Sicily Tips
- Thread starter Westrow3
- Start date
We did a short trip to Sicily last year at a similar time of the year. We only decided to go to Sicily at the very last minute because the forecast for Croatia, our intended destination, was poor. Consequently, our trip planning was all done on the ferry down to Palermo and so not very fully researched.
Overall we thought it was a great trip. It’s a very pretty island with much more cultural interest than Corsica or Sardinia. The roads and driving were generally OK - apart from the scooters in Palermo. On our bikes there was more close passing than we are used to in France. We never felt unsafe in any of the places we stopped or explored. We would definitely go back as we have left a lot still to see.
We sailed on the GNV Spirit from Genoa to Palermo. This boat is ex Brittany Ferries. It’s fine if a wee bit tired. There wasn’t much deck space to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and we were glad we had brought our own chairs. We had got lucky with our last minute booking in that we got a massive corner state room for the price of a normal outside cabin.The catering aboard was limited because it was early in the season. Disembarkation in Palermo was chaotic - which isn’t unusual for Mediterranean ferries, and wasn’t helped by a very steep ramp which caused some vehicles with long overhangs to ground.
We were out of the port gates and into Palermo’s evening traffic ! I turned left from the port straight into a LEZ which has never been followed up. We stopped at Camper Green Car aire (€12.50/night) which is only 4km from the port. It’s a car park surrounded by apartment blocks. The owner lives on the premises and it felt safe. It was also surprisingly quiet. The next day we were able to walk into the City centre.
From Palermo we travelled round the island to Messina in an anti-clockwise direction. Our first stop was at Camping Lily Beo Village in Contrada Bambina (near Marsala). This was an excellent campsite with good facilities - (€22.50/night with ACSI). From the campsite we cycled through the salt pans (on the Salt Road) to Marsala and then on to Trapani for lunch (90kms round trip and delightfully flat). It would not have been a problem to take the ‘van along the Salt Road. There is plenty of parking, including at the vineyards.
Our next stop was at Punta Piccolo Park, Porto Empedocle. This is a more basic sosta (€23/night) on a lovely beach which we walked along to the Scala de Turchie cliffs. The next morning we drove up to The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. Unwittingly we had turned up on free entry day - the first Sunday of the month. There was no chance of getting into the car park and so we parked on waste land next to a filling station 1.5km back down the road to Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples is spectacular and well worth the visit.
Our next stop was at Camping La Spiaggetta in Sampieri. Again a nice campsite (€27/night) at the beach where we did not very much for a couple of days.
Next, we visited Noto. We parked outside the town in a large car park for tour buses next to municipal type offices. Easy and free parking if a bit of a walk into the town. Google had a more direct path from the car park to the town but it was overgrown and we had to turn back. Noto, again was well worth a visit. We spent the night at Camping Oasis Park Falconara in Lido de Noto (€23.50/night). This is a small campsite with all the facilities we needed including a bread van in the morning. The pitches would be small in peak season; in the shoulder season everyone was given a double pitch. We had a bit of trouble avoiding a low bridge (we are only 2.65m) on the short drive from Noto to the campsite and had to do a three point turn.
Our plan was then to head for Etna and camp at the top car park. However, the weather was poor and so we headed straight for Camping La Focetta Sicula at Saint Alessio Sicula. This campsite is a bit dilapidated but we were seafront and perfectly happy (€23/night with metered electricity). We used this site as a base to visit Taormina by bike - a bracing 500m ascent. Taormina is lovely. I think there was also a sosta on the road up to Taormina, much closer to the town than where we were staying.
From there we headed to Messina, into Italy and then from Bari across to Dubrovnik.
Our only stop on the Amalfi coast was at Camping Nube d’Argento which is an upmarket terraced campsite (€44/night) set above Grande Marini. It is an easy walk into Sorrento from where you can also catch ferries to Positano and Capri. The campsite entrance is interesting and there is advice on which direction is best for an approach. My ‘van is only 6.4m and so I got in from the “wrong” side without any trouble.
Have a great and safe trip.
Overall we thought it was a great trip. It’s a very pretty island with much more cultural interest than Corsica or Sardinia. The roads and driving were generally OK - apart from the scooters in Palermo. On our bikes there was more close passing than we are used to in France. We never felt unsafe in any of the places we stopped or explored. We would definitely go back as we have left a lot still to see.
We sailed on the GNV Spirit from Genoa to Palermo. This boat is ex Brittany Ferries. It’s fine if a wee bit tired. There wasn’t much deck space to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and we were glad we had brought our own chairs. We had got lucky with our last minute booking in that we got a massive corner state room for the price of a normal outside cabin.The catering aboard was limited because it was early in the season. Disembarkation in Palermo was chaotic - which isn’t unusual for Mediterranean ferries, and wasn’t helped by a very steep ramp which caused some vehicles with long overhangs to ground.
We were out of the port gates and into Palermo’s evening traffic ! I turned left from the port straight into a LEZ which has never been followed up. We stopped at Camper Green Car aire (€12.50/night) which is only 4km from the port. It’s a car park surrounded by apartment blocks. The owner lives on the premises and it felt safe. It was also surprisingly quiet. The next day we were able to walk into the City centre.
