Italy Dreams

Tag: italy

  • Sicily Travel FAQs: What to Know Before You Go

    So, you’re booking a trip to Sicily, Italy. You’re excited, but you also have a few questions.

    After all, you’re traveling halfway around the world to go to Italy’s southernmost region. You’ve probably seen beautiful images of Sicilia on social media or shows/movies.

    Yet it’s also a big, expensive trip.

    We’re here to let you know that Sicily, Italy, is a great place to visit, but it’s also great to do your homework in advance. If you’re reading this article, then your homework is already in progress–congrats!

    I share these answers with you as a student of Italy and Italian for more than two years and as a long-time travel/business freelance journalist–meaning, I basically research things for a living.

    I also offer services as an Italy travel planning consultant.

    A view in Noto, Sicily.

    Plus, I traveled solo to Sicily in winter 2026. You can read about many of the towns I visited on my blog. From a tourism perspective, I loved my trip to Sicily, but some things were good to know in advance.

    This article answers some of the most common logistical frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Sicily. Our follow-up FAQ article will cover food and culture.

    Andiamo/let’s go!

    A Sicily map.

    Just how big is Sicily? Where are the major cities, like Catania and Palermo, located? How close is it to Italy and other countries?

    Sicily is about the size of the state of Massachusetts. Catania is on the east side of Sicily, and Palermo (the capital) is on the west side. Both are near the coasts.

    It takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours to drive across Sicily on A19 highway.

    Sicily is only 2 miles from mainland Italy, specifically, the region of Calabria. The two areas of land are divided by the Strait of Messina (which for some reason makes me think of actor Chris Messina). There’s a ferry between Sicily and Calabria that takes 20 to 30 minutes to cross.

    At its closest point (not including some smaller islands), Sicily is only 90 miles from Tunisia, Africa. To give you some context, that’s the same distance from Key West, Florida, to Cuba.

    Sicily is 60 miles from the small but popular island country of Malta.

    Beautiful Vendicari Nature Reserve in southeastern Sicily.

    How do I get to Sicily from mainland Italy?

    The quickest way is by air. Rome to Catania as well as Rome to Palermo are just a little over an hour.

    You could also take a train from Rome to Sicily, and the train actually boards the ferry that we mentioned. The whole experience takes over 12 hours. There are buses that follow a similar route from Rome to Sicily, crossing over with the ferry.

    There’s been talk for many years about building a bridge to connect mainland Italy to Sicily, but it hasn’t happened yet.

    Sweets in Catania, Sicily, yum…..

    Which airport should I use in Sicily, Catania or Palermo?

    The answer depends on where you plan to visit. If you’re focused on Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina, and Noto, fly into Catania Fontanarossa Airport. Catania is the biggest airport in Sicily.

    If you plan to visit Palermo, Cefalù, Agrigento, or Trapani, choose Palermo Airport.

    If you plan to visit various destinations all around the island, then research what works better for your timing and budget.

    Mount Etna eruptions could become a factor in your choice, but we’ll address that in a separate question.

    If you choose to rent a car in Sicily or Italy, consider a smaller one to navigate the narrow streets!

    Do I need to rent a car in Sicily? Are there other ways to get around?

    It depends. If you feel comfortable driving there and you’ll spend most of your time outside the bigger cities, rent a car. It’ll make it much easier to get around.

    If you’ll spend most of your time in Catania or Palermo where driving can be more challenging, don’t rent a car.

    Driving around Sicily was reasonable for me on the main highways and more nervewracking in cities like Siracusa and Modica, where I scraped my car against a building. What can I say, I’m used to wide suburban streets in the U.S.!

    You can find more guidance on driving in Sicily in our article here.

    A view from Maniace Castle in Ortygia, Sicily. We drove from Noto to Ortygia and then walked around the island of Ortygia.

    There are other ways to get around Sicily beyond renting a car. You can use the train and bus system, although we’ve been told by locals that renting a car is better and that the train system isn’t as robust as northern Italy. Yet it’s definitely an option. Plus, it’s easy on the wallet.

    If you’re staying near the most populated areas, you can use rideshare options like Uber if you just occasionally need a ride somewhere.

    If you have the budget for it, you could hire a private driver. Some private drivers also will give you custom tours of the area you want to visit. Just expect to pay several hundred Euros a day for their time.

    The Rick Steves Sicily guide includes names of a few reliable private drivers that you may want to consider.

    You could also do a tour around Sicily–there are many–but our advice is geared toward those traveling independently.

    Say “Ciao!” Outside of Maniace Castle in Ortygia, Sicily.

    How many days do I need for a trip to Sicily?

    This is hard to answer because it depends on your schedule and your priorities.

    If at all possible, give yourself time to travel slowly around Sicily–or really, anywhere in Italy. For comparison, my 10-day trip focused just on southeastern Sicily (Catania and points south, no Taormina) and there were still a couple of places I ran out of time to visit, including a hike/tour of Mount Etna. For the most part, I spent a different day in each town and had a home base in Noto. Two of those 10 days were travel days. Of those 10 days, I also spent about two days in Catania.

    Gelato is always appropriate in Sicily, even in the winter.

    What’s the best time of year to visit Sicily?

    April, May, June, and October are great months to visit Sicily, according to European travel guru Rick Steves. You’ll benefit from Sicily’s temperate climate without the throngs of people visiting in July and August. Sicily has become quite popular.

    July and August are also very HOT and getting hotter, just like the rest of Europe. As one Sicilian told us, complaining about the hot weather there, “I’m not a lizard.” Yes. Exactly. As a Florida resident, I feel that.

    Average July temps are 90°F to 100°F (32°C to 38°C) but may feel hotter. Some feels-like temps have even reached 115 to 120 F.

    Visiting off-season–November to March–can be a great option if you’re heart isn’t set on going to the beach and you don’t mind cooler temps. Expect to wear a jacket, scarf, and layers you can remove if it warms up a bit. Some restaurants, attractions (like agritourism/vineyards), and even B&Bs will be closed, but not all. You can still get a feel for Sicily visiting off-season, and prices will be cheaper, too.

    Don’t forget to visit small towns that are lesser known, like Scicli, Sicily.

    What are some of the major towns to visit in Sicily?

    It’s incredible that Sicily has so much to see and it’s only one region in Italy. When you multiply that times 20–the total number of regions in Italy–you could keep yourself busy for years traveling around the country.

    That said, here’s a very quick list of some of the best-known cities to visit in Sicily:

    –Agrigento

    –Catania

    –Cefalù

    –Noto

    –Ortygia

    –Palermo

    –Syracuse

    –Taormina

    –Trapani

    Mount Etna always looms over Catania.

    Mount Etna is starting to erupt and I’m not sure if I can take my flight out of Catania. What should I do?

    Yeah, this is a downside of traveling to an area with an active volcano, LOL. It may stay quiet for a really long time and then all of the sudden, it’s erupting.

    First, here’s what NOT to do: Don’t rely on some random people on a Facebook Sicily group to give you accurate information. These same people may be well-meaning, but they may not have the most up-to-date answer.

    The best thing to do if Mount Etna is erupting is check with your airline directly and check the Catania Airport website. The airport will sometimes close temporarily while Mount Etna is erupting to avoid exposing flights to harmful volcanic debris.

    That does indeed mean you need to change your flight plans. That could mean getting over to Palermo and flying out from there. It could mean slightly extending your stay.

    It’s frustrating, for sure, but keep in mind that this is a regular occurence in Sicily.

    One of our favorite Sicily pics….getting ready to eat lunch in Marzamemi on a breezy but sunny day.

    Is Sicily cheaper than the rest of Italy?

    I wouldn’t say it’s a bargain-basement destination like some parts of eastern Europe, but it’s also not as pricery as downtown Milan or Rome.

    It also depends on where and when you go.

    My off-season studio-sized B&B in downtown Noto was about 55 Euros ($61 U.S.) a night, a rate that was definitely affordable. By frequenting the bakery for bread, the farmers market held twice a week and a small grocery store, I could make some of my meals right in my kitchenette. That was another way to shave costs.

    Restaurant meals can add up cost-wise but of course, they’re going to be worth it because you’re in Sicily and you must eat the wonderful local food.

    An in-season or off-season stay in glitzy Taormina probably won’t have the same budget plan as I just outlined.

    I’ve seen estimates online that say Sicily is 50% cheaper than mainland Italy. Whether or not the math holds up in today’s economy is hard to say.

    But yes, your visit will likely be cheaper than big-city destinations, and spending wisely on airfare, car rental, food and attractions helps.

    Arancini (rice balls) in Noto, Sicily.

    Where can I get help planning my Sicily trip?

    Here’s what I recommend for more Sicily trip planning:

    —Rick Steves Sicily and Rick Steves Italy. Rick’s staff members visit places every year or two to confirm their advice is up-to-date. In turn, their books get updated.

    Don’t want to travel with a large guidebook? Rick himself recommends tearing out the chapters you’ll use and leave the rest at home! There’s also a Rick Steves Audio Tours app as well as a Rick Steves online forum.

