OK, 2024 was already here, and it was time to take a vacation.
Our friends, Louisa and Shmil, were unable to participate for personal reasons, so this time we decided to go alone. The destination chosen was Sicily in Italy.
After some verifications, we decided that this year the trip would be by car, mainly for two reasons:
One comment, if you aren't looking to read the full article and just want to learn some little things about Sicily, jump to my conclusions in the end.
Our friends, Louisa and Shmil, were unable to participate for personal reasons, so this time we decided to go alone. The destination chosen was Sicily in Italy.
After some verifications, we decided that this year the trip would be by car, mainly for two reasons:
- My wife Lily wanted a time-out from motorcycles this year.
- I was informed that the driving culture in Sicily might be a little dangerous for motorcycles, and that the roads are not always in the best conditions.
- 4 days in Catania, with tours around the place (Mount Etna, Taormina, Siracusa and Caltagirone, and some exploring of Catania itself)
- 1 day in Milazzo, including a 10-hour cruise to the Aeolian Islands
- 3 days in Palermo including a tour through the west of the island
- 1 day of return to the Catania airport in order to return the car and fly back home
One comment, if you aren't looking to read the full article and just want to learn some little things about Sicily, jump to my conclusions in the end.
Catania
We flew from Tel Aviv to Catania with ITA Airlines, via Rome, and arrived in the city around 12 o'clock noon. We had booked a car from the airport from a company called "Easy Car Rentals" through a website called "Economy Bookings". It took around 45 minutes to find the office of Easy Car Rentals, which is not in the airport terminal, but in a building around 200 meters from there. At the office, we discovered that the insurance extension we paid for at Economy Bookings was not at the voucher and is a kind of insurance that in case we have an accident, we have to pay for the damage and then run after Economy Bookings to get our money back (and we all know what happens in those cases). So, we paid for it again at the rental company. So, our first recommendation is: if you ever use Economy Bookings (I won't use them anymore), NEVER pay for the extended insurance, because it is worth nothing.
From the airport, we went to the hotel to have a nap before doing anything, since we were at the airport since 02:30 at night.
During the planning of the trip, I chose the Liberty Hotel in Catania, from booking.com. It was the best hotel of the whole trip. Very recommended. The rooms are spacious, breakfast is excellent, it is a 10-minute walk from the main center of the city and close to the exits of the city to visit other places around by car. And remarkably, I need to say, the service by the staff was first class. They have a slight problem with parking in the area, which is paid from 08:30 to 15:30 and then from 17:00 to 20:00, and you must park only in the blue boxes painted in the street. In most streets where there are blue boxes, there are also yellow boxes, and those are only for residents. Never park there. Usually in the streets there are signs explaining from which hour to which hour the payment is enforced, and there are machines to pay the parking. All hotels in Sicily recommend downloading the Easypark app to pay using the app, but we couldn't install, it I think that because we were using a data-only eSIM. So we had to use the machines. The hotel has an agreement with a paid parking, but it costs 15 Euros per night, so we preferred to park in the streets. At the end, we found at a distance of 5 minutes from the hotel a church which always had free blue parking spaces in front of it - but there the payment continued until 02:00 AM - which was a difference of approximately 1.5 Euros. So we parked there in two of the 3 nights were were there.
In the evening we went to a shopping center called Centro Sicilia, which had some nice shops and restaurants, mostly fast-food, where we had dinner. We also went to a photography shop where I bought my new Insta360 X4 camera.
We flew from Tel Aviv to Catania with ITA Airlines, via Rome, and arrived in the city around 12 o'clock noon. We had booked a car from the airport from a company called "Easy Car Rentals" through a website called "Economy Bookings". It took around 45 minutes to find the office of Easy Car Rentals, which is not in the airport terminal, but in a building around 200 meters from there. At the office, we discovered that the insurance extension we paid for at Economy Bookings was not at the voucher and is a kind of insurance that in case we have an accident, we have to pay for the damage and then run after Economy Bookings to get our money back (and we all know what happens in those cases). So, we paid for it again at the rental company. So, our first recommendation is: if you ever use Economy Bookings (I won't use them anymore), NEVER pay for the extended insurance, because it is worth nothing.
From the airport, we went to the hotel to have a nap before doing anything, since we were at the airport since 02:30 at night.
During the planning of the trip, I chose the Liberty Hotel in Catania, from booking.com. It was the best hotel of the whole trip. Very recommended. The rooms are spacious, breakfast is excellent, it is a 10-minute walk from the main center of the city and close to the exits of the city to visit other places around by car. And remarkably, I need to say, the service by the staff was first class. They have a slight problem with parking in the area, which is paid from 08:30 to 15:30 and then from 17:00 to 20:00, and you must park only in the blue boxes painted in the street. In most streets where there are blue boxes, there are also yellow boxes, and those are only for residents. Never park there. Usually in the streets there are signs explaining from which hour to which hour the payment is enforced, and there are machines to pay the parking. All hotels in Sicily recommend downloading the Easypark app to pay using the app, but we couldn't install, it I think that because we were using a data-only eSIM. So we had to use the machines. The hotel has an agreement with a paid parking, but it costs 15 Euros per night, so we preferred to park in the streets. At the end, we found at a distance of 5 minutes from the hotel a church which always had free blue parking spaces in front of it - but there the payment continued until 02:00 AM - which was a difference of approximately 1.5 Euros. So we parked there in two of the 3 nights were were there.
In the evening we went to a shopping center called Centro Sicilia, which had some nice shops and restaurants, mostly fast-food, where we had dinner. We also went to a photography shop where I bought my new Insta360 X4 camera.
Mount Etna and Taormina
In the morning, we took the car and travelled for visiting around. Our destinations were Mount Etna and Taormina.
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It is the highest active volcano in Europe, standing at about 3,357 meters as of recent measurements. Its last eruption was in December 2023.
There was a small and winding road that took us to the base of the volcano. It took us around one hour to arrive to the base of it. There we took a cable-car to arrive to a station which is at a height of 2,000 meters.The cable car doesn't arrive higher than that, and to continue going up we would need either to walk or to take a bus tour to the top. Every one of these options would take 4 hours, so we decided to be satisfied with getting to the point we were. The view from the mountain was very beautiful, but unfortunately the day was not so clear for us to really enjoy it and to show well the view in the pictures and videos.
