# Sicily anyone



## mickdee (Apr 17, 2010)

hi, im thinking of taking my hymer 514 to Sicily this summer (june/july) ive been told the roads are very narrow and hence driving is very difficult (especially since he hymer is 2.35m wide) has anyone been and if so would you please comment on whether roads are a problem and if you had a good time etc.

thanks
michael


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## Irishman (Nov 19, 2010)

Have been to Sicilly by car great place very friendly. traffic caothic in Palermo but outside city roads generally good and will take motorhome when time alows. Enjoy


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## Irishman (Nov 19, 2010)

Have been to Sicilly by car great place very friendly. traffic caothic in Palermo but outside city roads generally good and will take motorhome when time alows. Enjoy


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## mickdee (Apr 17, 2010)

thanks irishman, can you recommend as a good place to take a camper, what do you mean by 'when time allows?' are there good and bad times to travel?


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## christine1310 (Apr 10, 2008)

*Sicily*

Hi

We went to Sicily last winter for 3 months. We have a Laika which is 2.3m wide and didn't have much problem, you just have to use common sense.

The only place we found ourselves breathing in was visiting the cathedral at Monreal just outside Palermo. There are two roads into Monreale, up the mountain to the old town and cathedral or to the new town where there is a large carpark. Satnav took us up the mountain and we thought we were going ok as there was a sign for parking. However, the road began to narrow as we entered the town, and the parking was in a narrow alleyway. We had no choice but to go on as we couldn't turn around. Luckily there were no cars parked and when we reached the top of the narrow road we came out into the main square where the cathedral is (much to the surprise of the local policeman). The expression on his face was priceless but he did show us which way to go to park. All the narrow roads were one-way so we had no problem getting there.

If you want to see where we went then visit my website - link on the www symbol at the bottom of this page.

Regards

Christine


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

Hi, 
Just spent 2 months there, roads no narrower than in parts of mainland Italy, Greece etc. I think Corsica and Sardinia are probably harder on the driver.

It would be too hot for us in summer, but we found plenty of ports etc to park up. Quite a few Italian and German campervans, even at this time of year.

Helen


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## blackbirdbiker (Mar 12, 2007)

Brilliant cos we are going about the same time in our B584 might see you there..  

Keith


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## mickdee (Apr 17, 2010)

thanks keith we'll look out for you, any idea if free camping is ok in sicily?


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

we visited around this time of the year and found the roads were ok, some excellent places to visit, don't miss Taormina & Agrigento (impressive Roman ruins), Mount Etna, Cefalu (lovely fishing village)

Wild camping was fine when we were there, in fact there were loads of spots right on the beach in the North West of the Island at San Vito de Capo


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## hmh (Jun 25, 2008)

Despite "no parking" signs everywhere, in January and February this year nobody took the slightest notice and we could park up without charge more-or-less anywhere. This was just as well as virtually none of the campsites were open. 
We were told that things are more restricted in high season but then, of course, the campsites will be functioning.
From my experience of them, the idea of Sicilians enforcing regulations in any meaningful way sounds decidedly unlikely as they are such a laid-back and undisciplined lot!
David.


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## mickdee (Apr 17, 2010)

thanks david,

how long id you travel around sicily for- what would you recommend?


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*Sicily*

 Ciao Mickdee,
wonderful island is Sicily.
For stops, or 'soste' as they are called in Italy
www.turismoitinerante.it
www.camperonline.it

for campsites
www.camping.it

Places that are a 'must', starting from Messina
Giardini Naxos
Taormina
Etna and Zafferana Etnea
Noto
Siracusa
Piazza Armerina
Selinunte
Agrigento
Eraclea Minoa
Trapani
Marsala
Moxia
Erice
Segesta
Monreale
Le Madonie
Palermo
to name but a few

you will enjoy, and will want to go back.
saluti,
eddied


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Hi, we went there two years ago in April/May and it was the best place and the worst place we've been to! We spent in total 4 weeks there. The drive down was some of the most stressful driving I've ever done, but the views are fantastic! The motorway South of Pompeii is very mixed some good and some attrocious. There is about 50 miles or more of contrflow where the spped limit is supposed to be 40MPH. Only one vehicle did this, mine! We were overtaken by trucks and cars all sounding their horns in frustration. It was very hairy in places as vehicles were still coming the other way.

