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With temperature in mind, the best times to visit are May, June, September and October. Every season is beautiful, even winter, when bright green shoots of wheat start to sprout and you can ski on Mount Etna. Summer is lovely, but it can get very hot in July and August, and the beaches are crowded.

With a wealth of activities available, pack accordingly: if you’re heading for Etna, take a good map, sturdy hiking shoes, a torch and a warm coat; if it’s a beach destination, you’ll need sunglasses, swimming gear, sandals for pebble beaches, sun protection and a beach towel.

Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo is the national Italian tourist board and has offices in numerous countries. Check the website for your home country.

Tourist offices in Sicily are randomly staffed and randomly open, but it is worth stopping in for information on local exhibitions, concerts, plays and listings of bars, restaurants and entertainment. Look for the signs with an “i” on a yellow background.

Foreign embassies are mainly located in Rome, but there are US and British consulates in Palermo.

Non-EU citizens must present a valid passport to enter Italy; EU members only need an identity card. Visas are not necessary for citizens of the EU, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand for stays of less than three months. Other nationalities should check with their embassies. Apply for visas in person and well in advance at the Italian embassy or consular office in your home country.

EU residents are not charged duty on goods purchased in Italy, although certain limits may apply. US citizens are allowed to bring in up to $400 worth of goods before customs duties are applied. No fruits, vegetables, meats, fresh cheeses or farm products can be brought in.

Shops, post offices and banks close on public holidays (see General Information).

Electrical current is 220V, and plugs have two or three round prongs. Sicily is notorious for poor electrical and water supplies – periods of drought are frequent. Small inland towns have the most problems, but hotels are well equipped. Everyone drinks bottled water although tap water is usually potable.

British Airways and Ryan-air fly direct from London year-round. Some other carriers provide direct flights to Sicily during the summer. Out of season you need to connect at a mainland Italian airport, picking up flights with Alitalia or Meridiana.

There are no direct flights into Sicily from American airports. Flights from the Americas to Italy generally land in Milan or Rome, where connections can be made into Palermo or Catania.

There are no direct flights to Sicily. Fly into a major Italian airport such as Milan or Rome and make a connection to one of the Sicilian airports.

Tiny Palermo airport is equipped with a bank and car rental companies. It is located west of Palermo, about 40 minutes from the centre and an hour or so from Trapani or Castelvetrano. Prestia e Comandè runs a bus service between Punta Rais and the centre every half hour, with stops at the airport, the Piazza Politeama and the central train station. There is also a train once hourly.

Convenient for the eastern side of the island and just 20 minutes from Catania’s centre, tiny Fontanarossa is also equipped with a bank and car rental companies. The airport buses (Alibus) leave every 20 minutes stopping at the airport, via Etenea and the central train station.

Palermo and Catania may be small but they are the largest airports in Sicily. Charter flights may take advantage of smaller airports such as Birgi at Trapani. There are also airports on Pantelleria and Lampedusa serving flights from Trapani and Palermo.

Trains from mainland Italy are loaded onto boats and ferried across the straits of Messina, calling at Messina before making their way south to Catania or west to Palermo. Check with your travel agent for times and fares or directly with the Italian State Railway.

If you want to travel in your own car rather than renting one on the island, you can take a traghetto (ferry) to Sicily from Genoa, Livorno, Naples or Reggio di Calabria in southern Italy. From Reggio or nearby San Giovanni, take FS, Caronte or Meridiano across the Straits of Messina to Messina itself (30 minutes). Grandi Navi Veloci takes 20 hours from Genoa to Palermo or 18 hours from Livorno to Palermo. Tirrenia sails from Naples to Palermo in 16 hours. Siremar sails from Naples to the Aeolian Islands and Milazzo in 11 hours.

Ferry details are the same as if travelling by car, but if you are on foot you can take a much faster aliscafo (hydrofoil), with service offered by the same companies.

It is easiest to get around Sicily by car, particularly in the remote interior. Bring a good map, an international driving licence, and all the necessary paperwork for your vehicle as the Italian authorities spend a good deal of time examining documents. Beware of city traffic: the fast-moving pace, impatient Italian drivers and narrow, one-way streets can be nervewracking. In Palermo and Catania it is best to park the car and explore by bus and on foot.

