Rules of the road in sicily. By car for a ride. Communication with the traffic police

My fourth a trip to Italy - this time I examined only one region - but which one - SICILY is the largest region in Italy. And the trip turned out to be the longest in duration - 29 days and was accomplished without knowledge of foreign languages and only thanks to my careful preparation!

It can be said that all these days I have been slowly and slowly putting together a multi-colored Sicilian mosaic, which turned out to be extremely colorful. As a result, Sicily shone with the brightest colors - this is the azure and blue color of the seas that wash it from all sides, - this is the black color - the color of its volcanoes and lava, on which many Sicilian cities stand, - this is - and white - the color - its snow-white beaches, golden color - in its Byzantine mosaics, green color - its subtropical vegetation - cacti, cypresses and palm trees, red color - a riot of its flowers (I have not seen so much red anywhere in Italy), burgundy color is the color of its famous wines - Nero Diavolo and fortified Marsala and so on ...

All colors intertwined into a single picture and an unforgettable Sicily turned out!

The Sicilian mosaic was also made up of many components, none of which I wanted to miss - these are its sights. More than thirty cities and towns were examined (from its capitals, such as Palermo and Catania - to ancient and very small ones, such as Erice (in which only 500 people now live), I saw dozens of Byzantine, Arab, Norman castles and fortresses, a huge number of outstanding cathedrals and modest churches, ancient Greek temples (which are better preserved than in Greece itself), ancient Roman villas and fortifications, climbed two active volcanoes (Etna and Vulcano), was on the mountains and rocks, and almost every day - bathed and sunbathed on the beaches of the Tyrrhenian, Ionian and Mediterranean seas, visited several natural parks.All the main sights of this largest island in the Mediterranean were examined!So now I can firmly say that I have put together a Sicilian mosaic!

The decision to travel to Sicily was made in the summer of 2014, after the third trip to Italy, it was decided to dedicate the next trip to Southern Italy, and at first I had Napoleonic plans — to explore all of Southern Italy (Calabria, Apulia and Basilicata) in a month, along with Sicily. Allocating two weeks for these two parts. However, having started preparations, I realized that I didn’t fit in two weeks - neither in southern Italy, nor in Sicily. I decided not to suffer and make two trips a month. This summer was Sicily. And next summer will be devoted to southern Italy.

I have already noted that it is impossible to cover Italy in one, two or three times - one must patiently and slowly inspect anywhere from one to three regions of this country. It doesn't bother me, because Italy is my favorite country in Europe.

Sicily, in general in its scale in Europe, can be considered as a separate country. In terms of population (more than 5 million inhabitants), for example, it is larger than countries such as Croatia and Slovakia, in terms of territory it is almost equal to Belgium.

Although I would not separate Sicily from the rest of Italy. Sicily is southern Italy and I didn’t find any special differences in the way of life, in the population - compared, for example, with the Campania region (Naples) - but the sights are, of course, different!

Here is what Goethe wrote in 1787 after his trip about Sicily - "Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the soul - only here is the key to the whole."

I planned my trip for myself and according to my favorite and long-proven scheme (which brings me the pleasure of traveling) - this is a combination of cultural recreation (sightseeing) and a beach holiday (always on the warm sea) and Sicily in this respect is just perfect.

According to the number of attractions declared by UNESCO as World Heritage of Humanity, there are ten of them in Sicily, it overtakes such tourist countries as Austria and Hungary.

So, there are no problems with what to do in Sicily.

I would also like to dispel two myths that have developed about Sicily.

First myth— the fact that in summer (in July and August) it is impossible to hot! This is not so, the weather was sunny all day, I forgot what clouds are. But the temperature was very comfortable. I can safely compare it with the weather in the Crimea - exactly the same - 26-30 degrees. Only probably drier and more windy. And the sea is naturally always warm (24-26 degrees) and, unlike the Crimea, without jellyfish (I have not seen a single one).

Therefore, do not be afraid to go - to Italy - in the summer, because in the summer you will have one of the main advantages - this is a chic and warm sea. It's so wonderful when you're tired and you're in the sights - dive into the sea and swim in the waves, all fatigue disappears instantly!