    –-There are a variety of social media groups for people traveling to Sicily Sicily Travel Tips on Facebook has been useful. Double check who’s giving you advice–meaning, is it someone who’s traveled to Sicily recently or who lives there, or are they sharing logistics from a trip 30 years ago?

    —ChatGPT and other AI sites can help with travel planning. For sure. Just keep in mind that you still need to check for accuracy. Your AI buddy is getting advice from the same websites and social media forums you may have encountered online. That means the advice you get may be from a lady named Peggy in Iowa who traveled to Sicily in pandemic-era 2022–not 2026 (no offense, Peggy!). Use it if you’d like but verify.

    —Here at Italy Dreams, we are available to help you plan your Italy and Sicily trip. Our focus is on travel planning consultation–we can answer questions based on our experience around Italy and Sicily and doing research when we don’t know the answers. We also have friends and contacts in a variety of regions around Italy who are happy to help us out.

    Here’s a link for more information to contact us. Or, just look at the “Work With Me” page on our main page.

    We are happy to consult with you by email or via a virtual appointment!

    Buon viaggio /Happy travels to Sicily, and make sure to read our follow-up FAQ article that will publish soon!

    Vendicari Nature Reserve in southeastern Sicily.

  • Ortigia, Sicily, Italy: Italy Dreams’ Recommendations on What to Do and See on This Beautiful Island

    The water in beautiful Ortigia, Sicily.

    If you’re visiting eastern Sicily, make Ortigia part of your itinerary. It’s filled with history, a bustling market, and sunny, scenic views.

    The island of Ortigia is just a little under one square kilometer but packed with plenty to see. It’s part of the city of Siracusa and considered Siracusa’s “Old Town.”

    It’s south of Catania–home to Mount Etna and the Catania Airport–but north of the Baroque-style town of Noto.

    In English, the names Ortigia (or-tee-ja) and Siracusa are Ortygia and Syracuse, but we’ll stick with the Italian names for these cities in our story.

    Spices for sale at the Ortigia Market.

    A Little Ortigia History for Starters

    Ortigia’s history traces back more than 3,000 years. The area was considered part of ancient Greece, and mathematician and inventor Archimedes was born there in 287 BCE–and subsequently died there helping to protect the city against Roman conquerors.

    The name Ortigia comes from Greek–“ortyx” means quail in Greek.

    The Romans conquered Siracusa in 212 BCE, and, like the rest of Sicily, the area went on to be conquered by Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and the Spanish.

    A major earthquake affected the area in 1693 (we’ve written about it before in our stories about Noto and Val di Noto). As tragic as that was, the subsequent Baroque rebuild gave the area its current classic, historical look.

    A view from Maniace Castle/Castello Maniace.

    5 Things to Do in Ortigia, Sicily

    There’s a lot you can do in Ortigia, and we share here our highlights from an early 2026 visit. This was before high tourist season, but it was a sunny, mild day with decent foot traffic.

    We didn’t have a chance to explore other parts of Siracusa.

    Note that I was traveling solo throughout the trip but I use “we” in the article just to avoid overusing “I”.

    Andiamo/let’s go!

    The Ortigia Market/Mercato di Ortigia in Sicily.

    Ortigia Market/Mercato di Ortigia

    In our home state of Florida, we visit and write about a lot of farmers markets. We also love to write about food because….well, do we need to explain why?!

    So, it makes sense that the Ortigia Market (Mercato di Ortigia) was a big highlight of our visit to Ortigia. This outdoors market is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 or 2 p.m. and spans several blocks.

    You’ll find a mix of tourist-geared items like olive oil, souvenirs, and sweet treats along with daily staples like fish, cheese, spices, and produce. It’s a market frequented by locals and visitors alike.

    Citrus fruits at the Ortigia Market.

    It was terrific to get a mini-culinary, self-guided tour of Sicily’s produce through the market, with fresh oranges, tomatoes from Pachino, strawberries, and other freshly-grown items. It’s funny how much the produce grown in Sicily parallels what’s grown where we live in Florida.

    I’ve read how some markets in Sicily have an Arabic-type feel, with vendors singing to beckon visitors to their stands. There was at least one fish/seafood vendor who did this, and we have since seen videos of him on Instagram.

    Fish at the Ortigia Market.

    Right beside the market is the historical Graziella Fishermen District/Graziella Quartiere dei Pescatori. It once housed the fishermen who worked in the area. Today, the homes along its alleyways still are well-lived in.

    Strolling around the district was another highlight of our Ortigia time and gave us a real sense of daily life as they cleaned, watched TV, or talked to each other. We could hear it all from outside their doors.

    Just be respectful if you go. We saw an angry sign in Italian and English from a resident reminding visitors to pick up their “fithy rubbish” instead of letting it dirty their community.

    Inside the Graziella Fishermen District.

    Walk Along the Water

    If you’d rather wander and see where it takes you, you can absolutely do that in Ortigia.

    There’s a walking path that will take you somewhat consistently around the island, and you can admire the island’s homes, people, and the beauty of the Ionian Sea.

    Ortigia also has steep stairs that will take you to crevice-like beach areas. There were some people enjoying the sun in those areas during our visit, which was a mild day for late February. The water was inviting, but it was too early in the year for beach-day vibes.

    Inside the Cathedral of Siracusa.

    Cathedral of Siracusa/Duomo di Siracusa

    The Duomo di Siracusa/Cathedral of Siracusa, located right in the heart of Ortigia, reflects Ortigia’s ancient Greek heritage as it was originally built as a Greek temple.

    It now has a Baroque-style facade and is definitely worth of a visit when you’re in Ortigia.

    The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site, just like the whole city of Ortigia.

    Expect to pay 3 Euros to enter the cathedral.

    A part of Maniace Castle in Ortigia, Sicily.

    Maniace Castle/Castello Maniace

    Maniace Castle was a cool, unexpected place during our Ortigia visit.

    We know that Europe has many castles, but we never thought much about seeing them while in Sicily.

    Turns out, right at the tip of Ortigia and on the water, you’ll find Maniace Castle/Castello Maniace.

    The early days of Castello Maniace began as a fort built by the Greeks in 1038. It then was expanded between 1232 and 1240 and was named for George Maniakes, a Byzantine general who took the city in 1038.

    In Sicilian history, someone new was always taking over the region. You can see all of those influences in the architecture of Castello Maniace. Online sites describe it as “Swabian Gothic military architecture,” which reflects a type of Gothic architecture from the Swabia region of Germany. The Swabian dynasty ruled parts of southern Italy in the Middle Ages, hence this unique style.

    Enjoying our time near Castello Maniace in Ortigia.

    Yet the castle also has clear Norman and Arabic styles as well, leaving us to feel like we were on an archaeological tour in the Middle East.

    Our time in the castle, which is mostly outdoors, made for a good adventure walk and unique pictures.

    Admission to Castello Maniace is 6 Euros; no cash accepted.

    If you look up info online, don’t confuse Castello Maniace with Castello di Maniace, a manor house located near Mount Etna.

    Here’s a short YouTube video posted by a visitor if you want a preview of what the castle looks like.

    Temple of Apollo in Ortigia.

    The Greek Ruins/Temple of Apollo

    In Florida, you can’t exactly take a walk and say to someone, “Oh yeah, there are some Greek ruins over there.”

    But you can say that when you’re in Ortigia.

    The ruins date back to 6th century BCE, and they’re located in front of Piazza Piacali, not far from the market.

    The area is fenced off but you can walk the perimeter around the fenced area to fully see the ruins. With the piazza nearby, you could also potentially sit on a bench and contemplate all of the history that’s there.

    Plus, you can see more Greek ruins in the city of Siracusa, including the Greek theatre.

    Locals fishing in Ortigia.

    A One-Day Itinerary for Ortigia

    Now that we’ve outlined some things you can enjoy in Ortigia, we’ll share what we did during our one-day visit.

    After driving through Siracusa morning traffic, we easily found parking toward the right of the island. Some of the most stressful driving of our Sicily trip was in those few morning minutes in Siracusa because there were many cars. We drove in a circle about three times before finally feeling safe enough to make the turn onto the island.

    Just like in the U.S., we paid for parking online using an app.

    Next, we used our GPS to walk toward the market but stopped along the way for un cornetto e un succo d’aranchia (croissaint and orange juice), sitting outside in the sun and enjoying a view of nearby cats lounging on chairs.

    One of the many kitties we spotted in Ortigia. They were everywhere, it seemed.

    Although the market was open, it was a little early, so we pivoted to check out the Greek ruins and then walk towards the water. This was a great way to get our bearings and see daily life. The water was gorgeous but being late February, we weren’t planning a swim. We also stopped by the cathedral.

    Next we walked a kind of long way to Maniace Castle–see our earlier description. Then we made our way to the beloved market, enjoying many sights, smells, and tastes, including fresh strawberries.

    We meandered between the market and the nearby historical Graziella district, always looking out for another picture to take.

    That led us back to the market, which naturally made us hungry. The restaurants near the market were busy but also the easiest option. We sat down to people watch and ordered a caprese sandwich and an Italian soda and listened to the various customers speaking in English and Italian.

