# Our views on touring Sicily in May 2013



## JayBe

Hi, 

Whilst planning the trip to Sicily I looked up past forum comments and in particular one posted by Annsman on 17.06.09. We always go on our trips with an open mind, because everyone has different views and opinions. Having crossed from Poole to Cherbourg on the 1st May we reached Camping Zeus at Pompei on the 4th. A v.g. A.C.S.I. listed site right by the archeological site, and the rly. station. A train to Sorrento and a bus to Amalfi , then on the way back, a walk down to Positano and back up to catch the next bus back to Sorrento and the train back to Pompei; is the best way to cover that area, because the route is congested and there is nowhere to park a motorhome. We found that we were only just ahead of the Italian di Giro cycle race for the next two days. South of Salerno we found the road surfaces were badly cracked and pot-holed causing slow driving ( for us, not of course, the Italians), and even the A3 autostrada had many miles of two-way traffic as one side is being re-constructed from its base up. We began to see much rubbish piled up uncollected and the villages and towns were shabby.

On the 7th May we arrived at Villa-San-Giovanni and found a lack of road signing and low railway bridge heights caused delay in reaching the Carente ferry terminal. The return fare to Messina is currently 99 euros for our 7.5m Rapido, a rip-off for a twenty minute journey!

We were able to wild-camp in numerous places without problems. However, at Cefalu we parked on an unused part of the port after checking with the local fishermen present that it was OK, and soon we were joined by French, Dutch and German units. At 17.00 as the tourist coaches left, the port captain moved us all on and told us we could park on the west side of the town. The access to the promenade road is by narrow streets, and on reaching the 'car park' we had to pay 15 euros to park on a grassed area overnight, without any facilities.

San Vito la Capo on the north west coast is pretty with campsites or overnight/24 hour parking for 8 euros, and some good restaurants. There is also a long bay with wild-camping south of San Vito. Most of the west and south coast areas seemed run down with properties and roads in a poor state. At Marsala overnight parking is free at the car park by the main road and near the beach. At Sciacca free overnight parking is allowed at the port, opposite the port captain's building.

The interior of Sicily is picturesque with numerous hilltop villages to visit such as Nicosia, Sperlinga, Erica, and especially Enna. At Enna free overnight parking is allowed by the ruined castle reached via a narrow one-way street from the town centre. There is also a free small car park nearby for daytime use.

At the archeological site of the Valle dei Templi just outside the city of Agrigento, overnight parking costs 5 euros ( toilets and water), and a late or early visit to the site beats the tourists. Ognina is a small community of mainly summer homes but there is a pretty inlet and a quayside car park to over-night, and a good restaurent at the quay. Siracusa has a main tourist car park for coaches, cars and motorhomes, and it is only a few minutes walk from the 'three bridges' into the centre. Parking costs 10 euros for 6 hours for a motorhome.

To visit Taormina , we suggest parking at the car park at Mazzaro near the railway station and walking to the gondula cable lift as there is nowhere to park at Taormina (apart from the official car park, 30 euros for motorhomes!).

To visit Etna, drive via Linguaglossa, Mareneve, Milo and Zafferana to reach the Rif Sapienza, the starting point for visits to Mount Etna, overnight parking costs 10 euros for 24 hours. The cable car and then a four-wheel- drive bus trek costs 57.50 euros, and the guided group (max.20) visits to the edge of the main crater costs an extra 25 euros. For the group trek medical/physical fitness, warm clothing/food and water are all necessary, and helmets are issued.

Sicily in general. The roads are in an abominal state, badly broken up and potholed, with numerous cracks and subsidence usually without warning signs. Household refuge and rubbish is heaped in huge piles by the roadside, un-collected and often torn open by wild dogs and scattered in the wind. Beaches are badly littered. Road signs direct into towns and cities with narrow 0ne-way systems and suddenly there are no further signs. Drivers park and 'abandon' cars wherever they want causing traffic queues. It is the worse driving we have ever experienced. Both in southern Italy and in Sicily drivers ignore all road signs such as double white lines, no overtaking, speed limits, no waiting, overtaking on 'blind' bends or on the 'inside', etc.. In numerous places the autostrada support- pillars and flyover joints are breaking up due to badly rusted re-inforcing and sub-standard concrete. There is much talk of corruption in the industry.

Diesel is expensive, at up to 1.78 euros per litre. Campsites, even those approved and listed by A.C.S.I. were mostly in need of renovation and repair, but still cost 16 euros (the max. with A.C.S.I.). At Mokambo Camping at Fondachello, ( A.C.S.I. listed), there are only two hot showers to be used by both sexes, and costing 50 cents for about 1 minute use. At the time of our visit there were about 35 independent units plus a French group of 18 units, a Dutch group of 25 units and an A.C.S.I. group of 20 units of which 4 were the British C. & C.Club. Totally inadequate facilities and yet approved by A.C.S.I., presumably because of the proximity to Taormina and Etna.