Second myth- that it is impossible to explore Sicily using only public transport - this is not so. I traveled all over Sicily - using only public transport (buses and regional trains). When you travel alone or together, it will be more budgetary than taking a car, and if there are three or four of you, then a car will probably already be more budgetary. True, it is difficult to deal with public transport - there are many bus companies of various companies, different stations, stops, ticket offices - but I eventually figured it out and will post all the information in the near future in the "Soviet" on this site.

Now let's finally move on to the most beautiful places and cities that I saw (I tried to put everything in one report, but this is also not realistic - therefore there will be two of them) and also, I advise those who have only 14 days of vacation - to allocate two holidays to Sicily - this will be the most optimal and break the trip into two parts - Eastern and Western Sicily. So now let's just go through EASTERN Sicily, along its coast, which is washed by the Ionian Sea.

July 15, I landed at about 1 pm at Catania, which is the capital of Eastern Sicily and the second most important city on the island, second only to Palermo.

There will be a separate report for each city in the future, but for now I will note that Catania has become the prey of many empires throughout its history from the Greeks to the Romans, from the Arabs to the Normans and Spaniards. However, the most terrible enemy of Catania is right under her side - this is the volcano Etna, which destroyed the city several times, the last time almost completely in 1693. Catania has a huge number of cathedrals and other important sights. Pictured below is Catania Cathedral.

Everything is clear with car rental - if you have an international license and at least some experience of renting a car abroad, then I undoubtedly I advise you to use this skill during your holidays in Sicily. Few will argue that having private transport improves the quality of life and recreation in particular, and Sicily is one of the places where this is felt especially acutely, as the public transport infrastructure leaves much to be desired, and worth visiting places (both historical, natural, and restaurants, are often located "outside the city" and exceed 95% of the world's surface in density per square kilometer). Of course, this is on the condition that you do not plan to limit yourself to moving from the pool to the beach and back, or do not go with an organized tour and organized excursions scheduled by day. I mean an independent vacation, to see others - to show yourself, to visit at least a minimum of what Sicily can show.
So, the advantages are clear: you go when you want, where you want, you make your own route, you don’t adapt to a strange schedule and you don’t wait for anyone (!).
A couple of facts:
1. Traveling from Catania to Palermo (the two largest cities in Sicily) by local train can take 8 hours. Such a trip without at least one transfer is impossible.
2. For 10 minutes a taxi can easily give away from 20 euros. A taxi ride from the airports of Catania and Palermo to even relatively close places (by the standards of Sicily and even more so by the standards of Russia) will cost from 50 to 200 euros. A mistake in route planning and the need to take an emergency taxi can cost even more.