    Sun-dried tomatoes at the market.

    Here’s a summary of our Ortigia one-day itinerary, which you could follow exactly or mix up the order:

    –Grab a small breakfast at a cafe.

    –Walk toward the water for a scenic view, and make sure to stop by the Greek ruins/Temple of Apollo.

    –Visit the cathedral.

    –Visit Maniace Castle.

    –Take your time wandering around the Ortigia Market and the Graziella Fishermen District

    –Get some lunch.

    Buongiorno, fragolina! Good morning, little strawberries!

    A Few Tips for Your Visit to Ortigia, Sicily

    —Consider using Ortigia or Siracusa as your base to explore southeastern Sicily. I stayed in Noto during the trip, and I don’t regret that. It was a great base town. Yet if you’re really keen on getting to know Ortigia/Siracusa, you could stay there instead and explore other nearby cities as you want.

    Siracusa may be better for your stay than Ortigia if you’re renting a car or you want better hotel prices. After all, Ortigia is popular and quite small. Yet if you can find something that suits your budget, go for Ortigia.

    As mentioned, you can do Ortigia in a day trip but if I had more time, I definitely could have turned Ortigia and Siracusa into a three-day exploration.

    —Support the market vendors. Learning about market products is so interesting, and that applies in Italy as well. Even if your Italian is basic or nonexistent, do your best to chat up a couple of vendors and ask for a sample (they may already have samples available) or buy something.

    Our market haul included strawberries, oregano that we’re still using, and a scarf for a family member.

    Another view at Castello Maniace.

    —Wear comfortable shoes. We walked a lot around all of the towns, but we probably did the most walking in Ortigia. That included stairs at several points. Plus, exploring a castle that’s pretty much outdoors may be hard to do in rubber flip-flops.

    —Don’t worry about Mount Etna’s rumbles. We’ve seen people on Sicily social media travel sites fret over their stay in Ortigia and how Mount Etna’s recent eruptions may affect them. Could they affect your flight into or out of Catania airport? Sure. But in terms of your time around Ortigia itself, no, as the two areas are more than 60 miles apart.

    —Explore the restaurants. Although we had the perfunctory sandwich during our lunch, we didn’t get a chance to explore restaurants in Ortigia due to timing. Yet we hear there are lots of fabulous places to eat, so take your time to explore.

    After all, you’re in Italy, AND you’re in Sicily.

    Buon viaggio!

  • Cesarine Connects Hungry Guests With Italian Home Cooking

    Hosts and guests enjoy a food experience with Cesarine. All pics in this article provided by Cesarine.

    Imagine you’re traveling in Italy and you learn how to prepare a home-cooked meal right in a local Italian’s kitchen.

    Once the meal is done, you’ll enjoy it along with your host, perhaps with some local wine.

    Or, imagine that a local guide takes you on a food and market tour in the Italian city you’re visiting. You learn directly about the area’s specialties and get to try a few of them.

    Those experiences are exactly what you’ll get from Cesarine (chay-sa-ri-nay), a Bologna, Italy-based company that began in 2004.

    Hosts and visitors enjoy Cesarine experiences. All pics in this article provided by Cesarine.

    The company began small but now has more than 1,500 home cooks and culinary hosts across more than 700 towns, says Maria Rita Tattini, Cesarine’s communications advisor.

    In 2025, Cesarine welcomed more than 50,000 guests to connect with its hosts.

    Cesarine also recently began to offer experiences with local food producers, such as wineries, olive oil estates, and family farms.

    “Cooking classes are among our most popular experiences, particularly fresh-pasta classes. But dining experiences are equally important because they offer something that is difficult to reproduce in a restaurant: the feeling of being invited into someone’s home,” Tattini says.

    Cesarine: How It Works

    Hungry yet? Here’s how Cesarine works.

    Go to its website, and type in the name of the city where you will be in Italy. Next, choose a date. Cesarine’s website will show you a variety of options.

    Because of our recent Sicily travels, we typed in “Catania, Sicily,” and chose a date. Here’s just a smattering of the choices offered on or close to our chosen date:

    –Artisanal pasta the way it was formerly made

    –Cooking class: Dreamy Sicilian arancine (rice balls)

    –Sicilian cooking class with Cesarina Fernanda

    –Catania fish market tour: A unique experience

    Next, we typed in Modena, a town in Emilia-Romagna famous for its balsamic vinegar. Here are just a few options we got:

    –Traditional cooking course with organic ingredients

    –The art of homemade lasagna: An authentic experience

    –Fresh pasta cooking class

    –Culinary traditions of Modena: The secret of the tigelle

    Choose your option(s) (personally, we’d like to sign up for all of them), pick a date and number of guests, and note any special requests, such as food allergies.

    The listing will tell you the price. Prices vary, but most we saw were around 100 Euros. Then complete the sign-up process.

    While on a particular listing, you can read reviews for the specific tour or experience you chose.

    One thing to consider: The food experience you get in one part of Italy may be totally different than what you’d experience in another region. That’s because local dishes vary so much across the country, Tattini says.

    What Makes Cesarine Different

    Food tourism in Italy is a big draw for the country, but there are some things that make Cesarine unique.

    “I think travelers are increasingly looking for something beyond sightseeing,” Tattini says. “They don’t just want to see Italy. They want to understand how Italians actually live. Food is an extraordinary gateway to that.”

    A cooking class with a Cesarina (local host) can reveal something about both the region and also a family recipe or why a particular dish is associated with a holiday or celebration, she explains.

    “There’s something very appealing about the idea of being welcomed into a real Italian home. It feels personal and spontaneous rather than a conventional tourist attraction,” Tattini says.

    Another thing that distinguishes Cesarine: Since 2019, it’s been designated as a Slow Food Community, which refers to a group that helps to protect and promote local food.

    Cesarine’s New Cookbook

    Cesarine recently compiled The Cesarine’s Cookbook, a digital collection of authentic family recipes and information from its community of home cooks.

    The idea sparked because many Italian recipes have been passed from grandmother to mother to daughter, ofen with ingredients measured visually and with family secrets that aren’t part of conventional recipes, Tattini says.

    The cookbook brings together the recipes and helps preserve a culinary heritage. Because it’s digital, the book can continue to grow.

    Here are just a few examples of recipes we found in Cesarine’s Cookbook (and we are now very hungry):

    —Rosata Cake of Atlamura (from Apulia)

    —Carbonara, but vegan

    —Garden vegetable frittata

    —Burrata, the cheese with a creamy heart (from Puglia)

    How to Enjoy a Cesarine Experience (and Any Food Tourism in Italy)

    Italy Dreams asked Tattini for some tips to follow when attending a Cesarine food event. Here’s the scoop:

    —Come hungry and curious.

    —Don’t be afraid to try something you don’t know. “One of the pleasures of Italian regional cuisine is discovering dishes that you may never have encountered in an Italian restaurant at home,” she says.

    —Let Cesarine know of any allergies or dietary restrictions/preferences.

    —Don’t worry if you’re a beginning cook. “The point isn’t to produce a perfect restaurant dish. It’s to learn, participate, and have fun,” Tattini says.

    —Give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the experience! As we’ve reported before, the beauty of Italy travel is slowing down. That also applies to enjoying a meal.

    You can follow similar tips for any food tourism you do throughout the country, Tattini says. Stay open to all of the regional variations, and ask locals what they actually eat.

    “Perhaps the biggest mistake is expecting Italian food to mean pasta and pizza everywhere. The real joy is discovering what is different from one region to another,” she explains.

    How to Sign Up for a Cesarine Experience

    Ready to prepare and enjoy a Cesarine home-cooked experience with a Cesarina or take a market tour with a local?

    Just visit their website here.

    “You can visit a beautiful Italian city and take photos of its monuments, but sitting at someone’s kitchen table tells you something completely different about that place,” Tattini reminds us all.

    Curious to learn more about Italy Dreams and how we can help your Italy journey? Feel free to explore all of the articles on our blog. Then, if you have some Italy travel planning questions, find our contact information here.

    We also write articles for Italy-based tourism businesses. Find more details here. 🙂

    Mangiamo/let’s eat!

  • 7 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Trip to Italy

    Visitors outside of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a shopping area.

    There are certain mistakes that visitors often make when they plan a trip to Italy, especially as first-timers.

    If you want to hop on larger tour in Italy and take a, “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Venice,” approach, kudos to you. There’s nothing wrong with that, you’ll probably have a great time.

    If you’d rather arrange your visit around Italy independently—meaning, you and your travel companions decide where to go and what to do–this is the article you need.

    Our visit to Scicli (sheek-LEE), Sicily, Italy, took us off the beaten path.

    Below, we share six travel mistakes to avoid when planning a trip to Italy.

    If you start to feel a little lost about your current or upcoming Italy plans as you read on, don’t worry. You can always contact us directly for Italy travel planning consultation. That’s a fancy way of saying that we’ll eye your itinerary and give feedback to help you plan a wonderful trip.