In the morning, we took the car and travelled for visiting around. Our destinations were Mount Etna and Taormina.
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It is the highest active volcano in Europe, standing at about 3,357 meters as of recent measurements. Its last eruption was in December 2023.
There was a small and winding road that took us to the base of the volcano. It took us around one hour to arrive to the base of it. There we took a cable-car to arrive to a station which is at a height of 2,000 meters.The cable car doesn't arrive higher than that, and to continue going up we would need either to walk or to take a bus tour to the top. Every one of these options would take 4 hours, so we decided to be satisfied with getting to the point we were. The view from the mountain was very beautiful, but unfortunately the day was not so clear for us to really enjoy it and to show well the view in the pictures and videos.
BTW, breaking news from 16/8/24: at the time I am writing this article, I've just heard that the Etna has erupted again today, and all the flights to Catania are delayed because the airport is at a temporary shutdown. How could I have missed that??? See details, pictures and videos here.
From the Etna, we continued to Taormina.
Taormina is a picturesque town located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, perched on a hilltop overlooking the Ionian Sea. Known for its stunning views, historical sites, and vibrant cultural scene, Taormina has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century. I must say, it was very difficult to find a parking place there. We needed to ask for the help of a policeman who guided us on how to get to a parking lot in which we could park for city-pabeautiful andHowever, the village is beautiful and is a must-visit place. The old city is beautiful, the center is thrilling because of all the activity there, and there is a stunning view of the sea from the top of the mountain that shouldn't be missed.
From the Etna, we continued to Taormina.
Taormina is a picturesque town located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, perched on a hilltop overlooking the Ionian Sea. Known for its stunning views, historical sites, and vibrant cultural scene, Taormina has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century. I must say, it was very difficult to find a parking place there. We needed to ask for the help of a policeman who guided us on how to get to a parking lot in which we could park for city-pabeautiful andHowever, the village is beautiful and is a must-visit place. The old city is beautiful, the center is thrilling because of all the activity there, and there is a stunning view of the sea from the top of the mountain that shouldn't be missed.
We returned from Taormina using the small road that goes through all the small villages near the sea. It did make our trip 38 minutes longer than if we would have taken the "autostrada" (fast road), but it was worth it, since it was stunningly beautiful.
In the evening, we went for a walk in the touristic center of the city. It is composed of the Piazza Università and the Via Etnea. Around this area, especially at the Via Etnea, one can find many brand shops, restaurants, bars and lounges. It is a very active vicinity, and most people will enjoy the place. There is a city center in Catania which is mainly designed for the local population, but it wasn't anything special.
Eating in Catania: most restaurants specialize in pasta, meat or fish. That was a kind of a challenge for us, for some reasons: first, we were in a low-carbohydrates diet. Second, because their specialty meat was horse meat. And third, because the only kind of fish that was easy to find was swordfish. The two last wouldn't be a problem for me (no wonder my wife calls me "food processor", but they were definitely a problem for her. So, I must say we did not have one decent meal in Catania. Maybe the pasta eaters would have some good options.
We took the next day to visit Catania. We visited the seashore, which was something very strange. Catania has a sea, but it doesn't have a beach. The whole shore is made of big black volcanic rocks. To work around that, they build artificial shores from wood. Actually, people lay down to sunbath on wooden stages. It is definitely an interesting site.
From the shore we continued to two different shopping centers: the Porte di Catania, and the Centro Commerciale Katane. The last, which is supposed to be the oldest and smallest of the three we visited, was in our opinion the best, the place where Lili and I finished our shopping list.
In the evening, we went again to the tourist centre of the city and tried once more to find a place where we would be happy with the food, with no success.
In the evening, we went for a walk in the touristic center of the city. It is composed of the Piazza Università and the Via Etnea. Around this area, especially at the Via Etnea, one can find many brand shops, restaurants, bars and lounges. It is a very active vicinity, and most people will enjoy the place. There is a city center in Catania which is mainly designed for the local population, but it wasn't anything special.
Eating in Catania: most restaurants specialize in pasta, meat or fish. That was a kind of a challenge for us, for some reasons: first, we were in a low-carbohydrates diet. Second, because their specialty meat was horse meat. And third, because the only kind of fish that was easy to find was swordfish. The two last wouldn't be a problem for me (no wonder my wife calls me "food processor", but they were definitely a problem for her. So, I must say we did not have one decent meal in Catania. Maybe the pasta eaters would have some good options.
We took the next day to visit Catania. We visited the seashore, which was something very strange. Catania has a sea, but it doesn't have a beach. The whole shore is made of big black volcanic rocks. To work around that, they build artificial shores from wood. Actually, people lay down to sunbath on wooden stages. It is definitely an interesting site.
From the shore we continued to two different shopping centers: the Porte di Catania, and the Centro Commerciale Katane. The last, which is supposed to be the oldest and smallest of the three we visited, was in our opinion the best, the place where Lili and I finished our shopping list.
In the evening, we went again to the tourist centre of the city and tried once more to find a place where we would be happy with the food, with no success.
Siracusa and Caltagirone
Our first stop in the next day was Siracusa, where we walked around the center of the city, visited the Basilica of Siracusa (a big, modern chrch), the Neapolis Archeological Park and the seashore.
Siracusa, also known as Syracuse, is a historic city located on the southeastern coast of Sicily, Italy. It is renowned for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural significance. Its blend of ancient history, mythology, and vibrant modern life makes it a fascinating destination.
I must say that our visit to the Neapolis Archeological Park and the Greek Theatre nearby was noticeably short, as for going inside it would take hours of walking under a 35º C sun, and we did not have the time or the courage to challenge that heat. So, we only saw what the park had to offer us from the outside, and did not get into it.
The seashore of Siracuse is quite different from the Catania seashore. No more black rocks, but regular dirt. However, again, at least the area that we were in was high compared to sea level, and we couldn't find a way to go down to the sea. We had to admit, though, that living in those houses and apartments by the sea was very nice.
Our first stop in the next day was Siracusa, where we walked around the center of the city, visited the Basilica of Siracusa (a big, modern chrch), the Neapolis Archeological Park and the seashore.
Siracusa, also known as Syracuse, is a historic city located on the southeastern coast of Sicily, Italy. It is renowned for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural significance. Its blend of ancient history, mythology, and vibrant modern life makes it a fascinating destination.