Car rental is available at major airports and in cities and larger towns. Most companies do not charge a drop-off fee if you remain on the island, so you can pick a car up in Palermo and drop it off in Catania for no extra charge. Several private companies rent cars on the offshore islands.

Sicily’s reputation for aggressive drivers may seem deserved at first glance but if you look closely, you’ll notice that everybody lets everyone else cut in. Make eye contact, take advantage of an opening, and merge. There are, of course, people who just ignore all the rules, so always stay alert.

Bus service in cities and large towns is reliable and extensive, and a good way for tourists to get around. Tickets are available from kiosks near major stops, from some bars and from tobacconists (look for the black sign with a “T”). Validate your ticket in the yellow punch card machine once on board.

Train services, provided by the Italian State Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato ) do exist in Sicily, but with more routes available in the eastern part of the island than in the west. Timetables are available on the Internet (see By Train) or pick one up at a station. The main train station in town is called the stazione centrale . Service is reliable for the most part but trains can run late.

Bus services are comprehensive and heavily used by Sicilians, who often work or attend school or university away from their home village. A variety of regional bus companies provide coverage throughout the island (reduced service on Sundays). The main bus companies are SAIS, Interbus and AST. Bus stations are called auto-stazione and are usually located near train stations.

If you are an experienced cyclist Sicily offers some good biking opportunities but beware of the long distances and steep inclines. Bicycles are for rent in cities and on the offshore islands, for very reasonable rates if not for free (see Cycling).

Ferries (traghetti ) and hydrofoils (aliscafi ) ply the routes between Sicily and the offshore islands, ports on mainland Italy, as well as Sardinia and Corsica (see By Boat). Private boats, with a captain if you prefer, are available for rent from many ports, and fishermen are usually willing to give tourists a quick tour.

Scooter rentals are reasonably priced and a fun way to get around smaller towns and the offshore islands. Rental companies provide helmets, instructions and usually a map. It is not recommended for big city transport as the traffic is chaotic and truly dangerous for scooters.

Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures offer a food-orientated tour of Palermo, Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Syracuse and Taormina, staying in 4-and 5-star accommodation. For small group tours of Sicily with a dual culinary and cultural focus, Esperienze Italiane’s staff will organize an itinerary providing experiences with leading chefs, wine estates and art historians.

The Babilonia language school in Taormina holds courses of between five and ten people, offered at various levels, with oral and written communication as the goal. Courses range from two weeks to six months. Housing is provided and a wide variety of cultural programmes and trips is included.

Elderhostel offers educational tours emphasizing art, archaeology and history for travellers aged 55 and over. Two Sicily tours cover the island with a good selection of sites, including some off the beaten track. Lectures by specialists give an insight into the culture with additional topics such as cuisine and the Mafia.

Actividayz offers a wide variety of day trips and hands-on activities – hike Etna with a geologist, visit a pistachio farm, meet a puppet-maker in his workshop, or visit a ceramic factory and decorate your own vase. English-speaking guides.

Country Walkers offers hiking trips with English-speaking guides and 4- and 5-star accommodation. Ramblers Holidays offers walking tours of Etna, Ancient Sicily and the Aeolian Islands.

Seven Seas Yacht Charter offers power boat and sailboat charters, with or without a crew.

Horse riding is available through agriturismi (see Horse Riding) and through agencies in the Nebrodi and Madonie mountains. For details, call the park offices.

Anna Tasca Lanza teaches Sicilian cooking and provides accommodation at her wine estate, Regaleali.

CaravellaItalia’s “Ancient Sicily” is a comprehensive escorted tour of the island with luxury accommodation.

A fixed-price meal can be a good deal, but avoid tourist meals offering generic Italian “specialities” such as pasta alla’bolognese, spaghetti alla carbonara , or anything with a cream sauce. Your best bet is simple foods prepared with high-quality and fresh Sicilian ingredients.

The Mafia does not bother tourists and it’s highly unlikely that you would run into anything connected to the group. Sicilians are more comfortable now about speaking out against Mafia violence, however, although they are generous with advice and directions, they remain suspicious of anyone asking too many questions.

Be on the look-out for snakes in the mountains or sunning themselves on the ancient stones of archaeological sites. For the most part they are not poisonous and slither off as soon as disturbed, but it’s a good idea to wear shoes and socks instead of sandals when clambering around ruins.

