Driving in Sicily & Other Sicily Travel Tips
Driving in Sicily is an adventure all of its own. In many of the posts you’ll read about visiting Sicily, you’ll see significant mention of what it’s like driving there—and it’s all true!
Don’t let that deter you, though. Sure, driving in Sicily can be exciting at best and certainly nerve-wracking. However, the best way to navigate the island and see multiple spots is by car.
Can you do it? Sure! Just ensure you’re prepared for all the fun and craziness driving in Sicily.
Here are the top tips for driving in Sicily, including what to expect when you venture down this path. And, since Sicily is such a fun and unique place, I’m also including some general Sicily travel tips so you’re prepared for this fun adventure!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
Driving in Sicily
You’ll find it all in Sicily, from tight curves over steep drop-offs to navigating elevation on busy roads with a manual transmission to aggressive drivers and challenging parking (and driving!) rules.
It’s not an easy place to drive. But if you are open to a challenge, it’s a fun part of the adventure!
You’ll need to brush up on your driving with a stick shift to navigate Sicily by car! You may find an automatic transmission car, though it’s equally likely you won’t. (And you’ll pay a premium if you find one!)
Sicily Driving Tips
So, you’ve decided you’re up for the fun of driving in Sicily! Good for you!
If you’re iffy on a manual transmission, no worries! You’ll be expert-level once you leave the island. Given the terrain and other drivers, you’ll likely experience everything you can imagine driving in Sicily.
Here are the Sicily driving tips based on what we saw when navigating the island.
1. Get used to people driving while talking on the phone
It seems that almost everyone in Sicily talks on the phone while driving. I’d venture a guess and say that at least a third of the drivers we saw had their phones in hand.
It’s especially interesting, given that most cars have manual shifts. This happened on highways and city streets. People sometimes stopped in the middle of the road because they were on the phone and couldn’t shift gears.
More than once, someone backed up before us and then sat there to finish their call. They were in the middle of the road, but that didn’t bother them any.
We saw people talking while driving on narrow, winding roads that left us breathless. Sicilians have a tougher constitution!
2. Don’t rely entirely on Google Maps
Google Maps sent us on some wild driving escapades while in Sicily, and not in a good way! One time it tried to take us through a gated community. That itself wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was a one-way street leading to it!
My friend calls Google Maps “the lady” as the lady’s voice she uses for directions. Quite a few times, she cursed “the lady” during our Western Sicily road trip.
Trying to turn around on a narrow one-way street in a manual-shift car with traffic was an experience—but that wasn’t even the most harrowing!
You do not want to drive through the old town area of Agrigento. You’re best parking and walking.
But we had to find a place to park near our apartment, so we made our way in. We found ourselves on really tight but shocking two-lane roads where two cars could barely fit.
Meanwhile, “the lady” was trying to send us downstairs through gates and the like. We finally hit our max with “the lady” when she sent us to a dead end at a gate. We had to back up the car around a bend on a steep hill, navigating cars coming down.
My friend executed a spectacular twenty-point turn without even a tap—only a few pissed-off Sicilian drivers impatiently waiting. So, do yourself a favor and use Google Maps, but be cautious of “the lady.”
She also took us into an airport where we had to pay to drive through. Thanks, lady!
Last, Google Maps doesn’t always match the road. Many times, it told us to take the second turn off a roundabout when, in fact, it was the third, or vice versa. We also found that the roads didn’t show in some rural areas.
3. Speed limits are a suggestion
The speed limits in much of Sicily are quite ridiculous. Maybe it’s not my place to say, but they are!
We often found the speed limits on straight-aways were 50 km (31 mph). We might be driving 110 km, but people were always flying past at much faster speeds. This was the case on straight roads, especially hairpin winding curves.
4. Stop signs are a suggestion
Just like speed limits seem to be a suggestion in Sicily and are rarely enforced, so are stop signs. Perhaps all street signs should be suggestions? However, they do seem to be very interested in parking signs—more to follow.
Generally, you’ll see people sail right through stop signs. At most, you might see someone give a quick brake tap when there’s one. Unless there’s a lot of congestion with stop-and-go traffic (and even then…), you likely won’t see people stop at the signs.
5. Familiarize yourself with the game of chicken
The more aggressive driver wins when you arrive at a turn or a stop sign. As I mentioned, people don’t tend to stop at stop signs, or at most, you’ll see a brief tap of the brakes.
