Is Sicily Safe?
 

Probably a dumb question, but what's the crime rate in Sicily and are there concerns for traveler's beyond the usual beware of pick pockets variety? After many good train suggestions the other day we are looking to go to Italy using public transport next month.

Yes, Sicily is safe for tourists. Just be careful when in the large cities, as you would be in New York City. If you're going out at night, avoid dark, lightly travelled streets, just as in any large metropolitan area. When riding the city buses in Palermo, be careful for pickpockets. When on city sidewalks, look out for "scippatori" (young thugs on motorbikes who will snatch your purse and throw you to the ground). A money belt is safer than carrying a purse, at least in the large cities. Otherwise, Sicily can be an extremely rewarding tourist destination indeed.

Thanks. We've not usually wary but I keep reading about the heavy mafia presence and didn't know if it was a problem. We will take extra precautions regarding pickpockets. We've had that experience in other countries.

The Mafia loves tourists. They bring lots of money into the Island!!!!

You've read the usual warnings. Friends of ours lived in Catana for awhile and toured the island and had no problems. They were impressed with the Greek influence and some festivals.

Ozarksbill

We spent part of our honeymoon in Sicily - Catania, Palermo, Taormina, Agrigento, etc. We felt very safe - the place we were most aware of our surroundings was in Palermo. It is a big city, lots of traffic, and you just need to be aware like in any major city. Sicily is beautiful and well worth a visit (or many)

Okay. We are feeling better about it. We are thinking we would like to travel to Modica, but are unsure if we'd need a car. Has anyone gone there? It sounds like if we take the usual safety measure and get out of Palermo quickly we'll be fine.

Palermo is a beautiful city, so unless you're allergic to cities, there's really no need to get out of there fast. I loved it, there are lots of beautiful buildings around, and I found it a great walking city. But then again, I'm from NYC, and I've always been aware of my surroundings.

Make sure you check out the cathedral in Palermo, and the Opera House, at the very least.

Thank you for the tip. We will try to spend some time at those sights. I'm orginally from the San Francisco Bay area so not allergic to cities but now live in a rural area and have to remind myself to be aware. Did you go on to Modica?

The Mafia does not care at all about ordinary tourists. You will not notice a thing of their activities.

We didn't go to Modica but went to Noto by train from Siracusa and came back by bus. Noto is a beautiful place.

we are going to Siracusa for a week in October - staying at a new hotel - Il Parco - any suggestions for good restaurants - is the price of eating out similar to the rest of Europe? - we fould Kefalonia very very expensive in May - 16 euros for a pizza! as we are English and the £/euro rate is getting worse - that was expensive.

Any suggestion for day trips?

The Mafia have far better (or rather, worse) things to do than encourage - or even tolerate - pickpockets or petty muggings on their own doorstep.

Go to Caltanisetta, their spiritual home, and you'll find, on the surface, a model of law-abiding citizenry, with restaurants of impeccable standards and service for somewhere so ostensibly dirt-poor.

Sicily is spectacularly unsafe if you want to live there full time and behave normally, doing ordinary things like running a business without paying protection money, seeing a crime and reporting it to the police or expecting politicians to act on your behalf without a bribe.

For a tourist, though, it's close to being the safest place on the planet. Petty crime gets the place a bad name: and the men of "honour" don't like that.

You can get to Modica from Siracusa by either train or bus. You can also get to Modica by bus from Catania.

www.ferroviedellostato.it ("Trenitalia")
www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it ("AST")

I did not worry about safety during my wonderful travels through Sicily a few years ago.

mcnyc wrote: "Make sure you check out the cathedral in Palermo". IMO, the exterior of Palermo's cathedral was more impressive than the interior. On the other hand, the nearby cathedral in Monreale is spectacular, particularly the interior and cloister. It is very easy to get to by bus from Palermo.

markrosy asked about restaurants in Siracusa. I'll top my report on restaurants in Sicily (including Siracusa) and other parts of southern Italy for you.

Sicily is safe. There are Mafia there (but they don't wear badges). They live there. Maybe thats why its safe!

markrosy: Driving in and out of Siracusa is an ordeal. There is a big parking place called Tallete in Ortigia which is free during the day and cost €1 a night last October.

if you go to Noto and take the bus back to Siracusa, get off at the bus stop near the Neapolis Archeological Park (Roman theater, you'll sava a lot of time.

Prices are the same as in other Italian cities. Plenty of nice restaurants overlooking the water in Ortigia.

Thanks everyone. We're feeling safe. I've also been reading about Taormina. I understand it's not too far from Siracusa which from this thread sounds like a good place to stay. Any thoughts on including Taormina to our trip?