Sadly, not all of Sicily’s coastline is pristine. Particularly east of Palermo, near Milazzo, between Catania and Syracuse, and near Gela, there are enormous petro-chemical plants, usually marked with signs saying agglomerato industriale and belching pollution into the air and sea water.

If you’re driving, don’t rent a car larger than you need. In big cities it will be hard to park, and in small towns and villages it will be hard to squeeze through narrow city gates or tiny streets designed to bear nothing wider than a mule-drawn cart. It helps to look ahead for vehicles to ensure the street is transitable – some village roads narrow until they turn into footpaths or become so steep they turn into staircases.

Not every church enforces the proper dress rule, but they can if they want to. Short shorts are not appreciated, and nor are skimpy tops with bare shoulders. Simply covering your shoulders with a scarf or a makeshift shawl usually solves the problem.

Sicily is deceptively large. Avoid backtracking over great distances to catch your flight home. Fly into Palermo and out of Catania or vice versa.

Lack of rain and the broiling sun make Sicily very dry in summer and wild fires are common. Do your best not to set them off by extinguishing cigarettes properly and not lighting campfires unless it is expressly allowed. If you see a fire, call the Bosco (Forest) Hotline on 115. If you are near a fire, try to stay up wind and follow the instructions of the Vigili del Fuoco (firemen).

You’re no more prone to thieves in Sicily than anywhere else in Italy, but use general common sense. Lock your car, don’t leave any items exposed (including the radio if you have that option), keep an eye on your wallet and backpack in crowded places, don’t flaunt jewellery, use caution at ATMs, and don’t leave valuables unattended on the beach.

Most shops are open from 8:30 or 9am–1pm and from 3:30–7:30pm, with some variation; they are required to post their hours on the door. In tourist areas in summer shops stay open during lunch. Shops that keep Saturday hours often stay closed one day during the week. Stores selling clothing and gift items are closed on Monday mornings, and food shops close on Wednesday afternoons.

Credit cards and travellers’ cheques are not as widely accepted or appreciated as cash. You’ll also get a discount for paying in cash on occasion (or pay slightly more for a credit card transaction).

Value added tax (IVA) is included in the price of goods for sale in stores. Non-EU citizens can get the tax refunded if they spend more than €150 in any one store. The salesperson will provide and fill out the paperwork. You have three months to file the forms with the Tax Free office in the airport of your last EU stop. You must provide the forms, receipts and sometimes produce the goods. Refunds are provided on your credit card or in cash on the spot.

Artisan ceramic production in Sicily is of good quality. Traditional styles vary from area to area and some craftsmen produce good modern designs as well. Examine each piece carefully to make sure there are no gaps in the glaze. You might be able to bargain for a discount on a slightly flawed piece. If you want the ceramics posted home, most stores are adept at packing and shipping, but make sure insurance is included or they have an arrangement with their courier service.

Haggling is common in markets for any items except food, which is so reasonably priced that you won’t need to haggle anyway. Shops do not haggle over prices unless something is flawed, but if you spend a lot in a particular store, it never hurts to ask for a sconto (discount).

Tourist shops are full of puppets, varying in quality. Some craftsmen who produce puppets for performances also make puppets for sale as souvenirs, usually slightly smaller in scale than those used in the theatre. Antiques shops sell puppets too, but if it’s the real item, expect to pay a high price.

Sicilian wines are coming into their own and there are lots of small producers making wines of excellent quality (see Wines and Wine Producers). Larger shops and vineyards will ship wines home for you.

Unperishable food products allow you to bring a bit of Sicilian cuisine home. Most shops offer canned goods or items shrink-wrapped (sotto vuoto ). Look for olive oils and anything preserved in salt or oil such as tuna, olives, sundried tomatoes, capers and artichokes. There are good Sicilian cookbooks in English – look for Anna Tasca Lanza and Mary Taylor Simeti.

In Novara di Sicilia you can find items handmade in wool felt, while Erice is known for woven rugs in geometric patterns. Hand-sewn items are available at antiques shops and at the linen stalls of markets.

Italians love children – particularly Sicilians. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are eager to accommodate families and children, so there is no need to be shy about asking for special favours or services.

Resort villages have staff on hand to take care of children and entertain them with supervised group activities. Call ahead to find out the age groups provided for, as some holiday villages do not host activities for children under the age of 12.

