Italy Dreams

Tag: adventure

  • Driving in Sicily? Here Are 10 Tips for Tourists

    If you’re planning a visit to Sicily, Italy, and you want to drive while you’re there, you may wonder if you should rent a car and what the driving experience is like.

    Here was our take on road tripping in a rental car around the southeastern part of the island:

    Driving is doable there, but you’ll want to stay more aware of road hazards, pedestrians, and narrow spaces. If you’re a laidback or only mildly nervous driver, you should do OK. If you’re a nervous driver, maybe let someone else take the wheel although you may be OK on the highways. If at all possible, avoid driving in city centers–definitely not Catania or Palermo but maybe not even in medium-sized towns. The driving in those areas is more chaotic.

    I share this answer based on my 9-day trip around Sicilia bedda (beautiful Sicily) off-season, in February 2026. I flew into Catania, on the eastern portion of the island close to Mount Etna, and stayed in Noto as my base–I would definitely recommend having a base town, and Noto was a solid choice.

    I drove every day except the day I arrived, the day I flew home, and one day when I didn’t feel great and decided to just stick to Noto.

    Road sign in eastern Sicily, near Noto.

    Sicily has public transportation like buses and trains, but they are apparently not as well used as in northern Italy. You can get by using public transportation with some planning, but having a car will get you farther (no pun intended). Plus, I’ve had Sicilan locals tell me flat out that if you’re traveling there, go ahead and rent a car–especially if you want to spend more time outside the bigger cities.

    So, to make your trip a little easier to plan–and perhaps a little safer and enjoyable–here are my 10 tips for driving in Sicily, geared toward visitors. Although I was a female traveling solo, I sometimes use “we” in my articles to avoid overusing “I.” Let’s go!

    A street view in Noto, Sicily, Italy.

    —Get an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). If you’re coming from the U.S., you’re required to have an IDP for driving in many E.U. countries. The Italian embassy says you can also have a copy of your U.S. driver’s license translated into Italian but if you’re going to get that done officially, you may as well go ahead and get the IDP. Yes, it’s one more item on your to-do list, but it’s only about $20 along with the cost of a passport photo of yourself. You can go in person to a AAA office to get one or apply by mail. I got mine before traveling and scored a cheap offer to join AAA while there.

    You still may be able to rent a car without an IDP–your rental agent may only ask to see your regular driver’s license (my agent asked to see my IDP)–but you may have a steep fine from the police if you are stopped and don’t have an IDP.

    This small vehicle in Scicli, Sicily, Italy, has the right idea!

    —Rent as small of a vehicle as you can. Upon checking in with Sicily by Car at the Catania Airport, everything was going well. The agent was friendly and she liked my colorful earrings and purse. That love fest led to an upgradewith a slightly nicer vehicle than what I paid for, or so she said. A Kia Sportage? Great! I drive a Kia Sorento at home, I said. Well, the car was definitely comfortable but I wished later on that I had something smaller. Navigating some of Sicily’s more narrow roads was doable in my SUV but made me a little nervous. This would probably apply to other areas of Italy as well. If you can get a smaller car and still comfortably fit your luggage, do it.

    Modica, the town where I got some scrapes on the rented Kia Sportage.

    —Get full-coverage car insurance for your visit. Your auto policy in the U.S. won’t cover your car rental in Europe. Don’t cut corners here–or should I say, if you cut a corner while driving, insurance will cover the cost for it. Ask me how I know. While leaving the small town of Modica (famous for chocolate), I scraped against a building. Oops! I scraped the right back passenger side of the car, and my rental car company had to clock the damage when I returned my car. I had to pay US $972 upfront for the damage and when I returned home, I filed a claim with my insurance company. It took a few weeks but guess what? One day, that $972 reimbursement showed up in my bank account. If you get into an accident, hold on to any paperwork given to you by the rental company as your insurance company will need a copy.

    I got my coverage through Booking.com, which is where I also booked my rental car. Maybe it was $80 to $100 total? Some people say online you should get your policy through a third-party provider and not the rental car company itself. I can’t advise you there but all I can say for sure is, get the coverage.

    Sicily is soooo pretty, but watch for distractions. Pic taken in Marzamemi.

