Sicily Travel Tips
Sicily Travel Tips
Sicily travel tips on what to pack, public transportation, exchanging money, and more!
This was my first trip to Sicily, Italy, and it was also a solo trip. I traveled light to make sure I could get around by myself and manage my own bags. Trains, ferries, and buses were my main modes of transportation. (I didn’t want to rent a car since I didn’t know Italian and really didn’t want to navigate by myself.) I visited a few city/towns over 12 days, ate a lot of dessert, and hiked a couple volcanoes. Check out my tips and recommendations below and my full day-by-day itinerary here.
Transportation
Ferries
- Pre-purchase ferry tickets online, print them out and bring them with you. When I purchased my tickets online, I was asked if I wanted to create an account to access my tickets on my phone. I thought this was a good idea, but when I tried to sign up for an account I had issues putting in my US phone number so I couldn’t validate the account. I liked having the paper tickets. But either way, definitely pre-purchase to make things easier.
Buses
- Buses were pretty easy. I took one from the Milazzo train station to the ferry terminal. I also took the bus a few times in Salina, a bus from Taormina to Catania, and one to the Catania airport. I purchased tickets either from the someone in a booth or from the driver when getting on board. I made sure I had change or small bills. I’ve been told that the buses are not reliable on Sunday’s.
- The CITIS bus schedule for Salina was posted at the bus stops. You can also find the schedule online but I learned that it didn’t exactly match the actual schedule. The bus, however, was easy to use. Just make sure you know the schedule, since it could be more than an hour between buses.
- In Catania, I took the ALIB bus from Piazza Borsellino to the Catania Airport when I was leaving Sicily. The ride only took 10-15 minutes. Figuring out which bus to take was a little confusing at first because I couldn’t find the schedule online and Google maps was giving me a lot of other bus options that didn’t look right. The hotel told me to take this bus and it worked out great.
Trains
- Trains are simple and clean. Get to the train station a bit early and buy tickets from the machine. You can choose English language. It’s helpful to look on the Rome2rio website ahead of time to know what train to take and how much it’ll cost. The machine may show you other options as well. On the train, keep your ticket handy in case the train conductor comes around to scan your ticket.
Money
- I’m all about airport ATMs to get foreign currency. You’ll need an ATM card that works internationally and preferably one that doesn’t charge you international exchange fees and that returns any ATM charge. I always get money from an ATM that is inside the terminal (before you exit the secure area). I think it’s safer so you’re less likely to get scammed or watched. On my trip to Palermo, I connected in Frankfurt and had time to wait before my next flight, so I took out 200 Euros from an ATM there.
- In total, I used about 250 Euro on my 12 day trip in Sicily, with the biggest expenses being a taxi that cost me 50 Euro and a tour which was about another 50 Euro. The rest was spent generally on smaller food items, hotel tax, and bus tickets.
Wi-Fi / Cellular
- I had decent Wi-Fi at most of the hotels and B&Bs that I stayed at but one place had Wi-Fi in the courtyard but not in my room. Another place didn’t have Wi-Fi at all. My cell plan worked in both places so I could check messages and plan the next part of my trip.
- Luckily my T-mobile cellular connection was pretty good. It was the most helpful with maps and being able to know where I was real time. I used it while walking around town, finding restaurants and sites, and getting off buses and ferries at the right stop. The only time it didn’t work was when I was hiking up Monte Fossa Felci on Salina Island and couldn’t find the summit! Check with you cellular provider before you travel.
Language
- I don’t speak Italian. All I could pretty much say was “Ciao!” Generally, I didn’t find it a problem. Most of the towns I visited expected tourists, so English at restaurants and hotels were good enough.
- I recommend having a translation app, like Google Translate. It was the most helpful with menus and signs that were in Italian. The app does an amazing job translating the words on a camera image right on your phone screen. I also used the translation app when I stayed in a B&B where the main person on-site didn’t speak English. My room was missing towels, so I typed it into my phone and showed her the translation. Note, you’ll need Wi-Fi/Cellular for real-time translations.
Bathrooms
- The bathrooms at Milazzo and Cefalu train stations are clean with large stalls and free. I believe the bathroom at the Messina train station costs 1 Euro (though I’m not quite sure because someone let me in).
- Trains have a bathroom and are a decent option.
- Bathrooms on the ferry are also a good option. I’d avoid the bathroom at the Milazzo ferry terminal. I skipped it because the stalls looked really small and there was a line.
- Bring some spare toilet paper with you. You’ll be sure to encounter a stall or two without any paper.
Clothes
- In June, the weather is hot. I normally live in a cool climate, so maybe it was worse for me, but afternoons got into the mid-80s F with no breeze. If you go higher in elevation, like Mount Etna, the temperature gets cooler.
- They generally say that Americans dress worse than Europeans. For the most part, I didn’t notice that anyone was dressed particularly nicely or fashionable in the places I visited, except in Taormina. So if you want to pack a nice summery dress and sandals, Taormina is the place to wear them.
- When traveling, I love light pants and skirts with deep pockets and/or pockets with zippers. In particular, I love pockets that can fit my phone and some cash without worrying that they could fall out or get pick pocketed. I’ve gotten some clothes from Athleta that have served me well for traveling.
- If you’re going to be active or if you’ll be carrying around a day pack, consider wearing shirts that don’t change color when wet and sweaty. I made that mistake by wearing a solid colored t-shirt and hiking up La Rocca in Cefalu. It was hot, and I was carrying around a small backpack. Before I knew it, my entire back was wet with sweat. It was quite unsightly and very obvious!
- If you’re packing light, bring clothes that can be easily washed and dried. I brought a little bit of detergent for washing a few things in the sink. I intended to find a laundromat, but then ended up washing a few things in the sink instead.
Check out my Sicily 12 Day Itinerary from Palermo to Catania!