I must say that our visit to the Neapolis Archeological Park and the Greek Theatre nearby was noticeably short, as for going inside it would take hours of walking under a 35º C sun, and we did not have the time or the courage to challenge that heat. So, we only saw what the park had to offer us from the outside, and did not get into it.
The seashore of Siracuse is quite different from the Catania seashore. No more black rocks, but regular dirt. However, again, at least the area that we were in was high compared to sea level, and we couldn't find a way to go down to the sea. We had to admit, though, that living in those houses and apartments by the sea was very nice.
Caltagirone
The next stop, approximately 1 hour away from Siracusa, was Caltagirone.
Caltagirone is a charming town located in the metropolitan district of Catania. It is renowned for its rich history, stunning Baroque architecture, and especially its vibrant ceramic production. Caltagirone’s unique blend of artistic heritage, historical significance, and scenic beauty makes it a fascinating destination to explore. The ceramics arts there have a strong influence of Arab culture, from the time of the Arab control of the city in the Middle Ages. Even the name Caltagirone derives from the Arabic “Qal’at al-Ghiran” which means "Castle of the Jars" and shows the old tradition of the place in pottery. Nowadays, the "Heads of Caltagirone", statues of the heads of men and women with strong Arabic influence, are still made there and famous around the world
We had lunch in the village, walked its streets and even took our chances in climbing some (many) steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, or in English the Santa Maria del Monte staircase. It is a street staircase in which each step is separated from the others by tiles, each step with a unique design - also a living proof of the old pottery tradition. We didn't go up all the way... it is exceptionally long and high, up to the point that I imagined that the reason for the name of the staircase is that people get to the middle of it and, at their last energies, call "Help me, Santa Maria! del Monte". Monte means mountain, so it fits perfectly to the place!
In the evening, we decided to stay at the hotel and skip dinner.
The next stop, approximately 1 hour away from Siracusa, was Caltagirone.
Caltagirone is a charming town located in the metropolitan district of Catania. It is renowned for its rich history, stunning Baroque architecture, and especially its vibrant ceramic production. Caltagirone’s unique blend of artistic heritage, historical significance, and scenic beauty makes it a fascinating destination to explore. The ceramics arts there have a strong influence of Arab culture, from the time of the Arab control of the city in the Middle Ages. Even the name Caltagirone derives from the Arabic “Qal’at al-Ghiran” which means "Castle of the Jars" and shows the old tradition of the place in pottery. Nowadays, the "Heads of Caltagirone", statues of the heads of men and women with strong Arabic influence, are still made there and famous around the world
We had lunch in the village, walked its streets and even took our chances in climbing some (many) steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, or in English the Santa Maria del Monte staircase. It is a street staircase in which each step is separated from the others by tiles, each step with a unique design - also a living proof of the old pottery tradition. We didn't go up all the way... it is exceptionally long and high, up to the point that I imagined that the reason for the name of the staircase is that people get to the middle of it and, at their last energies, call "Help me, Santa Maria! del Monte". Monte means mountain, so it fits perfectly to the place!
In the evening, we decided to stay at the hotel and skip dinner.
Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands
This morning, we left Catania, with the destination set to Milazzo.
Milazzo is a picturesque coastal town located in the province of Messina, northeastern Sicily, Italy. It is known for its rich history, beautiful landscapes, and strategic location. It was founded by the Greeks in the eighth century BC, Milazzo has a long history and was the site of several important battles, including the Battle of Milazzo in 888 AD. The city attracts a lot of tourism, especially tourism by rich members of the Italian society, yachters, etc., and one of its main attractions are cruises to the Aeolian Islands nearby.
The Aeolian Islands are a chain of islands that were created by the eruptions of volcanos, around 700,000 years ago. There are seven islands, named Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, Panarea, Filicudi and AliOf. From them, the only two that are still active volcanoes are Vulcano and Stromboli.
We left in the morning, and needed to arrive at Milazzo by 12:00 noon, since at 12:30 we had a cruise to the islands of Panarea and Stromboli. We arrived at 11:30 and had time to check in to our hotel for that night, to park the car near the port and to walk to the area of the port from which our cruise was leaving.
At the boat (a fast aeroboat which sails on wings for additional speed) we heard that the Stromboli volcano had erupted some days before our arrival, and therefore the island had been declared as forbidden to tourists, so our only stop would be in Panarea, the smallest and most exclusive island of the chain, in which we would stop for 4 hours. Regarding Stromboli, the boat would sail around it for some minutes, trying to get us a view of the explosions, but would not approach the island too much.
The stop in Panarea was great, although I can say that 4 hours there is too much. We walked the whole inhabited part of the island, looked at the Spa hotels, until we had nowhere else to go anymore, so we sat at a cafe near the port to wait for our boat to come to rescue us, and stayed there for around two hours.
Then the boat came, and we had a really beautiful cruise around the other islands on our way to Stromboli. Stromboli was extremely easy to identify, one sees clouds being created by the steam that came out of the top of the volcano. Nearby Stromboli there is a small island (I would say a small rock) which is called Strombolicchio, and our boat made a turn around it. After that, the boat faced the sun, and we were testimony to a stunning sunset with Stromboli on our left side. The boat stayed near the islands until there was complete dark, trying to give us the chance to see some small eruptions. Unfortunately, Stromboli did not want to cooperate, and the only thing we were able to see was steam coming from distinct parts of the mountain. The picture I present here with Stromboli in eruption was taken from the internet just to give an idea of how it could look, from the site Sicilian Blog.
This morning, we left Catania, with the destination set to Milazzo.
Milazzo is a picturesque coastal town located in the province of Messina, northeastern Sicily, Italy. It is known for its rich history, beautiful landscapes, and strategic location. It was founded by the Greeks in the eighth century BC, Milazzo has a long history and was the site of several important battles, including the Battle of Milazzo in 888 AD. The city attracts a lot of tourism, especially tourism by rich members of the Italian society, yachters, etc., and one of its main attractions are cruises to the Aeolian Islands nearby.
The Aeolian Islands are a chain of islands that were created by the eruptions of volcanos, around 700,000 years ago. There are seven islands, named Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, Panarea, Filicudi and AliOf. From them, the only two that are still active volcanoes are Vulcano and Stromboli.