    See our link here for more details and to book an appointment.

    Andiamo/let’s go!

    Visitors at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy, home to Michelangelo’s David.

    1. DON’T plan to reach all of Italy’s major cities in just a week or two

    Cramming all of Italy’s highlights into a week or two is just an exercise in exhaustion. In fact, if you’re from the U.S. and you currently have an Italy itinerary, take a look at it right now. Next, cut it in half or by a third.

    Here’s why: You’ll get a much richer experience if you can slow down and spend more time in the places you plan to visit.

    Can you hit the high spots of Rome in 3 days followed by Florence for 2 to 3 days, etc., and continue that way until you check them all off your list?

    Sure—but you’ll spend a lot of time running around to get places, hopping on trains and feeling like your brain is generally spinning as you try to adjust to a new language/time/culture, etc.

    Let’s face it, we Americans like to keep things moving. Your Italy trip should be a time to slow down and really absorb another culture and pace of life.

    Try to choose the one—or if needed, two—destinations that are reasonably close and that you really want to see. Plan to spend your trip just in those two places. Less hassle, more time for relaxing and soaking in the Italian culture.

    And here’s a benchmark from Leslie Coleman, travel expert and founder of Suitcase Gals, which focuses on small-group, luxury travel for women 40+: Aim for three to four days in each city or town you want to see. Of course, you could stay longer.

    “People often overestimate how much they can do each day and this leads to a very hectic and rushed vacation,” she says.

    Should you rent a car in Italy? See what our article says.

    2. DON’T assume you should rent a car while you’re there

    This is especially true if your trip focuses on the big cities and coastal areas. Michael Kovnick, founder and CEO of Culture Discovery Vacations, sums it up while describing a typical bucket-list trip to the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence, and Venice:

    “Aside from how nervous Americans get driving in Italy, people end up parking in all four places. On the Amalfi Coast, parking is extremely difficult, and it’s easier to get around by boat. In Rome, they are likely to drive through multiple ZTL areas (restricted traffic areas in historic city centers) and have a stack of fines waiting when they get home – plus, it’s easier to get around by metro,” Kovnick notes. “In Florence, they will end up parking outside of the city and walking everywhere. And Venice? Well, no cars in Venice, so they park outside and walk everywhere.”

    Instead, use high-speed rail to travel to or from these bigger cities. During our trip to Florence and Milan in 2025, we mostly used our own two feet and a few Ubers/taxis to get around. For Florence to Milan, we hopped on a train and then did the same thing for a day trip for Milan to Lake Como. The train was once again the best option to go from Milan to one of the city’s airports upon the return home.

    The train was easy to use and the only issue was a very crowded train returning from Lake Como, thanks to everyone else taking a day trip there.

    Having a car did make it easy to get to cities like Modica in southeastern Sicily.

    That said, there may be some destinations where renting a car would work for you, if you feel up to driving. For our trip to southeastern Sicily this year (2026), we rented a car. It was the right decision as a local recommended it, and public transportation is not as common there.

    There were some nerve-wracking moments while driving on more narrow streets (the highway was fine and similar enough to the U.S.). Plus, there was that scrape on the side of a car we got along a narrow street. Oops! That’s where the insurance policy we purchased came in handy.

    You can read all about our driving experience and find more tips here.

    Bottom line: Generally speaking, you won’t need a car if you’re staying in or traveling to or from bigger cities. If you’ll be somewhere more rural, do a little research before deciding yes or no on car rental.

    If your budget allows, you could hire a driver or use tour guides who offer day tours and will take you around.

    Remember, gelato is calorie-free in Italy. You heard it here first on our blog!

    3. DON’T rely on blogs (or social media posts) as your only information source

    Logistics change quickly in Italy. The information you read on travel blogs may be outdated.

    “Major cities keep changing rules, ZTL zones change all the time, and scheduled events are rarely reliable for future dates,” Kovnick notes.

    One example of how quickly things change: Kovnick has to pick up passengers outside of Rome’s Fuicimino Airport regularly and finds that arrival instructions change all of the time.

    Of course, we want you to use blogs like ours to plan your Italy trip. 😊 Yet a blog may be best to give you a bigger picture sense of where you want to go and what you want to do.

    When it comes time to buy tickets and truly make your plans, check directly with business websites or social media for more information.

    Even then, expect a little deviation from what you might see or read. It’s Italy, after all!

    Although Sicily is a hot tourist destination, our visit to smaller towns like Scicli in March made us feel like we were in places lesser known to those outside of Italy.

    4. DON’T stick just to tourist spots

    This is a big no-no we’ve seen often, and we want more people to consider this trap when planning their Italy trip. Yes, Rome, the Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast, etc., are amazing…but if you’re traveling in-season, you’re going to share that amazing view with quite literally thousands of other people.

    In summer 2025, we wrote about a group of local cyclists going through parts of southern Italy that had practically zero tourists. Their spring 2026 trip through parts of northeast Italy was a similar experience with sparse crowds.

    A few quick examples of alternatives to consider:

    –If you like Tuscany’s rolling hills, consider Umbria.

    –If you like Tuscany and Umbria, look into Le Marche.

    –If you like nature and rural or even coastal views, visit Abruzzo (our Italian friends mention Abruzzo A LOT).

    –If you want to visit a beloved city that gets less attention, go to Torino/Turin in Piedmont.

    Sicily’s Marzamemi was pretty even in February, with many of the stores closed for off-season. If beach time is less important to you, then an off-season trip to Italy could be a great option.

    5. DON’T stick only to tourist season

    If you can only make a trip to Italy when everyone else visits, then fine. You just have to put up with the crowds.

    If you have any scheduling flexibility, consider visiting when crowds die down and you have a better chance of truly connecting with your destinations.

    July and August have the hottest weather and biggest crowds, according to European travel guru Rick Steves. This is true of Italy but probably all of Europe.

    May and June or September and October are potentially good times to visit as the crowds are down (maybe just slightly in some places) and the weather will be more pleasant. Depending on where you go, it’ll probably still err on the side of being hot.

    Yet don’t neglect November to April! Would you like Christmas in Italy? Buon Natale e si! Those European Christmas markets you see on the Hallmark Channel sure would look cute in person.

    Christmas aside, if you’re willing to put up with some cooler weather and a few potential closures due to off-season, November to April can still be a terrific time to visit Italy.

    An indoor market view in Florence, March 2025.

    Both our 2025 and 2026 trips to Italy were in February and March. The cold was a relief from the Florida heat, and traveling there was definitely cheaper compared to peak season.

    There were still a reasonable amount of tourists, especially during the March visit to Florence, Milan, and Lake Como. Yet it wasn’t the craziness you find in the summer.

    In southeastern Sicily (FYI, not Taormina but areas south of there), we had places (almost) to ourselves, with a smattering of tourists mostly not from the U.S. There were several businesses closed for off-season that would have been nice to see, but we 100% got an authentic feel for the region that may have been harder to achieve in full-swing tourist season.

    Visitors in Bellagio, one of the towns on Lake Como.

    6. DON’T ignore basic research on local customs and the language

    Generally speaking, Italians are a welcoming bunch.

    Yet the culture is surprisingly more nuanced than we expected from movies and pop culture.

    Depending on where you go, the culture might be a lot more traditional than you expected (we’re looking at you, southeastern Sicily).

    In other places, you’ll almost think you’re in New York (hello, Milano).

    And to say all of the customs, cultures, and politeness in Italy are the same in all parts of the country would be like saying people from New York City have the same customs, cultures, and politeness as people from rural Alabama.

    Do a little research on local customs—both local Italian customs and customs specific to the region you’ll visit. Rick Steves is always our top choice for European knowledge, but there are etiquette experts who can help, like Nick Leighton, co-host of the podcast, “Were You Raised by Wolves?”

    “Knowing a little bit about the local customs can really help make things easier, especially for first-timers. It gives you more confidence and it also gets you significantly better customer service, meals, and experiences,” Leighton says.

    Two examples he shares: “If you walk into a coffee bar and say ‘Ciao,’ that’s way too informal for many Italians. It’s truly better to lead with a ‘Buongiorno’ with strangers instead. The greeting you use can really set the whole tone for the entire encounter, for better or for worse,” Leighton says.

    You don’t need to do a crash course in Italian, but learning some basic greetings and words can definitely make a difference. We’ve enjoyed online videos from Italy Made Easy and Italian Teacher Valentina to help.

    Another example from Leighton relates to planning meals. The message: Plan to eat later than you might eat at home.

    “I love a good 9 p.m. reservation, which gives me plenty of time to enjoy aperitivo before dinner. If you book a 6 p.m. reservation, chances are it’s catering to tourists and it also means you’re missing out on aperitivo,” Leighton says.

    And who wants to miss out on an aperitivo?!

    And Coleman of Suitcase Gals remains us all of “Italian time.” “People often expect American service, which means rushing through everything. Italian time is deliberate, slow and relaxing,” she says. That’s good to know in advance.

    Fish market in Catania, Sicily.