If a car comes from the other direction, whoever goes first seems to have the right of way. People seem to pull out far for a turn, then stop short—sometimes, or they may just continue driving.
It takes a day or two to get the feel of it, but you’ll find yourself driving a bit more aggressively as you feel more confident. Just make sure you’re always alert!
6. Driving is an exciting adventure
Many of the roads you’ll drive in western Sicily (and throughout!) are impressively narrow and winding. Some don’t seem to allow for two cars, yet you’ll see them whipping around the curves at you.
And these roads have some steep drop-offs. They make for some incredible views but exciting drives.
Grab a cafe or doppio (double), buckle your seatbelt, and have fun. It’ll be quite an exciting ride!
7. Parking is sometimes paid outside of siesta
The idea of siesta is alive and well in much of Spain and Italy, and Sicily often follows it. You’ll see parking signs with parking from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
8. Parking rules
Speaking of parking, it’s important to know where you’re allowed to park. Spots are often marked with white, yellow, and blue paint.
Blue paint indicates paid parking. You need to find the meter, which may be by the parking spot or up the road a ways.
Yellow spots are typically for handicapped people, so most cannot park there. White spots are unpaid spots where anyone can park.
Also, be careful in some cities as they do street cleaning at night. The specific days of the week and times are marked on a sign on the street. So, you may find a white parking spot (yay!), but you may still get a ticket if you park during street cleaning times.
8. Beware the speed traps
If you notice a small box in the side of the road with a glass area, it’s likely a speed trap. The box is built to track speeds and there is a camera in it.
9. Familiarize yourself with driving around roundabouts
Whether you call them roundabouts, circles, rotaries, or something else, you’ll find a lot of these in Sicily. Some large ones have many exits, and some have only two or three.
As you may expect, given some of the tips you already have about driving, typical road rules don’t necessarily apply. Generally speaking, the driver in the circle has the right of way. Seems easy enough, right?
Well, in Sicily, it’s more of a free-for-all. Wait too long to enter, and you’ll get honked at (and may hear some choice Sicilian slang). Make sure you feel safe enough and go.
10. Parking expectations
Driving is a fun challenge in Sicily, not just due to other drivers. Add even parked cars to that list!
If a car doesn’t fit in a parking spot, they may just park perpendicular to the curb! We saw this often in Palermo but occasionally in other areas too.
When you’re driving, you’ll have to weave around the narrow roads in Palermo, dodging driving cars, pedestrians, and parked cars, too! Your best bet is not to have a car in Palermo. You’re welcome!
11. Highway numbers are not posted
Google Maps may know the highway numbers, but you usually won’t know them as a driver! They were posted anywhere that we could see.
Instead, you’ll see cities posted. So you’ll head towards Palermo, Trapani, etc. Make sure you orient yourself with the map and are familiar with the general direction you’re going in.
This becomes especially challenging because there are usually multiple cities listed. So, you may see five to seven cities and towns all stacked on a sign, and there may be multiple signs near each other, like when you drive around a roundabout (or a circle, or rotary, depending on where you’re from).
12. Be careful of mopeds
There are many mopeds in Sicily. Like cars, they drive where they want, when they want. But given their size, they can fit in spaces that cars can’t.
They will drive between cars on highways on the lane markers and weave in and out between them. They’ll also pass cars, even when a car comes from another direction.
Just as you would anywhere, keep a close eye on mopeds. Especially so in Sicily.
13. Roads without lines
If a road or highway has no lines marking the lanes, it becomes a bit of a free-for-all. That probably won’t surprise you by now!
This is the case even when there are lines. Just remember that if a car (or moped) can fit in a space, it will try to, and drive accordingly.
14. Passing is common
No matter how fast you drive in Sicily, another car (or cars!) is driving faster. When cars plan to pass you, they pull up close to your bumper towards the left.
You might even find them squeezing in between cars to pass. Sicilians will pass multiple cars and trucks, even while there is oncoming traffic.
So, be sure you’re awake and aware when driving in Sicily. You might just find headlights pointing directly at you, requiring some quick maneuvers!
15. Get the smallest car possible
No matter how much luggage you have, try to go with the smallest car you can. This is especially so in cities to make it a little easier to navigate, but even in rural areas.
