Switzerland or Austria into Italy, re roadside rubbish but much much worse in the south.

 

As far as driving standards go, I seem to get by fine by just going with the flow. Re wing mirrors, for us it was our Transit (push mirror back into place), Fiat Van, the other guy (stopped to pick up the bits) was amazed to our mirror wasn't damaged!

 

The one bit of advice for driving in Italy especially southern Italy is don't dither and just let them get on with it

 

cheers alan

 

[Brian Kirby]

laimeduck - 2019-12-07 12:44 PM

 

I started a thread last February regarding a potential trip to Sicily. I am just updating what has happened.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Ferries-to-Sicily-Straits-of-Messina/48670/

 

Lots of info on that previous thread, thanks to everyone.

 

We did not in fact drive down to Sicily, instead we spent a month in a campervan in New Zealand and 2 months around Europe taking in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, France & Italy - down to Rome. 2 most enjoyable trips.

 

However last week we took advantage of a £48 return air fare to Catania, hired a car and did some exploring around the South and East of Sicily for 3 days to see if it was worth driving all the way down through Italy.

 

Fantastic sights and great history in Ragusa and Syracuse, lovely people, good food and wine, BUT..... the place is a tip! Rubbish and graffiti everywhere in the main streets, on the highways and in the villages.

 

Brian mentioned that the driving standards were "Old School Italian". What driving standards?! Blind overtaking, speeding, tailgating, and abandoning rather than parking. We saw a couple of cars with no dents, but not many more! Other than the motorways and a few major roads, we found stone wall lined narrow lanes with mad drivers and loads of cars without wing mirrors - they were all on the roadside!

 

I'm guessing that the Sicilians have to pay to have their rubbish removed - we saw a whole bank of wheelie bins that were all locked to stop people putting their rubbish in. - So they don't bother, just chuck it out of the car window, and fly tip everywhere. In the streets people just dropped their wrappers or whatever while standing there.

 

Such a shame as it is a lovely Island with lovely people, but we won't be taking our Benimar down there I'm afraid!

Shame. We spent 3 weeks in early May 2016, and the roadsides were strewn with flowers! Neither of us particularly remembers seeing rubbish as you describe, so we wonder if it was because you were there late November/early December for some reason (perhaps more effort is made during the holiday season) or whether there is/has been a strike by refuse disposal workers.

 

The driving probably came as a bit of a shock if you started off in a hire car from Catania, whereas because we drove down to the Messina ferry (and because we do bits of Italy from time to time) I was getting the hang of it by the time we arrived. Having said that, it is a bit different! :-D Getting away from the ferry port at lunch time in Messina confirmed that. One thing with a motorhome is that you sit higher up, so can see over most cars, whereas being in a car, you wouldn't have had that advantage.

 

We went from Messina via various overnight stops and a car park half way up Etna (where it snowed quite hard!) to Catania, Syracuse, Noto, Ragusa, Punta Secca (where Montalbano's house is in the TV series), Piazza Armerina, Enna, Agrigento (Valle dei Templi), Eraclea Minoa (Greek theatre), Selinute (Greek temples), Marsala (where the wine comes from), Segesta (large, unfinished, Greek temple), Monreale (superb Norman cathedral) and finally to Palermo (for the ferry to Sardinia). Driving in Palermo was almost as much fun as in Messina! My take is it is well worth the journey, but I don't think I'd want to pitch straight in, in a hire car. I think one needs to drive down to get one's eye in on the way down - besides it's a long way, and there are so many wonderful places to visit on the way. I'm sure you'd enjoy it in spring/summer when the wild flowers are out. Apart from all the archaeological and historic stuff, the scenery is frequently sublime. It's an amazing place. The driving? Hey, it's Italy! :-D

[Geeco]

We travel to Europe most every year and that time is more often than not spent in one part of Italy or another. Out journeys are always with a hire car for all or most of the trip. Last time in Sicily we started with a train journey down to Calabria from Rome then a ferry to Lipari in the Aeolian Islands then back to Messina hired a car and went for a drive for a couple of weeks. It is a beautiful island with lots to see and do. My take on Driving in Italy is you need to practice the art of blending. Eg the toll on the Autostrada at the back of Naples had about 10 booths that reduce down to 3 lanes in peak hour traffic the game of bluff while blending is Almost an art form! Rubbish piles are the norm especially at rest stops on the highways . Naples is often one big garbage tip. As was suggested earlier north of Rome is better with less rubbish. Even with all it's faults it is still our favourite destination in Europe. When I need a Sicilian fix I watch Montalbano on DVD. Currently watching volume 10, all the regulars are mostly still in the shows but like me are showing the signs of age. I do not believe you can fully appreciate a Montalbano episode until you have visited Sicily. Maybe "Salvo" can solve the Brexit issues!  Thanks for raising the topic Jeremy it has bought back some lovely memories while I watch my home state burning. Yes it is a bit like Rome here at present.  Caio.

[laimeduck]

Brian & Gary - thanks for your replies.

We too watch Montalbano and we too visited Punto Secco, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli to see the settings - fantastic! We also squeezed in Syracuse, the Greek Theatre and Roman Amphitheatre - awsome spectacles considering they're 2100-2500 years old - just stunning. After visting Aci Castello and Aci Trezza, we drove up the SP92 on Etna - once again stunning. The history & scenery we loved.

 

Now I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to driving - I enjoy the cut and thrust of driving through London or Paris or Rome and I'll mix it! And when on my Sachs MadAss 125cc bike in Nice I'm weaving in and out with the best 18 year old girls! BUT, how I avoided being driven off the road and being bumped for three days in Sicily I have no idea! Disorganised mayhem!

 

If it weren't for the wanton desecration of the countryside with rubbish (which I find totally amazing considering the Italian obsession with style and looks - an absolute contradiction?), or the spoiling of most standing structures with graffiti, and the danger of having my dear old Benimar Mabel trashed on the roads, then I would race back.

 

But there are so many other places to visit that don't have these problems, so Sicily will not be top of the list.

 

 

[Leofric]

Not driven a motorhome in Sicily but did a house swap to Ragusa 20 years ago and have become friends with locals and been back many times. I had a driving lesson from my now Sicilian friend. "You must use the horn more". On the unmarked cross-roads in Ragusa I asked how do you know when you can go? I was told "You look into the other drivers eyes and if they look more scared than you then go". Since then I have driven his car and hire cars all over Sicily. You do adapt to it. Yes, tailgating is common - it is just their way of overtaking. There is often a small hard-shoulder / run off at the side of the road and it is expected that you will move into it as far as you dare to allow passing (in either direction). . Traffic between towns is usually very light but builds up rapidly in the towns. Palermo is particularly "fun" - 3 road lanes approaching a roundabout with 5 lanes of traffic squeezing in and as someone commented above very few cars without dents. All of the towns in the SE are worth a visit - Ragusa Ibla, Modica etc. These often seem totally deserted and dead, with shuttered fronts if you visit midday to afternoon. Go back in the evening to find interesting shops, streets full of locals and a vibrant atmosphere. Far less touristy than Taormina. Knowing locals opened our eyes to the artistic and cultural activities we would have missed otherwise. It is economically the poorer part of Italy but the friendly, generous-spirited people make up for seeing a bit of litter - no worse than I saw at the sides of the A38 last weekend.