From Palermo we travelled round the island to Messina in an anti-clockwise direction. Our first stop was at Camping Lily Beo Village in Contrada Bambina (near Marsala). This was an excellent campsite with good facilities - (€22.50/night with ACSI). From the campsite we cycled through the salt pans (on the Salt Road) to Marsala and then on to Trapani for lunch (90kms round trip and delightfully flat). It would not have been a problem to take the ‘van along the Salt Road. There is plenty of parking, including at the vineyards.
Our next stop was at Punta Piccolo Park, Porto Empedocle. This is a more basic sosta (€23/night) on a lovely beach which we walked along to the Scala de Turchie cliffs. The next morning we drove up to The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. Unwittingly we had turned up on free entry day - the first Sunday of the month. There was no chance of getting into the car park and so we parked on waste land next to a filling station 1.5km back down the road to Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples is spectacular and well worth the visit.
Our next stop was at Camping La Spiaggetta in Sampieri. Again a nice campsite (€27/night) at the beach where we did not very much for a couple of days.
Next, we visited Noto. We parked outside the town in a large car park for tour buses next to municipal type offices. Easy and free parking if a bit of a walk into the town. Google had a more direct path from the car park to the town but it was overgrown and we had to turn back. Noto, again was well worth a visit. We spent the night at Camping Oasis Park Falconara in Lido de Noto (€23.50/night). This is a small campsite with all the facilities we needed including a bread van in the morning. The pitches would be small in peak season; in the shoulder season everyone was given a double pitch. We had a bit of trouble avoiding a low bridge (we are only 2.65m) on the short drive from Noto to the campsite and had to do a three point turn.
Our plan was then to head for Etna and camp at the top car park. However, the weather was poor and so we headed straight for Camping La Focetta Sicula at Saint Alessio Sicula. This campsite is a bit dilapidated but we were seafront and perfectly happy (€23/night with metered electricity). We used this site as a base to visit Taormina by bike - a bracing 500m ascent. Taormina is lovely. I think there was also a sosta on the road up to Taormina, much closer to the town than where we were staying.
From there we headed to Messina, into Italy and then from Bari across to Dubrovnik.
Our only stop on the Amalfi coast was at Camping Nube d’Argento which is an upmarket terraced campsite (€44/night) set above Grande Marini. It is an easy walk into Sorrento from where you can also catch ferries to Positano and Capri. The campsite entrance is interesting and there is advice on which direction is best for an approach. My ‘van is only 6.4m and so I got in from the “wrong” side without any trouble.
Have a great and safe trip.
Aire in Palermo
Cyclists in Palermo
Cyclists in Palerm
Masala
The Salt Road
Valley of the Temples
Valley of the Temples
Noto
Taormina
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My favourite bit of Sicily was parking on top of Mount Etna for a couple of nights, Best not on a Friday/Saturday night though as local car enthusiasts like to come up and test their cars out at 1am.
Scala dei Turchi near Porto Empedocle is worth a visit.
Amalfi coast - cannot do the southern side of it in a motorhome in the day time. Northern side is ok though -we stayed at Camping Sant Antonio. It's right down on the sea front and there is a train station just up the hill where you can easily get into Naples or Vesuvius etc
maps.app.goo.gl
Scala dei Turchi near Porto Empedocle is worth a visit.
Amalfi coast - cannot do the southern side of it in a motorhome in the day time. Northern side is ok though -we stayed at Camping Sant Antonio. It's right down on the sea front and there is a train station just up the hill where you can easily get into Naples or Vesuvius etc
Camping Sant'Antonio · Via Arcoleo, 21, 80069 Vico Equense NA, Italy
★★★★★ · Campsite
Last edited:
Watch our Italy series last yr we went to Sicily and drove up Italy.
Yt @wend yer way
Yt @wend yer way
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DBK
LIFE MEMBER
We visited a few years ago and spent 4 weeks on the island.
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but it isn't a cheap place as with a few exceptions there is no free overnight parking spots and you will need to use campsites or commercial aires.
There are mountains of rubbish in places but we found we could ignore it. Lots of old stones to see and a visit to Etna is essential but it's currently erupting so I'm not sure what's allowed at the moment.
Post #88 in this Thread covers our arrival and the start of the trip.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip but it isn't a cheap place as with a few exceptions there is no free overnight parking spots and you will need to use campsites or commercial aires.
There are mountains of rubbish in places but we found we could ignore it. Lots of old stones to see and a visit to Etna is essential but it's currently erupting so I'm not sure what's allowed at the moment.
Post #88 in this Thread covers our arrival and the start of the trip.
Two Go To Sicily
It is worth coming to this aire just to have a walk around the town of Soragna, the centre of which is just a few minutes walk away. The centre is pleasant: Just beyond this is the Fortress Mela Lupi. I got it's age completely wrong, perhaps early 19th or 18th Centuries I wondered, no...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk
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