Menus do not always include a separate section for children, but a mezza porzione (half portion) of pasta is usually available on request. For simple, non-spicy dishes, ask for pasta con l’olio e formaggio (a simple pasta dish with olive oil and cheese), pasta al pomodoro (with tomatoes), or pasta/riso in bianco (plain pasta or rice). Highchairs are generally available.

Only the larger and more populated beaches have bagnini (lifeguards), and if they do, there’s a good chance that these flirtatious guys in tiny red swimsuits won’t have their eyes on the water. Trained as they may be, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your kids yourself. The alimentari and souvenir shops that abound in most seaside villages sell all sorts of gear from flippers and snorkels to sun protection and floating boards.

Almost every beach has at least one bar that rents beach equipment for beachgoers, including umbrellas, chairs and pedal boats. The larger establishments have convenient showers, changing rooms with lockers where you can leave all your family’s beach belongings, a restaurant and a bar.

You can usually add an extra bed or cot to a double hotel room for a 30 per cent surcharge. Many hotels, even so-called luxury hotels, expect families and have rooms outfitted with three, four or five beds as a matter of course, as well as extra space.

Sicilian families stick together and often eat out in large groups, socializing in the piazza or making the passeggiata (see The Passeggiata) until the early hours of the morning. As the summer drags on, the siesta gets longer and longer, meals start later and later, and you’ll notice that local kids stay up until well after midnight.

Take advantage of the afternoon siesta time to let children have a short nap. It’s not a bad idea for the parents either. Most of Sicily shuts down during the hottest hours of the day, and comes to life again when the air cools off in the evening.

If you haven’t brought the medicines you need with you, feel under the weather or need any medical advice while in Sicily, start with a visit to a pharmacy. Italian pharmacists are trained to diagnose and treat minor problems and can recommend paediatricians. Holiday villages and campsites have seasonal infirmaries and your consular agent should be able to provide a list of paediatricians who speak your language (see Embassies and Consulates).

Check with your travel agent for inexpensive tickets on charter airlines. All-inclusive packages are often a bargain, including airfare or boat fare, food, lodging and often car hire for one set price. These packages are often only available during the summer season.

At the majority of sights and museums there are reduced entry fees for groups, students between the ages of 18 and 25, and free entry for those under 18 and over 65 (although sometimes this applies to EU citizens only). During Italian Culture Week in spring most state-run sites offer free entry to all.

Hostels and pensioni , particularly those run by religious orders (see Pensione and Monasteries), offer inexpensive, safe and clean lodging. Take advantage of the Sole hotel chain where member hotels (2- and 3-stars) offer a 10 per cent discount to former clients. Get a stamp on your brochure and travel from member hotel to member hotel to get a discount throughout your entire stay.

Unassuming trattorie serve up hearty helpings of traditional foods – a crowd of locals is a good sign of the quality. House wine costs less than the listed wines; meat costs less than fish. Unless you’re famished, a first course and an antipasto or vegetable dish should be plenty, and is more affordable (see Antipasto).

Scenic picnics are highly recommended and fit for any budget. Alimentari offer fresh, local salami, cheese and olives. Markets sell fresh fruits and vegetables, and bakeries and alimentari will make sandwiches to order. Wine is available at reasonable prices.

Sicily has a tradition of fast, filling food in bars and rosticcerie . Look for panelle, arancini, sfincione , pizza, and enjoy the variety of baked pastas and sandwiches. It costs less to eat at the bar than it does to sit at a table.

Nicer hotels drop their prices considerably (as much as 40 per cent) before and after high season (July and August). The weather is nice and the water is good for swimming in June and September. For discounts in the high season, when people hit the coast, look to cities and towns. Some hotels lure people inland with cheap rates in the summer.

Take advantage of buses, which offer a full day pass for around €2.50. Tickets are sold at kiosks near bus stops, tabacchi (look for the black-and-white “T” sign) and in some bars, and must be validated upon entry in the bus. Do not throw tickets away, as you may be asked to prove you used them. Free bicycle rentals may be arranged at the tourist office in many areas.

Sicily is a living monument. The landscape, the smell of the sea, the lively markets, the medieval churches, fields rich with bounty, are proof that la vita vera (real life) is still going strong – these are among the finest things Sicily has to offer, and they are all free.

Along with 11 other countries in the European Union, Italy adopted the euro as its common currency in January 2002. Check newspapers and currency services for up-to-date exchange rates.