And now the cons and just tips:
1. It is difficult to park in July and August. I recently wrote about the disadvantages of relaxing in the high season, and so for me personally parking is one of the serious arguments. On the one hand, one never travels more freely in the center of Catania than in August. On the other hand, parking somewhere near the beaches or national parks of Syracuse can easily cost 20 euros per car, and you will still be glad that there is a place.
2. On summer evenings in Taormina, even paid parking is often difficult to find - everything is busy. Tip - if you come to Taormina by car from another city, then in summer it is better to do it before 9 am, and if later - then from 5 to 7 pm, this is the time when someone leaves, and someone has not had time to arrive yet .
3. As a rule, paid places in Sicily are marked with blue paint, white - free, yellow - where you can not park (for certain categories). Each commune has its own rules and prices. In Catania, for example, from 13.30 to 15.30 is lunch time and you can not pay, even if you are on the blue lines. Payment in vending machines with coins, you can leave the car until lunch, lunch is automatically deducted from the payment. The machine will give you a ticket at the end of the parking period. It's better not to joke with this time, the fine is 40 euros for an expired ticket. By the way, you need to put it under the front glass of the car inside so that you can see the time. The minimum payment is 40 cents. An hour seems to be worth 75 cents.
In Enna, you need to buy parking at Tabacayo - look for the letter T and ask for a ticket there.
4. Chances are, in less touristy but "real" Sicilian places, you'll run into strange-looking people who will help you park. These strange people are called "parkegiatori". In fact, they are all mafiosi, and if you do not pay this euro, they can (they say it has not happened to me) to lower, for example, a wheel. Don't worry, they won't do anything to your car, but it's better to pay them euros and they'll "look after" your car all day long. It's completely illegal, but that's how it is. The advantages of this phenomenon are that you can leave the car where, in theory, it should not be left at all according to traffic rules, or that you will pay less than official parking.
5. Red traffic light.
It will seem to you that everyone is driving on red. It is and it is not. In Sicily, you will learn that there are two varieties of red light. One is at intersections, for example. When it’s impossible and that’s all, when life is dangerous, because someone can crash into you. Another is the so-called "pedonale" (pedestrian), when a pedestrian calls him with a button to cross the road. It often happens that a pedestrian has already called and has already crossed, and the light will be on for another minute or two. So, the Sicilians don’t care too much at these traffic lights, and even someone can honk at you from behind, saying that you are waiting for the brake)) I call this type of red traffic light “you can’t, but if you really want to, then you can.” You will pass Catania - you will understand what I mean))
6. Keep Italian habits in mind and take them into account when planning a route (for example, at 8-9 pm everyone is going somewhere for dinner and there will be traffic jams, and at 11-03.00 it will be impossible to drive in places where they go for night parties and park. In the Catania area, such an example is Acitrezza - Achikastello and the Banaker disco. God forbid you on a summer evening, especially Friday-Saturday, try to drive past. The city center is the same story. Playa (sandy beaches of Catania), in the morning - " there" from the center, from 4 o'clock in the afternoon "back" - also, it is better to go around on the motorway, if you do not live in the center of Catania, of course.
7. In order not to provoke anyone or anything, it is better not to leave expensive things in sight in the car or those that may have something expensive inside. Better put it in the trunk.
8. Be careful in places where the mind tells you that you can’t park, there are still a lot of cars parked and at the same time there are no parking attendants - there is no mafia - there is a high risk of finding a fine upon return, especially in tourist places (it happened to me in a place that seemed very even parking near the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, I hear this all the time about Taormina).
9. SDA
And finally, the most characteristic. It will definitely seem to you that there are no traffic rules in Sicily. I will say this: there are unspoken rules that you will understand in a couple of days, but there really are no "vowels". There are no signs of the main road, no one lets anyone through, you want to shoot everyone when you see how they drive. This is very true about Catania and even more true about Palermo. In order to still get where you need to, you should score on the traffic rules to follow the "tacit" rules:

Don't try to drive fast. Exception: motorways. They are excellent, and there you can go as fast as you like.

Do not be nervous. This is generally unhealthy, but driving in Sicily can have a double negative effect. Try not to think that all the drivers around are piiiiiiiiiiiiiii, and this aunt, who crosses the road obliquely for the third minute, shaking her hips and not in a hurry, is even worse. It still won’t help, but if you understand their logic, then believe me, it will make your vacation easier. Take care of your nerves, you will need them more in Russia.

Don't wait for someone to let you in - if you want to get to your destination, be a little less polite and a little bolder. It works.

And most importantly - on the road, be PREDICTABLE. You can change lanes where you can’t change lanes, turn around where you can’t turn around, do whatever you want (if you really need it :), but your maneuvers must be clear to the rest of the participants in the chaos of movement.

Wow, I rolled a whole sheet. And how much more could be added ... Well, okay, come and add you!

If you decide to visit and see Sicily, then you cannot do without road transport. Railways connect far from all interesting places and cities, and trains run quite rarely. It is most convenient to rent a car and drive around the island on it. However, traveling by car in Sicily has many important features.

After receiving the car, do not forget to check its condition, during an additional inspection, we found about 10 scratches, dents, etc., you can be sure that after the car is handed over, they will be hung up on you. Therefore, check carefully what you sign and do not refuse additional insurance - a third-party company or a rental office, in order to drive safely, especially in Sicily, all cars are badly scratched and dented, you will not scratch, they will scratch you.