    7. DON’T arrive with multiple pieces of large luggage

    If you’re one of those “I only travel with a carry on” travelers, more power to you. If you’re like us, you’ve paid one too many luggage fees because it’s a challenge to pack minimally.

    And that can be a problem in Italy.

    “You are responsible for getting your luggage to and from your hotels as most city centers are filled with cobblestone streets, hills and are not accessible by cars,” Coleman says.

    “In addition, vehicles in Italy are built to fit in small places. If you are driving, many times the larger suitcases will not fit in a typical vehicle,” she adds. True.

    Plan your luggage carefully, and keep in mind that laundry facilities are available through most hotels even if you have to pay a small fee to use them.

    DO plan your trip well

    We hope our suggestions help you to be more thoughtful about your Italy trip.

    If you have an upcoming trip that’s not yet locked in and you’d like us to review your itinerary, this link tells you a little more about our new Italy travel planning consulting work, available at an affordable rate.

    If you’re considering a trip to Italia and want to speak with us before you start to make reservations, we also can help you with that.

    We’ll share more travel mistakes and travel wins in future articles.

    Buon viaggio!

    Yes, you can still come to Italy for the pizza. Yum…..

  • 6 Things to Do at the Rome Fiumicino Airport in Italy While You Wait for Your Flight

    A simple espresso at the Rome Fiumicino Airport helped us perk up after a long flight from the U.S.

    The Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport is the largest airport in Italy and the seventh-largest in Europe.

    So, it’s not surprising that you may find yourself going through this famous airport if you’re Italy-bound.

    Perhaps you have a long layover between destinations, leading you to wonder how the heck to fill your time until boarding starts for your next flight.

    Or, maybe you were in Rome and you’ve arrived early for your flight. Now, you’ve got some time to squander.

    Sure, you could spend those extra hours on your phone. Yet why not make it more interesting and explore what the airport has to offer?

    Artwork seen at the Rome Fiumicino Airport.

    In early 2026, I had a five-hour layover at Rome Fiumicino, arriving from Miami in the U.S. and then had to wait for my flight to Catania, Sicily. (You can read lots about my Sicily journey here and in other articles on my blog.)

    That five hours was just long enough time to entertain myself well while at the airport but short enough that I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the airport.

    Then, on the way home back to the U.S., I had another three-hour layover at Rome Fiumicino.

    Our article shares six tips for things to do while you’re at the Rome Fiumicino Airport. First, here are a few Rome Airport facts.

    Architecture seen at the Rome Fiumicino Airport.

    6 Fun Facts About the Rome Fiumicino Airport

    –The airport code (those codes they place on your luggage) is FCO.

    –Locals often refer to the airport as Fiumicino (fee-u-mee-chino) Airport.

    –Rome actually has a second airport called Rome Ciampino Airport, which mostly serves lower-cost airlines like Ryan Air and Wizz Air. Ciampino Airport is actually older than Fiumicino, built in 1916 compared with Fiumicino opening in 1960.

    –Rome Fiumicino Airport is about 19 miles (30 or so kilometers) from Rome’s city center. It’s located in the town of Fiumicino, hence the airport name.

    –You can get to the airport via an Express train, a taxi/Uber, or a shuttle bus service.

    –Any guesses how many passengers fly in and out of Rome Fiumicino? In 2025, it was 51.3 million, a 4% increase compared with 2024. It’s a busy place!

    Workers busy in a Rome Airport cafe in early 2026.

    6 Things to Do at Rome Fiumicino Airport

    Mangia!

    Or should we say, eat?! I mean, come on, you’re in Italy!

    Upon landing around 10 a.m. local time, I promptly bought un espresso e un cornetto, per favore (an espresso and a croissant) along with a coconut water as I needed hydration after the 9-hour flight.

    Later during my five-hour layover, I got a caprese sandwich. The sandwich was not the same quality as I might find in Italy’s famous eateries outside the airport–but it was still Italy so I couldn’t really complain.

    Take your pick of places to eat among the airport’s many sandwich shops or restaurants. Find a full list here, and heads up: Unlike many airports that feature cuisine from around the world, many or most of the options focus on Italian food. Again, not complaining!

    People-watch.

    People-watching is something we love to do in airports and hope it’s not a lost art as more and more people get lost on their electronic devices. You can learn so much about human behavior just by watching people at an airport. Plus, you’ll get a few laughs (we’re talking to you, Atlanta and Miami airports).

    At the Rome Airport, I don’t remember any crazy people-watching sightings but I do remember feeling amazed by the number of people from literally all around the world.

    A partial view of the window where you can watch planes come and go while you sit, relax, and listen to paino music.

    –Meditate or take a nap while listening to lovely piano music.

    Meditate at the airport? For real? Yes! In Terminal 1, near gate A66, there’s an area with huge chaise-lounge style chairs that face a massive picture window looking out at airplanes. You’ll also find there a piano, one of several throughout the airport that give passengers the chance to play their favorite tunes (some performing better than others).

    It was such a nice respite to sit there and passively look outside the window rather than be in a hurry. If you don’t want to fully fall asleep because you want to watch your stuff (understandable), you can still use the spot just to sit for a bit.

    To find more pianos at the airport, search at the map here and type in “piano.”

    Call your Italian friends and family–or meet them at the airport.

    With today’s technology, it’s super easy to see friends and family from around the world using WhatsApp or any other favorite app, right?

    Still, there’s something kind of fun about reaching out to your peeps while you’re in their country. I took a few minutes after my Italy arrival to video call one of my Rome-based language partners. Then, after arriving at the Rome Airport from Catania and getting ready to return to Miami in the U.S., I was able to meet this same friend at a cafe that was inside the airport but on the other side of security. It was a fun, short visit, and all I had to do was go through security again.

    Just ask for help if there’s any confusion over where you should or shouldn’t go if you plan to meet someone without leaving the airport.

    If you truly want to leave the airport and sightsee or meet a friend, it’s best if you have a layover that’s six hours or more.

    A cafe in Rome’s airport before you go through security.

    Shop!

    Any large airport will have a whole selection of stores, from those common “buy some water and a snack” type places to luxury stores to overpriced souvenir shops. The Rome Fiumicino Airport definitely has its share of high-end shops (find a full list here of all of its stores, including Burberry, Cartier, and Fendi).

    Yet my personal interest always veers more towards food, which is why I took my time in a few souvenir or food-themed shops, including the famous Italian-created shop Eataly. Eataly is a large store that features Italian food products as well as several places to eat within Eataly itself. Knowing I was about to be in “Italy,” I knew I didn’t really have a need for “Eataly.” Still, looking around was a way to pass the time.

    It’s also interesting to compare prices for items in the airport versus the prices you see outside of the airport.

    Of course, like any international airport, there are duty-free shops, which also have their share of Italian food products in addition to the usual alcohol and cigarettes. Watch passengers decide if they really need one more limoncello bottle to take home to Aunt Susie.

    Find a list of the airport’s shopping options here.

    A partial view of the “Master of Mistakes” artwork at the Rome Airport.

    Check out some art.

    In Terminal A, the same area with the piano and the large seats, there was a large sculpture called “Master of Mistakes” by Daniele Sigalot, which looked like an enormous ball of crumpled papers (a true master of mistakes, we presume). Yet you can find other art throughout the airport, which makes sense when you consider the airport is named for the master himself, Leonardo da Vinci.

    Find out more about the artwork at the Rome Airport here.

    Some Final Thoughts on Things to Do at the Rome Airport

    Our ideas here reflect what we enjoyed at Rome Fiumicino, but we know there are plenty more things you could do there.

    Like any large airport, there are private lounges and also pay shower areas (25 Euros each).

    Find the airport website here for more ideas.

    Of course, you can also practice speaking and listening to Italian. Yet since you’re at the airport, you’ll also hear plenty of English.

    Feel free to explore more options, but hopefully our article gives you a few starting ideas.

    Buon viaggio!

    Rome’s famous Coliseum (taken by a friend; we still need to make it there).
    Yet sometimes, there’s no place like home.

  • Here’s What It’s Like to Bike From North Italy to Munich, Germany, in 5 Days

    Ernesto G, Fabio B, Giorgio M, and Fabio D in Munich, Germany after their 565-kilometer bike ride from north Italy.

    There’s something about long-distance biking that makes you feel like a superhero.

    Yet there’s also the comical thrill you feel when you tell family and friends about your long-distance bike plans and they respond with, “Are you crazy??!!”

    So says Ernesto G., of Brescia, in northern Italy. Last year, Ernesto shared with Italy Dreams the story of his bike trip from northern to southern Italy, along with his adventure buddy Fabio B.

    This summer, Ernesto and Fabio ventured on a five-day journey from the Brescia area all the way to Munich, Germany–traveling 565 kilometers (351 miles) in 5 days.

    The trip, which they completed with friends Fabio D. and Giorgio M., took them through northeastern Italy, a small part of Switzerland, Austria, and finally Germany–where they treated themselves to liters of beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus in Munich at the end.

    Ernesto shares more details of the journey with Italy Dreams.

    Merano, Italy.