We left in the morning, and needed to arrive at Milazzo by 12:00 noon, since at 12:30 we had a cruise to the islands of Panarea and Stromboli. We arrived at 11:30 and had time to check in to our hotel for that night, to park the car near the port and to walk to the area of the port from which our cruise was leaving.
At the boat (a fast aeroboat which sails on wings for additional speed) we heard that the Stromboli volcano had erupted some days before our arrival, and therefore the island had been declared as forbidden to tourists, so our only stop would be in Panarea, the smallest and most exclusive island of the chain, in which we would stop for 4 hours. Regarding Stromboli, the boat would sail around it for some minutes, trying to get us a view of the explosions, but would not approach the island too much.
The stop in Panarea was great, although I can say that 4 hours there is too much. We walked the whole inhabited part of the island, looked at the Spa hotels, until we had nowhere else to go anymore, so we sat at a cafe near the port to wait for our boat to come to rescue us, and stayed there for around two hours.
Then the boat came, and we had a really beautiful cruise around the other islands on our way to Stromboli. Stromboli was extremely easy to identify, one sees clouds being created by the steam that came out of the top of the volcano. Nearby Stromboli there is a small island (I would say a small rock) which is called Strombolicchio, and our boat made a turn around it. After that, the boat faced the sun, and we were testimony to a stunning sunset with Stromboli on our left side. The boat stayed near the islands until there was complete dark, trying to give us the chance to see some small eruptions. Unfortunately, Stromboli did not want to cooperate, and the only thing we were able to see was steam coming from distinct parts of the mountain. The picture I present here with Stromboli in eruption was taken from the internet just to give an idea of how it could look, from the site Sicilian Blog.
We arrived back to the hotel around 23:00, and went directly to sleep, since in the next morning we had a 200 Km drive to Palermo. The Hotel Medici in Milazzo was nice, but the room was rather small. Breakfast was excellent, the room was clean, and the location was perfect, at the very center of the city.
Milazzo Castle
In the nmorning,ning we woke up, had breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. With the bags already in the car, we travelled to see the Milazzo Castle.
I could say that Google Maps didn't want to collaborate with this visit, because whatever I did it kept taking me to a dirt-road that I could not cross with the car. I could see the castle at the top of the mountain in front of me, but, but couldn't get there. I am sure that there must be another way to get to it, but I was unable to find it. At the end, we accepted that we were going to see the castle only from far below...
Milazzo Castle
In the nmorning,ning we woke up, had breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. With the bags already in the car, we travelled to see the Milazzo Castle.
I could say that Google Maps didn't want to collaborate with this visit, because whatever I did it kept taking me to a dirt-road that I could not cross with the car. I could see the castle at the top of the mountain in front of me, but, but couldn't get there. I am sure that there must be another way to get to it, but I was unable to find it. At the end, we accepted that we were going to see the castle only from far below...
Palermo
We left Milazzo on our way to Palermo. On our way we stopped at Santo Stefano di Camastra, for some rest, and discovered a genuinely nice and authentic village, not so much prepared for tourists, where local people lived the authentic Sicilian lives. We stayed there and walked around for approximately 1/2 hour and continued our way.
Around 13:00 we arrived at Palermo. Our hotel, the Camplus Guest Palermo, had a building that looked a little strange for a hotel, but the room was very comfortable, and the service was particularly good, so we were good with it. Later we discovered that the primary business of that hotel was during the school year, providing rooms for the students at the university nearby. This explained a lot to us. In any case, I do recommend this hotel, since the rooms are comfortable and big, there is a parking plaza nearby in which you can park for free, and the hotel is a 15-minute walk from the center of Palermo and a 5-minute drive from the exit of the city. As I said, we received particularly good service there too. The only thing was the breakfast, which was a little sparse and without many options.
We got set at the hotel and walked to the center of the city. On the way to there, we found a street market and had lunch at one of the restaurants of the market. I can't say the meal was a good one, but it was enough to give us strength until the evening.
We spent the afternoon walking Via Maqueda, the main commercial street of the city. It is a place for whoever wants to buy some gifts or trivial things, but not a real shopping street. We walked to the Teatro Massimo (Massimo Theater), and then went back. The street is long, so one can spend hours there. And this is the place to find where to have a meal, not the market we've been to for lunch.
We left Milazzo on our way to Palermo. On our way we stopped at Santo Stefano di Camastra, for some rest, and discovered a genuinely nice and authentic village, not so much prepared for tourists, where local people lived the authentic Sicilian lives. We stayed there and walked around for approximately 1/2 hour and continued our way.
Around 13:00 we arrived at Palermo. Our hotel, the Camplus Guest Palermo, had a building that looked a little strange for a hotel, but the room was very comfortable, and the service was particularly good, so we were good with it. Later we discovered that the primary business of that hotel was during the school year, providing rooms for the students at the university nearby. This explained a lot to us. In any case, I do recommend this hotel, since the rooms are comfortable and big, there is a parking plaza nearby in which you can park for free, and the hotel is a 15-minute walk from the center of Palermo and a 5-minute drive from the exit of the city. As I said, we received particularly good service there too. The only thing was the breakfast, which was a little sparse and without many options.
We got set at the hotel and walked to the center of the city. On the way to there, we found a street market and had lunch at one of the restaurants of the market. I can't say the meal was a good one, but it was enough to give us strength until the evening.
We spent the afternoon walking Via Maqueda, the main commercial street of the city. It is a place for whoever wants to buy some gifts or trivial things, but not a real shopping street. We walked to the Teatro Massimo (Massimo Theater), and then went back. The street is long, so one can spend hours there. And this is the place to find where to have a meal, not the market we've been to for lunch.
West Sicily
In the next morning, we left the hotel for our day touring West Sicily. We had a plan to visit five places: Castellamare del Golfo, Marsala, Agrigento, Corleone and Monreale, before coming back to Palermo. But this will take almost 8 hours of driving and wouldn't leave any time to visit anywhere. So, Lily and I decided to cut Marsala and Corleone from the list, and visit Castellamare del Golfo, Agrigento and Monreale. We knew that, at least in the case of Marsala, we would be missing a beautiful place, but it was too far and out of the way.
Castellamare del Golfo
As we approached Castellamare del Golfo, the panorama began to change. The road brought us beautiful views of fields and the sea.
