Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Legal Matters
The most likely reason for a brush with the law is if you have to report a theft. If you do have something stolen and you
want to claim it on insurance, you must make a statement to the police; insurance companies won't pay up without proof
of a crime.
The Italian police is divided into three main bodies: the black-clad
carabinieri;
the
polizia
, who wear navy blue jack-
ets; and the
guardia di finanza
, who fight tax evasion and drug smuggling. If you run into trouble in Italy, you're likely
to end up dealing with either the
polizia
or the
carabinieri
. If, however, you land a parking ticket, you'll need to speak
to the
vigili urbani
(traffic wardens).
The legal blood-alcohol limit is 0.05% and random breath tests do occur. Penalties for driving under the influence of
alcohol can be severe.
In general, your embassy should be able to provide a list of local lawyers, interpreters and translators.
PRACTICALITIES
»
Weights & measures
Sicily uses the metric system for weights and measures.
»
Electricity
Plugs have two or three round pins, so bring an adapter. The current is 220V, 50Hz.
»
Newspapers
Sicily's major regional newspapers are Palermo's
Il Giornale di Sicilia,
Catania's
La Sicilia
and
Messina's
La Gazzetta del Sud
. Rome-based
La Repubblica
also has a section dedicated to Sicilian news.
English-language newspapers are available, usually one or two days late, in the big cities and major resorts.
»
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in all public spaces, as per EU law.
Maps
City Maps
Our city maps, combined with tourist-office maps, are generally adequate for getting around. More-detailed maps are
also available in city bookshops.
Litografia Artistica Cartografica
(LAC;
www.globalmap.it
) produces detailed maps
(costing €7) of a number of Sicilian cities, including Agrigento, Catania, Palermo, Syracuse and Trapani.
Michelin
(
www.michelin.it
)
and
Touring Club Italiano
(TCI;
www.touringclubstore.com
)
also produce decent city maps.
Driving Maps
The best road map is the TCI's
Sicilia
(1:200,000), available at bookshops, airports and motorway cafes in Sicily. The
AA's
Road Atlas Italy
(1:250,000), available in the UK, includes Sicily. In Italy, the
Istituto Geografico de Agostini
(
www.deagostini.it
) publishes the
Carta Stradale Sicilia
(1:200,000; €7.30). Michelin also has a reliable map,
Sicilia
, at
a scale of 1:200,000.