    —Don’t drive distracted. If you’re driving in the U.S., then you already know to watch out for pedestrians, whether they’re zombies starting at their phone or kids or animals running out in the road without looking. The same applies in Sicily. With everything scrunched together in cities or town centers, it can be easy to miss something. If you’re on the autostrade, or highways, in Sicily, you may encounter beautiful scenery (it reminded me of California wine country with valleys, greenery, and coastline in the distance). It’s soooo nice to look but then, oops, there’s a car newly in front of me! You get the point. The novelty of your visit can make everything more distracting. Do all you can to focus.

    Traffic seen at a distance in Catania, Sicily.

    —Avoid driving in big cities. Before arriving in Sicily, I decided not to pick up my rental car at the airport the same day of my arrival. Since I was arriving in the evening, I knew it would already be dark and my B&B was in the center of Catania. I had zero interest in city driving, especially after my long journey. It was the right choice. Catania driving definitely seemed more chaotic compared to other areas I visited, probably similar to scenes of foreign driving you’ve seen in person or in movies. Think: Fewer people following the rules, no real use of turn signals, confusion at roundabouts, and more. This meant that I had to take an Uber to my accommodations that evening and the next day to get my car. Although I wasn’t crazy about the extra Uber costs, it was still the right decision. Plus, I didn’t have to go on a crazy parking quest in Catania.

    I haven’t been to Palermo, but I’m guessing the same principles apply. If you’re a driving pro and want to take your chances driving in the city, be my guest. I’ll stick with my own two feet in the cities, grazie.

    Small car on a small street in Noto, Sicily.

    —Think narrow. Not every stereotype you see about Italy in movies or TV shows is correct (perhaps that’s an article for a different day). Yet one stereotype that’s accurate is that many roads are narrow, particularly in the cities or town centers. The autostrade (highways) were nice and open–maybe not as massive as U.S. roads, but they were manageable and usually scenic. Yet in the city or town centers, roads were often narrow and sometimes had cars parked on one or both sides. There also were a few streets where I wondered how any car could fit–needless to say, I avoided those streets, even if my GPS was urging me to turn left or right.

    As previously mentioned, that nervousness ultimately led to my rental car scrape in Modica. I wasn’t even on a super narrow road, but who knows? Maybe my sense of space in that moment was just off.

    Honestly, sometimes, I just needed a break from driving while there as it did make me a little nervous. At one point I considered taking a short train ride for a day trip but ultimately decided against it. There’s a real convenience with having a vehicle.

    Share the road! Horse seen beside cars in Noto, Sicily.

    —Have a GPS backup. We all use the navigation system in our cars or on our phones, right? Mine helped me tremendously in Sicily, but there were also times it got things wrong–like the time I typed in a destination and next thing I knew, I was on a dirt road and there was a guy with a machete on the side of the road (I think he was a farmer trimming extra grass). Or, as a pedestrian in Catania, I was trying to get back to my B&B and my phone GPS kept taking me farther away from there (I eventually took an Uber back!).

    I don’t have a good alternative to suggest when your GPS fails except to stay aware of possibly bad routes. If you can find an actual map book, that may be useful. If you’re traveling with a guidebook, they will sometimes have small maps you could use as a backup.

    —Know a little bit of road-friendly Italian. So yes, most of what you see on the road will be the names of towns and their distance from where you are (remember that 1 kilometer is 0.6 miles). However, you may be surprised by how handy it is to know some road-friendly Italian. Plus, the use of road signs is sometimes different compared to the U.S. Check out these road-friendly phrases from Italy Magazine and this guide to driving in Italy from the blog Mom in Italy. You’ll be glad you did. Prego.

    Cars in early morning Catania, Sicily, with Mount Etna volcano seen in the background.

    —Watch where you park. This tip has a few layers to it. First, Italy is notorious for its ZTL signs in historic city centers. ZTL stands for Zona a Traffico Limito, which basically means that traffic is limited there and you could get a big fine if you park or drive there without authorization. So, before you think you scored the spot of the century, look out for a ZTL sign.

    Next, find out about the parking situation near your hotel/B&B before you arrive. In the U.S., we’re spoiled in suburbs and small towns with ample parking lots. Italy, including Sicily, doesn’t always have that space. Find out where you’re able to park, if parking is a tight squeeze, and whether it’s close to your place. In Noto, I was fortunate to have a small lot right beside my B&B that always had at least one space for me. It shared space with a small fish market and a butcher. Only one time did I make a tight squeeze and apparently cause a block for others, leading a Sicilian man to grumble something to me in frustratrion. I gave my best “Sorry I’m a tourist” smile and moved my car elsewhere.