    The Idea Begins

    Ernesto is no stranger to longer athletic challenges, having swimmed competitively in the past and along with trail running, ski mountaineering, and climbing as well as other long-distance bike trips.

    With memories from the bike trip to southern Italy fresh in his mind, he wondered in December 2025 why there was no bike trip planned for 2026. That led him to consider a long-distancce trip with beautiful scenery including going through the Alps.

    Although he originally planned to go solo, Fabio D., Fabio B., and Giorgio all wanted to be part of the adventure.

    Of course, that meant training had to begin asap as the trip was planned for late May/early June.

    On the Adige bike path going towards Bolzano.

    Ernesto and friends began to train almost every Saturday as they could, with the workouts getting progressively harder. There also were bike workouts during the week along with Ernesto maintaining his regular swim workout schedule three times a week.

    Just like his previous trips, Ernesto did some serious trip route planning with the help of online tools and apps.

    Before they knew it, it was time for their trip.

    A bike trail in Italy’s Po Valley.

    The Adventure Begins

    The bikers began most days around 7 am or 8 am, a sharp contrast to the 4:45 am start times to beat the heat while in south Italy last summer.

    Over the five days, they averaged 113 kilometers (70 miles) per day, with their longest day 146 km and their shortest 97 km.

    “We spent between five and seven hours in the saddle, but each stage took about eight to nine hours total, including breaks,” he says.

    There was one important break time each day: “We always stopped for lunch at a restaurant,” he says. That also gave the crew time to soak up the local culture and scenery.

    Großer Ostersee in Germany.

    In the evening, they stayed at bed-and-breakfasts or hotels. Surprisingly, two of the five places they stayed offered bike repair services, tire inflation, and bike cleaning. One of their favorite hotels was in Laces in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy, which had an outdoor pool and stunning views of the Alps.

    The bikers didn’t encounter any flat tires or other bike maintenance issues.

    Ernesto had purchased a Dji Mini 5 Pro drone and used it during the ride, which added another “passenger” to the trip. He kept it in a front bag from Apidura, and he watched many tutorial videos in advance so he’d know how to use the drone while cycling or while stopped. The end result? Many great pictures and videos taken with the drone.

    Lake Resia in Italy.

    Watching the Scenery Change

    The bikers traveled through the Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino-South Tyrol regions of Italy. They started in the Po Valley, which Ernesto describes as having wide-open fields and mountains visible in the distance.

    Next came the southern part of famous Lake Garda, surrounded by olive trees, veinyards, and lemon trees.

    The Adige River area had a stunning bike trail and small villages and vineyards that continued all the way to the city of Bolzano and to the Alps.

    Reaching Val Venosta, an area well-known for its apples, they entered the alps with mountain ranges of 3,000 to 3,900 meters (9800 feet and more).

    They were still in Italy at this part of the journey, but it more closely resembled Austria than Italy, and German is widely spoken there.

    Italy on the border with Austria.

    Although they crossed high elevations during the trip, this didn’t intimidate them too much as they were ready for them.

    Upon reaching Austria and the heart of the Alps, the bikers had peaceful views of glaciers and mountains, clear rivers, fields, and Gothic churches and villages.

    The same held true in Germany, where the Alps gave way to hills, pastures, and lakes all the way to Munich.

    Ultimately, the group traveled through:

    –Desenzano del Garda, Italy

    –Peschiera del Garda, Italy

    –Rovereto, Italy

    –Trento, Italy

    –Bolzano, Italy

    –Merano, Italy

    –Lake Resia, Italy

    –Prutz, Austria

    –Imst, Austria

    –Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany

    –Starnberg, Germany

    –Munich, Germany

    They went through Switzerland as well but only for a few kilometers.

    Austria

    Reaching Munich

    Upon reaching Munich on day 5, the crew arrived at Marienplatz in the center of Munich, went to their hotel, took showers, and then had beer and dinner at the legendary Hofbrauhaus. Dinner was pork knuckle and pretzels.

    “I was impressed by the size of Hofbrauhaus, how quickly they serve beer, the German-style decor, and how quickly you can drink a liter of beer,” Ernesto says.

    They returned home the next day–but not by bike!

    Austria on the border with Germany, with Zugspitze Mountain in Germany in the background.

    Comparing Southern Versus Northern Italy

    When asked how last year’s sojourn into southern Italy compared to this year’s trip, Ernesto shares a few thoughts.

    “Italy is long and narrow, with a wide variety of climates and landscapes. Last year, the dialects, accents, cultures, and landscapes changed several times from stage to stage. On the latest trip, from Bolzano onward, the culture and food were very similar all the way to Bavaria in Germany,” he says.

    Still, he says he loved the majesty of the Alps.

    The freedom and exploration of new cultures are what keep Ernesto and his biking buddies on the road for these long-distance trips.

    “This kind of trip fills you with excitement from the moment you plan it on the map until you’re actually biking,” he says. “The feeling of reaching faraway places under your own power feels great. It makes you feel like a superhero.”

    While plans for the next long-distance ride are still in progress, it will most likely lead them to the city of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, across from Sicily.

    Germany

    Tips for Long-Distance Biking Through Italy

    If you’re considering a long-distance biking adventure through Italy–or really, anywhere–here are a few tips shared by Ernesto:

    –Train gradually but consistently to prepare your body.

    –Start with three- to four-day trips to make sure you like them.

    –Pack as light as you can.

    –Buy a good bike GPS. He uses the Garmin Edge 1040.

    –Learn how to perform basic bike maintenance.

    –Have your bike inspected and serviced before setting off.

    Buon viaggio!

    Bike in Desenzano del Garda, Italy.
    Switzerland

  • Fun Facts About Scicli, Sicily–and What to Do When You Visit A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu

    A view of the hill homes near A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu in Scicli, Sicily, Italy.

    If you’re making your way around Val di Noto in southeastern Sicily in Italy and want a real cultural experience, make sure to visit A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu (The Cave Home of Don Carmelo) in Scicli.

    Here are a few fun facts about Scicli, followed by suggestions for your visit to A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu:

    –The town’s name is pronounced SHEEK-lee.

    –The population of Scicli is about 27,000.

    –Scicli is a 40- to 45-minute drive from the popular destination of Noto, Sicily.

    –Parts of the famous Italian show “Inspector Montalbano” were filmed in Scicli.

    –The town was hit badly by a 1693 earthquake, which also destroyed much of the Val di Noto (Noto Valley). The upside, however, is that the whole area rebuilt itself over the following century in the Sicilian Baroque style that makes Val di Noto so famous today.

    –It’s one of eight towns in the Val di Noto that’s been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    –Amazingly, the town dates back to the year 300 BCE.

    A simple breakfast in Scicli, Sicily.

    Scicli, Sicily: Our First Impressions

    I would have never considered visiting Scicli, not because of anything bad but I simply had not heard of it. However, a Sicily native mentioned it (it always pays to ask locals for advice), and the name caught my attention.

    I made my way there during my February 2026 visit to southeastern Sicily, which you can discover more about here. It was a 45-minute drive from my B&B in Noto, and there were some real twists and turns on the road due to elevation. Stay alert!

    At first I tried to park at the train station (not sure why I thought to do that), but a female police officer chided me as she saw I was about to walk away from the station. As it turns out, the train station and local police station share space. Oops!

    I moved my car and parked much closer to where I actually wanted to be, enjoying a cornetto e succo di arancia (croissaint and orange juice) while sitting outside of a cafe and taking in the view. There was a group of moms nearby chatting about something but with my beginner Italian, I wasn’t sure what.

    Church of San Bartolomeo in Scicli.

    Despite similarities in Baroque architecture, Scicli has a different feel than Noto. For those of you from the U.S., the geography and small-town feel reminded me of the state of West Virginia with its hills and rock formations.

    Also, the people seemed….friendlier. I was happy that the people I met in Scicli were a chatty crowd, even with my just-emerging Italian language skills.

    Now, here’s the scoop on A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu, and I’ll use my next article to tell you about other parts of Scicli.

    Note that I was traveling solo but I sometimes use “we” in my writing to avoid using “I” all the time. Andiamo!

    Go this way to reach A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu.

    A Visit to A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu

    After my croissaint and orange juice and a visit to the historic Church of San Bartolomeo , I made my way toward the Chiafura cave district of Scicli to visit La Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu. Discover more about this interesting cave district here with an article from Slow Sicily, or watch this YouTube video.

    I used my phone GPS to help reach Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu and it kept taking me to the wrong address. As it turns out, Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu was somewhat hidden, but there is the occasional sign as you climb up the hill.

    I remember asking someone for help (did I speak Italian?! I guess I did!), and then eventually came across a sign that told me to walk a little further up in the housing community and it would be there.

    A Rutta is basically a cave home shown off by Signore (Mr.) Carmelo, a charming, inventive man who speaks no English.

    Yet don’t let that stop you from visiting.

    Mr. Carmelo shows how the youngest of the brood slept in this hanging crib.

    Mr. Carmelo’s grandparents raised six children in the small cave home, including his father. Even if you don’t understand Italian, you’ll still pick up a good deal of what he’s saying because there are so many visuals that explain things.