Roads. The roads in Sicily are bad. They say that their condition is supported by the Sicilian mafia, which is good from this. Poor condition is expressed in constant holes on the road, repair of individual sections, lack of osphalt in certain places, and so on. You can drive, but with a breeze you can ride in few places. Especially fun on the highways, where you can drive 130, and the locals drive under two hundred. There are a lot of test areas for the suspension - holes, potholes, bumps. Relatively good routes between Pozzalo and Catania, the route from Catania to Palermo, from Catania to Messina, Messina-Palermo and Palermo-Trapani, that is, the north of the island, south of the middle (Catania-Palermo routes), everything is much worse. Estimated speed there according to the navigator is 50-70 km per hour. You drive off the track and then anything can happen. It is especially difficult at night - the roads are not lit at all, there are not reflectors everywhere, many tunnels are not lit, without high beam headlights visibility is 10 meters ahead, I am silent about the axial markings, signs and restrictions, they like to forget about them here.

There are in Sicily and toll road sections. There are two of them, and in terms of the quality of the canvas, they are no better than free ones. The first is the Catania-Messina track. There are mostly only tunnels, the length of the section is about 150 km. The section from Catania to Taormina (middle) costs 2 euros, from Taormina to Messina - another 2 euros. But for travel along the highway from Messina to Palermo (185 km to the connection with the Catania-Palermo highway) you will have to pay 10 euros and 10 cents. I advise you to make a small detour and drive along the free Catania-Palermo highway, it will even be better.
It's easy to use them. When approaching a paid section where the passage corridors are located, try to choose the extreme left lanes, and not those where only Telepass is indicated - an automatic settlement system that only locals have. In your case, you need a passage where you drive up, press a button (or the machine itself issues it) and get a ticket. At the entrance to the track, such buttons should be in all openings. But leaving the toll section of the road, you choose passages where money or a cashier are drawn. That is, a live person is sitting in the booth, you give the coupon, the cost is displayed for you and you pay. It seems that in addition to cashiers, there are also machines that accept credit cards, but if you drive into the aisle, where only the Telepass system cannot be paid, then wait for a fine. In general, nothing complicated, before entering there is always a place and time to think about exactly where you need to go. I prefer to deal with a live person. The first time I entered the toll road, I did not take a ticket ... but when paying, I said where I was coming from and paid 2 euros without any coupon.

When entering a toll road, make sure that you do not need anything - there are only emergency phones, there are no cafes, gas stations, workshops or anything else, just a road and more pockets.

Orientation. In general, the island is small, there are not many roads, there are signs, mostly. You can drive without navigation and maps, but it’s better to make a couple of printouts, follow geolocation or use a navigator, at least it will tell you the shortest path. However, in all three cases, you still have to stray. And if you are going to a small town, the ruins of an ancient city and something like that, then the route must be laid in advance, pointers to small objects are only a couple of kilometers away.

Road to Segesta

Driving Rules. I did not see the traffic police on the roads. There are cameras, they are of two types - they hang over the road and can be seen from afar, and several that are aimed at you from the opposite lane. Whether they work or not, I don't know. The locals rush around regardless of any restrictions, but in some places they crawl like turtles. The speed in the city is 50, on ordinary roads 90, on the highway 130. But due to poor coverage, there are a lot of restrictions, up to 30 km per hour. If you follow them all, you won't get anywhere. Otherwise, everything is clear, the road is not overloaded with signs here.

Behavior on the road. The locals do not follow the driving rules at all - they drive as they want, turn signals do not turn on, they can dazzle with high beams, overtake, crawl, change lanes as they want, do not look at you before turning, climb somewhere. It is especially bad here with priorities, on many roads there are none - it is not clear who should give way to whom. You will not be missed. Whoever gets on the road first is right. It’s not so scary on the highway, but it’s difficult in the city, be very careful. Especially watch out for mopeds, they go as they want and into any light (motorists also don’t always look), they can get out from any side.

Along the track. There are almost no gas stations along the roads, they are mostly located at exits or in settlements. Be careful and watch the fuel level. Cafes and shops are also rare, unless you are driving through the city (obviously not the highway). Also, you can hardly find a tire service or service on the road.

Temporary wheel machine

Safety. At every corner you will be warned that you cannot leave something in the car - even a hat, even an empty bag - it is highly likely that they will get into the car. There are streets and areas where the probability of robbery is almost 100%. In the rental office, for example, I saw a list of such streets. Locals also advise not to leave anything. If you park, then choose crowded and well-lit places.