Castellammare del Golfo is a charming town and municipality located in the Trapani Province of Sicily, Italy. The name translates to “Sea Fortress on the Gulf,” which refers to the medieval fortress situated in its harbor. The village has many picturesque streets with beautiful old buildings, very well conserved, and a marina called "Cala Marina". The main street through which we walked is called Corso Garibaldi, and if once this was a fishermen village, today the village still lives from fishing, alongside tourism.
In the next morning, we left the hotel for our day touring West Sicily. We had a plan to visit five places: Castellamare del Golfo, Marsala, Agrigento, Corleone and Monreale, before coming back to Palermo. But this will take almost 8 hours of driving and wouldn't leave any time to visit anywhere. So, Lily and I decided to cut Marsala and Corleone from the list, and visit Castellamare del Golfo, Agrigento and Monreale. We knew that, at least in the case of Marsala, we would be missing a beautiful place, but it was too far and out of the way.
Castellamare del Golfo
As we approached Castellamare del Golfo, the panorama began to change. The road brought us beautiful views of fields and the sea.
Castellammare del Golfo is a charming town and municipality located in the Trapani Province of Sicily, Italy. The name translates to “Sea Fortress on the Gulf,” which refers to the medieval fortress situated in its harbor. The village has many picturesque streets with beautiful old buildings, very well conserved, and a marina called "Cala Marina". The main street through which we walked is called Corso Garibaldi, and if once this was a fishermen village, today the village still lives from fishing, alongside tourism.
Agrigento
We had one target in Agrigento: the Valle dei Templi, or in English, the Temple Valley. After a long journey from Castellamare del Golfo, we arrived at the city, which is quite big compared with ohter places we've been, followed the signs and ended up in an archaeological museum. That was not exactly what we wanted, and after walking a little in its backyard, looking at the temples from far away, and seeing how empty that museum was, we understood we had to be in the wrong place. So we went back to the car, and I decided that I would drive in the direction of the temples that I had seen and try my luck.
After some Kilometers, I see a new sign pointing to the direction of the Temples Valley, and saw I was going in the right direction I just continued a little more and saw the entrance of the parking lot for the valley.
After parking the car and getting our tickets, we began walking the trail and arrived at the Templo de Giunone or Juno Temple. This one is also called (as you will find in Wikipedia) the Hera Temple. After some admiration and some pictures, we continued through the trail which is then called the "Via Sacra". We passed the Greek walls and the Byzantine arcosolia, and arrived to the Temple of Concordia. Both these temples are from around 450-460 BC, and the Concordia Temple is conserved in an impressive way.
Additionally, to these temples, there are also the Heracles Temple, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the temple of Hephaestus (Vulcan), the Temple of Asclepius, and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, but all of them are in worse condition.
We had one target in Agrigento: the Valle dei Templi, or in English, the Temple Valley. After a long journey from Castellamare del Golfo, we arrived at the city, which is quite big compared with ohter places we've been, followed the signs and ended up in an archaeological museum. That was not exactly what we wanted, and after walking a little in its backyard, looking at the temples from far away, and seeing how empty that museum was, we understood we had to be in the wrong place. So we went back to the car, and I decided that I would drive in the direction of the temples that I had seen and try my luck.
After some Kilometers, I see a new sign pointing to the direction of the Temples Valley, and saw I was going in the right direction I just continued a little more and saw the entrance of the parking lot for the valley.
After parking the car and getting our tickets, we began walking the trail and arrived at the Templo de Giunone or Juno Temple. This one is also called (as you will find in Wikipedia) the Hera Temple. After some admiration and some pictures, we continued through the trail which is then called the "Via Sacra". We passed the Greek walls and the Byzantine arcosolia, and arrived to the Temple of Concordia. Both these temples are from around 450-460 BC, and the Concordia Temple is conserved in an impressive way.
Additionally, to these temples, there are also the Heracles Temple, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the temple of Hephaestus (Vulcan), the Temple of Asclepius, and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, but all of them are in worse condition.
Monreale
We did all our way back to Monreale, where we admired the small streets, the city center, and the incredible view of Palermo and the sea from the top of the mountain. At the end of the day, we went again to Maqueda Street, and to a restaurant that we had found the previous day after our dinner and decided to leave it for the next night. This was our first really good meal in Sicily. The name of the restaurant was Mastunicola.
We did all our way back to Monreale, where we admired the small streets, the city center, and the incredible view of Palermo and the sea from the top of the mountain. At the end of the day, we went again to Maqueda Street, and to a restaurant that we had found the previous day after our dinner and decided to leave it for the next night. This was our first really good meal in Sicily. The name of the restaurant was Mastunicola.
Palermo
In the next morning, we took some time for another visit to the center of Palermo. We actually did two things there: a guided visit to the interior of the Teatro Massimo, which is very impressive, and a round tour of about 45 minutes with the "Trenino", the touristic train of Palermo, which took us through three different areas of the city that we did not know.
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its inauguration, it was - with its area of 7730 m2 - the third largest opera house in Europe after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna), renowned for its perfect acoustics. It was designed by an architect from Palermo, Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, in 1861, and its construction took 22 years, during which Basile died, leaving the end of the construction to be led by his son Ernesto Basile. You will be able to hear all the explanation in the short video in the continuation.
The "Trenino" is a city mini train that works like those tourism open double-decker buses that you see in most of the touristic cities nowadays. It is a hop-on/hop-off touristic carrier, and it works in conjunction with the buses, meaning that it doesn't matter with which one you buy the tickets, you can use both buses and trains until midnight of the same day. Since they do different itineraries, they can take a tourist to see most of the city.
We were intending to travel to Cefalù (pronounced Tche-fa-lu) after the train, so after it stopped in two out of four stations, the third station was really close to our hotel, and this drove us to get out of the train there and take the car to continue to Cefaù.
In the next morning, we took some time for another visit to the center of Palermo. We actually did two things there: a guided visit to the interior of the Teatro Massimo, which is very impressive, and a round tour of about 45 minutes with the "Trenino", the touristic train of Palermo, which took us through three different areas of the city that we did not know.
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its inauguration, it was - with its area of 7730 m2 - the third largest opera house in Europe after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna), renowned for its perfect acoustics. It was designed by an architect from Palermo, Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, in 1861, and its construction took 22 years, during which Basile died, leaving the end of the construction to be led by his son Ernesto Basile. You will be able to hear all the explanation in the short video in the continuation.