I would recommend Taormina. It is a beautiful hillside city that was a favorite of Goethe and D.H. Lawrence, among others. Google "Taormina" to see why. It is also very safe.

Unless you're part of the Mafia, Sicily is a pretty safe place.

What is the best way to get to PMO, through FCO first?

Fly into PMO from most major Italian airports: FCO, MXP, LIN, VRN, VCE, FLR, PSA, BLQ, NAP (and a few others).

Take the overnight ferry to Palermo from Genova, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Napoli or Salerno.

Take the daylight or overnight train to Palermo from Rome, Naples or anywhere north of Rome.

Taormina is beautiful, but it can be rather jammed with tourists during the day. Siracusa had a much more relaxed feel to me. I'm glad a spent some time in both locations. There are many discussions of the pros and cons of these 2 places on this board, so you might want to do a search.

We've been to Sicily twice. We were told just not to drive through the very rural inland parts of Sicily because they might hijack your car, etc. Well, because of the fun mistake turns we ended up inland through the magnificent countryside quite a few times. The only problem we had were the traffic jams with the goats and sheep. We stayed in Palermo once and walked the city. We were careful and very comfortable. We stayed in Taormina and as beautiful as it is it was very touristy with very expensive stores. The ruins and the views are worth the trip up for a day.

You can comfortably rent a car and drive around all of Sicily. It has regular highways and roads. This way you can stop in small villages and really enjoy the trip.

Modica was my favorite town in Sicily, and Taormina my least favorite. I like experiencing a culture less spoiled by mass tourism, and Modica is very much a Sicilian place, where tourists are still a curiousity. It has lovely baroque architecture, and great food. I had a charming inexpensive stay at a b&b called L'Orangerie, inside a beautifully restored villa. It's former kitchen is now an independent restaurant that gets many critical bravos (deservedly so).

Taormina is jammed with cruise-ship and coach tourists all the time, not just the day. I would make it a day trip to see the Greek theater - which is fantastic. Were I ever going back and wanted to stay overnight, I would head 15 minutes up the hill to Castelmora.

PS: I didn't spend any time in Palermo (not enough time) but were I that area, my priority would be to see Monreale, just outside the city, which is spectacular.

Thanks Pvoyageuse

I think the Greeks are pricing themselves out of the tourist market.

Are you bored with Sardinia or just fancied a change in Sicily?

Is Noto worth the trip ? The Baroque looks stunning but the place seems a little scruffy?

Where should we head for beaches?

Taormina comes across as cruise ship central - San Gim by the sea - not our scene we may it a miss. My parents stay there and that says everything!!! Founder members of the P & O club.

Thanks again

"Are you bored with Sardinia or just fancied a change in Sicily?"

Bored with Sardinia? Heavens no ! Will be there shortly - Gallura, Ogliastra and Barbagia this time -.
I was just adding Sicily to my collection of islands. :-)

"Is Noto worth the trip ?"
Yes, it is a beautiful place with honey colored buildings (really) but then I didn't go to Ragusa and Modica so I can't compare. Don't miss the town theater which has been completely redone.

We didn't "do" beaches in Sicily. After a summer spent here, they are the last places we want to go to. Cefalu seemed very nice though. We went from Trapani/Segeste/Erice/Marsala/Selinunte/Agrigente/Syracuse and
Noto to Cefalu where we returned the car and then to Palermo by train.

"Is Noto worth the trip ?" - I certainly thought so!

Is the scaffolding down in Noto?

I had to register for this site just to comment on this question.

I lived in Sicily for 3 years some 20 years ago and it was not a bad place then. I just got back from a month down there this past August. It has not changed aside from the fact that McDonald's, WB Theaters and large shopping malls are now there. Yes, the Mafia (La Costra Nostra) is all over Sicily. It is a way of life down there. The only reason a tourist would have cause to worry about being hit by the Mafia is if they were to dishonor one of their family members. Seeing as how that is HIGHLY unlikely, the Mafia really does NOT bother with tourists.

Tourist DO bring in money, as does the US Navy's presence down there. The more mob crime that goes on, the less the USN will let their sailors go out in town. That only means less money into the economy. So, the Mafia actually will look out for tourists and probably more so Americans.

Are there theives and thugs to watch out for? Yes, just like in any area there are going to be things to watch out for. Don't leave valuables in plain sight and in easy access when in public or in an automobile. Don't go roaming about with lots of Euro in your pocket. Plan on what you need for the day and hide a little extra in perhaps a shoe, sock or ladies..your bra. Vigilance and watching your surroundings is key in any place but to be afraid of Sicily is doing it a real disservice.