Gas stations. There are a lot of gas stations, but they are usually in settlements or at the entrance, there are almost none on the highways - it is simply inconvenient for the owners to go there, given that most are private. There are rumors that even here you can be deceived, underfilled, cheated ... especially near the airport, where cars are rented. I don't seem to have come across it. You can refuel with diesel and gasoline 95, diesel can be of two categories, premium diesel costs the same as gasoline. An interesting feature of Italian gas stations, here you can refuel yourself. Not everywhere there are employees, and in the evening and on weekends there is definitely no one there. So, you are on your own. You drive up to the desired column, where self-service is indicated, find an automatic machine nearby, insert a card or banknotes there - 5/10/20/50, then click on the column number and then only(!) go insert the hose with the right fuel. It is important not to confuse the order here! If you first insert the hose and then pay, the machine will eat your money and issue a check. A check to the bearer on the column, if there is an employee, you give it to him, you get the money, if there is no one ... well, you yourself understood. I knew about it, but at the last gas station I was distracted and I pressed the wrong button, and then I took the gun. The machine issued a check for 20 euros and I could no longer receive money at this gas station. They helped in the hotel, where the owner took the check and gave the money. Well, we agreed, but it was the only chance.

There are also cases that as soon as you move away from the machine, they drive up to it, make a cancellation, take a check and leave. Otherwise, everything is simple, after you insert the hose and press the pawl, fuel will flow exactly for the amount paid. If you press the check button immediately after payment, then after refueling you will be given a check with the cost of gasoline. You can also fill up with a person if he has one, but usually in this case a liter costs from 12 to 25 cents more, and this is from 10 to 40% of the total cost. But this is not everywhere and it is better to do everything yourself, and no one will deceive you. But how to make a full tank, paying for it yourself - I don’t know ... if you have a place for 5 liters, and you paid 10, then either fuel will start to pour out of you, or you will be given a check with the unused amount, the field of how the tank will be filled. Be careful when returning a car in the evening or on weekends, it will be difficult to find a gas station with a tanker, in such a situation I had to be smart - collect pieces of paper for 5 euros and refuel in such a way that I showed a full tank in front of the car delivery office. It is possible that you can pay with a credit card more selectively, but it is difficult to determine how many liters you need before a full tank.

parking. Parking in Italy and Sicily is difficult, here on every street you either can park or you can't. If possible, then usually for a fee. The streets are narrow, there is little space, and there are so many local cars. During the season it is quite bad here, at other times it is easier. Be guided by the signs, if there is a parking sign on the street, then the conditions and cost are indicated under it. Usually there are restrictions on time and on the days of the week, for example, on weekends it is free. But there are parking lots and only for residents. Paid places are usually marked with blue paint, white ones are free. Yellow - for the disabled. If you are in paid parking, then look for a parking meter where you pay for the required number of hours. On average, parking costs from 60 cents to 1 euro per hour. Then put the check under the windshield so that it can be seen by the inspector.

However, there are usually many parking lots and free ones around - at shopping centers, shops, in squares, along ordinary streets and avenues. During the day, there are definitely no problems with a temporary stop, in the evening you already have to look, try to choose hotels with private parking. If you are not sure if this is paid parking or not, look under the glass at neighboring parked cars, there is a ticket - paid, no - free.
Sometimes you can park in free parking lots for only a couple of hours, under the sign there is a special badge that matches the cardboard clock under your glass (available on all rented cars). On the clock under glass, you set the time of arrival and return, respectively, no later than the required time (after 2 hours, for example) or simply change the time passing by.

Under the prohibition signs, you can stop for half an hour or an hour without problems, and the locals do the same, but, of course, you can’t leave a car here for a day. However, I did not see parking attendants or tow trucks in Sicily.

Yes, and when choosing a rental car, it’s better not to take a Hummer - it will be much more difficult to put it in. Choose better Italian runabouts.

I remind you once again that you can’t leave anything in the car, I did leave the suitcase, but I did it during the day and in decent places, it just didn’t fit into the trunk anymore.