The "Trenino" is a city mini train that works like those tourism open double-decker buses that you see in most of the touristic cities nowadays. It is a hop-on/hop-off touristic carrier, and it works in conjunction with the buses, meaning that it doesn't matter with which one you buy the tickets, you can use both buses and trains until midnight of the same day. Since they do different itineraries, they can take a tourist to see most of the city.
We were intending to travel to Cefalù (pronounced Tche-fa-lu) after the train, so after it stopped in two out of four stations, the third station was really close to our hotel, and this drove us to get out of the train there and take the car to continue to Cefaù.
Cefalù
Cefalù was a place that we missed on our way from Milazzo to Palermo, but later we read about it. It was founded on the 4th Century BC by the Greeks, and today its population doesn't surpass the 14,000 inhabitants. The village is small, but it is a main attraction in the touristic scene of Sicily.
Actually, Cefalù came to be the best visit that we did during this whole trip to Sicily. The village is very lively, full of people (mainly tourists like us). We arrived there at the end of the morning, found a parking place very quickly and near the sea (something rare), and went first of all to eat a light lunch by the sea.
After that, we began walking in the direction of the old city, where we found plenty of small streets to explore. The streets are nowadays full of shops, and usually over the shops and in between them there are houses where the people live. It is really beautiful to walk around there.
At some point we arrived at the Piazza del Duomo, the plaza in which the main cathedral of Cefalù is located. The cathedral is called "Cattedrale di Cefalù" is a beautiful building, at the end of the Piazza. The place was dizzling with the movement of the tourists, but we managed to identify a group of people coming in uniforms and to understand they were a kind of a band. Then we understood they were going to have some kind of festivity... but what?
It comes out that we arrived there at the second day of the "Festa del Santissimo Salvatore della Trasfigurazione", the main feast of Cefaù that is celebrated every year between 2-6 of August. The feast includes band parades, horse parades, flags, and much more. The whole local population goes out to the streets to participate, and with them the tourists. I am including below some short videos of the parades, but part of them is also included in the full trip video.
Cefalù was a place that we missed on our way from Milazzo to Palermo, but later we read about it. It was founded on the 4th Century BC by the Greeks, and today its population doesn't surpass the 14,000 inhabitants. The village is small, but it is a main attraction in the touristic scene of Sicily.
Actually, Cefalù came to be the best visit that we did during this whole trip to Sicily. The village is very lively, full of people (mainly tourists like us). We arrived there at the end of the morning, found a parking place very quickly and near the sea (something rare), and went first of all to eat a light lunch by the sea.
After that, we began walking in the direction of the old city, where we found plenty of small streets to explore. The streets are nowadays full of shops, and usually over the shops and in between them there are houses where the people live. It is really beautiful to walk around there.
At some point we arrived at the Piazza del Duomo, the plaza in which the main cathedral of Cefalù is located. The cathedral is called "Cattedrale di Cefalù" is a beautiful building, at the end of the Piazza. The place was dizzling with the movement of the tourists, but we managed to identify a group of people coming in uniforms and to understand they were a kind of a band. Then we understood they were going to have some kind of festivity... but what?
It comes out that we arrived there at the second day of the "Festa del Santissimo Salvatore della Trasfigurazione", the main feast of Cefaù that is celebrated every year between 2-6 of August. The feast includes band parades, horse parades, flags, and much more. The whole local population goes out to the streets to participate, and with them the tourists. I am including below some short videos of the parades, but part of them is also included in the full trip video.
One thing that struck us in Sicily, and we saw it in Catania, Palermo, and now also in Cefalù, was somthing that seems to be a trend in fast food on the whole island. They call it Brioche con Gelato, and this is exactly what it is: a brioche cut in the middle with some balls of icecream inside it. To me it seemed like a very weird combination, but people seemed to enjoy it much. Anyway, since I am going through a period without sugar or carbohidrates, I did not try it.
Talking about food, in Cefalù I had the only dinner in which I willingly broke my diet, dividng an excellent pizza with my wife.
Talking about food, in Cefalù I had the only dinner in which I willingly broke my diet, dividng an excellent pizza with my wife.
The return to Catania Airport
At this point of the trip, we already knew that our flight back to Tel Aviv had been cancelled, due to the threats made by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack Israel with missiles in the following days. On these situations, first thing airlines do is to cancel all flights, and there is minimum care for their customers. They see that as an opportunity to stay with the customers' money without providing the service. I have never seen an airline cancel a flight to NY because there is a forecast of a snowstorm in around one week from that day. But to cancel a flight to TLV because there is a threat that there will be some kind of shelling in around one week, that is usual. The point is that nothing happened until now, 2 weeks after the date of the flight, and now I am suing ITA Air to get the additional expenses they forced me to have back.
Well, so on August 1st in the evening they sent me an email telling me that our August 3rd flight was cancelled. So, in the morning of August 2nd I called them, and we agreed on the following:
Sicilia Outlet Village
So, in the morning we left our hotel in Palermo in order to return to the Catania Airport, return the car and fly to Rome.
On our way, we stopped at the Sicilia Outlet Village, an open outlet shopping center with shops of the main Italian brands. The place is very big and looks like a real village. There I found the Ferrari shop and bought a Scuderia Ferrari shirt for me, while my wife bought a Ferrari shirt and a Ferrari hat for our newborn grandson. There were some other less representative purchases there as well. The picture here shows the place where we had an excellent lunch there.
At this point of the trip, we already knew that our flight back to Tel Aviv had been cancelled, due to the threats made by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack Israel with missiles in the following days. On these situations, first thing airlines do is to cancel all flights, and there is minimum care for their customers. They see that as an opportunity to stay with the customers' money without providing the service. I have never seen an airline cancel a flight to NY because there is a forecast of a snowstorm in around one week from that day. But to cancel a flight to TLV because there is a threat that there will be some kind of shelling in around one week, that is usual. The point is that nothing happened until now, 2 weeks after the date of the flight, and now I am suing ITA Air to get the additional expenses they forced me to have back.
Well, so on August 1st in the evening they sent me an email telling me that our August 3rd flight was cancelled. So, in the morning of August 2nd I called them, and we agreed on the following:
- We would take our previously scheduled flight from Catania to Rome on August 3rd
- Since they didn't have a place for us on their flight to Athens on August 3rd, they would put us on their flight to Athens on August 4th.