It’s not a good idea to leave luggage in the car anywhere if you can help it. But you especially don’t want it loaded up in the back seat. Make sure you go light enough that you can get it in the trunk or under the cover if you get a car with a hatch in the back.
You might think getting a big car will make you feel safer, but it’s often the opposite. A bigger car not only uses more gas, which is expensive here, but it is also tougher to navigate.
16. Beware Traffico Limitado Areas
Limited traffic zone areas, called Traffico Limitado in Sicily, are found in Palermo. They run through the city’s historic center, and if you’re driving, you must be aware of them!
You’ll see these signs throughout many European cities, and they are prevalent in Palermo, Sicily. This restricted area limits non-residents and unauthorized vehicles from driving.
If you see the sign with the large red circle, turn around and head in another direction. They patrol the area, and you will get a ticket for driving there.
Other Tips for Visiting Sicily
Driving is certainly an adventure in Sicily, but some other tips are helpful to know before you visit.
1. Don’t expect personal space
As you travel more, you’ll notice that personal space varies greatly between regions and even between countries worldwide.
In my experience, Italy tends to be fairly close to space. When people talk to or pass by you, they tend to go in closer, and often closer than I feel comfortable with.
As an American, I stepped back when talking with people to give them some space. When I stood in lines, I’d start to twitch a bit, as there was little space to be found.
When walking down the street, I often danced around a bit to avoid walking directly in the path of someone approaching me. Even still, it almost felt as if they were walking directly at me.
Of course, these things aren’t unique to Sicily or even Italy. But it’s worth noting so you’re prepared when you go.
2. Conversations are often loud
My friend and I from Germany had many good laughs about this one. More times than I can count, we’d see two people engaged in conversation at what seemed at the top of their lungs.
Often, they seemed to be completely yelling at each other! Their hands were waving around while they spoke, which is another thing you’ll notice—people in Sicily are quite vibrant relative to other parts of the world.
My German friend shrugged the first time and said, “They are probably just talking about the weather.” That may be true, as it was frequent!
The time of day doesn’t seem to impact the volume, as we heard these conversations all day and night. It didn’t matter if people walked under your window after midnight on a hot night.
3. Expect to see a lot of gesturing
Not only are Sicilians loud and proud, but they also use their hands when talking. They use them even when not talking.
Sicilians are very expressive overall—much like Italians, but even more so. They have a hand gesture to accompany any mood and anything they want to say. You’ll see them waving their hands a lot.
It takes some getting used to, but it’s entertaining. You’ll usually know where you stand with a Sicilian!
4. Order a “cafe” for espresso
If you want to experience Sicilian coffee, go with espresso instead of an Americano (traditional drip-style coffee). When you order it, simply get a “cafe.”
Don’t expect any large, steaming cups of java, though. And if in the US you see espresso as a thimble, you’ll be sadly disappointed when you see Sicilian espresso, which is maybe half of that.
In the US, for what we consider an espresso shot, you need to order a doppio (double). You can try to order a doppio-doppio, but I wouldn’t bother. I tried that several times and got many incredulous looks with a single doppio.
5. Cappuccino is a breakfast drink
Traveling more means, you’ll learn that white athletic sneakers generally brand you as an American. Europeans can spot tourists easily by their footwear.
In Sicily, you’ll also be identified by your choice of coffee. Sicilians often drink cappuccino in the morning but don’t tend to drink it later in the day.
They will have an espresso or a cappuccino for breakfast and another later in the day.
6. Salad toppings are different
The traditional salad toppings in Sicily are olive oil and salt. Generally speaking, if you want balsamic, you need to ask for it.
You may find salad dressings at some touristy places, but many don’t. You may need to ask for them if you want to see if they have them, as the waiter often won’t offer them.
Some places also provide white vinegar with a salad, which is interesting. And not all places do have balsamic. Get used to eating salad a little differently.
7. Requesting the check
In most places in Europe, you must request the check. The waitstaff won’t automatically bring it to you when you’re done eating, as they often do in the US to encourage people to leave.
If you don’t know the Italian for the check (il conto), you must rub your fingers together to request it. If you raise your hand and nod at the waiter as you might in the US to indicate you’re ready for the check, the waiter will likely come to the table to ask what you want.
8. Sicily often enjoys a siesta
The tradition of siesta is alive and well in Sicily. You’ll find it in Spain and the rest of Italy as well.