    During the tour, Mr. Carmelo shows creative, efficient tools his grandparents used for cooking, cleaning, and even potty training for the small children.

    A sign that tells you more about A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu, but it’s in Italian.

    As the sign for A Rutta explains (I had help translating the Italian online, which apparently also contains some Sicilian dialect), the caves in town were once used as homes, stables, and to store farming products.

    Life in the caves was difficult because of steep paths and stairs (some of which remain today) and having to walk far for water.

    People lived in the caves until the 1950s, when the government declared they were no longer safe for living.

    It was off-season, so I was the only visitor that morning. Mr. Carmelo lives in a normal home (or normal for the hill homes), located right beside A Rutta.

    After he showed me his family’s cave home, Mr. Carmelo started to show me his many inventions and creations that are for sale.

    He also showed me the area within the cave home that displays his handcrafted nativity scene and a traditional Sicilian village. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s impressive and certainly took a lot of patience to create.

    Mr. Carmelo and me outside of A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu.

    Mr. Carmelo also shared his skill and professional-level ability for using spinning tops. He demonstrated the use of a spinning top with such joy, you could see how the thrill likely started in childhood and never stopped. I’ll post a video of Mr. Carmelo and his spinning top on our Instagram account (@ItalyDreams).

    Next, Mr. Carmelo took me into an adjacent cave area where he had postcards, soaps, oregano, ceramics, and many, many other items that he had made for sale. A TripAdvisor review described this as a sales pitch, and I guess it was–but in the most entertaining way possible. I felt drawn to a small black ceramic vase with a pink flower on it (another Mr. Carmelo creation) that I purchased and later photographed before I left Scicli’s cave area.

    The small vase shown here in the cave district sits on display at our Florida home today. It traveled 5,000 miles from Scicli, Sicily.

    My time with Mr. Carmelo felt like a real connection with a local.

    Whether you seek that local connection, some beautiful views high on the hills, the history hidden in his family’s cave home, or some souvenir shopping that supports someone local, you’ll find it at A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu.

    Black cat spotted in the Chiafura cave district in Scicli.

    Some Tips for Your Visit to A Rutta Ri Ron Carmelu

    —Bring Euros. At the time of my visit, Mr. Carmelo didn’t take any credit or debit cards. Apple Pay? LOL, no. It’s 3 Euros to visit per person, and then you may opt for a homemade souvenir as well.

    —Be prepared for a bit of a workout to climb the hill. If you don’t like walking and have a rental car, you can drive most of the way up.

    —Be aware that Mr. Carmelo may ask you not to take photos inside the cave home. There’s even a small sign inside that asks you not to take pics. He allowed me to take one photo that I’ve shared with this story. It’s OK to take pics elsewhere during your visit, like outside the cave home.

    —Call to confirm it’s open. You can find the phone number to call here, and go to where it says “Grotte Museo” (Grotto Museum). Per the website link, A Rutta is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and same hours but until 9 p.m. on Sunday. Note that many businesses in Sicily take that afternoon break time.

    Want to find out more about Scicli? We’ll post a follow-up story very soon with even more places to visit.

    Buon viaggio!

  • 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!

  • Mount Etna Volcano, the Fish Market, and More: Here’s What to Know Before You Visit Catania, Sicily

    Saint Agatha Cathedral in Catania, Sicily. Saint Agatha is the patron saint of the city.

    If you’re planning a visit to Sicily, Italy, and you’re wondering if you should visit Catania, located in eastern Sicily and the second largest city on the island, here’s our simple answer:

    If you’re flying in or out of Sicily via the Catania airport, stay a night or two there so you can check out some of its highlights. If you like vibrant city life, spend some time there.

    It’s not going to be the peaceful experience you’ll have in smaller Sicily towns, but Catania definitely has history, passion, tasty food, and cool views of Mount Etna volcano.

    Umbrellas decorate the view in one part of Catania’s city center.

    Let me walk you through my two nights in Catania and share a few tips that may help you. I stayed there in late February when it was off-season in Italy.

    A quick note: I was traveling solo as a female but sometimes use “we” in my article to avoid using “I” all of the time.

    A street painting of Mount Etna. The view of the real thing is even more impressive.

    Some Quick Facts About Catania, Sicily

    Before sharing visit details, let’s load you up with a few facts about Catania, so you can put your visit in context:

    —The city has about 315,000 residents, and there are about a million people in the general area. The city also has beaches although we didn’t make it to them. The beach areas received some damage during Cyclone Harry in January 2026.

    —Catania got hit by a bad earthquake in 1693 and was rebuilt in a Baroque style using black lava stone from the famous Mount Etna volcano. This earned Catania its nickname of “the Black City.”

    —The historic city center of Catania is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    —Catania’s been around for a loooonnnng time–since 8th century BC.

    —Catania has an underground city that you can tour. It features Roman-era aqueducts and more.

    A view of Via Etnea, a well-traveled street in downtown Catania, Sicily.

    Sights to See in Catania, Sicily…and the Scoop on Staying There

    OK, let’s get to it! I arrived in Catania on a Saturday evening, tired from my trip (I flew from the U.S. to Rome and then Rome to Catania) but also eager to explore the city. Pretty quickly, it reminded me of Lima, Peru, which I’ve visited a few times. Beautiful architecture with some gritty city life around it. Not gritty as in unsafe or ugly, just….a lot going on. Definitely a city with stories to tell.

    The four-room B&B where I stayed (shout out to Opera Boutique) was located on a hill about a block or so from Via Etnea, the popular pedestrian-friendly street filled with cafes and shops. After getting settled, I quickly made a beeline toward Via Etnea and watched my step heading down the steep decline.

    Right away, the rush of city life and energy was there. Young people–or mostly young, especially compared to the people I saw in SIcily’s smaller towns–were all around, dressed in black and flirting with each other, vaping, sometimes arguing. Street performers did what they could to attract passerby and get a few Euros tossed their way. Servers from restaurants beckoned passerby to try the pasta, pizza, or drinks at their place.

    Catania’s famous elephant statue, nicknamed u Liotru in Sicilian.

    I strolled for awhile before deciding where to eat, taking in the crowd but also the view of Saint Agatha Cathedral (closed for the evening) and the famous elephant statue called u Liotru that symbolizes Catania–located right across from Saint Agatha. It’s a good stopping point, but it also was crowded on Saturday night.

    Pesto pizza in Catania. It was as tasty as it looks.

    I eventually stopped for pesto pizza (delizioso) and a bright orange aperol spritz. OK, two of them.

    After getting a little lost, I eventually made it back to my B&B. While my phone’s GPS was helpful overall during my Sicily trip, it sometimes got things wrong and sent me on a goose chase that evening. I recommend that you have a backup plan for situations like that, whether it means paying attention to where you’re going as if you didn’t have GPS or keeping your phone charged well. Also, take a screenshot of where you’re staying and its address.

    Inside Saint Agatha Cathedral.

    The next morning, I enjoyed Via Etnea with far fewer people and far-off views of beautiful Mount Etna. I was able to go inside Saint Agata Cathedral (called Cattedrale di Sant’Agata or Basilica Cattedrale Sant’Agata in Italian) and learned a little more about its history. It was originally built in 1078 but then was almost completely lost by an earthquake in 1169 and then another earthquake in 1693. It was rebuilt in its current Baroque style and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Another view in Saint Agatha Cathedral. It’s kind of hard to see, but there was a small service going on toward the left.

    The cathedral honors Saint Agatha of Sicily who lived in the third century. Saint Agatha is the patron saint of Catania and of breast cancer patients. It’s also said that she helps to protect the city against volcanic eruptions. There’s a massive festival to celebrate Saint Agatha that’s held in early February in Catania. I was there just a couple of weeks after the festival.

    A Sicilian Sunday morning flea market.

    I came across a flea market in the same area where the fish market is held Monday to Saturday (more about that below). As a lover of outdoor markets here in Florida, it was great to compare flea markets in the Sunshine State versus Sicily, especially one I didn’t expect to encounter. As it turns out, flea markets still give you a great sense of the local culture, with old albums, vases, books, ceramic plates, and other items that were (mostly) unique to Sicily.

    Sicily is well-known for its desserts. We spotted these Minne di Sant’Agata at Prestpino Cafe in Catania.

    I enjoyed breakfast at Prestipino Cafe, where I ordered un espresso e un cornetto, per favore (an espresso and a croissant, please), along with a fresh-squeezed orange juice. Sicily is known for its citrus fruits. Everything was delicious, but the chocolate filling in my croissant got messy and I noticed a family of tourists gently laughing at my mess. Oops!

    I took several pics inside Prestipino of the traditional Sicily desserts they had on display, giving me a sneak preview of things I’d try later in my trip.

    I eventually made it back to the B&B and took an Uber to get my rental car. Since I’m focusing here on Catania, I’ll skip the rest of my trip (although you can read about it here) and jump ahead to my second night in Catania–the last night of my trip before returning home.