The ferry to Sicily was very easy to find and board. I can recommend using the ticket fixers to buy the ticket though. They take you to the pay point and you pay the fair for an ordinary car! They then get a "small commission" about 10 Euros did it. A German van refused their "help" and was still in the queue when we left!

The exit from the docks at Messina is chaos and again we were the only vehicle stopping at the traffic lights. Everyone else just went passed us!

The motorway, if you can call it that, just runs out in places with no warning! Although it does exist on the maps!

We stopped at a camperstop at Naxos and it was very good. Safe, clean and well run.

The best camp site we found, Camping Scarabeo was excellent. It's an ACSI site and one of the best sites we've ever been to. The town itself is quite quaint with all the usual stuff. Just don't use the Sicilian banks! Only use German or Swiss to change money or use your cards. We were advised by the site owner that some Sicilian banks are fronts for organised crime families and will skim your cards.

On that topic. Sicily seems to be a "cash is king society" and even the campsites prefer cash and some we found wouldn't accept payment in card. Many sites don't open until late June and seem to close in Spetember. The sostas are ok but expect to pay ACSI site prices for some of them, although there are free ones around.

The infrastructure is very run down and surprised us as to how bad it was.

Agrigento is a dump and the ruins, we found, were best viewed from the van as we drove past! There is nothing else worth seeing as most of the decent the artifacts have either been looted in the past or removed to museums. They are impressive enough but once you've seen one Greek/Roma column you've seen them all!

Gela could only be improved by carpet bombing it! Just keep driving through and don't stop.

We did find the North of the island better than the South and it's easier on the eye too.

We took the ferry from Palermo to Livorno to get off Sicily because I didn't want to drive back. Among the best 200 Euros worth I've ever spent. You live in your van on the semi open car deck, hooked up to the ship and because the weather was good we had a gentle Med. cruise thrown in!

On the ship were 7 other motorhomes and I got talking to a German who goes there every winter. He told me he goes by ferry from and returning to Genoa every time because he, in his words, "Wouldn't drive on the roads in Italy unless he was in a tank! They are all mad behind the wheel!"

We did enjoy some parts of it and some places were fantastic but there wasn't enough of them to make us drive all that way again. Some people do love it and my comments will seem strange to them, but that's the joy of motorhoming. We all find different places special or not. You must go though to find out for yourself.

We are in Morocco at the moment just finishing a Desert Detours trip and feel the same about here. We're glad weve been, found some places to be wonderful and mindblowing but still nothing would persuade us to return!


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## Helgamobil (Jul 18, 2010)

We are in Sicily right now! At last it has stopped raining and we are enjoying some cool but sunny weather.

Some roads are dreadful, especially around urban areas, but out of town, and the autostrada is fine (a few dodgy bits here and there). Inland we are told the roads get very narrow and not good for motorhomes.

Some updates on the Campsites:

ACSI Book: La Timpa Camping at Acireale 1897 in the 2011 book. The directions are incorrect, The turning down to the campsite is at the 80.3 km marker, not the 88.3 km marker. Road is quite narrow, quite steep with a very tight turn.
The site is not as good as described, toilets and showers were pretty nasty, and the management were unfriendly and offhand. They did not accept the CCI card, they wanted a passport.

Sosta Camper Book: Eden Camping, Santa Croce RG04 
Does not exist - or has closed down. 

We do HIGHLY recommend Scarabeo Camping at Porto Braccetto. ACSI prices, brilliant welcome, big pitches, level, dry. Private WC for every pitch, good showers and other facilities, right on the beach - an unusually clean beach for Sicily too.


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