We could not face the road journey back through Italy, and did what most motorhomers apparently do, took the 20 hour ferry crossing from Palermo to Genova. It cost 286.23 euros for the 7.5 metre m/h and two adults, and reclining seats. It would have cost 489.00 euros with a cabin. The ferry company, Grandi Navi Veloci, operates all routes from Palermo to Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno and Genova and has no competition. Our ferry, La Superba, was far from that and was an old ferry with the interior like a cruise ship but with broken and shabby fitting in the toilets, and a poor self-service restaurant with little choice of food. The lifeboat mechanisms, which although they had seals issued in March and April 2013,had the appearance of not being maintained recently with lack of grease on cables and pulleys, etc.. Breakfast of croissants, cheese/salami, fruit juice and coffee cost 11.10 euros. (Compare that with a full buffet breakfast on Brittany Ferries Pont Aven at 12.50 euros (Oct12)). By the afternoon food had run out, on a journey that operates 2300 to 1900. The staff were complacent and unhelpful.

Needless to say, we would not return to southern Italy or Sicily again. How they can be part of the E.U. or in the euro? But that is another story. There are so many more interesting, cheaper, cleaner and more friendly places we have yet to visit.

I realise that this is fairly long comment but hope that it of use to others contemplating a trip.

John and Jennie


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## Glandwr

Sounds traumatic JayBe. I’m thinking of overwintering there this year. Did you not enjoy it at all?

Dick


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## trevd01

If you are into history, good food and wine, Sicily must be one of the best destinations in the world.

But I'd rather be driving a hire car than my own van...


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## Cherekee

I am inclined to agree with the OP. We visited Italy in March and we had read about the roads. The warning being that they started bad and got worse as you went further South. I thought the van was going to fall apart on some roads. The mountain roads were bad of course but far worse then many others I have used in other countries. The dual carriageway roads are the most difficult to navigate as one is normally travelling faster then on "A" roads and to be confronted with a bloody great hole in front of you concentrates the mind a bit. We however enjoyed our travels to about halfway down and found places were indeed a bit neglected but friendly enough. We returned North/West via Spetzia and joined the Autostrada as both we and the van could not stand the roads anymore. In 20 years only horse and carts will be able to use the roads I reckon.

Alan


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## dolcefarniente

I'm familiar with all four corners of Italy and generally concur with the OP. Corruption has been the enemy ever since unification. South of Naples and the South West in particular are the worst affected. Shame - It has everything but leadership.


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## Cyclewalkbob

We have just returned (2 weeks ago) from a 5week tour to and around Sicily.
I would concur wholeheartedly with Jaybee ( you might have seen us on a campsite a champagne Burstner T660) with the added comment that it is a cash only economy in Sicily. The campsites and some garages require cash, as did our ferry so just be carefull to carry sufficient Euros.
Worth visiting the island for the history, but only once.


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## Glandwr

A couple of years ago I did the Ring of Kerry. Are we talking of roads on a par or worse?

Dick


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## hmh

*Our views on touring Sicily May 2013*

We were there Jan / Feb in 2011 and were glad we had gone out-of-season, as we could wildcamp and the holiday lets were empty.

Yes, the roads don't compare with Germany, France, Austria, but Greece? we don't know the former Eastern bloc? but former Yugoslavia?

The previous year we had overwintered in Tunisia, before that Morocco . . . the following year we drove through a corner of Albania, Greece and overwintered in Turkey . . . so Sicily compares well with N. Africa, and Turkey . . . perhaps on a par with Greece?

Thoroughly enjoyed it, would definitely go back, in the winter again, what surprised us was how safe we felt there.

Greece is much the same for rubbish, we quite often clear up rubbish from places where we wildcamp, as a sort of thankyou for a freebie.

The parking is hilarious, they point the nose at the kerb and leave the tail sticking out.

Fuel costs rising must be why ferries have gone up so much, I must say I think Brittany Ferries charges are exorbitant too.

Helen


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## berni109

Oh dear - was thinking of 6 weeks touring to southern italy early season next year. The image u conjure up has really put me off.
Maybe will stick with the north and take in Slovenia.
Whats it like as far down as Rome? 
Bern


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## hmh

Try Sardinia? Quite different, much more civilised and the wild flowers are amazing . . .