    My return to Catania got me into the city around 12:30 in the afternoon, where the B&B hostess let me know if I wanted to make it to the Saturday fish market, I’d have to hustle. I did just that and again, as a perennial fan of outdoors markets, it didn’t disappoint. There were so many types of fish around. While I wasn’t looking to buy any to cook, they were still great to see for pictures and the atmosphere.

    Calamari for sale at the Catania Fish Market.

    Much like my previous Saturday in Catania, the city was bustling and there were even more tourists than before. In addition to the fast-moving feel of the fish market, restaurants were doing a brisk business and I saw signs for horse meat (carne di cavallo), which is famous in Catania and a few other parts of Italy.

    The fish market was a definitely a highlight of my time in Catania.

    Ultimately, my need for sweets prevailed and I purchased some praline-style almonds from a street vendor–almonds are yet another agricultural item well grown in Sicily. This may not have been a balanced lunch but they were just what I wanted. We’ve all had those days, right?

    Yummy nuts in Catania make for a good street-food snack.

    The street area was quite busy (and honestly, smoky from people who smoke/vape). Beyond a pizza for dinner, those were the highlights of that day in Catania.

    I made it to the airport early the next morning with some confusion as a few of us thought our ticket counter hadn’t yet opened, only to realize it was open in a different part of the terminal. There’s sometimes confusion like that in Sicily, so make sure to advocate for yourself when something is unclear during your visit. Knowing some basic Italian can help.

    If I were to return to Catania, I would make time for at least a half-day tour of Mount Etna (elevation: 11,000 feet). It’s one of the oldest and most active volcanoes in Europe, located in Etna National Park. Although I was traveling through Sicily independently, I would want a tour for Etna as you can only reach the summit craters with a certified guide, and the guides can help instruct you on any safety measures needed. I recently learned about a tour operator/DMC called Enjoy Your Sicily through their Facebook group Sicily Travel Tips, and I would reach out to them for an Etna tour. (They also do private tours/experiences around other parts of Sicily.) Next time!

    Vendors working hard at the Catania Fish Market. Look at that large fresh catch toward the middle.

    Tips for Your Catania Visit

    If you plan to stay in Catania before and/or after exploring other parts of Sicily like we did, here are some tips to consider.

    —Stay near the street Via Etnea. This pedestrian-friendly street is the hub of activity in downtown Catania and you’ll be just minutes from the Saint Agatha Cathedral, the fish market, and other famous sites. It may be a little loud on the weekends but again, if your stay is brief, that will pass quickly.

    —Follow common-sense safety tips. Catania was the only place during my stay where I felt a little more guarded than usual–not completely unsafe, but cautious. Avoid having anything valuable in pockets that can be easily reached. Walk like you know where you’re going. Watch out for strangers who may try to ask for money or lord knows what else (one strange-looking man approached me for something on Sunday morning but I didn’t understand what he said). That all said, I got lost on my way back to the B&B on my first night and was wandering around and never felt completely unsafe–just lost. I eventually called an Uber to get me back to my place.

    A view inside a Mazzone location, where we bought more candied almonds.

    —Wait to rent a car until you are leaving the city. It may seem convenient to land at the Catania Fontanarossa Airport and get your rental car and then go stay in the city, right? After all, the rental car companies are all right there beside the airport. Right? Wrong. False. If you plan to stay overnight in Catania, we recommend for your own peace of mind to return to the airport area the next day and get your car. Driving in Catania seemed a bit chaotic, and I was thankful not to have to worry about driving there or find parking–especially after traveling hours to reach Sicily from the U.S. The ride from the airport to the B&B was only 15 minutes, so it’s not a huge trek back to fetch your rental car.

    —Have a little cash on hand. It’s true that we live in a cashless world, even in Sicily for the most part. However, Catania is one of those cities that charges a tourist tax. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the tourist tax can’t be charged as part of your online booking. For smaller accomodations, it’s easier for them to request that tax in cash (Euros) so they don’t have to pay expensive bank fees. I ended up having to go to an ATM to get cash, but it reminded me that I should always have some real cash on hand.

    —Enjoy trying different foods. Even if gritty urban life isn’t your thing, Catania knocks it out of the park with its food options. Whether you want to try some of the best offerings at the fish market, go exotic with the horse meat, fill up on dessert items, or just have traditional pizza and vino, it’s all there waiting for you.

    —Don’t miss Mount Etna! We said it before but we’ll say it again. Not having time for a Mount Etna tour was probably the biggest regret of my trip, so we’ll save you any heartache and say: Make time to go see this unique volcano.

    Buon viaggio!

  • Here’s What It’s Like to Visit Noto, Sicily–in Pictures

    Outside of City Hall in Noto, SIcily. Notice the European Union, Italy, and Sicily flags.

    If you’re traveling to eastern Sicily in Italy and plan to visit Noto, we’ve got you covered.

    You can find our detailed Noto, Sicily, article here.

    If you want to get a better idea of what Noto looks like as you plan your trip–or, you just want a virtual tour of Noto–read on!

    This article tells a story of a journey around Noto in pictures.

    I share some of my favorite pics during a week-long stay in beautiful Noto, famous for its Baroque architecture and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The visit was in late February, so it was off-season. Hence, you don’t see a ton of people in the pictures.

    You can find more details about my trek through southeastern Sicily here. That article also shares some good tips for your eastern Sicily travels.

    Noto was a great “basecamp” town to stay in and southeastern Sicily. However, you also can find great B&Bs/hotels to stay in Ortigia, near San Lorenzo Beach/Marzamemi, Modica, Ragusa, and other areas.

    The fun pics and captions below share some more background to help you plan your trip. Andiamo/let’s go!

    Here is Noto’s most famous site, its Cattedrale di San Nicolo, or Noto Cathedral. It was completed in the early 1700s, but its dome collapsed and was replaced in the mid-1990s. The cathedral has appeared in various movies and TV shows, including “White Lotus.” You’ll find a lot of activity around this centerpiece tourist site of downtown Noto. It’s beautiful on the inside as well.
    Yum, here are the arincini, or rice balls ordered at MammArincina in Noto’s small downtown area. Rice balls are filled with all types of ingredients, including rice (of course), cheese, meats, and sauces. You don’t have to limit yourself to their restaurant to try arincini. It’s a Sicilian specialty so they’re pretty common.
    “Un cornetto e un espresso, per favore.” Restaurant ordering gave me a chance to practice my beginning Italian. I did good with this phrase for my croissaint and espresso order at Mangiafico in Noto although I didn’t know the word for “vanilla cream.” It was interesting to get there as it first opened, sit and eat breakfast, and watch some locals trickle in. A few noticed that I was not a local!
    Look at the cool lighting on the Royal Gate (Porta Reale) in downtown Noto. In the evening, locals like to have a passaggiata, or walk, in the downtown area. If it’s in-season, you’ll surely find a lot more tourists doing the same. You can also shop at souvenir stores and people watch while you stroll around the downtown.
    Noto has a mercatino, or outdoor market, on Sunday and Wednesday. I was thrilled when my B&B host at Cuore Barocco took me there to pick up some local cheese, and I returned that Wednesday for some Sicilian cookies and more cheese. Make sure to also ask any locals you meet for grocery store and bakery (panificio) recommendations. Cheap, fresh bread always makes things better.
    A random cat from my Noto stay. I have so many cat pics from my Sicily trip; they should become their own separate article!
    Holding a chocolate chip cannolo from Cannoliamo in downtown Noto. Sicily is the birthplace of cannoli so you must try one! They are calorie-free while you’re in Sicily!
    Every May, Noto has a flower festival called Infiorata. Here’s a staircase with some art that remained after the festival.
    One view of the streets of Noto. Make sure to wander around to different streets to look for good photo angles. For some reason, the sidewalk looks wider here than usual. The sidewalks were quite narrow, so walk carefully, look out for cars zipping by, and monitor your children if traveling with them. Also, be careful driving. I was fortunate to have a parking space that was not right on the street for my rental car (ask your B&B host if there’s anywhere nearby where you can park comfortably). Otherwise, you’ll have to deal regularly with a tight parking situation. My B&B was thankfully located near the end of the street and in walking distance to everything.
    A lovely view from the cut-out window at Saint Carlo Church. You can climb to the top of the church and check out a stunning view of the Valley of Noto and downtown Noto. However, be prepared for some stairs (see pic below).
    Here’s what the staircase looks like at Chiesa di San Carlo/Saint Carlo Church in Noto. They are quite steep and old! Only one person can fit on a stair at a time so listen out for others who may be coming. Still, the view at the top is a nice payoff.
    You’ve probably seen the man-and-woman statues that are symbolic of Sicily, but did you know that the pigna, or ceramic pinecone, is another symbol of hospitality and prosperity in Sicily? This one was on the balcony of where I stayed.
    Obligatory pic of a small car on an Italian street. 🙂
    Gelato from Gelati Bianca in downtown Noto. This was Nutella (I think) and the Sicilia, which blended together locally-grown items like raisins and almonds. Molto buono!
    Another view of the arch in beautiful downtown Noto.