The best bet for getting a good rate when changing money is generally an Automatic Exchange Machine. Check with your bank at home to find out about any hidden charges. Bureaux de change are located in cities, but usually give a low rate of exchange and charge a high fee (and they close for lunch which can prove inconvenient). Banks generally charge lower fees but the queues can be insufferably long.

ATMs (Bancomat ) are usually offered by banks and are found all over Sicily, apart from remoter villages. Except for brief interruptions in service, they work 24 hours a day. The Italian banks don’t usually charge a fee for using an ATM at their end, but your bank at home might charge a percentage for the transaction. Banks are most likely to charge a lower fee than a credit card company, whose fees for cash advances can be steep.

Credit cards are sometimes accepted, sometimes not. It’s worth asking first or looking for the credit card symbol on the window of a shop or restaurant. Plan to pay for a good portion of your trip in cash, especially petrol. When credit cards are accepted, Visa and American Express are the most commonly used.

Travellers’ cheques can be changed at hotels, banks and bureaux de change , but the rates for foreign exchange are not usually good.

Public telephones can be found in city streets and some bars. They operate with phonecards purchased from tabacchi (tobacconists). Break off a corner to activate the card. Some small villages only have one hidden phone, so ask for un telefono pubblico . European mobile phones will have coverage except in very mountainous areas.

More and more Internet connection points are popping up on the island, usually in the cities and tourist areas, where you’ll find a few Internet cafés similar to those now seen the world over. Hotels will often let you connect to the Internet from the reception desk.

Italian post offices function like banks, and there are always extremely long and slow moving queues, especially at the end of the month when old age pensioners’ cheques come in and electricity bills need to be paid. As with almost everything else, they also close for the extended lunchtime siesta. If you just need to purchase francobolli (stamps), save yourself the hassle and buy them from tabacchi .

US, British, French and German newspapers are available on newsstands in Palermo, Trapani, Catania and Messina. In the smaller villages and hinterlands, only tourist spots such as Taormina, the Aeolian Islands and Erice are likely to have any foreign newspapers on sale.

The emergency telephone number for the polizia (police) is 112 and can be used to call an ambulance too. Call 115 to report a fire.

Heavily-armed carabinieri , dressed in sleek red-striped pants, are usually staked out by the side of the road pulling over cars to check documentation or taking care of airport security. The local police (polizia ) wear blue uniforms with their pistols in white holsters and are responsible for general security, safety and petty crime.

Doctors and pharmacies (farmacie ) provide receipts that are accepted by insurance companies back home but ask your insurance provider what additional information may be necessary. If your own health insurance does not provide coverage while you are travelling, ask your agent for additional travel insurance.

Pharmacists are trained to diagnose and treat minor problems. Many items for sale, regardless of whether or not a doctor’s prescription is required, are kept behind the counter in one of a thousand little drawers, so you usually have to ask for what you’re looking for. Pointing to your sore throat is enough to let them know that you need lozenges, for example. A green cross signifies a pharmacy; if it’s closed there should be an indication of the nearest one that’s open posted on or near the shop door. Toiletries are also available in profumerie .

If you are in need of medical service in an emergency, pronto soccorso (first aid) is available at hospitals (ospedale ). In the remote interior, you’ll have to ask for details of the nearest hospital, or dial the emergency number.

Dental care is not great in Sicily and therefore not covered by most travel insurance policies. If you have a problem that needs immediate attention, ask the local pharmacist to recommend a dentist, or better yet, check with your consulate for a list of dentists who speak your language.

Although crime is not rampant, be aware of thieves, especially in crowded markets or piazzas. Report an incident to the police immediately, if necessary using the emergency number 112. You may need documentation from the police to show to your insurance company.

The guardia costiera patrol all of Italy’s coastline. Among their other duties, they are responsible for controlling pleasure craft. Boats registered in a country within the EU are not subject to customs control, but must have on board all papers necessary for the countries where the boat and skipper are registered, and must follow laws pertaining to Italian waters. For an emergency at sea, call the coastguard emergency number, 1530.

Wild fires break out easily in the dry summer and spread rapidly by the hot scirocco wind. Call the Vigili del Fuoco at 115 and 1515 for forest fires.

Restaurants vary from the inexpensive tavola calda (literally “hot table”) to casual pizzerie, osterie and trattorie , to the more elegant ristorante . An enjoyable meal is an important part of Italian life, so feel free to linger in any establishment as long as you like.