In Sicily, places often close between 1 and 3 p.m. You’ll want to consider this when you plan your day. This includes heavily touristed areas, museums and the like.
Even if you’re already in a place, you’ll be ushered out for siesta and welcomed back when they open later. So, if you find a place closed to a siesta, don’t go right before one expecting to be able to stay.
9. Get ready for courses at meals
Like the rest of Italy, Sicilians often eat multiple courses for their meals. Restaurants often offer three, four, and even five-course meal offerings.
Save some room before going out to eat, and try it! Get a salad, a pasta dish, and an entree. Then, if you still have the room, dessert.
10. Bring on the fish
Since Sicily is an island, you’ll find abundant fresh fish everywhere you go. All of it is incredible and worth eating if you like fish.
You’ll find a wide assortment of fresh fish. Many cities on the water have fish markets where you can see the fishermen bringing in the fresh catch every morning.
There were lots of fish I had never heard of before, but that didn’t stop me. I didn’t have anything I thoroughly enjoyed!
11. You must try aranchini
Arancina is a traditional staple in Sicily. If you’ve enjoyed them in the US, be prepared for them to be quite a bit bigger in Sicily. They are a size that fits in the palm of your hand, and one is a good-sized meal.
There are aranchina restaurants that serve them as the highlight in many different interesting flavors. Truly, they are nothing like what I’ve had in the US!
Something important to note is that they are called something different in the West or the East of Sicily. And it’s a bit of a hot button there! And you will be corrected for calling it the wrong way and loudly!
In Western Sicily, it is called “aranchina” for one and “aranchini” for the plural. In the East, “aranchino” and the plural is aranchini.” Core to the argument is whether the word is female (West Sicily) or male (East Sicily.)
If you get it wrong, you may be corrected. I got a very stern lecture about calling it “aranchine” in Palermo. “No! No! Aranchina. Aranchina. No aranchine.”
12. Try a traditional Sicilian breakfast
As you’ll find in much of Italy, a traditional breakfast in Sicily is generally sweet.
Typically in Sicily, you’ll find little toasts (small white bread squares that are crunchy) with jelly or a pastry like a croissant. Croissants are traditionally filled with pistachio cream or Nutella, though you’ll find others. Sometimes you’ll see jelly.
Grab a cafe or a cappuccino with a cornetto (croissant), and you have a traditional Sicilian breakfast.
13. Visit Sicily in the shoulder seasons
Get it right and enjoy. These are amazing, and for this alone, you’ll want to return.
Summers are very busy in Sicily, especially in August. Much of Europe vacations in August, so the island and the beaches are packed then.
If you want to go when the weather is generally wonderful but the crowds are thinner, try May or October. May is usually lush, green, and warm.
Of course, there’s always a contrast to the rule, and when we went in May, we got a bunch of wet and cool days. But generally speaking, May is a great bet.
14. Bring a water filter
There’s really no way to say it except that the water tasted awful in Sicily. It may be clean enough for drinking, but you won’t want to drink much of it.
Bring a water filter or a water filtration bottle when you go. Sure, you can buy bottled water everywhere, but it’s good for the environment to reduce your use of single-use plastic when you can. This is an easy one to do!
I love this one as it compacts to the size of the filter. And since it’s flexible, you can use it to squeeze water into other bottles.
I have used it on many trips and can’t rave about it enough!
Heed These Sicily Travel Tips for a Great Time!
I fell in love with Sicily for its rugged beauty, incredible cities and landscapes, and the people. It’s not a “starter” country for travel, and if you’re prepared, you’ll have an amazing time.
Armed with these Sicily tips about driving in Sicily and what you can expect in general, you’ll be prepared for anything!
You Might Also Like
- Segesta Archaeological Park—All You Need to Visit the Segesta Ruins in Sicily
- Selinunte Archaeological Park—Visit the Selinunte Greek Ruins in Sicily
- Marsala Salt Pans—Why You Should Visit & What to Expect
- 8 Top Things to Do in Cefalù in One Day
- Marsala, Sicily—Top Things to See & Do in Two Days
- Valley of the Temples, Sicily—All You Need to Know to Visit
- Western Sicily Itinerary—The Perfect 14-Day Sicily Road Trip
- Top 10 Amazing Things to Do in Palermo, Sicily
Like it? Pin it!
