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General Information on SicilyCRIME & SAFETY In Sicily as any other tourist destination you have to be sensible with personal security. The biggest threat is in the larger towns and cities from purse snatchers and pick pockets. You should always guard your personal belongings carefully and avoid quiet deserted streets at night. Do not leave valuables on show in your hired vehicles and ensure that they are locked when you are not in attendance. Those worried about an encounter with the Mafia like something out of a gangster film should be reassured that this is very unlikely. Although the Mafia does still exist on the Island they are now very much in the back ground and do not have any interest in tourists. EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS. The most important numbers are: Police 113 Ambulance 118 Fire Brigade 115 Road Assistance 116 AutoStada ( motorway ) SOS 1515 In a general crisis, call the Carabinieri ( military-trained police force ) on 112 DRIVING Driving in Sicilian towns is not for the faint hearted. Hiring a car however is the best way to get around and see the sights of the Island. If you are sensible and avoid the larger towns during busy rush hours, think ahead regarding parking and planning your route you can use the car without too much undue stress. Driving is on the right in Sicily as in the rest of mainland Italy. The speed limit is 50 km/h ( 31 mph) in towns and cities, 90 km/h ( 56 mph ) on main and local roads. On the “autostrade” the limit is 130 km/h ( 81 mph). The use of seatbelts and shoes when driving is compulsory. Do not be surprised however if the local drivers ignore all of these limits and driving laws, as a Sicilian driver once said “ To us, road signs are just an opinion” Fuel Petrol as in the rest of Europe is becoming more and more expensive. Unleaded petrol “benzina sensa piombo” and diesel “gasolio” are available at 24hr garages on the “autostrade” and during normal opening hours in other petrol stations. Stations are often manned by attendants who will operate the pumps for you. Just state the amount of euros of fuel you require or “ pieno, per favour” (Please fill it up ) for a full tank. Some of these stations have automated pumps which can be operated out of hours using a bank card or cash in an adjacent machine. Care should be taken with these machines as it is not unheard of for them to swallow your cash and with no attendant it is difficult to recover your money. Please ensure when using notes that they are not crumpled as the machine will not accept them. At all times you should ensure that the pumps are set at zero before delivery commences to ensure you only pay for your fuel and not the previous customers as well. HIGHWAYS AND TOLLS. The tolls on the “autostrade” are very cheap compared to other countries. Generally there are only tolls on the coastal motorways and the cross country motorway from Catania to the North coast is without any tolls. However in the last few years the traffic has started to leave its mark on this motorway as the joints situated every 100m or so on the elevated sections are starting to give drivers an uncomfortable bump each time they cross. Damaged areas of tarmac rather than being repaired are more often than not just coned off for months at a time and repaired when time and finances allow. HEALTH. Sicily poses no specific health risks. It is easy to get a prescription in towns and cities, see below. If in need of a hospital the easiest place to visit is the " pronto socorsso". This is the emergency department and will treat you for any complaints, however be prepared to wait if you have a minor complaint. Visitors should ensure they have adequate health insurance cover, either supplied by your national health scheme, such as in UK or by a private insurance policy. If you are admitted to a hospital as an in patient, even as an accident and emergency case, you will be required to pay. Be prepared to pay the bills upfront but keep all receipts and paperwork to claim back against your policy when you get home. BANKS. The main bank on the Island is the BANCO DI SICILIA (bank of Sicily) where you will find an ATM machine. (Cash dispensing machine). There are many other banks but look out for cooperative banks where it isn’t possible to withdraw with bank cards. Also remember if you are going into a bank for any transaction, to bring your passport with you. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 08:30 to 13:30. Not all banks are opened in the afternoon. CHEMIST You may find more than one chemist (farmacia) even in the little towns. In that case over weekends they take it in turn to open. Opening hours are 09:00-13:00, afternoon 16:00 – 20:00. POST OFFICE There is a post office in the majority of towns in Sicily (POSTA). You may find yourself queuing for a long time just to get to the counter and find out there are no stamps (this happens frequently in summer months!). It's best to go to the nearest tobacconists (tabacchi) which are easily recognisable by a black sign with a white “T”. Post boxes are located around the towns, letters to foreign destinations are to be placed in the portal marked “per tutte le altri destinazioni”. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 08:15 to 08:30 – 13:00, on the last day of the month the opening hours are 08:30 to 12:00. SUPERMARKETS The Sicilian version of a supermarket is what we would call a supermercato, and you will find they have a good assortment of foods, and are usually very friendly to tourists and offer tasting of local produce such as cheese, salami etc... , it's possible to find a really good selection of Sicilian wines at a reasonable price .Teenagers can also buy alcohol in these shops. Cigarettes are not sold in supermarkets or small Alimentari (grocery stores). Cigarettes can be purchased in the Tabac (Tabacchi) shops. INTERNET There are more and more internet cafés springing up all over Sicily. These are mostly located in the larger towns, cities and airports but the easiest way to track them down is to either check at the local tourist office or local hotels. Most are reasonably priced and you can have a coffee or glass of wine whilst you surf the net and keep in touch with the rest of the world. TELEPHONES Mobile phones are becoming the norm but there are still a good coverage of public pay phones in Sicily. They will either accept "scheda telefonica" ( phone card ) or "soldi" ( coins ). Phone numbers in Sicily range from 4 to 8 numbers depending on location. Always remember to include the local code even if in the same local area. International dialling codes are as below: USA and Canada 00 1 UK 00 44 Ireland 00 353 Australia 00 61 New Zealand 00 64 Carta telefonica internationale ( International phone cards ) are very good value when dialling abroad To dial from abroad Sicily is part of the Italian network so therefore 00 39 should be dialled before the number. TIME Sicily is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and two hours ahead during the daylight saving period ( which goes into effect in Italy each year from the end of March to the end of September ). TIPPING In hotels service charges and tax will automatically be added to your bill. Some larger restaurants will also add a service charge. If a charge is not included a tip left on the table is always appreciated and will be shared between the restaurant staff. All restaurants and shops are required to give customers official receipts even for small items. TOILETS There are few public toilets in Sicily, those that exist are located at the airports and railway stations. Those you will probably use will be in bars and restaurants that you visit. You should of course buy at least a coffee for the pleasure however. To ask for the toilet, “Il bagno?” or “Dove sono i gabinetti?” will get you directed in the right direction. TOURIST INFORMATION. Local tourist offices are always a good source of local information and can provide local maps and information. Be careful to ensure you visit during opening hours in the morning or afternoon as often the smaller offices are shut out of these times. The Madonie National Park has several offices in the Park which have a good selection of maps and local information. Walking maps however are now in shortly supply with only individual walking routes on smaller maps available. The internet is becoming a much more widely used source of information with most cities and towns having their own websites. Most have an English translation of the site other wise a certain amount of guesswork is required to navigate the pages by the non Italian speaker. Your accommodation will also have a selection of local leaflets which will give ideas of places to visit. If you require any information for specific trips you can of course contact Sicilian Gems and we will provide any information you require. ELECTRICITY. Domestic electric voltage is 50 Hz 220V, as in the rest of Europe. The plugs have two round prongs and electrical items from abroad will need an adapter to convert to this socket. Visitors from outside Europe may well need a transformer and should check before travel if bringing their own appliances. In Sicilian apartments and property there is often a problem with the loading on the systems. Do not be surprised if you operate the washing machine, the toaster and the cooker at the same time and the power trips off at the mains. There is a trick to planning your usage so that you only have one high voltage item on at any one time. WATER. Sicilians generally drink bottled water which is cheap and readily available. It is normally advisable for the visitor to do the same although domestic water is generally drinkable. Unsafe water sources are marked “acqua non potabile” and you will be advised if the supply in your apartment is so. Generally if there is any doubt it is best to be safe than sorry. Local towns have public drinking fountains which are generally safe to drink but again caution is required. Water shortages are becoming an issue on the island in the summer and conservation of water is essential. Take care to turn off taps, take showers not baths and to restrict unnecessary washing of cars and garden watering. |
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