yestravel

Been twice to Sicily with husband driving and me navigating. My advice is to be aware of small towns. That's where we got jammed up. All of a sudden the road wouLd turn one way and it was difficult to turn around. A stick made it more difficult. My husband did just fine, (he drives a stick at home) not sure I would have done as well. The highways were not crowded at all. As someone said driving in Palmero is just heavy traffic and moves slowly...not difficult at all if you if you are used to driving in traffic.

I am always puzzled by all the warnings about driving in foreign countries. If you are from a small town I can understand the concern, but otherwise, take it easy, go at the speed you are comfortable and relax. Today with God it's easier than ever. Have a great trip!

kja

@ yestravel -- Good point about the entrances to small towns, but BYH, I think that was supposed to be G<U>S</U>D?

Not that it matters, but I FAR prefer the control that I get with a manual transmission to that available with an automatic. JMO.

Leely2

shellio, my car today isn't manual transmission, but we rented an Alfa Romeo Giulia manual in Sicily--great fun to drive. I doubt, based on what you've said above, that the stick shift will be any bother for you.

I suspect we took different routes than what you will be driving, but FWIW very little of the drive to Piazza Armerina from Modica was curvy/mountainous. Most was slightly hilly, but with long, slow inclines and descents. Our routes were: Palermo-Agrigento (via Segesta), Agrigento-Modica, Modica-Piazza Armerina, and Modica-Siracusa (via back routes).

I was the sole driver and it really wasn't that bad anywhere. We didn't have a GPS that trip so got lost a lot.

kja

Also caught by autocorrect. Try: GPS.

IMDonehere

Besides driving up Etna avoid going to Enna. You will not like that drive.

shellio

Thanks Leely2, that's good information.

IMDonehere, I had read that and have no intention of going through the central mountainous areas. Piazza Armerina is about it. Although, as I look at a map, it appears there is a major highway, A19, between Catania and Enna. Just out of curiosity, are you referring to that, or to smaller roads?

Everywhere else we'll be is pretty much hugging the coast. From Menfi we will take the A29 up to Palermo and leave the car at the airport before our stay in the city.

I appreciate all your responses.

sandralist

>>"Although i rather think that asking Sicilians about driving issues might not be as helpful as asking a more general audience."<<

I know that you are not being serious, but do want to say that in general one will find that Italians and Sicilians are rather over-protective of tourists. When I picked up my car in Catania, the rental office desk clerk warned me about Sicilian driving habits. Staying in Agrigento, I mentioned to our b&b hosts that we were thinking of driving an off-beat route to Monreale, and they shook their heads and told us not to, feeling it was too backwater and insular. It is Sicilians who will tell you Palermo is dangerous and foreigners shouldn't drive there, not Americans.

So I think if by the time you get to Noto you are still worried about this problem, your hosts will give you maximum cautious advice.

progol

Thanks for posting, shellio. This is helpful for our upcoming trip, too.

Whathello

We drove in Sicily some years back with a Panda Fiat. Didn't have any problems and we were very young drivers.

Quite some years back ... Sicilians are not that bad drivers. The worst for me in Europe are the Greeks. By far.

shellio

Progol, it really is a shame we'll miss each other by only a week or so. Would have been fun to compare experiences.

annhig

Quite some years back ... Sicilians are not that bad drivers. The worst for me in Europe are the Greeks. By far.>>

whatthello - you bring back memories of the time, many years ago, when we picked up a hire car in Chania. I drove, and DH interpreted the road signs using the knowledge of greek lettering that he'd gleaned from his maths degree.

Never again.

annhig

such a shame you won't meet, Shellio and Progol.

I shall definitely look out for your TRs.

progol

I have to agree - there are several of us going around the same time, but I don't think our routes overlap. Well, we'll compare notes after -- which will benefit you, annhig!

kja

"DH interpreted the road signs using the knowledge of greek lettering that he'd gleaned from his maths degree. "

BYH, annhig! But you survived it and so did your marriage. Says a lot!

progol

Funny, annhig, my DH and I had quite the challenge driving on Crete, too, though with us, the problem was the lack of clarity. If I recall, signs are in English, for the most part, as well as Greek, but they come rarely or are placed in such a way that they don't make any sense. Like an arrow that isn't clearly showing which direction to go. Or arrows pointing in both directions when the road splits!

While leaving Chania on the way to the south, we ended up in a tiny town - I mean, tiny! - and the car got stuck between 2 buildings on either side of a tiny, one-way street. An English artist, an ex-pat, ended up guiding us out. And we got there, somehow, because the signs were so unclear.

annhig

While leaving Chania on the way to the south, we ended up in a tiny town - I mean, tiny! - and the car got stuck between 2 buildings on either side of a tiny, one-way street>>

progol, we ended up on a road along the south coast of Crete which existed only in the imagination of the map makers! the only way our car [and we] survived the experience was because it was a Renault 4 which had very high clearance, so it managed to negotiate the huge stones and boulders which the road builders had so kindly left to mark our way.

it was the sort of thing that you only do when you are young and daft.

shellio

annhig, I blog when I travel. Will post the link when we are on the road. We'll have two weeks in Venice before Sicily.

I had planned to take an Italian class while in Venice (sound familiar?) but have decided against it as we want to take several day trips and don't want to be constrained by class commitments.

annhig

that's great, shellio - I will look out for the link.

shame about deciding against the Italian course, but if I were there with DH, I'd probably make the same decision. you could of course try to schedule some private classes:

http://www.istitutovenezia.com/indiv...ge-course.html

just an idea!

shellio

annhig, I'm continuing my private classes at home until we leave and may have the congiuntivo under my belt by then. It has not escaped my attention however that Veneziano and Siciliano may leave me scratching my head much of the time.

annhig

I'm continuing my private classes at home until we leave and may have the congiuntivo under my belt by then>>

To be honest, shellio, I've yet to come across a situation outside the classroom where I've really needed the conjunctivo, but I admire your carrying on with it. IME the few remaining Venetians in Venice who speak Veneziano switch to Italian to converse with us foreigners and I'm anticipating the same happening in Sicily. I suspect that the main problem will be my italian, not their dialect!