- We would buy from any company that is flying to Israel a ticket to fly to Tel Aviv
- All expenses on me (flight and hotels in both cities), they have NO RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL over the cancellation of flight. I didn't agree with that but decided to fight this at a later moment.
Sicilia Outlet Village
So, in the morning we left our hotel in Palermo in order to return to the Catania Airport, return the car and fly to Rome.
On our way, we stopped at the Sicilia Outlet Village, an open outlet shopping center with shops of the main Italian brands. The place is very big and looks like a real village. There I found the Ferrari shop and bought a Scuderia Ferrari shirt for me, while my wife bought a Ferrari shirt and a Ferrari hat for our newborn grandson. There were some other less representative purchases there as well. The picture here shows the place where we had an excellent lunch there.
The return of the car to the rental company was just as difficult as getting the car - it was impossible to find the entrance to the returning car parking lot. After around 20 minutes and some 4 laps around the parking lot, I finally found it and returned it. When checking the car, the guy of the company insisted that there was a new scratch on the metal of the wheel of the car that wasn't there before. Two things bugged me: that nothing had happened to cause the scratch, and also that this was the ONLY wheel that he checked, as if he knew he would find something there. But I couldn't discuss it with him because the scratch was there, so I left it.
Inside Catania airport, chaos was complete. First, the gates are in the same room that everybody enters the terminal, separated only by temporary frames and the security machines. The echo in the room was incredible. Nothing could be heard, we needed to speak one on the ear of the other. A number of delayed flights (including ours, delayed by 35 minutes) made the noise even higher because there were many more people in the gates area than was planned to support. Representatives of the airlines were speaking in their microphones all the time to call/guide the people to their delayed flights, but due to the noise, nobody could understand a word of what they were saying. At the end, we almost lost our flight due to the chaos, but we managed to make it inside the plane in time.
Inside Catania airport, chaos was complete. First, the gates are in the same room that everybody enters the terminal, separated only by temporary frames and the security machines. The echo in the room was incredible. Nothing could be heard, we needed to speak one on the ear of the other. A number of delayed flights (including ours, delayed by 35 minutes) made the noise even higher because there were many more people in the gates area than was planned to support. Representatives of the airlines were speaking in their microphones all the time to call/guide the people to their delayed flights, but due to the noise, nobody could understand a word of what they were saying. At the end, we almost lost our flight due to the chaos, but we managed to make it inside the plane in time.
ROME
Well, the good part of the cancellation of the flight to Israel was that we had gained one day in Rome and one day in Athens. So, we decided to take advantage of every second in these cities.
Still back in the last days in Palermo, we booked our hotels for these two days:
But let's go down to Rome. Since Lily and me had already been there, and both seen the Colosseum and the Vatican, and since it was a Sunday, a day where everybody can go in for free in all the tourist attractions (meaning there would be lots of people there), we decided to leave these two places and focus on all the piazzas around our hotel. We spent a great day walking around the city and enjoyed every minute of it. We visited Fontana di Trevi, Piazza d'Espagna, Via del Corso, Piazza del Parlamento, Piazza de la Rotonda, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, and then back to the Via del Corso.
Anyway, in the evening, when our taxi took us to the airport to get our plane to Athens, its way passed through the Colosseum, so we managed to have a quick glitch of it.
Well, the good part of the cancellation of the flight to Israel was that we had gained one day in Rome and one day in Athens. So, we decided to take advantage of every second in these cities.
Still back in the last days in Palermo, we booked our hotels for these two days:
- For Rome, we booked the Hotel de Petris, a boutique hotel in the center of Rome, around 200m from the Fontana di Trevis. We booked an exceedingly small room, but it seems to me that the hotel has larger rooms than I booked. Our room was good for 1 night, but if we were for 3-4 nights in Rome, I would be looking for a larger room. But I must say that the location was crucial, the breakfast was very good, and the service was excellent in any way you can imagine.
- For Athens, we would be returning for the third time to the Acropolis Select hotel, my favorite hotel in Athens. Nothing beats this hotel. Very spacious rooms, first class service, excellent breakfast and location, just 200m from the Acropolis. They also have a terrace bar that proved to be excellent.
But let's go down to Rome. Since Lily and me had already been there, and both seen the Colosseum and the Vatican, and since it was a Sunday, a day where everybody can go in for free in all the tourist attractions (meaning there would be lots of people there), we decided to leave these two places and focus on all the piazzas around our hotel. We spent a great day walking around the city and enjoyed every minute of it. We visited Fontana di Trevi, Piazza d'Espagna, Via del Corso, Piazza del Parlamento, Piazza de la Rotonda, Piazza Navona, Piazza Venezia, and then back to the Via del Corso.
Anyway, in the evening, when our taxi took us to the airport to get our plane to Athens, its way passed through the Colosseum, so we managed to have a quick glitch of it.
Athens
We arrived in Athens at 01:00 at night and travelled directly to the hotel to get some sleep.
In the morning, we walked through the Plaka to a department store called Attica, which my wife wanted to see. We had both visited Athens twice in the past, so all the tourist attractions were already known, and we did not need to care about visiting them.
The visit to the department store was good. Lily found some shoes that she was looking for and I could seat and wait because, differently from other big stores everywhere in the world, Attica has in every floor, near the escalators, what I called the "area for the abandoned husbands", some four armchairs for you to sit and rest, with wifi reception and a desk with wireless and wires to charge your mobile.
From there we went to Ermou St., another commercial street, but we bought nothing this time. Then we returned to the Plaka, where we went straight to eat lunch at the Estia Restaurant where we had a great dinner in 2022 when we visited Athens for the last time.
In the afternoon, we were already very tired because of all the walking & flying of the last days, and the heat. So we returned to the hotel and asked to rent a room for the next 4 hours. The lady in the reception said the hotel is full, but they have in the building just beside them a room that they can rent for day use for 30 Euros to us. Lily went to see the room with a hotel employee and accepted the deal. It was an apartment!!!
We stayed in the room until 19:00, the 4 hours they gave us, and then went up to the terrace bar, where we stayed until the time that the taxi came to take us to the airport. Our flight with Israair took off on time, and around 05:00 in the morning we landed in Tel Aviv.
We arrived in Athens at 01:00 at night and travelled directly to the hotel to get some sleep.