Helen


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## IanA

Glandwr said:


> A couple of years ago I did the Ring of Kerry. Are we talking of roads on a par or worse?
> 
> Dick


I remember those roads, thank goodness we had a hire car! I think it was down to the constant coaches running on roads without sufficient foundations - I suggested to several people that the coaches should pay a levy to cover the repairs.


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## Rapide561

A good and useful post from the OP.

We wanted to go to Sicily and still do - nothing puts us off in Italy although we agree, diesel is getting silly cost wise. 

Russell


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## simandme

Glandwr said:


> A couple of years ago I did the Ring of Kerry. Are we talking of roads on a par or worse?
> 
> Dick


Have only been to Calabria and founds the roads better than the Ring of Kerry...wider and not so many coaches :wink:

We had a tyre ripped to shreds because the roads were so bad in Kerry (we weren't the only ones!).

Btw, the roads in Berkshire aren't much better - finding it really hard at the moment as the injured OH finds it quite painful.

It is one thing to have an old road that needs upgrading - I understand that in some isolated/rural areas there isn't really the need. But rubbish everywhere is another thing. You think the locals would be keen to get outsiders' money into their economy and do something about the mess themselves!

In terms of driving, well, it is a matter of adjusting to the local conditions. 
Eg southern Italy - drive well over to the side (ie straddle the road markings) so that people overtaking go straight through. 
Eg in Morocco, you have to use your horn more (because of the way the traffic lights are situated).

I find that driving in other countries makes me appreciate what we have - plus it has made be a better driver :wink:


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## Cyclewalkbob

Do not be put off from going to Sicily it is a really interesting place to visit. The temples and countryside are fantastic. 

It is a long way and the driving of the locals is "interesting" take these into account and plan then it will be a great holiday. We did it and are very glad that we went.

Remember it is mainly a cash economy, plan for that and enjoy your trip

Bob


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## hmh

*Our views on touring Sicily May 2013*

In fact, on narrow country lanes in France, it is still worth hogging the middle of the road until the last minute, it is the only way to make the locals pull over to their own side . . .

Helen


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## JayBe

Hi

Thanks to one and all for your useful input on the subject. We always travel with an open mind and cope accordingly with whatever we find. We wild camp as much as possible to afford our trips. Since we began motorhoming in May 2005 we have the experience of visiting all of Western Europe, Corsica, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia H, Greece, Turkey and Morocco, and thoroughly enjoyed our travels.

We do not wish to deter anyone from visiting Sicily as there is much to see of interest, the food can be very good (watch where the locals are eating), there are some good wines but they are expensive in comparison. The locals need to adopt a different attitude to encourage tourism, and it needs to begin with officials of the right calibre.

To berni109; north of Rome there is more industry and affluence. Tuscany is wonderful.

To Helen -hmh; Corsica was great, yet to try Sardinia.

We tend to travel May- July and end of August- early October, then enjoy our part of Devon near the Exe valley and Exmoor.

John and Jennie


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## 113016

Having been to Sicily with a truck, and only once, about 12/15 years ago, the OP certainly bought back memories, and from what I did see, I would say it is about right. maybe even worse with a truck as then Mafia were involved with some aspects.
But we were/are thinking, of taking our van down there as Mrs G has not been, unfortunately, the OP has put her off a little, just like the film Midnight Express did for Turkey, however we did go in the end and with a car and tent.
So a little more food for thought and decisions to be made.
A BIG Thank You for the O P, it was excellent! along with thanks to the later posters for alternative views.


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## hmh

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-115493-days0-orderasc-10.html

This link should take you to a post of ours on P 2 of someone's Ferries to Italy posting, w/ lots of co-ordinates of places we parked up, in January 2011 I think it was . . . hope it's helpful.

Magbaz have also put it on their website, probably easier to find there.

Helen


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## 113016

hmh said:


> http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-115493-days0-orderasc-10.html
> 
> This link should take you to a post of ours on P 2 of someone's Ferries to Italy posting, w/ lots of co-ordinates of places we parked up, in January 2011 I think it was . . . hope it's helpful.
> 
> Magbaz have also put it on their website, probably easier to find there.
> 
> Helen


Thanks Helen, I had found them earlier today, skimmed, and have bookmarked them to read properly, later.
A very informative post, which took you lots of effort. Thanks


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## jhelm

Interesting reading, we in the north pretty much consider the south as if it were another country.


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## LPDrifter

Many thanks to the OP and to the others who provided useful insights in their posts. We are planning a trip to Italy in a few weeks time. The posts made here certainly opened my eyes and will make me better prepared. 

We are very well experienced in France and fairly well experience in Spain - both countries we love and have had wonderful times in. 

Hopefully Italy will be as good.


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