    The sea in lovely Ortigia, Sicily. I looked up parking options online in advance, found the lot, paid a couple of Euros, and blissfully trekked by foot for my day trip there. The only difficult part was getting through busy Siracusa/Syracuse to reach Ortigia.

    If you’re visiting a larger area, use your GPS or an online search to find out about parking areas in advance. In Ortigia (loved Ortigia), there was a parking lot on the edge of the historic area where I was able to park all day. I had to download an app to pay for parking, similar to what you might do nowadays in the U.S. It was great to park on the edge of the action, although I did have to drive first through busier Siracusa during rush hour and it made me somewhat nervous.

    Bottom line, doing some research on parking options can help save you some headaches. Just look up “parking” + “name of town” online and you’ll find some guidance

    Enjoy your trip and drive safely!

  • Access Italy Welcomes Visitors to Experience Italia With Passion

    The Amorico family of Access Italy. All photos used in this article are courtesy of Access Italy.

    “Italy isn’t a destination you conquer. It’s one you’re welcomed into,” says Simone Amorico, co-founder of the Rome-based Access Italy, a destination management company.

    “At Access Italy, we’re here to make that welcome feel warm, personal, and unforgettable.”

    He must be on to something when you consider that Oprah Winfrey trusts Simone and his brother/co-founder Marco as well as their father Angelo to plan her Italy trips.

    So do Sylvester Stallone, Stanley Tucci (Mr. Italy himself), Emily Blunt, Jessica Alba, and several other well-known celebs.

    Although Simone discreetly declines to answer questions about his celebrity clients, you can tell they must be happy with the results from the smiling photos these famous folks have posted on social media.

    “What we can say is that what people are really searching for is connection: with the place, with the people they meet, and with the moment they’re living,” Simone explains about his company’s clientele.

    Courtesy of Access Italy.

    What Access Italy Offers

    For Access Italy and its staff of 40, their sweet spot is an itinerary designed exactly around the client’s wishes.

    “Every viaggio (trip) is tailor-made, seamless, and designed around the people traveling, never around a template,” Simone explains.

    The company began in 2009 by Angelo Amorico; Simone and Marco now lead the firm along with their father. The 40 team members are destination experts, travel designers, and local insiders.

    Simone says that their personal relationships with artisans, historians, winemakers, families, and hotels across the country bridge together thoughtful travelers with these locals.

    The vast majority of the guests working with Access Italy are American.

    “They share the same mindset. They don’t want to just see Italy, they want to live it,” Simone says. “They travel with intention, preferring quality over quantity and meaningful moments over rushed checklists.”

    Team members usually work with 2 to 8 guests when designing a trip and sometimes groups of 10 to 14, including extended family. Travel groups may be couples, families, or small groups of friends.

    With a focus on tailored, luxury travel, the travel designers at Access Italy will speak with guests about their exact needs and desires for the trip. This could mean coordinating a completely private visit to a famous museum, choosing upscale Italian hotels and villas, or organizing a Michelin-star dinner with your travel partners.

    Courtesy of Access Italy.

    Of course, don’t forget other classic Italian experiences like:

    –Cooking classes or even a home cooking class with the Amorico family

    –Early-morning visits to famous sites

    –Personalized shopping tours

    –Yacht excursions

    –Private events

    Access Italy also can lead you to fewer crowds at the busiest destinations. Again, just ask Oprah. Here’s a testimonial from her shared on the Access Italy website:

    “If you’re ever in Italy, call these guys! Angelo has been showing me the best of Italy for 30 years now. His sons were toddlers and now Simone and Marco have joined the business. We were in and out of the Coliseum in an hour! Same for the Vatican. Their company is aptly named, cause they have real ACCESS!”

    (Find pics of Oprah and bestie Gayle King’s time in Italy, along with some pics of Angelo, at the link here from Oprah Daily.)

    Another fun way to discover just how a trip with Access Italy might work is a description on the company website of the Anderson family experience. The Andersons collaborated with the company to plan their southern Italian trip in 2023.

    The top areas that Access Italy visits with clients include Rome, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast/Capri, Venice, Lake Como, Puglia, and Sicily.

    For places a little more off-the-beaten path, their travel designers will direct guests to places like Piedmont (in northeastern Italy), the Dolomites (where the recent Winter Olympics were held), Umbria in central Italy, and the island region of Sardinia.