The worst place to have something stolen from you is in the Catania market which is just off of Via Etnea behind what the locals call Pigeon Square. Its a statue of Bellini and is usually full of, you guessed it, pigeons. The Catania market is croweded and full of sights, sounds and smells. It is truly a sensory overload. Hence, making it easy for you to lose track of your purse or what have you. Just stay on alert. In the three years I lived there, I never got robbed. The Carabenieri is a strong presence throughout the major cities.

Go to Sicily, enjoy it. Love it...Once you are there and over look the trash, you will see what so many others fall in love with. The people alone will make you wish to take up residence there.

Oh, and don't forget that if you do go to Catania, you must stop in at the Grand Cafe for cannoli and St. Agatha pastries. They are to die for. (that's on Via Etnea just inside the city gates.)

Ah, one other thing that you should worry about...the "tour guides" that promise you a wonderful sightseeing trip for only 45 Euro per adult. If you have a travel guide and you can read, you DO NOT need to get ripped off. These people are like tourist terrorists that come up to everyone they assume doesn't live there. They all speak "your" language and promise you no lines, secret sights..yada yada yada...there is just no need for it. I would not trust them. They bothered us when we were in Rome, Pisa, Pompeii and each city of Sicily. It was too funny when I put one of them on the spot about the history of Catania and asked her about this place and that. She didn't know what I was talking about. She was Italian, not Sicilian so she wasn't even from there nor did she know what she should have known.

Those are the real theives. Stay away from them.

We're pretty well settled on going to Sicily. (We weren't when I started this thread. At that point we planned on Capri instead, but you've all about convinced me that Sicily would be pretty cool.) We hope to see Modica, Noto, Taormina, and Siracusa. We'd be flying into Palermo and then using an Italy train pass the rest of the time before returning to Paris and back home. We're considering either a B&B in Siracusa (L'Approdo delle Sirene) or one in Modica (There seems to be many good choices there.) We have a chance for a cooking class in Siracusa one evening. Which town makes the best base? Can we get out into the country by train or will we need a car? We want to do some walking and not be totally stuck in towns. Thank you. This thread has been really helpful

You're going to need a car.

By the way, have you already bought the train pass? Usually in Italy, a train pass is not cheaper than simply buying tickets to destinations as you need them.

If you have a cooking class in the evening in Siracusa, you will not want to be driving back to Modica after it.

And one more PS, now that I re-read your post:

Walking in the Sicilian countryside is the most dangerous thing you've proposed! Not because anyone would harm you, but country roads in Sicily have no shoulders to walk on by and large, and even if they do, you will be terrified by the speed by which cars are whizzing past you.

There are many wonderful places to stroll in Sicilian towns. Slip over to Ortygia, or join the evening passegiata in any number of towns before dinnertime. Sicilian towns are not like American towns: they are filled with wonderful sights and smells and fruits growing on balconies, or olive trees just a stone's throw away. The people still live closer to their farms and nature -- but they don't go walking on the roads!

"Can we get out into the country by train or will we need a car? We want to do some walking and not be totally stuck in towns." You could take some nice short walks in the areas you plan to visit - and if you do that, you probably would not need a car. If you want to go further afield, you might need one.

I agree with zeppole that a train pass is not likely to be of much benefit to you.

"Which town makes the best base? Can we get out into the country by train or will we need a car?"

Syracuse would be an excellent base. Public transportation is very well organized in Sicily. You can reach the Baroque towns by train and by bus from Syracuse.
See www.trenitalia.it for timetable.

Interbus goes from Syracuse to Noto.
www.interbus.it/interbushtm/homepage.asp

AST goes from Syracuse to Modica and Raguse
http://www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it/

You actually don't need (or even want) a car if you're planning to limit your stay in Sicily to the main cities, which also include those listed by you: Palermo, Siracusa, Taormina, Noto and Modica. A car will be a big liability for this itinerary, indeed almost totally worthless. A car would also be unnecessary if you extended your visit to include Trapani, Erice, Marsala, Mazara, Selinunte, Agrigento, Cefalu, Messina, Catania and the Aeolian Islands.

I checked FCO-PMO fares for May and Sept/Oct and they were like $600 almost. Pretty high hurdle, as I was looking at using an award ticket but Delta has no awards to Sicily so I'd have to pay to get to Sicily from Italy (probably FCO).

Yeah with ZTL and the talk of narrow roads (are they like Amalfi Coast narrow, meaning cars in opposite direction must slow down on some turns or one must back up to let the other through?) sounds like driving would be aggravating.

Of course, if you try to fit a trip in 1-week or say 12 full days not counting transit to and from Sicily, public transport may not let you reach as many places.