In large cities, free parking lots are operated by assistants, Italians or migrants who provide incomprehensible services ... usually the service is that he waves his hand at you, like it’s free here, stop by ... that’s it. They will not guard the car, monitor it, help it drive out, or something else, while my car drove out and decently hit another car, this one was standing nearby and did not react at all. They want money for services..they say that one euro is enough, but I heard how they asked for 5. I rarely parked in such parking lots and did not give money. In general, it’s unpleasant, you drive by, and some kind of chumichka waves at you. And when you leave, he runs to you, shaking money, showing with all his appearance that he needs to be paid. True, they keep parking all the time and should not harm the car in case of non-payment, but I didn’t really see that they paid.

There are two Africans in the distance, they keep this parking lot on the embankment of Palermo

Zone ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato). This is Italy's headache and a lot of nerves and spoiled mood. In Italy and Sicily, cities secure their place for transport by forbidding non-residents from entering certain parts of the city. You drive up to the center - “bang”, there is a sign and a camera ahead. Somewhere this zone does not exist, somewhere the zone is only near the cathedral, and somewhere half the city is in it. Stop by and get a fine from 40 to 120 euros. On the Internet, there are maps of this zone only for large cities, and even then not for everything. Under the signs, the conditions of travel are usually hung, sometimes a non-resident can enter early in the morning or late in the evening, but usually it is better not to encounter this and go around the city center so that the navigator does not speak. Sometimes, if you live in the center in a large hotel, the administration can send a paper to the police and they won’t take a fine, but not everyone wants to do this and not all hotels have the right to do this, it’s better not to get involved, I think.

Sometimes I considered the option of hiding the rear numbers with a piece of paper or a rag when entering, the same thing when leaving, but this is an extreme case, they will catch .. beware! I myself have not seen such fraud.

There is a slight relaxation with the zone out of season, according to local residents, in winter, and I went in January, the system does not work ... as a result, I entered the zone once. They say on the Internet that often the entrance to the zone is located on a narrow street, from where you can’t lead later and you can only drive forward, I haven’t come across this. Signs hang obviously, often warning and mostly in the very center.

If a highway passes through the city, albeit past the cathedral, then it’s not a problem, there will be no zones there. However, it is better not to tempt and do not go to the very center, leave the car on the outskirts of the town or within the center. Yes, you will have to walk, but it's calmer.

Non-locals are not allowed to enter from 10 to 7

In Sicily, in the main cities with the zone, the situation is as follows. In Catania, ZTL is only around the cathedral and on a couple of neighboring streets. It's hard to get into it. In Taormina, the whole city is in the zone, how to get to the city on the mountain without a car - I don’t know. Well, don't drag your suitcase a couple of kilometers up. It was here that I stopped by, although I spent a lot of time figuring out, walking, etc., there are no alternative ways (I did not find it). In Messina on the main streets no problem. In Palermo, the zone is only in the old town, park immediately after entering the center - 2 km around the cathedral, but the busiest streets do not contain restrictions, only small streets, entrances to houses. In Montreal, you will not be able to enter the center. In Ragusa, the car must be left at the roundabout around the Old (lower) city, but everything is obvious there. In Syracuse, feel free to enter Ortiga Island, where the Old Town is, only the very center of the island is closed, the main roads with many free parking lots are free to drive. In the end, if you are careful, there should be no problems.

I hope that this detailed story of mine will help you visit Sicily without any problems and go around everything you need.

Perhaps it would be a big mistake to assume that being in the homeland of the Italian mafia, you can break the rules with impunity. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with the list below, which indicates the amounts of fines that are provided throughout Italy for violators of traffic rules, regardless of whether you are driving a car - your own or rental car in Sicily.

Speed Limit

Let's say you are a fan of fast driving - well, the same Russian that Gogol used to say about. In this case, you may need a reminder of the 5% error in Sicily when determining speeding, and this little loophole in some cases can save you from a fine. But still, remember:

in the settlement it is supposed to move no faster than 50 km / h;
outside the settlement, a speed of 90 km / h is allowed;
on the road between two settlements, the limit is 110 km/h;
a large multi-lane highway provides for movement at a speed of 130 km / h.

parking

Parking in Sicily is quite tricky because the cars are packed tight and all your "zero visibility" parking skills can come in handy. However, the Russians are no strangers.