In the morning, we walked through the Plaka to a department store called Attica, which my wife wanted to see. We had both visited Athens twice in the past, so all the tourist attractions were already known, and we did not need to care about visiting them.
The visit to the department store was good. Lily found some shoes that she was looking for and I could seat and wait because, differently from other big stores everywhere in the world, Attica has in every floor, near the escalators, what I called the "area for the abandoned husbands", some four armchairs for you to sit and rest, with wifi reception and a desk with wireless and wires to charge your mobile.
From there we went to Ermou St., another commercial street, but we bought nothing this time. Then we returned to the Plaka, where we went straight to eat lunch at the Estia Restaurant where we had a great dinner in 2022 when we visited Athens for the last time.
In the afternoon, we were already very tired because of all the walking & flying of the last days, and the heat. So we returned to the hotel and asked to rent a room for the next 4 hours. The lady in the reception said the hotel is full, but they have in the building just beside them a room that they can rent for day use for 30 Euros to us. Lily went to see the room with a hotel employee and accepted the deal. It was an apartment!!!
We stayed in the room until 19:00, the 4 hours they gave us, and then went up to the terrace bar, where we stayed until the time that the taxi came to take us to the airport. Our flight with Israair took off on time, and around 05:00 in the morning we landed in Tel Aviv.
So, to finalize this article, some conclusions about Sicily:
1. Driving in Sicily
There is only one rule when driving in Sicily: THERE IS NO LAW.
People will never respect the speed limits. Overtaking over continuous lines is a daily simple operation. When you get to a crossing, and you need to turn left, first look to the left to see if nobody is coming too close to you, and if you have the time, then block the left lane with your car, then look to the right and wait until nobody is too close to join the lane; if you wait until both sides are free you will stay there forever.
2. Catania and Palermo...
Are two necessary places to stay. Both of them are not remarkably interesting, and very badly conserved, but they are the basis, the central places for all your visits around. You will not see much of the island if you don't stay for a few days in these two places. But don't lose too much time trying to find attractions there.
3. The smaller the village, the more interesting it will be.
I don't think I need to evolve on this item.
4. Taormina, Caltagirone, Milazzo, Monreale and Cefalù
Don't miss these places, especially Cefalù. If you haven't been to all of them, you haven't enjoyed Sicily.
5. Eating in Sicily
If you like and eat pasta, you will have no problems. In case you are carbohydrates-free or gluten-free, it is more difficult, especially in Catania, because you will mostly find horse meat or swordfish.
6. Some technology that might help:
eSIM - in most cases (unless you are European, they have the lowest roaming charges in the world), or your phone doesn't support eSIM, you can get mobile eSIMs for less than USD 5 from Mobimatter.com. You can get a 50% cashback (up to USD5) on your first purchase by using my referral code HELIO98050. Search for Italy or Europe at the site and choose the eSIM that suits you better.
Parking - park only in the blue spots. There will always be a machine or a Tabak shop somewhere that can sell you the parking tickets, but sometimes you will have to walk. If you can, install the Easypark application on your phone from your home, it will help you pay the parking digitally without walking. We tried to install the app there, but it wouldn't work on my Oneplus 10 Pro or in my wife's Samsung S23, because we were using data-only SIMs and not our original number in order to receive their text messages.
Calls to real phones - some unexpected things may happen that will force you to call real phone numbers. This will be difficult if you are using a data-only eSIM. I needed to call real numbers to solve problems with the car rental company and with ITA Air. So, I've found an app called Yolla, which makes VOIP SIP calls to real phone numbers for almost no money. I made 2 calls to the rental company and 3 calls to ITA Air, staying with the last for a lengthy conversation, and from the USD4 that I deposited in the app I still have USD 3.77 available.
Well, this is it. See you on the next trip.
Ah!!! Last thing before I go! If you are interested, please find below the video of the full trip, my first experience with the newly acquired Insta360 X4.
1. Driving in Sicily
There is only one rule when driving in Sicily: THERE IS NO LAW.
People will never respect the speed limits. Overtaking over continuous lines is a daily simple operation. When you get to a crossing, and you need to turn left, first look to the left to see if nobody is coming too close to you, and if you have the time, then block the left lane with your car, then look to the right and wait until nobody is too close to join the lane; if you wait until both sides are free you will stay there forever.
2. Catania and Palermo...
Are two necessary places to stay. Both of them are not remarkably interesting, and very badly conserved, but they are the basis, the central places for all your visits around. You will not see much of the island if you don't stay for a few days in these two places. But don't lose too much time trying to find attractions there.
3. The smaller the village, the more interesting it will be.
I don't think I need to evolve on this item.
4. Taormina, Caltagirone, Milazzo, Monreale and Cefalù
Don't miss these places, especially Cefalù. If you haven't been to all of them, you haven't enjoyed Sicily.
5. Eating in Sicily
If you like and eat pasta, you will have no problems. In case you are carbohydrates-free or gluten-free, it is more difficult, especially in Catania, because you will mostly find horse meat or swordfish.
6. Some technology that might help:
eSIM - in most cases (unless you are European, they have the lowest roaming charges in the world), or your phone doesn't support eSIM, you can get mobile eSIMs for less than USD 5 from Mobimatter.com. You can get a 50% cashback (up to USD5) on your first purchase by using my referral code HELIO98050. Search for Italy or Europe at the site and choose the eSIM that suits you better.
Parking - park only in the blue spots. There will always be a machine or a Tabak shop somewhere that can sell you the parking tickets, but sometimes you will have to walk. If you can, install the Easypark application on your phone from your home, it will help you pay the parking digitally without walking. We tried to install the app there, but it wouldn't work on my Oneplus 10 Pro or in my wife's Samsung S23, because we were using data-only SIMs and not our original number in order to receive their text messages.
Calls to real phones - some unexpected things may happen that will force you to call real phone numbers. This will be difficult if you are using a data-only eSIM. I needed to call real numbers to solve problems with the car rental company and with ITA Air. So, I've found an app called Yolla, which makes VOIP SIP calls to real phone numbers for almost no money. I made 2 calls to the rental company and 3 calls to ITA Air, staying with the last for a lengthy conversation, and from the USD4 that I deposited in the app I still have USD 3.77 available.
Well, this is it. See you on the next trip.
Ah!!! Last thing before I go! If you are interested, please find below the video of the full trip, my first experience with the newly acquired Insta360 X4.
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