Hotels serve good strong coffee and bread, if not a full buffet. Out and about, bars serve strong espresso or cappuccino early in the day, usually accompanied by a cornetto (croissant) or arancini (see Arancini). The typical Sicilian breakfast is gelato in a brioche – a sweet but heavenly way to start the day.

Antipasto literally means “before the meal”. It can be anything from salami and cheese, to marinated anchovies, or any creative little bite the chef has prepared.

This is the first course, and is usually a soup, pasta or rice cooked with vegetables, and some fish or meat. You can ask for a mezza porzione if you don’t want a full plate of pasta. If you order cous cous with fish (a Sicilian speciality) it’s often served as a piatto unico (single course) since it includes the pasta and fish on the same plate. Primi are eaten alone, with no vegetables, salad or bread.

Second courses are based on meat or fish. A selection of grilled meats and involtini (slices of meat rolled around a stuffing) are usually on offer. Excellent fresh fish is available in almost every eatery on the island. The secondo is usually served alone on the plate, however, unlike the primo , it is perfectly acceptable to eat the course accompanied by bread and vegetables.

Contorni are vegetable side dishes that accompany the secondo . They usually consist of salads, tomato salad, grilled vegetables or roasted potatoes, French fries or greens.

After the main meal, you might be offered a cheese course. Ask for the speciality of the area. Fruit is almost always available. Dolci (desserts) in Sicily (see Cassata and Cannoli) are excellent and often made in-house. Finally, coffee is served at the end of every meal. If it’s late and you’d prefer to avoid the caffeine, ask for your coffee to be decaffinato (decaffenated).

Bills for meals include il coperto (a small cover charge) and sometimes a servizio (service charge) of around 10 per cent which will be marked on the bill. If service charges are not included, you aren’t usually expected to leave a tip, although it’s always a nice gesture. An Italian will usually leave a few euros in a trattoria if the service and food were good, or if it’s a place they frequent regularly. They leave a little more in a restaurant.

You’ll be offered the house wine in a half or full litre carafe. If you are at all interested in wines, take a look at the wine list as there are usually at least a few good bottles at decent prices. Try a malvasia, moscato passito , or Marsala with cheese or dessert, or as an after-dinner drink.

In popular areas such as Taormina and the cities hotels are more plentiful. Some hotels catering to business people are being opened, providing service more in line with what the Americans, British and western Europeans are used to. However, in the interior there’s not much to choose from. If you want to stay in a certain area, you may need to find a hotel in the nearest large town.

Hotels are graded according to a star system, from one to five. One-star hotels are inexpensive and offer a choice of rooms with or without bath. Two- and three-star hotels are functional and are usually clean. Four-star hotels have added comforts such as swimming pools and modern bathrooms. The very few five-star hotels on the island are luxurious.

Always book in advance in high season (July and August), but outside of these months you can usually book just a day or two ahead. Booking via telephone or fax is your best option; although many hotels now have e-mail addresses, they are not always checked regularly. The staff at hotel reception desks usually speak enough foreign languages to make and confirm reservations.

High season is July and August and most room rates go up during that time. Expect to pay more for rooms on the offshore islands and at popular resorts such as Taormina. Some hotels also require a mezza pensione (half board) deal during high season. Prices drop as much as 40 per cent outside of high season.

Several foreign companies offer homes for rent, from countryside villas and seaside homes to apartments in a city or town. For a small group or family, renting a house can be economical but make sure you check the insurance cover carefully.

There has been an explosion of agritourism in the last few years in Sicily and there is a wide range of quality and services. Some offer tranquil private accommodation or apartment rentals on small farms; others have the option to get involved in activities, such as picking grapes.

There are plenty of campsites along Sicily’s coastline and a few inland, rated with a star system like hotels and usually well-equipped with swimming pools, pizzerie , bars, beach facilities, and sometimes an infirmary in summer. Pitching a tent outside of official campsites is not allowed.

In high season some agritourism and resort hotels require that you take half board, which means breakfast and one other meal included in the price of your room. Some offer pensione completo (full board).

Private rooms for rent are available in most tourist areas, particularly the offshore islands, at Cefalù and Taormina. You’ll usually have more than your fair share to choose from disembarking from a hydrofoil or in train stations. Tourist offices and travel agencies also have listings.