Parking lots in Sicily are marked with three colors. The white color of the lines suggests that after purchasing a parking disc, you will be able to use this free parking lot. The main thing is not to forget to set the time on the disk at which you want to return and pick up your car.
The blue color of the lines will tell you that the parking lot is equipped with parking machines.
Also, pay attention to underground parking lots, which are equipped with barriers, and payment is accepted either automatically, or it is collected by the parking operator.

Avoid the yellow lines - these are parking lots for special vehicles, and if you park in one of these places, you risk not finding your car, returning for it. She may well be in one of the impounds.

Allowable blood alcohol limit for a rental car driver in Sicily

The maximum that a driver can afford to drive rental car in Sicily- this is 0.8‰, in no case more. Because everything that is further, threaten with severe punishments, up to possible imprisonment. And the amount of fines is generally amazing. So even considering that Sicily is the cradle of the mafia, the police will not allow you to drink more than a mug of beer or a glass of wine while driving.

Traffic Laws

The Sicilians, despite their reputation as the inhabitants of the most "criminal" island, are very God-fearing and child-loving. That's why:

children under 3 years old are transported in special devices designed for this, and over 3 years old, but less than 150 cm tall - in child seats corresponding to the weight of the child;
seat belts must be fastened regardless of where the passenger is - in front or behind;
low beam is switched on in tunnels, as well as in conditions of poor visibility, and the time of day does not matter;
it is better to equip the car with a wireless communication device, because talking on the phone, which is held in the hand, is prohibited.

Toll roads and driving on them in a rented car in Sicily

Sicily has toll motorways, although they are quite cheap, unlike mainland Italy. The price is taken for the number of kilometers travelled. It is also worth remembering that despite the reputation of freeways, such roads are also not immune from the formation of many kilometers of traffic jams on them. So sometimes you have to be patient.

Also, to your surprise, even if you are driving at a speed of 130 km / h, you may start to honk and flash your headlights from behind, demanding to pass. But such are the Italians, in particular, of course, the Sicilians.
The most expensive route in Sicily is Messina-Palermo, because it has a large number of tunnels. When entering a toll freeway, avoid the lane marked in yellow, it is intended only for automatic payment.

rental.You should start by choosing a rental office, there are a lot of reviews on the Internet about problems with this action. Southern Italians are very cunning and love other people's money, most likely they will try to make money on you - include various options in the price, hang scratches and the like. This is the sin of all Italian offices, which are not satisfied with your miserable 100 euros for car rental. However, large international companies also turn out to be not very honest. I personally was deceived by Budget / Avis for 325 euros (in Italy, this is one office). Despite the paid rent, after the delivery of the car, they turned on all sorts of items for me - a different class of car, administrative fees, gasoline, etc., etc. I'm still trying to return the money, the company's office itself refuses to communicate with me. And the administrative fees for any services there are simply astronomical. And after receiving the car, do not forget to check its condition, during an additional inspection, we found about 10 scratches, dents, etc., you can be sure that after the car is handed over, they will be hung up on you. Therefore, check carefully what you sign and do not refuse additional insurance - a third-party company or a rental office, in order to drive safely, especially in Sicily, all cars are badly scratched and dented, you will not scratch, they will scratch you.

Roads. The roads in Sicily are bad. They say that their condition is supported by the Sicilian mafia, which is good from this. Poor condition is expressed in constant holes on the road, repair of individual sections, lack of osphalt in certain places, and so on. You can drive, but with a breeze you can ride in few places. Especially fun on the highways, where you can drive 130, and the locals drive under two hundred. There are a lot of test sites and suspensions - holes, bumps, bumps. Relatively good routes between Pozzalo and Catania, the route from Catania to Palermo, from Catania to Messina, Messina-Palermo and Palermo-Trapani, that is, the north of the island, south of the middle (Catania-Palermo routes), everything is much worse. Estimated speed there according to the navigator is 50-70 km per hour. You drive off the track and then anything can happen. It is especially difficult at night - the roads are not lit at all, there are not reflectors everywhere, many tunnels are not lit, without high beam headlights visibility is 10 meters ahead, I am silent about the axial markings, signs and restrictions, they like to forget about them here.