    “We often combine iconic destinations with lesser-known regions to create balance and surprise,” Simone says.

    Courtesy of Access Italy.

    5 Tips to Plan Your Trip to Italy, Courtesy of Access Italy

    If you’re dreaming of Prosecco and pasta after reading this article, then Simone has a few tips to help you with your Italy plans:

    1. Don’t cram everything into one trip. “Italy is about depth, not checklists,” Simone says.
    2. Balance cities with countryside. “It changes the rhythm of the trip,” he explains.
    3. Take to heart recommendations on when to go to specific destinations. Timing matters as much as where you’re going.
    4. Leave room in your trip for the unexpected.
    5. Contact Access Italy to set up your trip. “Save time and energy. We plan, you Prosecco,” Simone says.

    Find Access Italy online here and their contact page here. You can also find them on Instagram here and on Facebook with the name Access Italy.

    Buon viaggio!

    Courtesy of Access Italy.

  • 10 Fun Facts About Cortina and the Dolomites in Italy

    The beautiful Dolomites in northeastern Italy. All pictures in this story taken from Wikimedia Commons.

    With the Winter 2026 Olympics around the corner, the world turns its eyes to Milan and Cortina, Italy. Although the name “Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games” makes it sound like these two areas are close to each other, they are actually more than 255 miles apart—basically, an almost five-hour drive. In fact, this year’s Winter Games will be the most geographically widespread of any prior Olympics.

    We shared some fun facts about Milan in a previous post, so we wanted to give some equal exposure to Cortina d’Ampezzo (called Cortina for short) and the beautiful Dolomite Mountains, where Cortina is located.

    Andiamo!/let’s go

    1. Cortina is called “Queen of the Dolomites” and “Pearl of the Dolomites.” It’s famous as a luxury ski resort area.
    2. Cortina previous hosted the Olympics Winter Games in 1956.
    3. The movies “For Your Eyes Only” and “The Pink Panther” were filmed in Cortina.
    4. Olympics events that will be held in Cortina include Alpine skiing, the biathalon, bobsledding, curling, and luge. In addition to Milan and Cortina, some Olympics events will take place in the towns of Valtellina and Val di Fiemme in northern Italy, along with a closing ceremony in Verona.

    5. There’s a lot to do in Cortina. In addition to those famous winter activities, there’s golfing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and kayaking. If you’re a little less adventurous, you can browse more than 250 shops.

    6. The Dolomites (called Dolomiti in Italian) are part of the Italian Alps. Just like you’ve heard of the Swiss Alps, the Italian Alps are famous and include the Dolomites, the Aosta Valley, South Tyrol (a German-speaking region) and Piedmont. In addition to Switzerland and Italy, the Alps also span Austria, Germany, France, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Slovenia.

    7, The Dolomites are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites because of beautiful rock cathedrals and natural beauty. One nearby resident said when you climb to the top of a peak in the Dolomites, you can see the world from a completely new perspective.

    8. The Dolomites stay busy! Do some research online, and you’ll see that many recommend that visiting from June to August is an ideal time for spectacular hiking views. However, this is also peak season, when you’ll explore there along with many other visitors. You also will face higher prices. Of course, winter is the best time to visit if you’re into skiing and other winter sports. Perhaps a visit in the fall or spring is best to enjoy some of the views without the full impact of crowds.

    9. It’s not all pasta, all the time in Cortina and the Dolomites. Much of the famous local cuisine features German influences and includes knödel (a type of bread dumpling with herbs), Schlutzkrapfen (a ravioli dish), Spinatspatspazlen mit Schinken-Käsesauce, which is spinach spaetzle with ham and cheese sauce. We’ll let you google the pronunciation of that one as we’re not sure how to say it! Another famous dish in the Dolomites is Spaghetti Bolognese mit Speck, or bolognese spaghetti with a type of local ham. Another dish recommended to us? Turtres, a type of fried dough filled with spinach and ricotta. Find a recipe for them here. And don’t forget to try any local cheeses!

    10. The locals are multilingual. There’s more than just Italian spoken in the Dolomites. German and Italian are spoken by most people from the Dolomites, in addition to the ancient romance language of Ladin. Still, if you’re visiting a local tourist area and speak English, you should be in good shape to communicate with others.

      Buon viaggio!