When entering a toll road, make sure that you do not need anything - there are only emergency phones, there are no cafes, gas stations, workshops or anything else, just a road and more pockets.

Gas stations. Z There are a lot of gas stations, but they are usually in settlements or at the entrance, there are almost none on the highways - it is simply inconvenient for the owners to go there, given that most are private. There are rumors that even here you can be deceived, underfilled, cheated ... especially near the airport, where cars are rented. I don't seem to have come across it. You can refuel with diesel and gasoline 95, diesel can be of two categories, premium diesel costs the same as gasoline. An interesting feature of Italian gas stations, here you can refuel yourself. Not everywhere there are employees, and in the evening and on weekends there is definitely no one there. So, you are on your own. You drive up to the desired column, where self-service is indicated, find an automatic machine nearby, insert a card or banknotes - 5/10/20/50 there, then click on the column number and then just go to insert the hose with the required fuel. It is important not to confuse the order here! If you first insert the hose and then pay, the machine will eat your money and issue a check. A check to the bearer on the column, if there is an employee, you give it to him, you get the money, if there is no one ... well, you yourself understood. I knew about it and at the last gas station I was distracted and I pressed the wrong button, and then I took the gun. The machine issued a check for 20 euros and I could no longer receive money at this gas station. They helped in the hotel, where the owner took the check and gave the money. Well, we agreed, but it was the only chance.

parking. Parking in Italy and Sicily is difficult, here on every street you either can park or you can’t. If possible, then usually for a fee. The streets are narrow, there is little space, and there are so many local cars. During the season it is quite bad here, at other times it is easier. Be guided by the signs, if there is a parking sign on the street, then under it the conditions and cost, if any, are indicated. Usually there are restrictions on time and on the days of the week, for example, on weekends for free. But there are parking lots and only for residents. Paid places are usually marked with blue paint, white ones are free. Yellow - for the disabled. If you are in paid parking, then look for a parking meter where you pay for the required number of hours. On average, parking costs from 60 cents to 1 euro per hour. Then put the check under the windshield so that it can be seen by the inspector.

However, there are usually many parking lots and free ones around - at shopping centers, shops, in squares, along ordinary streets and avenues. During the day, there are definitely no problems with a temporary stop, in the evening you already have to look, try to choose hotels with private parking. If you are not sure if this is paid parking or not, look under the glass at neighboring parked cars, there is a ticket - paid - no - free.
Sometimes you can park in free parking lots for only a couple of hours, under the sign there is a special badge. Which matches the cardboard clock you have under glass (available on all rental cars). On the clock under glass, you set the time of arrival and return, respectively, no later than the required time (after 2 hours, for example) or simply change the time passing by.

Yes, and when choosing a car at the box office, it’s better not to take a Hummer - it will be much more difficult to put it in. Choose better Italian small-sized.

I remind you once again that you can’t leave anything in the car, I did leave the suitcase, but I did it during the day and in decent places, it just didn’t fit into the trunk anymore.

There are two Africans in the distance, they keep this parking lot on the embankment of Palermo

In Sicily, in the main cities with the zone, the situation is as follows. In Catania, ZTL is only around the cathedral and on a couple of neighboring streets. It's hard to get into it. In Taormina, the whole city is in the zone, how to get to the city on the mountain without a car - I don’t know. Well, don't drag your suitcase a couple of kilometers up. It was here that I stopped by, although I spent a lot of time figuring out, walking, etc., there are no alternative ways. In Messina on the main streets no problem. In Palermo, the zone is only in the old town, park immediately after entering the center - 2 km around the cathedral, but the busiest streets do not contain restrictions, only small streets, entrances to houses. In Montreal, you will not be able to enter the center. In Ragusa, the car must be left at the roundabout around the Old (lower) city, but everything is obvious there. In Syracuse, feel free to enter Ortiga Island, where the Old Town is, only the very center of the island is closed, the main roads with many free parking lots are free to drive. In the end, if you are careful, there should be no problems.

I hope that this detailed story of mine will help you visit Sicily without any problems and go around everything you need.